I Need To Talk About The Scene In Episode 5 Where Crystal Confronts Charles About His Anger Problem.

I need to talk about the scene in episode 5 where Crystal confronts Charles about his anger problem. I saw another post where people were calling her a badass or a girlboss, and I interpreted the scene very differently.

If you don’t remember, she says “you walk around like the sun always shines and then you lost your shit while beating the Night Nurse. Edwin and I are walking on eggshells around you instead of just saying ‘what the actual fuck?’”

Keep in mind, she’s yelling this whole time. She isn’t saying “you have a problem and I’m here to help,” she’s saying “you are a problem and I need you to fix it.” And sure, Charles does have anger issues, but can you blame him?

And in this situation, he was being pretty reasonable. The Night Nurse showed him memories of senseless violence and then she pretty much threatened to send Edwin back to Hell. I get that she might not know all that, but that’s not really the point.

When I hear this speech, I pretty much see it as her saying that Charles is the same as his father. She’s saying that everyone around him is afraid of angering him, that they’re all walking on eggshells to keep him calm. That’s exactly how he described his relationship with his father. No matter how good he was, his father found something to be angry about. And that anger was something to be afraid of.

Later on in this same episode, Charles laments that he doesn’t want to be a bad guy. Brad and Hunter were bad guys, and Crystal pretty much called him a bad guy to his face. And I do think it’s part of the reason he rejects Edwin on the staircase. He’s afraid of turning into his father and hurting Edwin the same way his father hurt him and his mother. Crystal isn’t the only reason he feels this way, but she did feed into these fears.

Now, I know that Crystal has her own shit going on. Especially after the nightmare she had at the beginning of the episode where she saw Charles as David. I understand she’s a flawed character and I do love that about her. She makes mistakes and she can’t always fix them. Everyone in the show is deeply flawed and that’s what I love about it.

All I’m saying is that I didn’t think this scene was a girlboss moment. I think it was an example of how she can be judgemental and rigid.

Of course, I’m not saying anyone else is wrong for interpreting this scene differently. I just wanted to give my opinion, too

I can’t stand people that don’t let me speak hyperbolically. If I can’t respond to a minor inconvenience that someone should get shot in the fucking head for it then what’s the point of it all.

Edit because I think this is being misinterpreted: The aroace tag is not colored, it's a petition for Tumblr to color it (sorry for the confusion)

it's been said before but intent does matter, actually. and apologies SHOULD come with explanations - not excuses. i don't think crying is inherently manipulative either.

I can't stop thinking about if Simon had taken Edwin's offer

Like Charles finds Edwin in the hallway as ever but this time there's another boy there too, cowering against the wall next to him. Maybe the dollhead spider doesn't care about Simon, too busy focusing on its favorite target, so Charles is left standing in the hallway with Simon when Edwin is taken.

They get out of hell, but Edwin doesn't confess due to Simon hovering behind his elbow. He doesn't want to confess his emotions in front of his killer, who he probably hasn't even properly figured out how he's feeling towards yet.

The Night Nurse is pissed they came out with an extra soul but Niko's same loophole still applies and Simon stays.

"This is Simon," Edwin says when it's all said and done, finally introducing the boy that's been hiding behind him since the door closed. "He was a...classmate of mine."

"He saved me," Simon says, looking up at Edwin moony-eyed and Charles knows that look and something settles heavy in his stomach.

"Glad to have ya, mate," he tells him even though the words taste sour. This other boy knew Edwin when he was alive, the thought is slightly terrifying to him.

Simon settles in fine with the agency even if the agency feels a little crowded now with five people in it but he continues to moon over Edwin and Edwin just...never tells anyone how they actually knew each other. He reasons it just doesn't matter, that he can't find the right time, whatever.

Charles never really warms up to him, though he tries to hide it, but he sees the looks Simon gives Edwin, a soppy smitten look that is somehow worse than anything Monty or the Cat King ever tried with Edwin because of all of them, Simon arguably knows the most about like Edwardian courting. That, like Edwin, Simon has also survived hell. Charles hates the idea that someone could potentially understand Edwin more than he does.

He hates it so much that nothing further happens between him and Crystal because the idea of Edwin being left alone with Simon bothers him so much. He sees Simon adjusting Edwin's collar one (1) time and it makes him feel sick.

And then there's the fortune-teller.

They only go to her sometimes for cases because she never fails to freak Charles out but her prophecies tend to be accurate like 60% of the time which is pretty good for a fortune teller. She looks at the two of them at the end, because it is just the two of them for once, and then looks just at Edwin.

"How kind you are," she says, the words a compliment but the tone snide. "To house your killer. Pray tell it doesn't come back to you."

"What." Charles says. "The fuck."

Charles is furious, of course, and it takes Edwin a long time to talk him out of smashing Simon's face in with the new cricket bat.

"He's like me," he insists in that quiet but firm voice. Charles wants to scream that Simon is nothing like Edwin - that he doesn't have a fraction of Edwin's kindness or pissiness, that his blue eyes are not nearly as beautiful as Edwin's green - but before he can even open his mouth, Edwin continues. "He...He likes boys, Charles. He likes me."

Oh. Oh.

Charles stares at Edwin who is looking back at him, trying and failing to hide the fact he's terrified, and Charles doesn't give one shit that Edwin likes boys because he's his best mate forever. He's still pissed that Simon is apparently staying but he has to hug Edwin at that. "I'm still pissed you didn't tell me about him," is all he says, swallowing back the other words he wants to say.

Charles grows even more paranoid about Simon being around, who has to get used to the fact that Charles takes to swinging his cricket bat ominously every time he comes within ten feet of Edwin. He finds out that adjusting clothing was an Edwardian courting thing and wants to break something. The very idea the very person who killed his best mate is now trying to put the moves on said best mate pisses him off.

It also makes him think of numerous times Edwin had readjusted his collar or jacket in the past and it makes his non-existent stomach flip.

Eventually, Simon decides he's ready to move on to his after-life and Charles keeps his hands from fisting when he looks at Edwin with that same soppy look. He knows Edwin has forgiven Simon by now but Charles has always been better at holding a grudge and he knows what is going to come out of Simon's mouth before he even asks. He knows that if Edwin says yes, he won't stop him.

Charles also knows that if Edwin does, there is no way he is going to find any kind of his own afterlife.

"You could come with me," Simon says hopefully and the moment after is the longest in Charles' life.

"Thank you, Simon," Edwin says kindly and Charles has to keep himself from crying. "But I have no interest in going anywhere without Charles."

He steps back - away from Simon and back towards Charles. Ears suspiciously pink, Edwin links their hands and they watch as Simon follows the Night Nurse.