Why I personally donāt like that abusive parent trope in regards to Sebastian Smythe:
For context, although if youāve been following my blog for longer than 24 hours you should know who this idiot is, but if not, this is Sebastian Smythe. Heās a 16-18 year old gay teenaged character from the musical-drama show, Glee. He attends the also fictional private school, Dalton Academy in Ohio, where he is the captain of their show choir, the warblers, and also on the lacrosse team. Letās be real here, for those of you who know his character youāll know that heās a bit of a menace with a cocky attitude, and we love that for him. He starts out as one of the minor antagonists in Season 3, and after having a character arc segment midway through his time on the show, he becomes more of a sidelined grey-character, or even an anti-hero at a push.
Now just as a disclaimer Iād like to say that if you do hc his parents as neglectfully abusive, homophobic, assholes, thatās alright. It does make for an interesting story sometimes, and just as I am free to dislike the idea, you are all very much free to enjoy it. (I always love when people can enjoy things that I donāt because it means that the talent and potential poured into fics that use these tropes donāt go to waste!). And if you do really like this hc, and are suddenly worried about interacting with me because we differ in opinion, please donāt be. The topic of parents can be cut all together during personal interactions, and you only have to enjoy whatever content it is you actually follow me for that doesnāt involve them. And finally if you agree with this post you are more than welcome to reblog it, but Iām not personally looking for a debate here. I know how I feel about this hc and Iām not willing to change my mind, so if you donāt happen to agree with me, which is absolutely within your right, it would be better for everyone if you carried on scrolling. Iām not expecting this to get a lot of attention, the post is more just a way of informing my mutuals, readers and followers as to where I stand here, because my fics are very Sebastian centric and will involve his folks from time to time. Absolutely no hate meant to anyone who uses this trope either, Iām sure youāre wonderfully talented, Iām just trying to explain why itās not my thing.
I also just wanted to say that I know the term abuse is a huge spectrum and can be executed in very different ways and at highly different levels, but the main categories Iāll be arguing my disagreement for in this post are physical and verbal abuse, despite the fact I donāt personally think Sebastian was being abused at all. I mean absolutely no disrespect when I talk about these subjects, and can completely rationalise that every case is different, both fictionally and in person, this is not meant to demean anyone who may have been in a situation like this in any way, shape or form.
But with that all established, letās move on as to why I really dislike this trope, for a character like Sebastian at least:
1) The excuses.
In a huge majority of the abusive Mr/s Smythe fics Iāve read over my time in the glee fandom, the neglect and abuse is more often than not used as a scapegoat for Sebastianās terrible actions at the beginning of the show, brushing them aside to āhe acts the way he does because his parents hit him/hate him. Itās not actually his fault.ā Itās used as a way of clearing Sebastianās messy history to make the character seem more victimised, and as a result, likeable. To me, it feels like an easy way out of his behaviour, and doesnāt tend to hit the desired effect.
As a person who likes delving into the gritty dynamic of a complex character, which Sebastian has the potential to be, I feel this trope is just too easy and almost paints actual abusive situations in a lighter, moreā¦not so serious matter as a result, (which Iām sure is nobodyās intention of course!) mainly because itās never addressed in proper context. Holding characters like Sebastian accountable for their actions, no matter what is going on that we or other characters cannot see, is extremely important, both morally and creatively, and I find this is done best with internal struggles over external situations. Not only does it aide his development by not letting excuses take the fall for his bratty actions, but Iāve found that situating a more personal āreasonā for his behaviour does a better job at humanising (not victimising) him rather than if we were to pull out an overused hc, it pushes home how ānormalā (by the standard of your average mentally ill queer /lh) he has the potential to be, which indirectly makes it easier to coerce this alongside other plot lines, especially in ship-fics. We are all human, we all make mistakes and have done awful things, Sebastianās actions got out of control in comparison to your average teenager, yes, but we can see from circumstantial evidence that he admits to it, both positively and negatively in the end. (I have more to say on this but itās straying from the topic at hand.) However I say again, when such a big event like child abuse is used in a similar sense, itās much harder to push that redeeming narrative because where is the personal development?
(I agree that getting over an abusive situation is usually packed full of development both irl and fictionally, but when I say personal development here what Iām suggesting towards is the growth of a character getting over something either self inflicting, internal, something that while linked to other people isnāt life threatening, or just something similar along those lines. Something that, in a physical principle, theyāve never been able to walk away from because itās tied to them at their very core, itās them. Narratives like this are easier to root up growth for Sebastian because it is up to him specifically to want improvement. But when the toxicity comes from an outside source on a grand scale, faults and improvements are elsewhere and not directly on him, leaving may be a struggle but he himself is no longer the root of the āissueā, which pulls away his own development to an extent.)
Now, Iām sure itās obvious that I think Sebastian was having his own issues at this point in his life, especially because we see how genuine he actually can be in āOn My Wayā, which leads me to believe that his mentality was a product of a source we werenāt made aware of in the show. But as an outsider, I just donāt think the matter at hand was hugely drastic in comparison to the likes of abuse. For those of you who have read or spoken to me about the beginnings of my fic, āA Glance Through The Hourglassā, you might see where Iām going with this. I think the drastic difference between some internal, unknown issues and āIām being abusedā sets up an extreme variety of reasons as to why Sebastian is the way he is. However, an intramural issue, something that due to his image and situation he wouldnāt want to share and would then cover with his behaviour, used as a somewhat disorderly coping mechanism that went overboard, opens up a field of malleable circumstances that can be used without excusing his actions, and this could be a myriad of things, maybe multiple at a time. Iām going to add on my own thoughts to the example here (so weāre straying from hardcore canon for a moment):
Iām not going to diminish how hard it is to pull yourself out of a dark place when youāre at such a difficult point in your life, and especially when we take into consideration Sebastianās circumstances (new everything, school, country, friends, house, and operating under the fact his dad has just won the election for SA he is suddenly going to be very busy too, (see the point BP v AP for explanation there)), Iām sure that whatever was going on with him couldāve been extremely rough. But when these issues are internal to you alone, and as stern as this is about to sound as a sufferer myself I know this must be heard to push for growth, it is up to you and professionals to help get you out of that mental position. It doesnāt come from an outside source that you can eliminate, you have to work for it yourself. Although you feel lost, you can regain that control, and it is easier (as a writer) to manipulate the situation to fit both a compelling issue for Sebastian as a character, which would give reason for his awful behaviour and change of heart, while still having him take responsibility for his actions in the show. In comparison to the likes of him being abused, that is very much out of his hands, and getting out of that situation can be extremely difficult and debilitating, it also takes the responsibility of his behaviour off of his shoulders due to extremities and the fact he isnāt the āproblemā himself. Which leads me on to my next point.
2) Injustices and overpowering.
(Just to say here, I am generalising in this section. Out there I have come across a few fics that use this storyline and manage to do it well, but Iām speaking for the likelihood majority backed up by probability as a writer.)
I think these storylines can work well when theyāre done right, with the perfect amount of attention on each section and how they all fit together in the end, and I also think they can be done right when itās the focal point of the conflict, ie: āpartner falls in love with Sebastian while helping him escape an abusive situation,ā because itās the bonding climax. Unfortunately itās very rarely that this happens, and that has nothing to do with the writers (youāre all very talented!!) and more to do with the huge amounts of mindfulness both storylines need. Here are my reasonings:
Managing a ship-based fic with the side story of an abusive home life always equals out to one story not receiving itās justice, something is always overshadowed because both events are such huge issues, especially if the story is developing the relationship from the beginning. (so for me as a kurtbastian shipper, it takes a lot to develop their relationship because itās an enemies to lovers situation, it needs a lot of time and consideration which is hard to divide between an abusive parents storyline.)
If you focus on the Smythe half of the story, youāll get a really well fleshed out overcoming fic, with a not so great development between Sebastian and his love interest, and if you focus on the ship, youāll have a beautifully executed love story, with a sideline plot that feels underdeveloped and therefore, not done itās justice as a circumstance or a story. Situations like this have to be done justice out of respect, and that can be difficult to manage. But even when they are managed correctly, there are still a few issues, such as:
3) The cliches.
Hereās not to say that the ārich children having borderline no relationship with their parentsā issue doesnāt happen, because I believe this can be common in all economical societies (look at Puck and Quinn to name a few examples,) but especially in fiction, I personally feel itās gotten to a point where the desired effect this storyline intends to have with somebody like Sebastian (the antagonist) almost has no meaning anymore because itās expected and even anticipated, which can sometimes make for a drab plot.
Iām not saying it canāt be used just because itās been done before, but I am saying it becomes less and less valuable the more it happens. Before I developed my own ideas for the Smytheās and started using my own version of how I see them in my head whenever I read fics, it became such a repetitive notion that it quickly grew stale. Once again Iām not saying this is a reason why these tropes shouldnāt be used, if this is what you like Iām sure youāre having a wonderful time with all of this media, I just think turning the tables slightly and giving a character like Sebastian a different home life to what youād expect seems much more compelling, and would help readers engage better with a fic because theyāre being kept of their toes for new information.
But with the statistical and writers approach points out of the way, here are a few research based points/my own gathered knowledge in co-existence with the show as to why I dislike this trope. Tiny disclaimer, a lot of my arguments here are backed up by fact, and I suppose you guys could immediately debunk me and say āwell itās a fictional show so I donāt have to listen to that.ā And youāre absolutely right, it is a fictional show and I am the type of person who will define her characters to a shiny edge just to make sure everything fits as it should in the āreal worldā, not everybody is like that and thatās absolutely okay, I recognise that, but as I said before this is why I donāt like this trope, and as an analytical-soon-to-be pysch student with a taste for the idiocy of the American Supreme Court, these issues are justified to me, and mayhaps me alone. Alongside this Iām hoping to clear up some common misconceptions deprived from the show, which also relate as to why I donāt believe this trope to be too likely.
4) Busy parents VS abuse parents.
(First of all, I love this photo so much. Anyone who knows me will tell you itās probably my favourite Sebastian photo. He looks so mad and for what š god it makes me chuckle.)
Now right off the bat we have to recognise that we donāt actually know what Sebastianās mother does for work. We donāt actually know if she works, or if she is even alive. My personal go-to is surgeon, I may explain why in my conclusion, but again, overall we donāt know anything about her so Iām working solely with Mr Smytheās canon job in this regard.
(This point is simply law rambling, please skip if youāre not interested, itās just to add context). Since Sebastian doesnāt say his Dad is the āStateās Attorney Generalā and simply āA Stateās Attorneyā (which are different jobs,) we can only presume this means he is the southern Ohioan District Attorney, which is also quite commonly known as the Stateās Attorney. These types of attorneys represent a group of counties, usually divided into northern and southern of the state, in high legal cases committed in their areas, they have huge amounts of influential decisions to make, and are responsible for handling many prosecutions. (Fun little fact, theyāre also the only broad attorneys able to participate in grand jury proceedings, which I think is kinda cool.) The Stateās Attorney is also the leader of a group of prosecutors, who are known as Deputy District Attorneys, and SA holds overall responsibility for what happens amongst their firms and these groups of DDAs in court. In Ohio they are elected in throughout the local voters, and they serve for four years. For more information on this occupation I suggest a quick Google search or you could drop me a dm/ask where Iād go into more detail, as I donāt want to drag on about my law knowledge when frankly no one asked.
But anyways, after a bit of extra research on the jobs these people usually have before theyāre elected, how many hours they work a week in both occupations, and reading through a few personal experiences actual lawyers themselves have posted about, I discovered that while they are extremely busy, work-centric and persevering people, they do still have time to sit down with the family for dinner most nights, one particular experience from a lawyer I read said that he still managed to tuck his kids into bed whenever he could, and had enough time a month to put a weekend or two aside strictly for the family. Yes, sometimes work got in the way, he said there were many days where he worked over, he may have missed a soccer game every once in a while, and sometimes weekly, potentially monthly, long business trips would take him away from the family, but if we take this experience, alongside many others, itās very rarely that a lawyer or attorney occupation leads to a point of neglect, which is something I see used all of the time between Sebastian and his father in fics. Making Mr Smytheās entire personality āI am too busy with work for my childā doesnāt quite correlate because while his job does keep him extremely occupied, especially after winning the election for SA, his occupation alone isnāt enough for him to become neglectful, realistically at least. If this is a narrative you really want to push, Iād suggest have him spend his extra time elsewhere, but overall, it just doesnāt fit with the logistics of his job.
Personally, I can absolutely see Mr Smytheās schedule growing busier after becoming the Stateās Attorney, especially for the first few months, which would have a negative affect on Sebastian. This correlates well with his behavioural issues when he is first brought into the show, but I seriously donāt believe it would be driven to a point of neglect. Whether he is still accounting for a certain amount of family time or not, his āpromotionā still leads to a big step up in court. But being a busy parent, especially to a teenager, does not make you neglectful or abusive. It can be insanely hard, on both parties Iād like to assume, but at the end of the day why should he have to decline an insane job opportunity because he has a son? Thatās the story that Iāve seen pushed on more than one occasion.
Not to mention, the idea of his mother and father suddenly becoming busier than heās used to supports the idea that Sebastianās parents arenāt going to notice him sneaking out over the weekend to go underage drinking, itās a new ledge of confidence for him that he wouldnāt have been able to explore beforehand, and I think thatās how he gets in way over his head, but again thatās not what this post is about.
5) The evidence
As I said above we donāt actually hear much about Sebastianās parents in the show at all, we get one line that gives us an occupation, and overall itās an insinuated concept that theyāre an extremely wealthy family, and heās very use to getting his own way. Iām working with the very thin evidence I can, and most of this is speculation, not completely set in stone.
So first of all I want to address the occupational line āYou see, my Dad is sorta what youād call a Stateās Attorney.ā Maybe the boy is just an incredible actor, but here I see no reason to suspect heās living in an abusive household, no quiver, no apprehension, just pure confidence. Youāre probably thinking āyou canāt assume all that from one throw away, taunting, threat line, especially when Sebās surface level personality is cocky confidence,ā and youāre right, I canāt, especially because he was using it to threaten someone and, frankly be a bit of a jerk, but pulling together the info I do know and can work with its very unlikely that he would be willing to use such an intense place of power as a safety net if he knew his dad wasnāt actually going to provide that security for him, joke or not. What if Santana did go āall Lima heightsā and attempt to beat the crap out of him? What would be the plan of action if he didnāt actually have that underlying safety? Not to mention the following line is āI bet he could make sure that (a piƱata) got to them,ā again shows us no indication of resentment or āfearā. If anything, it shows that Sebastianās parents, maybe his father specifically, would do anything if he so much as asked. Yes Iām still aware this line was meant more to taunt Santana instead of giving us a Sebastian backstory but Iām working with what I can, and this line aides the confirmed notion that Sebastian is very use to getting his own way, which is disclosed in his constant attempts to pursue Blaine, even after being turned down, and his desperation to win regionals. Traits like that are very much often a product of oneās childhood, which then correlates well to his Dalton tuition, the car he must have to travel from Westerville to Lima and to Scandals all the damn time, and the gas heās got to be putting into said car for these journeys. Parents with a lot of money and child whoās use to getting whatever he wants? Screams spoiled to me, not abused.
(This is unrelated but one of my favourite hcās is that Sebastian was so bummed out about the move from Paris to Ohio, which honestly even Iād be the same, that his dad notices and feels really bad because this change is inevitable due to his job, so heās like āā¦if I got you a car in America, would it cheer you up? Any car you want, Iāll get it for you.ā And Sebastian is just like āš a Porsche would maybe help.ā Like idk why thatās pure gold to me, but it is.)
We also know that while Sebastian didnāt get into trouble with the authorities for what he did to Blaineās eye, Iād say itās pretty safe to assume the Andersonās mustāve complained to someone on behalf of their son, whether that be Dalton or Sebastianās parents directly. We know that McKinley did nothing, (because when do they ever) but Blaine never once discloses that their wasnāt an attempt of his parents part, and realistically I donāt think thatās much of a stretch to make. Now whether the situation was covered well by Mr Smythe himself or not, or if he was involved did he do it because he loves his son and knows heās better than that, or because he just wants to salvage his name, thatās all up to the reader in question and their opinions. However, the fact that we see Sebastian still up to his usual antics when it comes to the photoshopped Finn pictures would suggest he hasnāt been scared or beaten into behaving. My personal go to is that an argument mustāve broken out amongst father and son, which wouldāve left Sebastian annoyed because heās essentially not use to being told ānoā or rightfully punished by his parents, and then that wouldāve escalated into a further act of rebellion, equalling out to the Finn photos and him making that offhanded comment at Karofsky. I have more to say on this, but again thatās for another time.
6) Money.
Hereās a little bit of context concerning the differences between New Money and Old Money before I get into itās relation with the Smytheās. Old money is the type of wealth that has been passed down for generations amongst well-off families, itās an inheritance of luxury rather than a self-earned income, and more often than not it defines a family as an instant upper class. Whereas new money is a type of income that comes from self earnings, their millions are very much due to their own hard work. Although a common example of new money earners are the likes of movie stars and entrepreneurs, it can be anyone who has made a harsh hand of wealth on their own skill and grinding within their occupation. While families who come from old money tend to not see their wealth as ājust for themā, but for their family as a whole because they tend to pass this inheritance to the next generation, new money ascenders seem to be the opposite, choosing to spend their hard earned cash frivolously in the here and now. It is also a common practice for new money owners to be quite loud about their earnings, buying on whims and flaunting their extravagances, whereas people who come from old money know their fortune will speak for itself, even if they donāt shy away from prowling in their upper class status from time to time. And now you must be wondering, where do the Smytheās fit on this scale of old money to new money? Well, from what we can gather from canon, we actually have no physical evidence that Sebastianās family originates from old money at all. Is it insanely likely? Oh absolutely, I wouldnāt be surprised in the slightest, but while we donāt have anything to back that claim up, we do have circumstantial proof that Sebastianās main income of wealth stems from his parents jobs, making their currency a type of new money, and here is why I think that is influential:
A District Attorneys salary is averaged up to around $76k a year, but they can make up to as much as $178k, now when we think about it, this is just Sebastianās dads earnings and we have no idea what kind of bank his mom is bringing to the table. How does this link to abuse/lack there of? A lot of speculation surrounding the Smytheās often originates from the typical view that āthey must come from old money, and are therefore awfully privileged people who come from generations of assholes, which also makes them assholesā, and like I said earlier, while I wouldnāt be surprised at all if Mr Smythe did come from an old money family, but based alone upon the job we know he has, and therefore the income we know he earns, if this is the case he actually has his feet in both pools, heās working smart and circulating each world. Like I said, is it likely that he comes from a wealthy family? Yeah, look at where Sebastian goes to school and look at where theyāve lived, and do I hc it too? Yeah I do, (without the āassholeā connotation, at least on Mr/s Smytheās part,) but we actually donāt have any canon proof that this is the case, we have no evidence they actually come from an old money background full of snobby rich Thomas-Jefferson like poeple. However just from Mr Smytheās job title alone we know he is bringing in a huge income, which means heās definitely circulating the new money systems at least, and itās overtones. What are new money earners? Rich little flaunters. Who is a rich little flaunter? Sebastian. Who wouldnāt be able to flaunt his fathers rich earnings if he was being unfairly punished and abused, therefore having little to no access to these funds? Also Sebastian.
7) LGBT rights.
Can confirm, here Iām just listing a lot of dates, and from those dates Iāve made some probable assumptions, this doesnāt really have much to do with the post at hand other than proving that throughout these time periods progression was upon us, and people were changing for the better despite all of the hatred in the world. There is nothing mentioned in canon about Mr/s Smytheās thoughts on Sebastianās sexuality, we donāt even know if they know (I think itās pretty obvious, but I also think itās pretty dang obvious that Iām queer and my parents have only just started speculating, so whoās to say really?), so I really am just laying down some dates and making some comparisons to the canon approach in glee.
First of all some confirmed supportive adult allies to the LGBT+ community in glee are: Burt (actual icon), Carole, Sue, Will, Emma, Beiste, Roz, Pam, Leroy and Hiram, Isabelle, Uniqueās parents, Paul Karofsky, Figgins (?), and Santanaās parents. Some confirmed not so supportive adults are Santanaās Abuela, Karofskyās mother, and Blaineās Dad. I know Abuela eventually comes around (not necessarily to supporting gays but wanting to be there for Santana), and Blaineās Dad isnāt a confirmed homophobe, we just know heās not exactly thrilled about the situation. This is just proof that at this point in time it wasnāt uncommon for people to be supportive, and those who werenāt were very susceptible to change and/or still made room to love their children despite differing opinions in sexuality. I also know that the world was and still is full of hatred, like I said this point really means nothing in my debate because as much as I could say ālook, statistics good,ā you canāt put a number on hate. But I will say that:
Being gay was legalised in 1974 in Ohio, and in 1980 in New York. In Paris, it was 1971, and France was actually labelled one of the most progressive countries in regards to LGBT+ support. If Sebastianās parents had him around their late twenties/early thirties as most people did in the 90s, they wouldāve been in their preteens-early teens at best when these things were going on. We donāt know how this relates to their opinion, as we donāt have any canon context, but young people of a higher privilege are much more impressionable to change because they have less ground to stand due to already established protection. In most cases they donāt quite care, as long as a spectacle isnāt made before the tide has changed. Iām not saying that that mentality is okay, itās also not exactly how I picture his parents to think, but Iām saying itās inherently better than a homophobic bigot who throws around slurs. Again, not much can be said here, itās just an observation to think about.
8) My thoughts.
So by now you must be wondering āalright summer, we got it, you donāt like the abusive parent trope, you can stop shoving it down our throats. But if so, what exactly do you hc?ā (Iām kidding, no oneās thinking that last bit, but am I still going to tell you? I absolutely am.)
Family is and always will be very important to me as a person and a writer, whether Iām writing for a romantic ship, a platonic friendship, or even just a childhood fic, the main character(s)ās family means a lot to me, both for the development and for my own background knowledge. This is why as soon as I took an interest in Sebastian I got to work exploring his parental relationships and their potential dynamics, (which is actually how I gathered the majority of the research for this post, although Iām also just a loser who knows a lot about lawyers). I have a Google doc dedicated to how I planned Sebastianās life pre-Dalton, all the way back to his parents first meeting in college, and if anybody would be interested in looking at that please feel free to ask me because I would absolutely love to discuss exactly how I see the two of them. But, until then, to keep this short and sweet, I see Sebastianās parents as busy, very work centric, but still loving and extremely spoiling people, especially towards their son. I think they try and make as much time for Sebastian as they possibly can, but when they find themselves overrun with work they fill the gap with material gifts, like (in his childhood) toys, expensive clothes, gadgets, and eventually a car. Itās a simple means of āwe have the money to give him whatever he wants, so weāre going to do exactly that.ā I have many different reasons as to why I think he is as spoiled as he is, ranging from Sebastian being what is known as a āmiracle childā to the differentiation in how his parents were raised, but I wonāt go on about it too much here, so once again, if youāre interested, drop me a DM. Individually though, this is how I see both Mr and Mrs Smythe.
Sebastianās father: I picture him to be the type of person to be quite family oriented, but still extremely work dedicated and a determined lawyer, which is why heās a role model to his son. His job doesnāt allow him too much flexibility in regards to when he works, so while he puts in as much effort as he can in his free time, sometimes work can be a hinderance (but again, not to the point of neglect). Equally, between him and his wife, I see Sebastian actually having his dad wrapped up around his finger in comparison to his mom, who I picture to be a little sterner. (maybe that āI bet he could make sure that got to themā line stuck with me a little too much, considering itās context.) And overall I see him as the slow-burner parent, one it takes a lot to anger, Sebastian has to really push his luck in order to disappoint his dad, but if he does happen to get mad (ie: after the slushy incident) heās going to simmer in it for a little while, which I think would cause healthy conflict between father and son. Theyāre close, so when somethings gotten between them, you know its no joke.
Whereas in regards to Sebastianās mother, as I previously said I see her as the more hotheaded, āsparkyā parent, the type of person who can be quite argumentative and headstrong (which is where Sebastian gets it from), but tends to come down easier, which resolves problems quicker. While her husband is reluctant to punish Sebastian unless itās something serious, she is quick to reprimand his bratty quips and bad attitude. As a person I see her as very work motivated and not at all fussed about family life, that is until she actually has Sebastian, and despite the fact that I see them as very similar in regards to personality, which means they happen to clash quite often, she adores him with her whole heart. I think they both do.
However, no matter how spoiled I picture Sebastian to be, his parents are not pushovers. He is not getting away with extremities, like the slushy ordeal, and even though I am forcefully set in my ideas about these people not being abusive, I still think thereās going to be arguments and disagreements, especially when it comes to these sorts of things. Not only are arguments common in all families, but when it comes to appropriately punishing a child who is so use to getting away with everything, itās going to spark a conflict. Which is one of the few reasons I feel Sebastian continued pushing his luck when it came to the New Directions, things were cracking at the seams due to his own actions, and his determination to come out on top dug him a hole he couldnāt climb out of without admitting he was in the wrong and apologising.
I have developed a lot of ideas as to why I think Sebastian Smythe is the way he is, varying from the likes of internal mental issues, rebellious freedom, his parents getting busier, and in general just his over confidence in himself and determination to win. But you know what? No reason will ever be āreasonā enough for the crap he was pulling back then, nothing he was facing makes blinding Blaine or being rude to Karofsky or the Finn photos acceptable. I just like to think these side stories make his redemption- something that he had to learn to deal with instead of taking out his losses elsewhere- all the more sweeter, because at the end of the day, he has to want it. (Shameless plug but my fic āThe Family I Found At Dalton.ā starts to explain the surface of this relationship despite the fact chapter one is about Nick Duval, and chapter two will delve much deeper into Seb when I get around to finishing it.)
Iāve made the in-depths of the Parisian move and Sebastianās coming out far too complex to discuss in this already huge post, so again I say, if you wanted to see a different opinionated take on how that would work without abusive plots, please ask, because I have a lot to say.
Also I have dubbed Sebastianās parents as Nathaniel and Gabrielle because them having long, French names you can shorten just like Sebastian makes my heart do the flips. It has been actual hell not referring to them by those names this entire essay by the way.
9) Conclusion.
At the end of the day, we know nothing about these two people as individuals, canonically we donāt know their names or their personalities, or their relationships with Sebastian, and as Glee is a fictional show with awfully inconsistent storylines and correlations to the real world, if we went back in time and gave the writing team this post, they would most likely just ignore every point I made in favour of doing their own thing, which yknow what? Theyāre entitled to do so, just like you guys are. Every point Iāve made today can be ignored simply because you like the trope, and thatās awesome for you. I donāt want it to seem like Iām trying to sway anyone or be inconsiderate to those who like this hc, thatās the beauty of fanfic, you can make and enjoy whatever you like and avoid the stuff you donāt. This was simply a way for me to express why Iām not a fan of this āpopularā idea, why I donāt think it personally works in context of the occupational knowledge I have and the impact it has on Sebastianās development, and that be all. Iām very set in my ways about this personally, and Iām exceptionally attached to my version of Sebās parents (Jamie and Hannah will tell you,) because like I said, family and originality mean everything to me as a writer, and as my discord friends know, I spent and still am spending a lot of time fleshing them out with original flaws and highlights of their own.
But with that, if you managed to make it through my nonsense, I hope you enjoyed the read and can understand, or at least respect, where Iām coming from. And if not, I at least hope you liked the random sprinkle of Sebastian photos/gifs throughout the post. This was both a joy and a nightmare to write, I kept wanting to disclaim my intentions out of fear of upsetting someone while still analysing my points to the best of my ability in hopes of doing them the justice I believe they deserve, so I do hope Iāve managed to accomplish that. Iām sorry itās quite an off-putting chunk of text, I talk way too much for my own good.
