Eliot: We could be done tomorrow for all you know. We can't just throw away all this time we've invested.... You want to live your life, live it here.
Quentin: What is that supposed to mean?
Eliot: You know exactly what that means.
Quentin: [intentionally kicks over the tiles] Oops.
One of the things I love about this whole scene from a filmmaking perspective is how many ways it can be interpreted.
Clearly it's an argument, but what is the end goal for each character? The next portion of the montage has Quentin getting closer to Arielle. Many say Eliot was pushing Quentin to date. Eliot is sleeping which insinuates that it may not have happened if Eliot had been available. As in, Eliot shuts down Quentin's "overthinking," basically shutting down the possibility of their hook-up becoming more. Because Eliot is unavailable, he pursues Arielle. Then, after Arielle is gone, they are lifelong platonic partners. I think this was the writers' intention, especially since old Quentin says he solved the mosaic "with a friend."
But, I also think the writers screwed up what should have been a beautiful queer love story end game. Looking at the exact same scene, Eliot says what seems like two completely conflicting statements. 'Live your life here' and 'we could be gone tomorrow.' He expects Quentin to understand this dichotomy. Why? Because I think they were already together; the anniversary sex wasn't just a fling; and Quentin has been stuck in limbo, unable to do anything because he's waiting to go back yet time is passing at the Mosaic. Quentin is giving up on the quest, and Eliot is annoyed. Eliot wants Quentin to invest in living life to its fullest where they are, yet to also take their quest seriously. So, their polyamorous selves get a wife and have a kid and live the beauty of life.
That makes the most sense to me. But, I love scenes like this that can be interpreted any way the audience likes.
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