#she married a man fathoms beneath her because she didn't want to risk being betrayed.

[sweetmilkbread]

Shiv Roy // Letter to His Father, Franz Kafka

Shiv (v1), Roman (v1, v2), Kendall (v1, v2)

[calamity-bean]

TomShiv has never been more appealing to me than it is this season, for the same reason that I'd argue it's likewise never been more appealing to Shiv.

In the interviews after 4.06, Sarah Snook says something to the effect of how Shiv likes knowing that Tom was probably an asshole in his workplace and also likes having power over someone like that. But the thing is, imo, that power was far too freely given. He was never, in the early seasons, an asshole to her. Early-seasons Tom fawns over Shiv; there is this sense that both of them (and everybody around them) believe that he is not good enough for her and should be grateful that she condescends to be with him. Logan outright says as much in 1.07: "You're marrying a man fathoms beneath you because you don't want to risk being betrayed."

But I think Logan's wrong in saying that Shiv "didn't want to compete," because what we're seeing this season is Shiv's reaction to a Tom who at least occasionally challenges, denies, and insults her. Victory rings hollow without challenge. Having power over him when he gave it so freely was no victory at all. Consciously or not, Shiv respects Tom a lot more when he's (literally or metaphorically) biting her rather than fawning over her — and finds him a lot more exciting, attractive, and interesting that way, too.

It's all delightfully messy and I love it. Friction and jealousy and spite and tenderness and teeth <3