S03.E03: Sown With Salt

[SusanSunflower]

Given Teddy's expression -- tonight on the evening of the NEXT episode -- I was wondering exactly what Ted told Janet about what Daniel did to Teddy that she felt so heartbroken and pitying over it. iykwim. 

[iggysaurus]

I think I remember someone saying specifically that there was no penetration, or insertion, or something, so it wasn't technically rape. Maybe the sheriff to Ted? I'm not sure. Anyway, so I always thought he just pulled down his pants and poured the coffee grounds on.

 

I think it was when Teddy told the sheriff. He seemed to go out of his way to clarify that nothing was 'inserted'. I think all Daniel did was choke him out and humiliate him, not rape him. Which is still bad, but not AS bad.

[SusanSunflower]

Wasn't it the senator who made a big deal about it being "sexual assault" which just made it clear to everybody how desperate he was to get Daniel back behind bars as soon as a pretext could be found. That certainly fed Teddy's belief in his own victimhood and, of course, deep DEEP trauma. I think I remember both Teddy and the Sheriff were in the room ... not positive. 

[Fex]

I think it was when Teddy told the sheriff. He seemed to go out of his way to clarify that nothing was 'inserted'. I think all Daniel did was choke him out and humiliate him, not rape him. Which is still bad, but not AS bad.

Thanks! I was remembering that, but it was fuzzy.

[ketose]

On 7/27/2015 at 11:09 AM, rue721 said:

I think that Daniel assaulted him to put him in his place. I think that Daniel didn't like how pushy Teddy was being, and "showed him who's boss."

 

My opinion is also colored by the fact that I think what Daniel did to Teddy actually was rape. I think Daniel and Teddy both say that it wasn't rape because Daniel didn't literally have intercourse with Teddy, but that's a pretty naive understanding of what rape is imo. I mean, yes, the next morning, Teddy found coffee rather than semen in his ass and around his body. But that next morning, he was apparently also scrubbing shit out of his pants, and trying to explain that away to Tawney by saying he'd "had an accident." How violently would you have to "place" coffee grounds in someone's ass and "pat them down some" to make a person shit himself? It seemed to me that what happened was, Daniel jumped Teddy from behind and choked him out, dragged his unconscious body into the middle of the showroom, stripped him down, shoved coffee into his ass so violently that it evidently made him shit himself (which Teddy would probably rather die than admit), and then left him there in showroom for his father or some customer to find. Imo, that's extremely brutal. And Daniel attacked him at the tire store, which seemed like the place where Teddy had felt the most at home and the safest. I feel terrible for Teddy whenever he watches that stupid windsock man. I think the windsock man is a metaphor for Daniel, looming over the tire store, Teddy's life, etc.

 

So anyway, I think that what Daniel did to Teddy was extremely hostile. And I think that Teddy is genuinely afraid of Daniel, and is torn between destroying the family and his own reputation by revealing what happened, and wanting people to know about it so that they realize Daniel is dangerous and can protect themselves from him. He has every reason to think that Daniel *really is* a rapist and murderer, and I think he's afraid that Daniel will rape and murder again, and is fixated on the idea that if he does, the next victim could be Tawney.

 

I think his big dilemma right now is trying to figure out whether Daniel attacked him *because he deserved it.* If he got attacked because he deserved it, then other people (who don't deserve it) are probably safe. People like Tawney or whoever. But if he got attacked because Daniel is a monster, then other people really aren't safe and it's his duty to go public.

I think it's safe to say that what Daniel did to Teddy was unacceptable in the real world. I mentioned in another thread that Daniel only knew about being a teenager or a prisoner. After a few days of being out, Daniel is confronted by Teddy's jealousy after having been asked about sex in prison. Daniel reverted to the prison mindset where you're either the aggressor or the victim. It's pretty obvious that Teddy has tried this alpha male posturing before, but no one ever took it as seriously as Daniel. Daniel committed a crime and the law would dictate he go to prison. The real question should be "Would prison benefit anyone involved in this case?" Maybe it would or maybe Daniel simply needs to go to one of those halfway houses.

 

On 7/28/2015 at 0:52 AM, candall said:

People feel terrible about what this guy went through and really wanted to help him.  He could have had Janet, Ted, Tawny, Jared, Amantha, Jon and Melvin all supporting him, with no effort at all.  (That's more people than I have!)  He's been so successful dismantling that support structure, I assumed he was going to ruin the swimming pool somehow, as well.

All those people want something from Daniel. Amantha wants to form some ideal sibling relationship that she made up over 20 years. Ted and Janet want Daniel to become a good citizen and grow up and pretend the last 20 years didn't happen, and probably do it in the next few years. Tawny may be the worst. She saw someone as unfinished as she is and tried to explain that connection as Christian fellowship. Teddy wanted to ignore Daniel's existence and ironically, Daniel has affected him more than anyone since his release. The biggest favor the family could do for Daniel is let him learn how to be a person first.