#while June has the 'I'm grandma and I divinely contracted to spoil my grandchild as much as possible' attitude

[firebirdsdaughter]

I'm not…

… Gonna tag this as the show, just my personal show tag, bc (apparently???) it's a wide spread take and I'm in no mood to be kicking any hornet nests, and it's probably based on personal experiences, but…

This 'Neal isn't Peter and El's son he's June's' take? Just completely bewilders me.

Now, as mentioned, I assume this is based on personal experiences, bc for me, June in no way acts as a mother to Neal. To me, he is one billion percent Peter and El's adopted son—they love and support him and think he's brilliant and are proud of him, but also try to challenge him and want better for him. They have expectations and all the complications and love that come w/ them. They try to help guide him and teach him things.

But June? June is Wine Grandma. And it is Wine Grandma's gods given right to spoil her grandchild as much as she damn well pleases. I never see a mother in June, at least, not what I consider a mother figure to be. She doesn't try to teach or raise or guide Neal. That's not that she never gives advice, grandma's give plenty of advice, but she's not trying to help him Be Better, that's not grandma's job. June is the Wine Grandma that will sit and play games w/ your friends, she's smart as a whip and quick as one, too. She's wealthy and cultured and she dotes on her darling boy however she wants and the parents can't stop her. Wine Grandma gives hundred dollar bills as pocket money, lets her grandchild eat and wear whatever they want. No expectations.

And both those familial aspects are just as important. This is not to in anyway diminish June and Neal's relationship, bc it's still familial to me and it's still a part of what shapes him. He loves her and looks after her and he reminds her of Byron (I've seen that cited as why she's a mom and I just… Again, for me, that whole thing was framed in a much more 'grandparent' fashion, like when something skips a generation). She pulls out pictures and tells stories of a time long gone and he listens and is interested. At most, she's Wine Aunt, but I prefer Wine Grandma (and he's the only grandchild).

That, to me, is the beauty of WC, is that they form this whole family network. Neal lost his parents at a young age and there's no mention of grandparents, or aunts and uncles beyond Ellen. But now he has something like that, he has a network, he has multiple people who love him just as much in different ways and fulfil different, equally important roles. And that's why it's such an interesting study.