The Right Guy Has Just Gotta Show Up

the fact that tim justified her giving the confession because ricky has already confessed to someone is so funny to me because shouldn’t the fact that ricky had the potential for two big love confessions to two different people show that something went wrong with whatever plan you had for this show.

you know how a lot of people are saying portwell was simply a plot device?

let me explain why (in my opinion) that doesn't make sense.

does anyone remember watching friends? specifically season 8/9 when Joey and Rachel were somehow getting together?

okay, they are a PERFECT example of a plot device. the writers specified how their relationship was merely a tool so we could root for Rachel and Ross. because they were always meant to be the endgame of the show.

they never said I love you, they never slept together, they were just crushing on each other. in fact, the moment they tried to sleep together, it wouldn't work for them. from the start, we knew they wouldn't last, from the very start, we knew it was wrong and they were doomed. for a bunch of reasons! it never quite felt right. they were quick to tell us that their relationship wasn't meant to last. all so we would realize Rachel was supposed to be with Ross.

and in other shows we can see plot devices like Sophia and Jake in B99, or Chidi and Simone in The Good Place.

But in hsmtmts, things are different. beginning with the fact that the endgame was always supposed to be rini (and portwell). and obviously, things changed, understandably so.

we can see gina and ej growing and learning from each otr through the entirety of season 2. we knew they were meant to work from the beginning. they showed us plenty of things that work for couples that will date and not just friends for plot devices.

team wonderstudy, the airport episode, the guy who shows up, risotto, babe. everything.

these are not plot lines you give to simple devices that will help get one of them with another character.

no way did they spend a whole episode last series on gina saying "the right guy's just gotta show up" and then have ej literally show up moments later, just for them to pull the exact same thing, with this time ej being the wrong guy????

I could talk about how that finale is a (further) nosedive for EJ until the end of time, really. I wrote about it in my review if you want to check that out. I'm just so confounded by all of it, frankly.

Why does Gina's declaration (which should've come from Ricky!!!) insinuate that EJ was a maybe for Gina and Ricky's isn't? Why is NO ONE there for EJ, including Gina, who knows how much he has on the line? Why is Gina infatuated with how Ricky shows up and takes up for her in front of Channing but can't understand what EJ did all summer to protect their relationship and show up for her?

Season 2 does so much for EJ, Gina, and Portwell, and all of that — or a significant portion of it — falls away so fast; it gives me whiplash.

Also, WHY did EJ call Ricky his BROTHER when they didn't have ONE REAL conversation during the ENTIRE season?