I know I keep harping on this, but the set-up for the car crash in The Walten Files is just so contrived.
1) Why are elementary-aged kids attending a high school party? (The flyer seen in Bunnyfarm specifies it as Brighton High Spring Party, not an elementary school party using the high school facilities. And elementary grade or mixed-grade parties don't usually go so late into the night.)
2) Once again, why the actual fuck was there an OPEN BAR FOR CHAPERONES at a school function for children?? With apparently no one manning it who could cut them off. I know it was the 70s, but that is still a monumentally stupid decision that I have a lot of trouble buying as credible. That was never going to end okay.
3) If Rosemary was going to be done with Sophie's dentist appointment and home before 9:00, why couldn't she then pick up the kids? Why is Felix expected to spend four hours at a school party for children and then drive them home? (Even my teetotalling ass would've been tempted to drink by that point.) That's a big and unnecessary last-minute ask of even a close friend (who is still married for all that Jack knows by that point). Drive them there, sure, but stay for the whole thing? Why?
It's such an important moment, and it sucks that the foundation is shaky. It takes me out of the rising tension every time. "Our teacher says drinking is not good." THERE WAS FACULTY-AUTHORIZED BOOZE AT THE SCHOOL DANCE.
I just want you all to know that I found this post from google being odd.
It’s even weirder bc I realized these posts were both by the same person so I went ‘let me scroll down a little bit see if it’s just right below it’ and no. it wasn’t. I’m floored.
anyways the post above is #true. I assume Jack didn’t want his kids to be fully alone but like, it’s a school dance. the alcohol is probably because it’s the 70s? I guess it’s trying to world build by showing how hypocritical and stupid the adults are? I always assumed since Sophie said Brighton was small in BunnyFarm that the reasoning was the schools were just connected or some weird shit. Probably not but I legit can NOT think of a single other reason for that. Martin has said BunnyFarm isn’t his favorite or best so I assume he knows how weird it is but can’t really backtrack at this point.
I mean, yeah, Bunnyfarm is a mess. There's a ton of shit that doesn't really add up. Like Linda's letter implies she left while Felix was taking the kids to the party, but the narrative implies she left the night before. Rose was taking Sophie to the dentist, but I've never heard of a dentist that stays open so late she wouldn't get back in time to pick the kids up herself. I've consulted with people who lived during the 70s, and alcohol at school functions and around children just wasn't a thing that happened, never mind a dedicated bar area for chaperones. It feels like the whole episode needed a couple more revisions that it never got.
It bugs me though. Like, I get that narratively, Felix needed to get drunk for the story to happen, but why come up with the most implausible scenario for that? He could have left the kids for the duration of the party and gone to a bar or bought beer and gotten smashed in the parking lot while waiting. It would have done a lot more to underscore his own poor decisions and addiction. But a completely unprecedented scenario where he's supplied with unlimited booze in a place where he by all accounts should not have had to encounter booze at all? It comes off less as his own failings and more the universe deciding "Hey, fuck that guy and those kids in particular." It's ridiculous.
And that's another thing. It divides his culpability. He's at fault, but so is whoever the fuck was serving or providing unlimited alcohol to a fucking chaperone who had to drive children home and was clearly shitfaced. Even an actual bar has to cut you off at a certain point, but he was still drinking when the actual function was over. It makes no sense. We just have to assume Brighton is some kind of Bizarro world where children are casually endangered in this specific way. Or that that specific school system is comically negligent. But then again maybe that's why he's not in jail or run out of town. Another thing that makes no sense.
We're stuck with it, but I'll never shut up about it.
EDIT: Oh, yeah. I'm OP btw. Forgot to switch blogs.
I’m assuming for her letter it’s meant to be a ‘she overheard the convo then left after he went to work then he picked the kids up right after work’
Yeah no the bar thing is a complete mess, my dad had his first kid in 75’ and even he’s confused by the school bar thing, I mean Martin is from Chile so maybe that was a thing there in the 70s?? I highly doubt it, and the thing is he’s fully sticking to it seemingly, he could have very well changed it in ep 4, but no there’s still a drinking zone.
It’s one of those things that’s so confusing and wrong it’s kinda infuriating like that is not realistic??
I mean obviously people possessing robots isn’t either, I’d assume Martin’s reason for never changing it is this + he doesn’t wanna do a big retcon.
The dentist I have zero explanation for, I honestly think that’s a large reason for all the Rosemary cheating theories bc why would she ever NOT be back by 9??? It could be Jack over worrying about his kids being home alone and just trusting the shit out of Felix but huh??
My guess is Rose also went to get groceries after?? No clue how those 2 could possibly take 4 hours, maybe the dentist is far away??
It doesn’t seem they had two cars so maybe they walked or bussed?? I have no fucking clue for those two things honestly.
Linda also said she'd be in Hurricane by the time Felix read her letter, which also made me think day/night before. Like, girl, how are you gonna get to fucking Utah that fast. And Felix was already sounding very "My wife left me" by the time of the phone call with Jack.
Yeah, I did wonder if it was a cultural thing, but I have doubts. And it's so weird that almost no one brings up how weird the whole thing is. Best I can guess is that the crew skews young, especially when the episode was written and things that needed to be checked just weren't and nobody caught it. But it sucks, damn.
I remember the Rose theories and the idea that a "wolf in sheep's clothing" theme was why Sha's design looked so canine. A friend and I had discussed whether Rose and/or Jack was up to something that night that they shouldn't have been and that's why they didn't seem to go as hard on Felix legally or financially as they easily could have. Like they had shit that could come to light if they pressed the issue. But. No. Apparently. Nah, she'll be home by 9, but she won't be able to pick up the kids herself. Because reasons. Just sit at a school dance for four hours even though you aren't a parent with kids in that school, Felix. That'll look normal. This is all an incredibly normal situation.
There's an expected level of suspension of disbelief for paranormal elements in horror, but this isn't paranormal. It's just bad writing.
