what scenes do you think did a good job of conveying that Eddie felt something deeper for Richie? I thought the hammock scene was flirtatious on his end, and I think his fixation on Richie when he thought he killed Pennywise was significant. it’s annoying to think some people interpreted both scenes as friendly though, cuz y'know, “he married a woman.” Really hoping we get a flashback in the director’s cut that shows a pining!Richie and more outwardly flustered!Eddie
Okay this grew into a beast of a response because I got poetic and it’s emotionally draining soooo heads up! skfkfks
I think those two scenes definitely jump out, but honestly there is SO much nuance to Eddie’s feelings that causes him to be very difficult to translate to film, and what does get translated is easy to miss if you aren’t watching closely. The problem with Eddie, and the reason why people with untrained eyes are reading it as unrequited, is that he is TOO repressed to really have obvious moments of pining.
So what you really need to look for, with him, are little changes between the way he acts around the different people in his life. Around his mom and other authority figures, he’s generally soft-spoken and nervous. He talks slower, and less often. He’s quiet and stiff, like a deer in headlights. Around the bullies he’s defiant but jittery. Around the Losers, he’s loud, animated, and emotional (which in the novel and miniseries means he’s quick to tears, but in the movies it comes out as anger - either way, they’re emotions he can’t express at home).
So we have baseline Eddie, and friendship Eddie. The best way to confirm that his feelings for Richie are unique is to pay attention to the differences between how he acts around Richie versus his other friends.
First, the way he talks to Richie. When they interact, it’s like friend!Eddie gets dialed up to full blast. He’s not just loud and animated, he’s literally obnoxious. He feeds into every comment Richie makes, he thrives on reacting to Richie and instigating shit with Richie. It’s more understated in the book because we can rely on his inner monologue to fill in the blanks with his thoughts and reflections on their interactions. In the miniseries, it’s softer, but it’s there - he’s more argumentative with Richie, but never leaves his side either, and takes every opportunity to get his attention the same way Richie does to him. In the movies, he’s a literal freak who won’t shut up if Richie is nearby and he not only takes the bait every time Richie sets him up, he’s the one instigating the bickering half the time. He comes alive around Richie, because with Richie he can be as loud as he wants, as argumentative as he wants, and as wild as he wants. He can express any emotion he feels. He doesn’t feel stuck, or trapped. That feeling never goes away - it’s why he stuck to Richie like a magnet in Ch2. They feed each other’s energy in a way none of the other Losers can fully match up to. With Richie, Eddie’s eyes shine more, he laughs more freely, and nothing else matters but the present moment.
Even more importantly, in every version of IT Eddie generally avoids physical touch, even with his friends, with the exception of Richie. This is important (and something Dennis Christopher caught onto and has been open about) - Touch is Eddie’s primary love language, but it’s reserved only for the person he really truly loves. Otherwise he avoids it. He feels uncomfortable hugging his mom. He feels nothing when he’s with Myra. He jokes around with the Losers and loves them to death but he never really physically interacts with them unless he doesn’t have a choice. Touch is his literal nightmare scenario - he’s terrified of the leper touching him and infecting him. But with Richie it’s not like that. With Richie it’s easy. In the novel, he pretends it annoys him but he secretly likes when Richie touches him and calls him Eds. In the miniseries, Eddie and Richie are basically never not touching each other and that was a conscious decision Dennis and Harry made.
In the movies, Eddie and Richie have easy and natural physical chemistry, they grab onto each other, lay with each other, stand extra close, etc. Eddie never jerks away or stiffens, he lets Richie touch his face, his arms, and even his legs, which is tbh really intimate for someone who is terrified of physical contact. This is unique to Richie because Eddie generally avoids touching the other Losers. Even when they’re all hugging after Ben kisses Bev in Ch1, Eddie doesn’t join in. When Bill is crying and everyone is comforting him, Eddie’s movements are awkward and stiff. But after the blood oath, he hugs only Richie, and it’s completely fine, because it’s Richie. This continues into adulthood when they just slide back together like puzzle pieces - finding an excuse to arm wrestle, Richie patting him on the cheek, standing close to each other, grabbing onto each other, etc. It’s easy, and it’s unique to them.
Up until and including his death, it’s only Richie’s touch that he seeks out. Even when Richie can’t be physically with him, he’s clutching that jacket like it’s his lifeline. Richie knows this is how they communicate, with a combination of really UNtender banter and very tender touching. So when he’s in denial about Eddie’s death, he pulls out all the stops to get him to wake up - caressing his face and his neck, fully embracing him, refusing to physically part from him because it’s Eddie and they’re always together.
So… there really isn’t a scene that puts a spotlight on Eddie’s feelings, there are just a bunch of subtle moments where he becomes Richie’s Eddie instead of Regular Eddie that all add up to something really obvious. The hammock scene sticks out because it showcases the unique physical comfort he feels with Richie, and the scene where he rescues Richie sticks out because he becomes so alive in that moment and he needs Richie to share that excitement with him.
But really every moment between them, in every version, in every timeline, all point to one basic fact - what they had was special, and Eddie doesn’t need to spell it out for people who refuse to see it. What matters is that it’s there.
dededos
dailybridgerton
baratheonpilled
kianamaiart
