#bc I thought Thea and Kev first slept together when he was like 16???

[ohanthonytomallamadingdong]

While I totally agree with this, and there’s definitely a double standard there, I think there’s a lot more than the age gap bothering people.

Personally, I don’t like her actions or beliefs against Jean nor do I appreciate her loyalty to the ravens even in the face of the obvious abuse Jean and Kevin suffered, especially after they try to tell her about it all. She threatens Jean into talking to her about the ravens, accuses him of basically sleeping around to get his perfect court number, and (please correct me if I’m wrong) but doesn’t she continue to minimize Kevin’s experiences in the nest even into their later adulthood and marriage?

That being said…

We have to recognize that Thea herself is a product of the abuse and manipulation of the nest. She believes the lies she was told about the ravens, about Riko, about Jean, and that affects the way she reacts to information about them even post-graduation. However, her insistence on belittling and minimizing the trauma Kevin and Jean went through is something I still can’t quite get over, especially if it lasted long after they all got out. If she and Kevin get married, there has to be a mutual understanding of the fact that they were both abused/manipulated and progress in light of that. But I haven’t heard of any evidence of that.

I love the idea of who Thea could’ve been or could be. Her experiences and attitude make her a really cool character and her development could be really interesting to see. Unfortunately, her position as a side character (and a minor side character at that) leaves little room for her development through the narrative and any development she does get is connected to her relationships with Kevin and Jean and Riko rather than her as a character in her own right. That means a lot of people take her at face value and see only what we’ve been told. It causes so much discourse because she, despite being a minor character, is in a relationship with one of the biggest major characters of the series.

Ultimately, I understand those who like her and I understand those who don’t. And though I often find myself more on the side of those who don’t like her, I do like the discourse and the fanon development of her and her story.

(also side-eyeing the Katelyn x Thea movement started by the social media AU of the magnificent @codename-adler)

Remembered that Renee turned 24 in September in Neil's first year. I have never seen any hate towards her for her age gap with Jean (5 yrs) Especially with us finding out Jean's age in tsc this year.

Hmmm same age gap with Kevin and Thea

Don't feel like starting fights over my girl Thea again but I wanted to point this out anyway