I agree with you @HappyBerry. Ryan was a very shitty boyfriend, but he isn't necessarily a very shitty person. Childish, thoughtless, and someone who desperately needs to grow up, yes, but not malicious.
So often as women we're told, explicitly and implicitly, that there's nothing more important than finding a boyfriend and eventually a husband. And fat women in particular are constantly given the message, "Just take who you can get. You can't do better." So I was glad to see the season end with Annie realizing that yes, in fact, she can do better.
I actually felt a little sorry for Ryan. Yes, he was definitely a shitty boyfriend and clueless and it's so right that Annie break up with him, but he wasn't intentionally 'bad'. He was trying to evolve at least! I think that he was born with a very low emotional IQ and he was never going to get where Annie needed him to be. But although he was a bit of a dumbass he was likeable and he was trying to the best of his abilities (which admittedly were not very high.) Hopefully after this experience with his first real girlfriend he won't crawl back into a hole with his bros but get out there and keep growing.
Shrill - General Discussion
in Shrill
I actually felt a little sorry for Ryan. Yes, he was definitely a shitty boyfriend and clueless and it's so right that Annie break up with him, but he wasn't intentionally 'bad'. He was trying to evolve at least! I think that he was born with a very low emotional IQ and he was never going to get where Annie needed him to be. But although he was a bit of a dumbass he was likeable and he was trying to the best of his abilities (which admittedly were not very high.) Hopefully after this experience with his first real girlfriend he won't crawl back into a hole with his bros but get out there and keep growing.