F Ø R H E N

This is gonna be… long, I’m sorry. Remember I posted this?

I have been thinking about it and I think I got to know what was the fragility I noticed. Not only the “I don’t belong here” aura as they said in the comments, but the innability of socializing correctly. You could say… “what? he is not afraid of doing things in front of people or talk”, okay, it’s not that what I mean, I mean a real interaction where you show yourself as a person to other people. 

If he was Bryce he would go near a group to say “hi” and try to make friends, but Monty stayed there waiting for Bryce to come, until he decided to go in the house instead of looking weird. Not only that, if we watch the previous part of that clip we find Monty saying: “I don’t know anyone here” (or someting like that), someone with good socialicing skills wouldn’t have that kind of thoughts.

So yes, today I’m gonna talk about the socializing/opening to people/making friends problems that Monty have (or I think he has) and I’ll add some bonuses talking about other topics related to Monty. Also, I was thinking about summarizing this but it isn’t actually that long, so there we go!

We can see that innability also when he first meets Winston at the party. He goes in the room like a lost dog and he doesn’t actually speak anything more than a laugh with Winston. You can easily see that he is scared of a healthy social interaction. The only thing he vocalizes before getting silly/scared/suspicious is “where is the fucking bathroom?” which isn’t even a question for Winston but for himself.

BONUS: I also think that he is scared (and desirous) about having sexual interaction with a guy. I wonder… Did he even had sex with other guys before? Did he even had sex at all before? (If he did I can’t remember it, so sorry if I’m mistaken).

When he gets off the house he sees Bryce and he feels confident enough to insult everyone. That’s the only kind of social interaction that Monty knows toward anyone he doesn’t consider a friend, and they could be two reasons for it:

He doesn’t want to seem vulnerable.

He had his dad as a reference when he was younger, a kid, (even if he abused him) and he learned what he saw: bad behavior towards people.

Personally, I think both could be correct.

BONUS: Winston tells Monty that it was nice to meet him and he manifests his desire to meet again and hang out with Monty (without specifying the kind of relantionship he wants). That manifest takes Monty by surprise and we can see how terrified Monty is about it. He doesn’t want anyone to suspect about his sexual orientation, and he looks back to Alex (I think) to check if he heard what Winston said. As he compulsively thinks that people is suspecting about it (which I think it’s a symtomn of ansiety, but I won’t speak too loud cause I’m not psychologist), he hits Winston aggressively to show everyone how much of a man he is (so to speak).

Here we are, in Monty’s first healthy social interaction in the whole show with a person he knew a night months ago . We see a sad Monty abandoned by Bryce, who is trying to change to be a better person and doesn’t want Monty near him, and abandoned by Charlie who got to knew the atrocity Monty did and finished the friendship. Monty feels lost and all the weakness and vulnerabilities show up. He proceeds cautious cause he isn’t experiencied on that type of social interaction; he never told nice thngs to anyone (not even to himself) and he probably never apologized for anything he did in the past. So there he is, destroying all the barriers and asking for forgivenes.

When Winston tells Monty that his parents are out all weekend and asks if he wants to hang out, Monty sees things a little different: he starts believing that someone can actually like him after beeing abandoned by everyone.

BONUS: “The fuck are you doing here?”

I don’t know about you people but this “the fuck are you doing here?” sounds different from others he has said in the whole show. I understood something like “everyone I appreciated abandoned me, I don’t have real friends, why are you here? you shouldn’t.” He wanted company but at first he didn’t understand why someone would stay if important people in his life were gone.

AND FINALLY Monty is confortable enough to speak out loud. He verbalices his fears for the first time, fears he had in his mind and probably thought a lot about. He isn’t anymore scared of looking vulnerable to someone (just to Winston, he won’t show vulnerable to others), he isn’t anymore scared of showing himself as he is, and he needed that, he needed to confess his fears, he needed to show his fragility and he needed someone who wasn’t going to judge him about it, someone who made him feel comfortable and safe.

However, he will always distrust people and he’ll always feel scared when it comes to socially interact with strangers and make new friends.

“Everyone has their reasons.”

and maybe we should understand his...

“He was my best friend asshole. So, leave me the fuck alone.” - Monty de la Cruz

Bryce Walker knew that Monty was being physically abused by his father, and let it continue to happen without doing anything about it. However, no one (his friends, the school, or the police) put a stop to his abuse. That is not a “friend” nor is that a “brother.” Bryce Walker did NOT deserve Monty.

•

I never agreed with what Monty did to Tyler, nor do I forgive him for that happening. However, Monty never had the help, or support he deserved/needed growing up in the abusive and self-hated product he was made into. When he assaulted Tyler he snapped. He mentally snapped, as he blamed Tyler for ruining everything. (Just like Tyler snapped after all, he had a plan and a gun to kill several students at Liberty. Yes some were bullies but most were innocent) They share that in common. They both snapped and planned/followed through with things that are unforgivable. We see Monty also tell Alex later in s2 that the only thing he has was his team and Bryce and that was it. He was so beaten and broken, honestly living in a world nobody should have too. We finally are able to see Monty get in touch with his more sensitive side. (Which was my favorite thing about S3). Yes, the altercation between Winston and him wasn’t right either, however, it was not only new but scary for Monty. But.. later when Winston told Monty that he can be whatever he wants to be and Monty respond: “no. I can’t” in tears, you can see the pain and regret in his eyes. It really shows how much he’s been fighting and how much this kid has gonr through (off screen). Hes terrified for his life to be who he wants to be. He wanted to change, however it was not easy. Not to mention when his dad calls him a f***t, and then spits in his face. It clears a lot up. No parent should EVER treat their child like that. Monty wanted acceptance for his sexuality not his actions. It makes sense where Montys violence and overall behavior came from, but he was more broken then we actually know. It was heart breaking, he wanted to change and he started too by reapproaching Winston, apologizing to him (which you could tell that he really wanted to fix things by the way he said; I ain’t going to do anything and that he was sorry) his voice cracked, because he was trying to do the right thing for once, and by finally clarifying that he maybe in fact gay to his father (which was where we seen Monty literally breakdown..) He was taking steps to change, however, you have remember that he’s been the violently abused unstable and lonesome guy his whole life, and that he wanted better for himself. Which is why he was different with Winston, because Winston was the first person to comfort Monty and to tell him he can be whatever he wants to be. Winston seemed to be what Monty needed, and he really shed some light on Monty for a better future. Because he felt that Winston was his safe haven. His voice and his emotions during that brief intimate scene between the two broke my heart.. Monty deserved a chance, and yes Monty deserved better. When the deputy tells Ani that he died in his jail cell, I don’t buy it. It’s a cover up. They made Monty the main antagonist in season 2 (which I don’t agree with), but in season 3 they finally show the side to Monty that we’ve been waiting for not to mention they also develop a well dialogue between him and Winston. They wouldn’t have a fate like that for a character they put so much content into. There is so much more potential there for him. So...I hope Monty is back in Season 4 and serving some time for his assault. I hope that we continue to see another side of Monty, that was shown briefly in Season 3. Continue with Winston and Monty’s relationship, have Monty come forward to make amends with the rest of his Liberty High classmates, sincerely apologize to Tyler for what he did, finally stand up to his abusive father, and to get the help he deserved. You can do better with his character. (It’s possible because by a specific logic we never see a body, and that means they intended a cliff hanger.. so it’s possible for a comeback). Psychologically Monty is broken, and don’t forget he too is a victim of abuse and deserves to be heard.

If you have no love, no support, are a victim of abuse, feel trapped in your own mind full of self hatred, and you are broken.. I wish this upon no one. Please reach out and seek the help you deserve. Its ok to ask.

- This is my personal opinion. I seen that Monty wanted to change, and yes I truly do believe his own abuse and self hate for his reasoning behind his breaking point. But they truly ruined the potential Monty had, and I honestly felt sad for him by watching season 3. Monty deserved better.

"I'm not, f** gay"

"OK. Cool. You can be whatever you want"

************

"No I can't"

Before I start his, I want to warn for spoilers obviously, and also say that I do not condone what Monty did to many of the characters, and he is by no means a good person—and I will not be trying to argue that. However, I will be analysing his character to the best of my abilities and show how he is one of the most complex the show has to offer. I’d also like to say that if I’ve missed anything or anyone disagrees with anything I’ve said, please add it below or carry this on!!

I also might carry this on if I realise I forgot anything or have any new ideas, this will probably be quite messy too—so apologies in advance.

Abuse

It is made very apparent to us that Monty is abused throughout the show as a whole. His dad beats him to the point where he has to run away relatively frequently to hide from his dad. We also see in season 3 that his dad is exceptionally homophobic, which comes in more later.

Some of the effects physical abuse can have on a person include behaviour issues, criminal behaviour, depression, drug and alcohol problems, issues at school, and anxiety. Montgomery shows that he has many of these traits—even if it’s just minor, showing us that the abuse he has received for his whole life is what shaped him into the monster he can be.

Parallels with Justin

The physical abuse also draws some heavy parallels with Justin, especially when you look at the two’s friendships with Bryce. Both boys felt the need to protect Bryce until the end and heavily depended on him (even in season 3 we see Justin still have communication with Bryce). Their friendships with Bryce are also similar because of how little Bryce needs them in return, and how easily he drops them both.

It is very clear that Justin is jealous of Bryce throughout season one—we see him walk around his house and get extremely upset over his seemingly perfect family life and home environment. We don’t get this with Monty, but the already drawn parallels can suggest that he felt the same, or even stronger towards Bryce. The abuse that both Justin and Monty receive at home is what draws them to Bryce, he was their protection, their only family and the one person they thought they could trust. This, as we know, leads Justin to lie to Jessica about Bryce raping her to protect Bryce, and we see Monty go even further to protect him throughout season 2 as he threatens and torments the people testifying against Bryce.

Sexuality and Self Hatred

Internalised Homophobia

The root of Monty’s internalised homophobia is his dad, and then isn’t helped by the toxic masculinity and homophobic attitudes his friends also hold. Many people, that I’ve seen, are unhappy that they made Montgomery gay, because it takes away from or redeems what he did. If you pay attention to the little screen time he’s given in the previous two seasons, it isn’t that difficult to work out. He is the very realistic homophobic bully that’s actually gay. It’s sadly a common thing, and anything but a simple redemption arc. Montgomery’s whole character is rooted in hatred—hatred towards himself and his desires, his peers for being happy and comfortable with themselves, his dad and family life, and at the people trying to take away the one person ‘protecting’ him. The root of this hatred is shown to be internalised homophobia in season 3.

The internalised homophobia he has also shows through somewhat anxious behaviour at times, as well as violent outbursts. For example him getting worked up in the car with Bryce, worried that Winston would speak up after taking the money—Bryce just sees that as him not wanting the police to get involved, but as the audience we know it’s about something much more terrifying to Monty.

Winston

Montgomery’s first interaction with Winston also links into his self hatred. He gives into his desires/urges and has Winston suck his dick, again I’ve seen people say that this scene was bad—and Monty was a bad person for the way he treated Winston. I disagree, if you watch the scene Winston is going along with the situation, and shows no signs of being uncomfortable. Monty, however, is very obviously mad at himself for giving in—and later lashes out on Winston as a way to cope with it.

Later on in the series, after Bryce is done with Monty for good, and calls him a coward, Monty runs into Winston again—this time he’s nice to him, and they enjoy the weekend together. You could say that in a way, Bryce calling him a coward is what lead him to go through with seeing Winston again, Montgomery obviously knew he was gay—he was just scared of it and hated himself because of it. He knew he was a coward, and tried to get over the internalised homophobia.

“You can be whatever you want to be.” / “No, I can’t.”

This line really stuck with me, and I think is because of how many things it could mean. It sums up Monty as a character in a sense.

You could interpret it as him wanting to be happy in who he is as a gay man, but knowing he won’t allow himself to be, or his friends and family won’t. It could mean that he doesn’t want to be gay, but he has to except that he is. Or it could go a lot deeper, Montgomery wants to be happy, have a family, have his friend back, be with winston, not be with winston—so many things, and in reality he knows he can’t have any of them.

There is also the context of him raping Tyler, he knows he did it and he also knows that Bryce knows, so he’s probably already aware that Tyler will come forward at one point.

I personally like to interpret the line, after talking about it with a few friends, as him wanting to be happy in who he is. He knows he’s gay, he knows that he likes winston to some extent, and he knows that his family and friends would disown him if they found out. He wants to have everything he doesn’t that Bryce and everyone else seems to have, but knows that it’s impossible. He wants to not be a coward, essentially, he doesn’t want to be the coward who followed Bryce, got beat by his dad his entire life, the coward who was always so scared of himself.

Friendships

Bryce Walker

I’ve already established how dependant Monty was on Bryce, however there is a lot more too it. Monty’s dependence on Bryce also turns into a form of admiration for his friend (and with the new context of his sexuality, could be interpreted as repressed feelings as well). This, as I’ve said, leads Monty to harass and threaten those on the tapes by either physically harming them or anonymously threatening them. Bryce didn’t know Monty did any of that, and when he finds out is disgusted with his friend. He ends their friendship, as he didn’t need the friendship nearly as much as Montgomery did, which leaves Monty devastated and angry. This is also what partially pushes him to later assault Tyler.

“If I sell out Bryce or lie, either way, my whole life falls apart. I got no one else on my side. I can't run home. That team's my home. Going to playoffs, winning state, being an athlete, that's not about fun for me. It's about survival. It's all I got. It's everything. So you wanna shoot me? Shoot me.”

This quote shows us everything about his and Bryce’s relationship—he has no one else. Bryce is the only person he truly feels like he can trust and will therefore do anything to protect him.

Scott, Justin, Charlie and Alex

All of these people are former friends (Alex less so, but pretty much the same anaylisis applies to them all). Before and during the tapes/before it was revealed Bryce was a rapist, he had a group. He had his place as a jock and his family, so as these friends slowly leave him as things go on, Monty’s circle becomes smaller and smaller—pushing him to protect Bryce even more.

Tyler Down

When most people think of Montgomery, they think of what he did to Tyler. I think it’s fair to say that he didn’t rape Tyler purely down to just being a monster. Him and Bryce contrast extremely in this situation, Bryce raped the girls he did because he felt entitled to them, he was so used to getting anything and everything he had little regard for anyone, causing him to do monstrous things.

Montgomery raping Tyler had nothing to do with sex or entitlement however, and he even refused to see it as rape throughout the 3rd season (probably down to having to accept that meant he had sexual contact with Tyler, consensual or not.)

And I’d like to clarify, I’m not here to justify what he did or say that he’s a good guy despite it. What he did obviously requires being an awful person—however, I would like to break down what made him the monster he was.

The abuse didn’t help, violence was all he knew, and as the show carried on he got more and more violent with his peers, as his dad presumably did with him. It is also made clear to us as the viewers that football is all Monty had: he was failing classes, had no support from anyone and couldn’t do anything with his life after high school. So, Tyler taking away football from him caused him to snap, and then Bryce ending their friendship due to being disgusted by Monty’s attempts to protect him only added to the fuel.

I personally, despite believing the rape was necessary for the plot and to show male sexual assault also happens, don’t believe Montgomery should’ve been the one to do it. It makes perfect sense to a degree, especially when you see him refusing to call it what it is in season 3, but I wish they had either kept the scene the same but stopped at the mop bit (and maybe have one of the other boys do it to Tyler after Monty left), or show it in a different way.

Montgomery was always an awful person, but he was capable of redemption, and I think seeing him change and accept himself as he started to towards the end of season 3 is an equally important story to show.

However, he did rape Tyler, and despite being his decision and completely his fault, you have to look at what pushed him to do it. It has a weird parallel to Tyler almost shooting up the school, except Montgomery didn’t have anyone to stop him and help him recover like Tyler did.

Conclusion and what I think should’ve happened with his character

I know that many people will disagree with me on this, because in some ways Montgomery is worse than Bryce. But I would argue that he is just as much a victim as Tyler. They are both filled with self hatred, and both turned to extreme violence to try to make themselves feel better, but ultimately Tyler had support where monty didn’t. Rape and shooting up a school are obviously very different things, and the crimes show the difference between the two characters. Montgomery took all his self hatred and put it on one person, and did the worst thing he could to that person, whereas Tyler projected his everywhere, and was prepared to do a far more damaging crime because of that.

Personally, if I could rewrite Monty’s story I would have him not rape Tyler, despite not being out of character, I think there were better ways to do it. The scene could’ve been the exact same except stop when Monty grabbed the mop, either because he realised it would be rape and he didn’t want to be any type of sexual with other man, or because he’s a ‘coward’ and couldn’t follow through with it.

I think his developments in the third season should’ve remained the same, and instead of having him framed as the murderer at the end, maybe he was a suspect throughout the show? And the audience is convinced it was either him or clay. Monty didn’t have an alibi because he was with winston, and refused to admit that’s where he was because he still refused to accept he was gay, and didn’t want anyone else to find out.

I know this doesn’t count as character analysis, and is much closer to fan fiction. However, I do believe that the homophobic bully who’s actually gay is an important trope. Many people see it was offensive and bad representation, which I get, but the trope can be done well. And example of a poorly done homophobic gay character is Adam in Sex Education, I think it would’ve been fine as long as he didn’t bully Eric specifically because he had feelings for him. That’s why I don’t see Monty’s gayness as a bad thing, because it’s not like he bullied Winston for being gay the previous two seasons, he acted generally homophobic (to an extreme in some cases) because he was petrified someone would find out about his secrets.

I will continue to defend Monty and his right for a chance at redemption, and I don’t care what you opinions have . Winston was what Monty needed. Winston accepted Monty for who he was, and who he wanted to be. For the first time in the whole series, we see Monty actually show a realistic, relatable and sensitive side to his character. Something that has been long awaited for. Ill remind you we seen Monty; apologize for the first time, sincerely say; I ain’t going to do anything, (which he regrets his wrongs), and stand up to his father by admitting he’s gay. (acceptance within himself). Montgomery was making a difference, and that was a difference that we did notice. He was starting to change into a better man... however; change is not possible overnight, especially, with how broken he really was... 💔 Now.. I don’t care if you call this a justification or an explanation . But he was also abused and neglected as a child, and that truly explains where his violent and out of control behavior came from. He was a prisoner, and a product of his environment. (That he never got the proper help for) Not to mention he had no one to turn to, or confide in about his abuse, anger, depression or sexuality. I mean did we all see how his dad *spit* in his face and called him a fa***t... :/ that’s horrible... Monty should of been given that chance, he became the most complex character this season. Monty needs to return in Season 4 (Alive), because Winston is going to get him his Justice. I mean like Winston said: He’s a human being, and he didn’t deserve that. 👏🏼👬

“Winston was a very important person in Monty’s life," Granaderos tells Refinery29 during the show's press junket in Napa Valley. "He was the only person who told Monty he could be whatever he wanted to be. Monty’s response was 'No, I can't,' which is so sad. If their relationship went on, Monty’s vulnerability could have opened up, and he could have discovered himself and seen things a little differently."

This is so true, and I hope that we continue to explore and find out more about this Monty that grown to sympathize and love. 💙