After the s2 finale of JD dropped, I’ve started seeing dexer shippers freaking out about dexer only being jackson’s manifestation and therefore, “not canon”. As a dexer enthusiast who also has a pessimistic outlook on how gay ships are written in media, I don’t think that’s true.
Hell, I was even surprised at myself for being confident that this aspect of dexer has the potential to deepen their relationship but it turns out I’m the minority in this one. See, my interpretation of the “revelation” is that both exer and david have genuine feelings for each other, same as pam and jackson. I’d believe that jackson’s writings have only “changed” the pace of their relationship. Being a queer teen in the 80’s is hard, especially if you’re looked upon by your community. In a world full of prejudice, secrets and magic, both david & exer have unique internal struggles. The way this reflects onto their relationship is the same for both of them: miscommunication and avoidance.
You can say that Jackson’s writings made it easier for them to process their emotions and made them cope healthier with the confusing, frightening reality they are in. Jackson gave both of them a push, an opportunity to be communicative and honest with each other AND their loved ones (harry and brenda).
Jackson’s diary is not the “root” of dexer, if anything, it’s the “bridge”.
Oh also, let’s not forget that david has been pining over exer since s1 and the idea of “dexer” (at the very least, david’s bisexuality and his feelings) dates back to the JD canvas. Paola has been teasing us abt dexer since 2021 and stated that it’s her fav ship, it’s simply unrealistic to assume they’d throw all that away for the sake of a plot twist.
Hope this makes sense, the last time I took an english literature course is when I was a freshman at HS so I apologize if my sentences aren’t coherent as I intended to be.
