Jordayla Proposal 5x20 - my (early) thoughts
I was not prepared for the proposal to be Jordan and Layla’s! That wasn’t what I had wanted for them. Jordan had a very long teen marriage plot, in which the show made it clear the whole time that it was a bad idea, even when Jordan was up for it. Getting married at 17: bad idea, wrong, shouldn’t happen; Getting married at 19: good idea (???) What, from the characters’ perspective, not ours, is different? I’ve been thinking about this all week lol, and I’m almost there, but I actually wish the show would explicitly tell me.
Obviously what moved me was Layla’s joy! I can’t get over it. She has opened herself to Jordan completely. There is no fear, she loves and trusts him enough to do something crazy with him. Layla wants someone to stay, and this is the biggest commitment ever, he will stay quite literally until death does them apart. She was missing a family for so long, and now she has one of her own. Not only does Layla feel that it’s a good idea, she believes it! In s3, she couldn’t bear to see Jordan go along with his plans with Simone because it wasn’t his path, and she speaks up, even when she had no stakes. If she thought they couldn’t or shouldn't get married, she would’ve said no. Saying yes is just so fresh for Layla’s character and exactly what I dreamed to see.
Jordan saying “When I'm with you, I feel like I'm home.” is everything, given his entire life was uprooted recently. He chased an identity in his father, he was always uncertain and insecure, but now he feels at home. “You know who else makes a great pair? Jordan and Layla (…) Hashtag couple goals” - Cute moment but these are real reflections! He thinks they’re compatible, they were able to help their friends. He thinks of Layla as family already, she’s Liv’s sister and Laura’s bonus baby.
Liv described Jordan: “He’s impulsive, he does things without thinking.” Yes, he is impulsive and he has still matured greatly. I have loved Jordan’s personal arc, and I don’t think he has to lose his character traits to be ‘complete’, nor do I think he needs to be ‘complete’ to get married. I see a lot of Joey/Pacey in Jordan/Layla and there’s a quote from them that goes: “Part of his recklessness is that he’s constantly surprising me and part of his rashness is that he’s intensely passionate.” This quote has never left me and I think it suits Jordayla well. These things about them can be true and make their love great. In a way, I think his decision is commemorative of his dad, but not because it's some product of his trauma. After a tortuous, life-long journey, Jordan and Billy ended in a good place, and football wasn’t their sticking point. They bonded over Jordan’s love and happiness with Layla. Jordan was robbed of more of those conversations but he knew Billy would’ve encouraged him. “Tell Layla she has my approval”, that’s what he’s doing. Maybe his father son prophecy isn’t to be a NFL QB, maybe it’s to embrace the love of his life.
Jordan and Layla honestly do give me the vibes of a couple that would get married young. I have nothing against young marriage. I love young love in all its sweet, endearing, naive, full force, unprecedented glory. I just can’t stand when its young people trying to be grown ups lol. But in the proposal, Jordan and Layla seem so young and I LOVE it. From Layla's pigtails to the way they’re not super dressed up. They’re not at a bar or a record label event. How giddy they both are, Layla is giggling and gasping the entire time, and Jordan is just bustling around nervously. She lights up at the pretty ring and is excited to put it on, and they can’t get their hands off each other. Beyond obsessed at how he hugs her first, again so sweet and youthful, and a reminder that they are best friends! It’s like he wanted to share his joy with his best friend before he wanted to kiss his fiance, you know?! In general, they are very much a young couple in the way they flirt, get each other flustered, gossip, fight and make up, talk about each other to their friends, giggle and say hi. It's adorable and refreshing to the show, and the scene captured it well. I find the unbridled youngness of their love SO romantic and I like that the writers embraced it. I like that Jordan isn't pretending to be sensible, and I find it hilarious that he splurged on a ring and wanted to assure her before she answered that she deserved a fancy proposal with fireworks. Come on she’s a Material Gworl - they both are. And adorably well-suited, given that Layla is also a Wedding Girl! She knew what wedding dress she wanted like 10 years ago, and Jordan is absolutely a Groomzilla. Good for them, they enjoy weddings and they can have a great one together. It’s not something dutiful, it's not something otherly, it's something great and all theirs!
In developing their relationship, they’ve barrelled through it all. They could not love each other or want to be together, more. People say they haven’t been tested – just because you pass a test it doesn't mean you weren’t tested. Jordayla’s challenges have not been typical either, no break ups or other love interests etc, so it's cool that the next step for them is them figuring out marriage. It's not that they're going to just get whisked away this second and pop out babies.
They have so much love to share. I love that throughout the hardship of Billy’s death, their love brought some love and light to their friends and family. Their relationship was the only thing that made Olivia smile, their coming out dinner allowed everyone to joke around and be happy for them. They were the light in those dark times. They have so much more love to give each other and everyone else! Asher said at his first wedding (lol) that Jordan was the glue for their friendship, I still believe this and putting this wedding at the centre of their vortex is good for everyone I think.
I enjoyed how it played out on-screen, your suspicions grew throughout the episode and yet none of us actually knew it was Jordan. So fun! I love how the scene cuts from Jaymee saying “...then who was the ring for?” to Jordan proposing. The immediate buzz from seeing them, and such an intimate moment, it was just gorg. It reminded me of 5x04 when their “I’m glad we slowed things down” scene cuts to them in bed. I know some people would’ve liked to see these events unfold but to me the gag of it all is just too good. The first watch experience is too perfect. They have other great slow rewatchable scenes like 5x03, 5x14 etc so there’s a great balance and I wouldn’t trade any of them.
From a story perspective, I am excited about the potential of this. I think it will speed up our timeline. If we’re fazing out the adult stories now, I’d much rather see this! Definitely want to see all the character-focused stories, their bachelor(ette) parties, in-law scenes, all sorts of things. I’m excited to hear Layla’s voice re: their relationship. We did once in the Homecoming scene telling Simone that Jordan stayed, I want more!
The whole engagement is so unexpected and exciting that it gives me butterflies. I have no choice but to get on board because how is it that this same ship still gives me butterflies?! I felt this way in their “What are we?” era at the end of last season and yet again now in their engaged era. I don’t know how this will play out, but if it was up to me, they wouldn’t get married until late in the season, especially given that there’s likely more seasons to come. I want seeing them up there, having made it from the proposal to the altar, to feel suuuper earned. I hope they stay this fresh and exciting. I do get bored when ships get too far into being the “parent couple” so I hope I don’t live to see that day with my beloved Jordayla. I know the proposal is for a reason, the writers have a vision. By showing them at better and worse (5x11 onwards), in sickness and health (5x18), the build up was stunning and this couple has never failed me before.
