I also like that his nickname for her changes as he learns more about her (because their interest in understanding each other parallels their interest in understanding how storms work) but itâs always in reference to where sheâs from. Because she has that whole ârunning from home -> returning to homeâ character arc thing going. So we start with âcity girlâ and we move to âSepulpa.â And the guy whoâs giving her those nicknames is not only demonstrating that heâs learned more about her and theyâre getting closer, but also, heâs the one really reminding her where sheâs from/where she belongs in this story.
Javi is also doing that, but the thing about Javi is that he is associated with the Big Tragedy. He was part of the thing that makes Kate want to cut herself off from âwhere she belongs.â So even though heâs reminding her of who she is and where sheâs from, too, itâs in the wrong direction. Kateâs character needed somebody new to come into her life, not somebody from the tortured past. And what better âsomebody newâ than a guy whoâs got all the love for weather she used to have, and all the challenging interest in her, with none of the âreference to tragedy?â
I mean they couldâve written Tyler to be a storm-chaser who lost someone, too. At the rodeo, he couldâve gone, âyeah, my parents died in a storm, there wasnât an early enough warning system, so now I chase what I used to fear to help understand the thing that took my family from me,â yadda yadda, angst angst. But thatâs not what they do. Because Tylerâs character doesnât need to foil the tragedy. He needs to foil the fun. And the hope, and the enjoyment, and the bravery, that Kateâs character has been suppressing.
So what better character to start marking where Kateâs return-to-where-she-belongs journey is, with nicknames, than Tylerâthe guy trying to understand herâand then once he gets an understanding, heâs the guy trying to push her to move forward?
Good good good. Good writing, good storytelling, good characters. Nothing fancy. Just plain good.
