I’m sorry but can we analyze Casey talking about Stella? Because he started off about her but there is no doubt in my mind that he was thinking and talking about Sylvie at the end.
The look on his face????? 🥺
YES ANON YES WE FUCKING CAN OH MY GOD WE CAN!!
Because I think for him, they are so alike in work despite having different jobs. They always bring joy where they can. They’re terrifyingly competent. But that moment where the music starts to swell and Matt says “a hell of a lot of fun to be around”? THATS about both of them. These two kickass women who he’s grown to know over the past seven and five years respectively. I’m pretty sure he sees Stella as a sister at this point. This is also the last thing that he’s got Stella in mind for though
And “one of those people who when things get tough, she makes everyone around her think it’s gonna be ok?” That’s Sylvie. That’s the woman he’s in love with. Because it was Sylvie with his head, it was Sylvie when she helped bring the house back together when she came back after Otis died, it’s Sylvie even after finding out her birth mother has died, she still manages to be positive.
That scene, if it was a fic, was Matt’s “oh. Oh.” moment. I don’t think he’d admitted the depth of his feelings for Sylvie even to himself. Why would he? Until recently he was convinced she didn’t feel the same way so he was gonna do what Matt Casey does and push them down. Matt Casey, the literal living embodiment of the song Turn It Off from Book of Mormon. Except about his feelings for Sylvie instead of being gay. But his face? That was a man realising he’s in love.
But it makes that moment when he’s talking to Kelly just after SO MUCH BETTER. This is a man who realised he’s in love. And then he sees the woman he’s in love with walk by. And Sylvie was far enough away that she didn’t have to wave, she could have pretended not to notice them having their conversation. But she didn’t. She waved. And he waved back.
I honestly think if she hadn’t waved Matt wouldn’t have followed her at Molly’s. Remember, they don’t know Stellaride are engaged. They don’t know their best friends are getting married. But Matt remembers the last time he saw Sylvie walk out of Molly’s like that, and all the pain and confusion that happened afterwards. He isn’t going to let that happen again.
So he goes and he ACTUALLY says the words I Love You. He says it. Matts love language is acts of service - we’ve seen it in action. He drove her to Rockford. He helped her find the cat. He worked to find his ex wife a spot on a truck as a candidate. He took in his dead best friends sons because their mother was in prison. Matt’s not good with his words. But he found them because he knows Sylvie needs to hear them. He knows she needs to know that there’s nothing ambiguous. There’s nothing stopping them except whatever Sylvie is feeling about it. And that smirk? That gorgeous little smirk? The way his brow is FINALLY unfurrowed after a full season? He looked so much younger. Being in love looks good on Matt.