I waned to show that Reggie and Carol were sincere in their desire to mend fences, while also showing that they’re still who they are, and they aren’t quite there yet. He ribs her gently and she plays back. On some level Carol probably thinks all his mean spirited teasing was just him covering up for him having a little crush on her, in light of his relationship with Alex. It would be more correct to say that he doesn’t think in quite those terms before but now he’s beginning to compile his own ideas of what beauty is rather than defaulting to what he’s been told is beautiful. Which is not to say he didn’t think Nina is beautiful, but rather that it was easier for him not to think about it because she falls into a widely accepted version of beauty that he understood instinctively as good. Having experienced a very intimate encounter with a different kind his wiring is adapting to new information. The reality of things is she was abrasive and didn’t give him a chance and he responded in kind. While he was still able to evaluate her value to the store accurately later on she hasn’t quite accepted his in the same way. It was much easier with Ed because they have similar personalities and tend to face life with an idea of having to establish a pecking order early on. She pecked and Ed resisted. That put her on the back foot and made her reevaluate what kind of person she was dealing with and how she had acted. Having Nina as a moderating force probably helped too. Carol and Reggie have things in common, but not the same things as she and Ed. They both enjoy a sort of snickering meanness in their humor. Being a little cruel amuses them and makes them feel better about themselves. Ed can be sarcastic but it’s rarely from the same direction. Given time I think Carol and Reggie could actually become good friends who respect each other’s dependable qualities. While still being a bit mean about it.

Posts authored by Jackie

2717 Newton’s Cradle.