I have 100 thoughts about the table scene between Syd Carmy in 2x09, but here’s my main takeaway:
There are elements of 2x09 that exactly match 4x10, but many more that are literally flipped
In both, Carmy is reassuring Syd she won’t fuck it up and that he believes in her
In both, Carmy admits he wasn’t who she needed him to be and he’ll do better by her
In both, Syd is worried she will fail and Carmy says he won’t let her
Syd’s scarf is the same color in both
In 2x09, Syd is saying “you could do this without me” and Carmy is saying “I couldn’t and I wouldn’t even wanna”; in 4x10 Carmy is saying “you could do this without me” and Syd is saying “yes but I don’t want to”
In 2x09, Syd is talking and Carmy tells her to keep going, is patient, gentle; in 4x10, Carmy is talking and Syd is maybe not gentle but definitely patient
In 2x09, Syd says she fucks things up all the time; in 4x10 Carmy says he keeps letting her down and fucking things up
In 2x09, Carmy asks Syd “you still love to cook right” and she says yes; in 4x10 Syd asks Carmy “you still love this” and he says no
In 2x09, they both tell each other they’re not alone; in 4x10, they both feel more alone than they ever have around each other
2x09 is bright and light; 4x10 is dark and bleak
In 2x09 they’re wearing the same thing; in 4x10 they’re both in white but Sydney is covering the white, with an overshirt, like armor, like a shield
In 2x09, Carmy’s stance towards her is open, his attention on her, while she is talking and explaining her fears; in 4x10, Syd’s stance towards Carmy is closed, hands crossed and looking down, while he’s talking and explaining himself
2x09 Syd is on the right and Carmy on the left; 4x10 they’re flipped
I just keep rewatching old scenes and episodes and realizing that they are either gaslighting the shit out of us or they’ve been literally setting us up since that first real scene between them in 1x03. This is either the greatest most slow burn torturous romance in the history of tv, or the most manipulative piece of tv we’ve ever been subjected to. Crying, sobbing, bye.