#n2n

Gabriel in Next to Normal is not a parasitic demon! He is not deliberately malicious for everyone! He is grief manifest!! He is present in each character’s life, and how he interacts with them is representative of how they handle their grief, but he is not a single sentient character. When he latches onto Dan at the end, that’s not Dan ~becoming like Diana~ because ~a parasite needs a host~ or whatever, because acknowledging Gabe’s presence is something he NEEDED to do! Diana was unable to let go of her grief for years, and it destroyed her relationships and mental health. She had to let go of Gabe. Dan, however, repressed his grief, and let it fester for years. Finally acknowledging his son’s existence is the first step towards healing for Dan, the same way leaving was for Diana