#or just fic pre documentary tbh. just kevin mcclain fic pls and thank you

[persefoneshalott]

ramble about kevin mcclain american vandal s2

the thing is Kevin LIES constantly. Dylan in s1 knows he's innocent but isn't believed by a lot of people, being doubted by peter at some point and with him the audience. But kevin KNOWS that he did it and yet encourages Peter & Sam to suspect in other people and keeps lying about being innocent until the truth leaks out. And we never get his pov of it, really, we only get his narration after he's already lied A TON. I think probably him lying started in part because he didn't want to disappoint Chloe after she was trying to help him and reached out after them having distanced in the past, but he's also a bit resistant to trusting her and reconnecting with her again at the beginning, I think because he felt angry and betrayed by her and with that comes the second part of why he lied, which to me is that he ultimately didn't regret what he did THAT much, not enough to be punished for it. And then when it seems like other people might take the blame for it, he goes with it.

And the people who are being suspected are the people that Grayson WANTS to take the blame, with DeMarcus acting as a substitute for the knight dude for him. And not only does Kevin go with that but he misjudges DeMarcus in the same way that Grayson does, he makes comment about him being a dumb jock and both him & chloe see him as this 'untouchable' person who can get away with anything because of his popularity. which is the exact reason why grayson wants him framed (an assumption, but that seemed like his original plan).

And THEN when drew gets framed in his place, someone who we don't think he has any problem with, he still lets that happen (and Grayson never gives kevin up or leaks their messages which *eyes emoji* is just INTERESTING why would he be so loyal to kevin but that's another story). This is the LAST EPISODE and kevin is still going with the 'I am innocent : ( I've been framed' act.

so when the time comes for Kevin to tell the 'truth' about Brooke I am VERY skeptical lmao because his story sounds very fake and he gives such a non reaction to being told grayson was behind it all. Also, this is another thing that was probably not intended by the writers, but the fact that they wrote him as so obviously gay is another thing that makes the 'I did it to impress Brooke' seem fake to me. I think, considering the condoms is one of the only stuff we have proof of (he did buy SOMETHING), he might've thought he liked her, but I don't buy that he didn't know brooke wasn't brooke after her last text, and that he didn't think back on all those familiar conversations with this person and connected some dots. (also we don't know that they didn't meet in person after *puts conspiracy glasses on*!) He even SAYS 'this girl that I had fallen in love with had never existed', and 'Brooke' tells him that she's a fake ('you're full of shit just like me') SO HOW DOES 'I was trying to impress her' MAKE SENSE. it doesn't.

but anyway I just think it's so interesting and I find what we know of his dynamic with grayson so fascinating, because they're childhood friends before, and he's the only one who grayson didn't get pics from, the only one who wasn't blackmailed because they both agreed on the plan. And grayson could've given him up at any moment, specially with the documentary happening, and he does not, even when he's arrested, even when he leaks everyone elses' part on the plot, he leaves Kevin alone, frames drew so the four acts match four people, and wipes his phone and laptop!! (of course to try and lessen his sentence, but if that had worked, that'd have left no evidence of kevin's involvement as well)

so all in all Kevin is a liar who lies and I love him and I love that dark side of his character that doesn't really get explored in the show and I like to think he's being an unreliable narrator until the end (: and idc if the writers intended him to seem genuine and want me to take what he says in finale at face value, I'm going watsonian and trying to make it make sense for the character, and it doesn't to me if he IS being fully honest.

I'm not saying he's a supervillain or anything to be clear lol, he's just flawed and I do think he didn't enjoy seeing the brown out happened. But again, there's feeling bad and there's feeling bad enough to accept punishment for it. and I find it very funny that he spends the whole season being like uwu I'm innocent I've been framed knowing full well he has not. He even admits 'it was thrilling' to fill the lemonade it but peter buys the 'he fell in love and was trying to impress a girl' story which. even if true. that's still his revenge fantasy. that they both joked about. this isn't him going after people who he has no trouble with bc he's being influenced. but no one ever doubts it! (and again, I'm not saying he wasn't manipulated bc he was for sure, but more in a veronica from heathers the movie way where it's all very ambiguous )