so I got a couple asks about this but I can’t find them in my inbox right now so I’ll just talk about it here
During “It’s Over, Isn’t It” there’s the line “Now I’ve got to be there for her son”, which a number of people are reading negatively. Like “Now I’m required to be there for her son” or “Now I’m obligated” etcetc. But I disagree with that interpretation
To me, its an affirmation of something she needs and wants to do. Like “I’ve got to be strong” “I’ve got to be brave” as in “I need to be able to be there”
The whole song overall is about Pearl struggling with the fact that she’s having a hard time moving past her grief of losing Rose (to Greg and just in general, since she’s gone). “It’s over, isn’t it? Why can’t I move on?” and all that. She feels weighed down by her grief and her inability to move past it and feels like she should be able to, but she can’t.
The full verse for the aforementioned line is:
Who am I now in this world without her
Petty and dull, with the nerve to doubt her
What does it matter, its already done
Now I’ve got to be there for her son
Specifically, the line follows Pearl stating that its all done, and so it shouldn’t matter to her and she shouldn’t be so hung up on it. She needs to be there for Steven now, not stuck on this past issue that’s already said and done.
To me, it sounds like she feels her grief around Rose and her difficulty getting over it is impeding on her ability to be there for Steven. This makes sense to me, too, because we’ve seen this in previous episodes. In particular, “Rose’s Scabbard”, where her grief directly effects Steven. When she has that outburst and knocks Rose’s picture off the wall, she looks over at Steven and then immediately runs off in tears. She then runs away from him when he pursues her. She knows she can’t be there for him and she might hurt him because she’s in a bad place. And we know how much she wants Steven to see her as a role model, strong and someone who inspires him
Something I really really liked about “Mr. Greg” that I haven’t talked about yet is that it very plainly shows that Pearl is aware of the negative effect of her grief and that she’s completely aware she’s dwelling. And, moreso, she wants to be able to move on. I feel like this was very important to show, because a lot of people think Pearl is completely unaware of her own negative behavior, or that she thinks she’s perfect. But she really doesn’t. And also important, I think, because you can be completely and fully aware of your problems and want to heal, but be unable to do it on your own
The interpretation that she’s lamenting her obligation taking care of Steven really doesn’t fit the tone of the song or what else she is saying. Her song is all about her, her faults. And as we know from the end of the episode, she doesn’t blame Greg for staying nor does she blame Rose for loving him. She’s not lamenting what other people have done to her or saddled her with, she’s not angry or upset or frustrated with anyone other than herself and her feelings. So, imo, the line really wouldn’t make sense if it were her being upset at having to care for Steven, but it makes complete sense if she’s kicking herself for her inability to move on effecting her ability to be there for Steven.
tl;dr - imo, the line is Pearl essentially saying “You need to move on from this so you can be there for Steven” and not “and after all I’ve been through, now I have to care for her son”
That’s just my take on it, though
blakekathryn
yousharknotpass
izzy806
