bunny

My edits | Masterlist

Anon, I saw this yesterday and have been thinking about it for hours. My conclusion is that, as I said before, any interpretation is valid!

To be fair, if someone asked me to find examples in the show of non-binary undertones in Mona's character, I'd say the evidence is fairly limited.

I always saw Mona as a woman struggling for agency in a story largely about masculinity, violence, and control, rather than as a character whose gender identity is being questioned by the narrative. But I can see why you'd think this. It would make sense for Ruben to look for a partner who doesn't really fit into any conventional gender expectations, if you see Ruben as a queer character!

This is the moment Ruben lost everything he (thought) he had. His mother. His wife. His son. and his brother. Everything that made him whole... gone in an instant. Taken away by the person he trusted the most.

So much of Ruben and Niall's sense of self is tied to the other. This is why Niall's betrayal doesn't just destroy their relationship, it shatters Ruben's understanding of who he is. Which is something he admits he's spent his entire life trying to build.

And this is particularly tragic because there is no going back. There is no truly leaving each other behind. They already tried, and even ten years apart weren't enough to keep them out of each other's lives.

They are inextricably linked, tied knotted to one another.

And I think this idea is reflected in the symbolism of the necklace Ruben always wears. The necklace itself is made up of two intertwined loops: the chain and the ring. Him and Niall, trapped in a cycle neither could ever escape. Unable to live with each other but equally unable to live without each other.

This is quintessentially him. From an historical point of view, this phrase is tied to graffiti and, specifically, to WWII, the soldiers who fought in it, to invasion, territory, and the need to say, I was here before you, I survived this, I matter. And isn’t this exactly what Ruben wants people to know? We know he got it when he was younger, perhaps as a way of saying I survived the abuse my father inflicted on me.

The whole point of this tattoo is leaving a mark behind and by doing so, proving you existed and survived.

And in the show, a recurring idea when it comes to Ruben is how he’s always weaponised visibility, forcing his presence even after he’s gone.

This idea also reflects the way he moves through other people’s lives, and how Ruben leaves behind damage, influence, fear, and obsession. Even when he’s gone, he lingers psychologically. Niall is a primal example of this, with his emotional scars. And Alby, with the ones on his face, for everyone to see. Everyone around him carries evidence of him. So, in my opinion, the tattoo almost becomes symbolic of his entire character: Ruben needs to be remembered.