#shaire

Dr. Glassman: Well Shaun, you go to heaven and-

Shadow was a curator. He selected and gathered artifacts for museum displays. They were friends. Into the modern day he can't help but collect rare and valuable objects and stow them safely away; even if no one will see them anymore. He survived. His memory survived.

Everyone on this show is always telling Shaun what to do, when and how to do things, they do something slightly decent for him ONCE and feel like they deserve a prize or something. Newsflash: Shaun has autism and lives in a neurotypical world, our world and society isn’t organized in a way that takes neurodivergent people into consideration and he is the one that has to adapt every single time to every single place and situation. His moments with his loved ones should be RELIEVING, when he finally gets to be himself without judgement, without being forced to be someone that he’s not, he should feel accepted, understood and appreciated by them. And this HARDLY happens. 

Claire telling Shaun to GTFU after a break up, like the best friend she is. 

So, I'm rewatching the back end of S3 again, and I'm on 3x18, when Claire is at Shaun's place, demanding that he get back to work after (yet again) being rejected by Lea.

The thing that really struck me this time around is the way that Shaun keeps saying that Lea makes him better. I just don't see that. It's true that Lea takes him out of his comfort zone and that's important, but a lot of times, it's been done in an attempt to make him more "normal". It never seemed to stem from wanting to enrich his life, but more like she was frustrated by his autism and wanted to try to bring him out of it. From the very beginning of their relationship, she's tried to change him. It was never about making him better, it was about making him normal. That's always been my issue with her.

Watching the way Claire deals with him is such a huge contrast. She doesn't look at him and see a disability first. She just sees Shaun, her friend. She is sensitive to his needs, but doesn't see them as a detriment. She doesn't try to change him, but has open debates and conversations with him, genuinely trying to see his point of view while sharing her own. As a result of their talks, Shaun has changed his opinion and actions about many things. A lot of the growth we've seen in him has been because of Claire. It wasn't because she pushed him or prodded him or forced him into new situations, it was because she shared with him (shaired? Ha! A pun!). Just talking to her makes him want to be better. It never makes him feel deficient or long to be normal as his talks with Lea do. It makes him want to be a better person. The best he can be. All on his own. The same is true of Claire, who has learned many things through Shaun, as well.

And that's what I see in Shaire. They make each other better. It isn't one-sided. It isn't a flimsy foundation that keeps falling over and has to be rebuilt. It's solid and real and strong.

As disappointed as I am in where it's going, I haven't quit the show. I'm not expecting much, but I love Shaun and I love Claire and I love seeing all the ways they make each other grow without even trying.

I'm not saying I think Shore will ever put them together. He probably won't. God knows his choices drove me nuts during House. The characters of that show usually ended up making the most destructive choices possible during its run. But I hope the same mistakes won't be made here. I hope I won't have to watch Shaun stay in a relationship with someone who looks at him and only sees how he's different from everyone else. I hope I won't have to watch him and Claire continue to fall for people who can't see the best in them or refuse to stand up for them. I hope that their journey will lead them to each other. It's the only thing that makes sense, really. It's clear they are soulmates. Regardless of where they end up, theirs is the truest of love stories.