#richard optional

You cannot tell me that of all the people in this fandom, I’m the only person who tought it was weird that Richard wasn’t there.

“You don’t know he wasn’t there.” 

But we don’t know he was there, do we? Lots of probabilities, though. He probably brought Lee to meet the CI team that morning– those guys would know better than to photograph Richard around Lee. But we don’t know if he did.

He probably stuck around to watch until he had to leave for the theater. True, but in that video of Lee greeting CI supporters and his family (somewhere around the 8th mile mark at approx 11:45am) Richard wasn’t there.

Maybe he was watching any time between 10:00am to 12:30pm before he had to leave for work. Maybe. But we don’t know that. I’m just applying the same thought process I applied a few years ago when I used to do lots of these and y’all loved me– little, tangible details I could evaluate that pointed to a clear-as-day rationale that they’re together, instead of assumptions.

Literally the only thing that points to Richard being there at the race is that we can’t prove he wasn’t. 

He didn’t stagedoor after his matinee, which meant he went somewhere. I’d assume it would be wherever Lee was, except someone somehow snapped post-marathon festivities, posted it publicly on line and wouldn’t you know– no Richard.

“Maybe Richard was there, just off camera.” Maybe, but it’s all assumption, isn’t it? I’m just going by that I see– or in this case, didn’t see. No Richard pre-race, no Richard during the race, no Richard post-race ergo, no Richard at all. 

“Obviously Lee’s friends know better than post Richard’s face.” True. But Mackenzie was there, so if Lee’s HACF friend was there, why can’t a Hobbit friend be there, too? Maybe that’s naive thinking on my part, but the alternative is that Richard was there but they’re just so damn paranoid about being seen breathing the same air… which is sad.