#but Jamie is my bbgirl and I’m not standing by with people dragging him

[justsomefunshit]

About the Roy and Jamie fight:

I think people forget Jamie used to be a real prick. He’s done a real 180, but people who have actually worked on the really bad parts of themselves know that those parts of us don’t just leave. For a character that was introduced as The Prince Prick of All Pricks, his first instinct being lashing out and putting people down, to change so much after so much turmoil in his life (going to Richmond, leaving Richmond, doing the reality show and coming back to Richmond) is beautiful to see. But even after he came back we see a little bit of that instinct coming back. When the team gives him the signal, he starts by saying “I’m no doing it wrong, you’re doing it wrong”. He’s frustrated, but there no need for him to say that. He could just start by explaining. To part of him LIKES being a prick. Because is part of who he is.

Roy was introduced as a rude and angry captain in the end of his legendary career whose response to the world is rage and violence. He’s watching his career end in a mediocre team and doesn’t have any connections with his teammates. The closest relationship he has within the team is with Jamie. The asshole who’s rude to everyone, who has a funny and kind girlfriend, the one who he already knows is going to be a legend. Roy’s change comes later, slower, because, just like Zava could, legends can get away with things other people can’t. Nobody asked Roy to change. Richmond didn’t care that Roy was an absent captain. That he was violent. Sky sports didn’t care that he swore on live tv. Ted didn’t ask him to change when he asked him to come back. It was only in the middle of this season that Rebecca gave him a real talk.

And then we come to their interactions this episode. Roy sees jamie and keeley hugging and assumes the worst. He asks jamie out for a beer, something we know never happened bc jamie hasn’t had beer in months. We have the callback of the fist bumps, now offered by Roy. In the bar, Roy is obviously sincere when he says that he’s proud of jamie (but I honestly think he was going for a compliment sandwich), but he immediately segways into the subject of keeley. He’s so insecure in his relationship with keeley (and probably with Jamie) that it comes of possessive and dismissive of Jamie. We can see in his face that he means it as a competition, as if HE won. And Jamie responds in kind, reaching for the prince pricks of all pricks that lives in him, and that Roy can access easier then anyone. They have more equal ground now, they both like and respect each other. But they are both also highly competitive, both insecure, both known for lashing out when cornered, Jamie with his words and Roy with his fists. Jamie knew what he was doing when he talked about the video. He WANTED to hurt Roy. And roy responded how he used to, because Jamie acted like he used to.

And that is the nail on the coffin to Roy. The next morning he asks to be a diamond dog. Because he baited Jamie and he knew it. And when jamie baited him back, he fell for it. He asked for everything that happened the night before, and I can bet you that it was jamie that suggested they go talk to keeley. And it was jamie that offered dinner. Because jamie HAD to change, and Roy witnessed him doing it. He knows is possible, he’s seen it, and he finally realized he can’t do it alone, bc he’s been trying and fell back as soon as his insecurities hit a little harder. And he brought his best friend down with him, even after seeing and experiencing his change. He asked for help because he doesn’t know how to deal with having a best friend, someone who knows you, who challenges you, who makes you feel like you can do better.

Because that’s what happens when you have real and vulnerable relationships. No one can hurt you more then your best friend, because they know you better then anyone. The people who know you are the ones that can bring the worst out of you. And you cans also bring the worst out of them. Roy already knows Jamie tries very hard not to do this. The least he can do is try to learn too.

(This is not a defense of the behaviour, it’s just been driving me insane that people are saying it out of character. It’s not. It’s a natural response and a callback and a demonstration of HOW MUCH their relationship changed that they stop fighting to come to a “better”conclusion (it’s not), and then get dinner together. No hard feelings.)