#hereliesbb

We can only hope, truly - I really wish this was the deciding factor in his actions.

Imma try to do my best and articulate my opinion of the most recent episode, but I’ve never done this before on tumblr so please bear with me.

Unfortunately, I don’t actually think what happened at Rio’s family’s house is related to his feelings for Beth. At least on the surface. and the surface is….. incredibly thick and cemented. AND the feelings underneath this surface have been buried so deep that, probably, only painful vulnerability between the two of them will crack it open. I think, unfortunately (for them), both Beth and Rio are actually stupid enough to become physically intimate with each other again (aka one of their purest forms of vulnerability beyond honesty) with the path they are on currently. All that to say, maybe we will get a 2.13 reconciliation out of this season? I still have hope. Not much, but I do hold a sliver of it.

However, I think it’s important to point out that Rio didn’t let Beth touch him. And he never has since the shooting. He has always been the one initiating physical contact this season (the shoulder pat at the bar, the pool table, Rio stripping Beth for a wire, at the dinner table and in the guest room, etc) and during season 3. So, whatever physical contact they have had, it’s always been on his terms. (And, in my opinion, it absolutely should be.)

Neither of them are in a place to let their walls down with each other, especially Rio. As far as physical vulnerability is concerned, I think he carries a shit ton more hurt and probably has very sturdy protective walls around himself (as he should). I think I agree with Manny (during the s3 timeline) when he said something along the lines of ‘if Rio and Beth were to get physical again, Rio would appear weak’. Rio needs Beth to prove her loyalty to him, and so far, she hasn’t done that in the slightest. Something doesn’t add up with the ‘Dave’ she had him kill, the car tracker, and now the wire (or lack thereof). I would say Beth is being painfully obvious and not making the best decisions regarding... everything, but then again, so is Rio. They’re both incredibly bad at crime, it’s embarrassing at this point haha but I'm digressing.

This game that they’re both playing with each other of ‘who’s going to break first’ seems to be basically on track to blow up again for both of them I think... and we all know that neither of them are able to deal with any type of emotional intimacy very well. So, I really hope this time we get an emotional/verbal explosion instead of a physical one as a result. while hate sex would be great, I think it’s about time these two grow up and try to talk about their feelings (I mean, let’s be real, will they? Probably not. Would we even love them so much if they could? Hard to say... haha). That entire guest room scene was a power play over Beth for sure, and Rio had her wrapped around his finger (pun only semi-intended lol). It left Beth wanting, and therefore Rio did win that particular game: 1) because he brought Beth closer into his physical orbit on his terms, and 2) he made her lose control instead of the other way around. And we all know loss of control is literally their kryptonite.

I can’t say for sure what’s going on in Beth’s head; she’s still too infuriatingly good at compartmentalizing and expressing what she really feels, with the exception being maybe when she took on the role as ‘the banker’.... however, I do think that Rio is putting a lot of trust (arguably too much) in her hands. Of course, much of it seems like power plays, and until he reveals his cards, we won’t know for sure. I don’t think he’s dumb (... except when it comes to counting? haha), but I think we also know that he’s way more comfortable taking risks with regards to Beth, rather than vice versa. I don’t think his animosity towards her has shifted in the slightest, but his laxness towards letting her closer has, both physically (on his terms) and professionally (arguably for possessive reasons), and—as many lovely souls have already pointed out, he does know Beth, and what makes her tick (and therefore what will inspire her trust). I think there were some layers of possessiveness at this dinner as well, but it seemed to be more related to his personal reasons to make a statement (or aka another lovely power move) against Nick in front of the entire table, and less born out of romantic feelings for Beth. Whatever the reasons, at this point, both he and Beth are so entrenched in such a complicated and ugly history with too much going on, it’s really impossible to know, especially since we only have one side of the story. We don’t have Rio’s perspective, and still know very little about his life, history and motivations (this dinner being one of the firsts overloads it was very overwhelming for me—so this is the story I made up in my head haha).

I get what the show is trying to get at in this episode, I do. Could it have been more thoughtfully executed and developed? Absolutely. I mean, that can definitely be said for a lot more than this episode.

Beth and Rio both have utilized their arsenals of sexual chemistry against each other as manipulation post-shooting (Beth in s3, and now Rio in s4). They both are aware of it, of course, and they both are determined to out-play each other. I think, at this point, Rio has accepted, feelings aside, that he wants to bring Beth into the family business... bc she is more useful than not, and now - it’s not up to him anymore... 1) it’s up to his family, if they accept her or not (but I highly doubt they know the real history between the two of them though) and 2) it’s up to Beth to choose him (not romantically, but professionally, at least for now) over turning him in. And if this increased physicality reminds her of how he well he not only knows her, but can play her like a guitar? Even better.

oh my gosh i am SO SORRY this took me so long to see, i am an absolute mess.

he’s hard to read haha

Ooh, this is a really interesting question!

I think he’s definitely exasperated by her and feels that she’s audacious and he recognizes how much Rio lets her get away with. In particular, I’m thinking about how reminds her that she still hasn’t paid him back for his favor of holding Rio at bay in 3.05, but he agrees to help her find Lucy’s body and move the hot tubs anyway. On top of that, I’m thinking of how he is a bit sarcastic when Beth asks him where he is and Mick answers, “Art class.” It’s a subtle but I think clear reminder that she’s overstepping. 

Mick seems to recognize what danger she poses to Rio at the same time that he also seems to take his #2 role seriously—above all, he seems to fall in line, regardless of however he feels about it. Think of how imposing he is in 3.11 at the picnic table scene when Rio is announcing “synergy,” or how much he leans into Rio’s energy in 3.09 when he gives Beth the package with the gun—but how pliable he is when she asks for a ride to the bar in the middle of the night in 3.04, or when he passively reminds her that her kids are safe from him in 3.03. 

Basically, I think Mick works hard to keep his opinions to himself, mostly choosing how he behaves with her in relation to how he expects Rio wants him to—he aids Beth in a way that Rio won’t, but which is beneficial to Rio, and then will draw harsher lines when he’s backing Rio up.