S05.E06: The Tender Trap

[Kel Varnsen]

49 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

 

It’s not victim blaming to point out that the guy wouldn’t have been taken and later killed if Dot hadn’t switched the names. Even if she hadn’t intended to for anyone to get hurt, that’s exactly what happened. But I guess I were all supposed to overlook it just because the guy was a jerk to the nurses, just like it was okay for Lester to kill his wife and frame his brother just because they were jerks to him. Because apparently only victims that are nice as pie are entitled to sympathy in this show.

If Dot has some blame for the cancer guy being killed does she also have some blame for the state trooper and the gas station attendant? If she hadn't run away from Roy and been living under a fake name, and if she hadn't jumped out of the car when her kidnappers were pulled over they wouldn't have been killed either. It's not that different from the scenario in the hospital. I can have sympathy for the dead guy without blaming Dot, since in both cases the blame goes to the murderers. 

[Spartan Girl]

1 hour ago, Kel Varnsen said:

If Dot has some blame for the cancer guy being killed does she also have some blame for the state trooper and the gas station attendant? If she hadn't run away from Roy and been living under a fake name, and if she hadn't jumped out of the car when her kidnappers were pulled over they wouldn't have been killed either. It's not that different from the scenario in the hospital

That’s completely different. Dot wasn’t directly responsible for the state trooper and the gas station attendant because she didn’t deliberately put them in danger. The hospital patient would not have been kidnapped if Dot hadn’t purposely switched the names on rooms, knowing full well that their intent was to kidnap Wayne and at the very least beat him up, if not kill him.

Maybe she didn’t mean for anyone to get killed. That doesn’t mean much. Because if you bring a gun to scare someone and it accidentally goes off and shoots/kills someone, even if you didn’t intend for it to happen, guess what, it’s still your fault for bringing the gun in the first place. 

Yes, the kidnappers were incompetent morons and Roy is a murderer. That doesn’t change the fact that Dot put him in their path. And let’s be real: she didn’t give a crap what happened to that guy as long as it wasn’t Wayne. 

[peeayebee]

1 hour ago, Spartan Girl said:

Yes, the kidnappers were incompetent morons and Roy is a murderer. That doesn’t change the fact that Dot put him in their path. And let’s be real: she didn’t give a crap what happened to that guy as long as it wasn’t Wayne.

I don't agree that she didn't give a crap what happens to other people. If you had a choice (a Sophie's Choice) of saving your husband or a stranger, you'd pick your husband, but it's not fair to say that you're responsible for the stranger's death. I know this situation is different, but Dot was trying desperately to save Wayne. I can't say what she would have done if she'd known -- though how could she -- that the patient would have been kidnapped, tortured, and killed. She was focused on saving Wayne. 

I think when/if she finds out what happened to the patient, she would feel guilt over it. I know I would. However, I think in such extreme circumstances -- being chased by your powerful, abusive ex, and knowing that your husband was in the ex's crosshairs -- you're in self-defense mode, and that means saving your family as well as yourself.

[Kel Varnsen]

I was thinking about Indira's husband and man that guy is such a wannabe Roy. Except he doesn't have the personality/drive/skill to make himself a success in his job. And as much as he wants his wife to cook and clean and do what he wants, he isn't willing to go as far as Roy is to make that happen.

I also noticed he has like a high school locker in the garage where he keeps his shit. Could be a sign that he was someone who was awesome in high school and kind of wishes he still was.

[seacliffsal]

10 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

I was thinking about Indira's husband and man that guy is such a wannabe Roy. Except he doesn't have the personality/drive/skill to make himself a success in his job. And as much as he wants his wife to cook and clean and do what he wants, he isn't willing to go as far as Roy is to make that happen.

I also noticed he has like a high school locker in the garage where he keeps his shit. Could be a sign that he was someone who was awesome in high school and kind of wishes he still was.

And yet there had to be something appealing about him so that Indira married him and seemingly put up with him (until she didn't).  I agree that he was probably the hot jock during high school.

[Raja]

44 minutes ago, seacliffsal said:

And yet there had to be something appealing about him so that Indira married him and seemingly put up with him (until she didn't).  I agree that he was probably the hot jock during high school.

An Al Bundy who never gave up the dream and do his job to support a family.

[Kel Varnsen]

3 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

And yet there had to be something appealing about him so that Indira married him and seemingly put up with him (until she didn't).  I agree that he was probably the hot jock during high school.

I can see that. It's interesting that all his career aspirations we have seen (professional musician, pro athlete) are things that a lot of people dream about when they are younger but most don't do, because they are incredibly hard (I read Dave Grohl's book last year and the amount of work he put into being a great drummer was almost insane) and they realize they need to pay bills. But this guy is like in his 30's and still trying to make it. 

Plus how many adults keep body spray in a gym locker in their garage?

2 hours ago, Raja said:

An Al Bundy who never gave up the dream and do his job to support a family.

But kind of worse than Al since Al wasn't still trying to make it as a pro football player. He had kind of realized that a real job (even one selling women's shoes) was more achievable and realistic.

[peeayebee]

4 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

Plus how many adults keep body spray in a gym locker in their garage?

Shows he was stuck in his high school jock life.

When he gave the I-want-a-wife speech to Indira, I felt sure he had watched a YouTube channel about this or maybe read forums that espoused these beliefs and desires. He sounded so much like he was parroting what he'd heard or read. I suppose it wasn't important how he came to these views. He was simply another example of a toxic male insisting on subservience of his female partner.

Edited January 24 by peeayebee

[Raja]

4 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

Shows he was stuck in his high school jock life.

When he gave the I-want-a-wife speech to Indira, I felt sure he had watched a YouTube channel about this or maybe read forums that espoused these beliefs and desires. He sounded so much like he was parroting what he'd heard or read. I suppose it wasn't important how he came to these views. He was simply another example of a toxic male insisting on subservience of his female partner.

Heard America's Sheriff no doubt.

[peeayebee]

I considered that, and it's certainly possible. When we see Roy give his call-to-arms on the website, I didn't check out the webpage all that closely. He certainly could have proselytized about his views on marriage and women. But there are tons of other sites and podcasts that promote the same views. 

[EtheltoTillie]

On 12/24/2023 at 8:28 PM, LadyintheLoop said:

I'm still wondering how her prints got into the system.

I do not think he had her prints in the system. Dot was fingerprinted and her mug shot was posted when she was arrested in episode 1 for the tasering at the school meeting. Her mug shot was probably posted in some database, and they saw that. I always thought they figured it out by the mug shot. 

Edited February 18 by EtheltoTillie

[peeayebee]

I wouldn't be surprised if Roy had fingerprinted her when they were married.

[EtheltoTillie]

11 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

I wouldn't be surprised if Roy had fingerprinted her when they were married.

In that case, maybe he had posted her in a missing persons database when she ran away.