I Haven’t Seen Anyone Talk About This, But Why Is No One Talking About The Casual Racism From Hope

Please go watch Netflix's Teenage Bounty Hunters so it gets renewed for a second season. You want twin bounty hunters and a wlw enemies to lovers subplot in your life.

I still have some thoughts about season 3, and I'm sure as hell gonna throw them out there.

So, after watching the new season I realised something with full force. Up until now I felt kinda bad about thinking critically about Eric's choices.

But oh, not anymore do I feel bad about it.

Because you see, seeing as his personality basically went to the shitter this season at first I thought "hey, that's so unexpected!". But then I realised, it wasn't unexpected at all.

A lot of people gave Adam shit back in season 2, because Eric cheated with him on Rahim.

But like... Eric cheated on Rahim.

It was Eric's decision to:

1. Kiss Adam during detention.

2. See him when he reached out after coming back from military school, throwing pebbles at Eric's window that first time.

And it was Eric's decision to continue meeting Adam at night behind Rahim's back, the pieces of broken porcelain on his nightstand a testament to the fact that he kept on making the choice to go back to Adam despite being in a relationship already.

And then, he said Adam's full of shame and that, essentially, he can't be with him if Adam isn't out.

So, Adam came out to the entire school, by declaring his feelings for Eric.

But it still isn't enough for Eric.

Because now he wants Adam to come out to his mum. And Eric seems to suddenly have zero idea about how strained Adam's relationship with both of his parents is. Even though in the first two seasons he seemed really perceptive when it came to Adam. It seemed he could see right through Adam's thick shell, having at least the faintest idea that there must be something more to this guy than what meets the eye.

Adam is trying so hard to be the person that Eric wants him to be. In season 3 Rahim asks Adam "and what about you? What do you like?", and honestly, I'm shocked by how refreshing such treatment of Adam was. Because nobody except Ola seemed genuinely interested in Adam himself before, in his thoughts and what he has to say. I honestly thought I could include Eric in that little group, but now I see very clearly, that I can't, and I never really could.

And then of course there's also the issue of the two of them having sex.

Eric really wants to, and Adam does too it would seem, but he has trouble voicing what it is he actually wants.

And it just worries me, because this is the second instance of Adam being under the pressure to have specific kind of sex with his partner, and he isn't given understanding or patience in the matter.

What's bad is that it also makes it seem like only the kind of sex when you're inside someone or someone is inside you is "real" sex and real, ultimate form of intimacy, and that if you don't get that in your relationship, it somehow nullifies all other instances of intimacy that aren't inherently sexual in nature.

Can we form a prayer circle with the thought that third time's the charm and that the next person Adam's dating will be patient and understanding with him in all matters, including intimacy and sex?

Eric thinks Adam is embarrassing quite a lot in season 3, and gives him way less credit than is due. Slowly I started to realise that Eric never really saw Adam for who he was.

And Adam was trying so hard. He was learning to be vulnerable and open, he said "I love you" first, he was getting out of his comfort zone to make Eric happy. But it still isn't enough for Eric.

Because now he's at a family wedding in Nigeria and he meets a stranger who brings him to a club and kisses him.

And Eric admits to it and instead of just apologising and saying that it didn't mean anything, he says that it meant something. He says that it wasn't nothing.

Adam has been trying so hard to be someone deserving of Eric's love, and yet he wasn't enough. Again.

Do you perhaps wonder whether he heard his father's voice in his head at that moment?

Do you think that the boy he loved so much suddenly reminded him so vividly of the man who by all accounts was supposed to love him, but somehow always managed to only bring him down, make him feel like he meant nothing?

Because I do.

I think that Adam's heart got absolutely shattered on that bridge.

We'll burn the bridge when we get to it, eh?

I think that he has been feeling like less than enough for so many years, and now, suddenly having this person he loved, and who he thought loved him, he saw a little light at the end of the tunnel.

Only to have this light be snuffed out right in front of his eyes.

Because I don't think Eric really loved Adam, or that he loved Rahim for that matter. I think that perhaps Eric knew what kind of love he wanted in theory, so he was following a script he has written in his head. But when reality sets in and he gets bored, or he realises that his boyfriend isn't the way he would like him to be exactly, he goes and cheats, feeling no remorse whatsoever.

And just, I hate that. I hate that so much.

And I most of all hate the girlbossification of the moment right after he broke up with Adam. It was framed by the narrative as some sort of triumph, an "everybody makes mistakes" kind of moment. A "we're wild, young and free, let's live our lives and think of the consequences later". Not to mention that it was mixed with the atmosphere of the end of Otis' arc this season, which was feeling very life affirming given that his mum was on the brink of death, but she was now okay, and he also had his newborn little sister.

But Eric Effiong is not Hannah Montana.

He has now hurt two people in a very similar manner, all because he has not taken the time to know himself or know what he truly wants. In the end I would not be surprised if it was Eric that is actually full of shame that is just laying unresolved and covered with obscene amounts of fake confidence.

But we will see about that, won't we?

In the end, both Eric and Otis have hurt some people really badly this season, and making it feel appropriate to end the season on a high note with that thought in mind is just in poor taste in my opinion.

I really, genuinely hope that Eric will get his shit together in season 4. Because as of right now, I really cannot stand him. He used to be who I considered to be the best character on the show, but now I can say with full confidence that he is not.

Finding yourself should not be an excuse for treating people like shit. You can really do that without breaking hearts.

But I guess Eric doesn't know that, does he?

good things will happen 🧿

things that are meant to be will fall into place 🧿

Zuko, be like: I support women’s rights *the southern raiders episode* but I also support women’s wrongs

I knew Hope was a nasty little racist the MINUTE she assumed Adam was the Head Boy… every interaction with any queer or POC felt like the human embodiment of a microaggression

straight brain: Janis Ian was probably gay lol

lesbian brain: Regina George is the biggest lesbian in the history of cinema and she started the lesbian rumor about Janis to deflect from her own feelings and used hyper femininity and bullying to do the same when she entered high school in the rest of this essay I will-

I got back into ATLA, and I've gotta talk about how Aang may have wanted Katara, but he needed Toph.

Aang needed someone who would challenge him, not someone who would be his "safe haven". While Katara often coddled/mothered Aang, Toph was always his equal. The two of them could have fun together without the mother-son/big sister-little brother undertones Kataang had. Katara always sheltered Aang, which is why he never grew and developed as a character, not even as an adult. If Toph saw Aang emotionally neglect two of their three kids because only one was an Airbender, she would have, 100%, put him back in his place because she never sugar-coated ANYTHING and faced problems head-on.

THIS is who I wanted Aang to end up with. Toph might not have been the one he wanted, but she was the one he needed.

These two were made for each other, just like Zuko and Katara (the two characters with the strongest emotional connection in the entire show, who understood one another like no one else + let's not forget all the romantic coding, thematic significance and symbolism that their dynamic is full of)

adam groff's soft little 'i look quite pretty' rb if u agree