A lot of people really liked the Colin/Michael kiss in the finale but it just fell flat for me. It would’ve been an absolutely valid choice to just say that homophobia doesn’t exist in the TL universe so Colin gets to kiss whoever he wants wherever he feels like it but… they didn’t do that. Instead we get this weird tonal dissonance where after a whole season of establishing that homophobia very much does exist and looking at how Colin deals with it, in the last episode they suddenly switch to saying it doesn’t actually matter. It’s not the first time they’ve introduced a very serious issue only to go “but never mind all that!” five minutes later (Sam’s plot in s3e7 for example), but it just feels hollow every time
I think this is absolutely fair, anon. I had mixed feelings about it because I saw its potential, and Billy Harris puts so much into Colin and is so brilliant, but there's a careless (a word I keep using for the writing of s3) treatment to Colin's story that makes that moment feel unearned narratively.
We know Colin doesn't want to be The Gay Footballer, and we know that after this happens he very much will be. And I think some of that could have been dealt with in Colin's "coming out" episode if they'd bothered to make it about, you know, Colin.
Instead there's this forced tension created by Isaac's perceived homophobia. Which, in universe, apparently lasts for days I think? (NGL, at this point in the show, I was watching through my fingers like a horror movie so I might get some details wrong.) Amongst other things, I don't buy that Isaac would be that callous as to not think things like refusing to touch Colin etc. would very much seem like homophobic rejection. I think Isaac was done a huge disservice in that episode as well tbh.
But the whole episode is about Isaac, and his reactions, and how he feels about homophobia, and his anger...all of which would have been a great premise if it had ended with Isaac telling Colin he's in love with him. I'm not even saying this as a shipper; it just would have made the most sense with their decision to focus on Isaac.
But back to the kiss. (Sorry, my feelings on this are very tagential.)
If we'd focused on Colin's feelings during that episode, and if we'd gotten a scene of Colin actually coming out (maybe even not being forced out, but instead inspired by something or someone), and if we got to see the team supporting him personally, and being there for him personally, then maybe it would have made a lot more sense for Colin to take that leap. Especially if he'd been given the space to consider the ramifications some more with the audience.
But because Colin was sidelined in the Colin is pushed comes out of the closet episode, it's hard to derive the joy from that moment that could have been if queerness were treated with a bit more care by the show.
So, I think your reaction is completely valid, anon. Thanks for sharing your opinions!
