In Defense of Matthew
So much backlash against Matthew. He's my favorite character, dear, sweet Matthew. Many think he's changed a great deal in S2. Thanks to the war, that's inevitable. Unfortunately, as eolivet has pointed out, JF decided to not attempt to flesh out Matthew's character in any great detail, just rendering a few war scenes here and there, and showing him
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I was just commenting on what many people thought, he must be discussing Mary's love for him and I disagree. I also agree with you he's worried there is pity there, though I would be surprised if he thought Mary would allow pity for another to control her life like that.
I disagree with this, to a point -- I think there is no way he could've possibly been able to process why Mary did what she did. He was drugged up, as you say, and in a lot of pain and his memory probably isn't very good. He leaned on Mary, and Mary allowed herself to be leaned on. That spoke volumes about the implicit trust he had in her -- that he needed her, that she was there, that he didn't have to ask.
I think this is a possibility too. It's quite possible he doesn't remember Mary being around him when he was so incapacitated. But just in case he does remember, he probably thinks it was more out of a sense of duty to help him then, rather than love.
(I think there was a very clear shot of Mary reacting to Matthew standing -- her joy could've powered the whole downstairs. Oh, I LOVE that shot. Her cheeks are about to burst. And NOBODY -- including Lavinia -- would've understood how important that was, except Mary, who'd been there from the start of his injury.)
LOL, actually I think the person who had the best expression was EM/Cora. Her face was priceless. But I was surprised that Mary wasn't given a sole shot of herself. Everything else in regards to Matthew has been about her reaction, why not this?
But I LOVE your point about Matthew and dancing -- how he wouldn't have been able to do that before, and how special it must be to be able to share that with Mary.
I just think it's interesting that Matthew was immobilized for 3 episodes and the very next one he's dancing. That alone must have meant the world to him, and how wonderful that it was with Mary, even though it seemed more out of providence rather than his own control.
Sigh, they are killing me.
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