I think Roman’s “impotence” is so interesting bc it comes from not being able to ask/or say what he needs..like he lacks agency he’s all funny and perverse until it comes down to the act. I think he craves “normal” sex (which whatever that means to him?) but he can’t allow that kind of vulnerability. He’s with gerri bc that feels right being told he’s a fuck up and worthless and gross affirms thoughts and beliefs he already has but having missionary with lots of eye contact and passion is much scarier. He can let Lukas pee on his phone bc it’s fun to be gross but the second he’s asking him about failure he flounders. He can’t be with Tabitha bc he can’t be honest, he can’t tell her “I don’t know what I want/I don’t know how to want anything because my entire life I’ve gotten whatever I wanted (except what matters” bc he doesn’t have the words. I love Roman bc when he feels big emotions he cowers, he doesn’t want to be honest or vulnerable it’s easy to say the worst thing you can think of pretend you don’t care it’s hard to be ernest and to admit you crave softness/care/love when all your life that’s why you’ve been ridiculed and abused.
