Ahhh. This will be refreshing.
Stanford Filbrick Pines. "A sight for sore eye" as Bill says it. Thank you for allowing me the oportunity of sharing just how very deeply much I TRULY resent this man.
He dreams adoration, he lives regret. Bitter tears. Always the victim in his mind, no mistakes of his own, not until they are convenient for his narrative. No. Everyone around him is holding him back in his little imaginary world. If it weren't for how overbearing Stan is, if it weren't for how conflicted Fiddleford is, if it weren't for how confusing Bill's behaviors are. If it weren't for anything but himself. Expanding vortex of trauma, existing at the core of the mess that is his life, the centre that exists simply because every circle has one. Drifting without purpose greater than consumption, he'll take into his mind all that is available and won't be satisfied until he has none left to absorb. He yearns for a greater purpose, he lacks any direction in his life to begin with. Hard not to yearn for a vague sense of that which is "more" than yourself when you are a shell filled to the brim with information since you can't be fulfilled. Lust for power. Rejection of all that he deems below him, that which included his own blood, his brother. That which included the only man to support him through his crazed scientific endeavors. All unworthy in his eyes.
And in this twisted little play that is his life, the eternal victim meets a true monster. Violation to god's creation, deceit of monumental scales. It took what he believed to be the blessings of a god to be worthy of a part in his life. He exists in extremes, idealizing or condemning, no nuance. So, since he can't make some damn meaning for himself, he depends on Bill. Yearning for glory. Desperately grasping at any sense of control. The most honor he'll afford others is being of equal intelligence as him. And that's all he deems worthy in himself. He hates all that makes him who he is, so he makes a little wooden effigy of confidence to protect himself. The surface is full of cracks. It smells of rot inside. Tearful scared child, hiding within layers of resentment and inflated ego. It screams sin. Sad pathetic mess.
Beauty eludes his densely packed little mind.
aHHAHAA AHHEM in a much more petty note, to anyone who thinks he's hotter than stanley, I regret to inform you that he is tricking you with his turtleneck
That really WAS refreshing. Don't even get me started on how I feel about Bill
So, to be devil's advocate...
2. Nerd & Socially awkward
First of all, this feel like a very polite poetry letter to Ford, I MEAN IT IS, it's just, you write so collected and in such a wide range of words it's like reading certain someone's six fingered man Journal. This is a compliment btw, You are a sweety pie next to Stanford BAJAJA. Btw I always hated Ford when little, mf didn't even thanked his brother, I was hella mad (Still am)
Just so you know, i brain stormed a bunch of ideas and perceptions in paper, while revisiting a Tale of two stans and Lost legends comics, just to make my point more "canonish" if i could say so. Lmao i needed arguments as solids as yours. And even there, I found myself repeating what you already stated, woah, you are cool.
After all, i could not bring myself to hate Ford, not because i found myself in some aspects in his character, but because in canon, Stanford is a more "look between the lines" type of character.
Yes, Stanford Filbrick pines is like you say, shallow, without purpose or clear goal that will fullfill him for real, yet he has reason. I want to take this into consideration because understanding is what makes a character much more enjoyable, much more human, as I mentioned to you previously. Have you ever considered Ford gives himself so much "importance" as someone special, thanks to his father's own perseption of him, conditioning his whole life and actions to make ford believe he HAD to be special so his father could even consider him his son? Filbrick contioned the two boys they had to earn his love, to be worthy of something that was supposed to be natural. That's where Ford's need of power and a greater purpose comes from, to meet expectations that were firts his fathers, then, apparently were ford's? (Is there a difference between what my father expect from me, and what I expect from myself? I don't think so- Ford, probably) I know it sounds "Ah! he's traumatized! Poor baby girl!" Well yeah, mf is far gone into a whole of low self steem an value, he couldn't manage his inner struggles, that's why he hyperfixeates into his misterys, NO one teached him how to deal with them.
Ford only was important to Filbrick if he was succesfull, and if he didn't fulfill his dad's expectations, what was he? Stanley?
Now with that settled, let me tell you something i noticed.
Ford since he was born, was rejected from the world, people rejected him from being different. He sheltered into science and numbers he could understand, the only thing that let him belong besides his brother. So, as a consecuence, Stanford pines rejected the world too. I mean wouldn't you? Wouldn't you be tired of trying to fit in where you clearly won't be let fit? I have, no one teaches you how to be accepted without sacrificing who you are, you hide in your own mind, lost into a strange world that doesn't care, altough you exist in it, in need for it's care and love. Yet ford still rejected those who showed him what human care was like, justyfing himself into thinking "I don't you, I don't need anyone!" when in reality he's protecting himself from the pain of rejecting, a god ol' story he know too well. Like bill said, he's still a hurted little kid in need of approval, external validation, and when no one of this "lesser" companions were worthy of his sorrow, he was so easy to manipulate from something that seemed "extraordinary"
As an extra i want try and make an effort to highlight that ford never handled criticism to well, my man always felt he was not good enough so when someone offer criticism of his actions (that's when I've seen he gets mad lmao) he get deffesive, and as you say, no mistakes of his own, pretty sure he's saying "But I'm trying my best, what would they know" So yeah, been there. (THE PROJECTION IN THIS POST IS CRAZYY)
But despite all of this, he has shown multiple times capable of love, besides all the cracks, all the rotten smell of his mistakes, something shakes him so strong it makes him rethink his whole morals. Obssesive of control, he losses the only thing he could not control, but gave him all the comfort he always yernaned, his brother. Some part of ford died the day Stanley Pines was no more. Stanley was his heart, and since that moment, he learns what he wanted was always a call away, a "thank you away". Family and love saved Stanford pines from dying alone and bitter, he realized how precious life was with the love of his lil nephews, the people around him, and his brother. Yeah it took him a fucking apocalypse to knew that, but hey! Better later than never! It's in that, in the painful realization and will to change, where I fall in love with Stanford, he learned that to be himself and be accepted, he needed to fall and get up, to put that same passion he had into anomalies into his little family. Now knows why and were he was wrong, and lettin go of that resentment. The conclusion is what makes it so sweet and comforting, even the most pridefull man in the world, changed.
Once ashamed, hiding from love, now he lets it in with it's ups and downs, just like him, letting that love fill those cracks that haunted him for so long.
Imperfect but still trying. I'm sorry, but when someone takes action to change for the better, it just sells it to me. He's an old man, something he'll never unlearn, yet, he feel more complete than ever. Gosh I hate you Ford Pines you are so damn awful, yet so amazing <3 Also he's dumb for social interactions and I like how much of a grembling he is JAJSKAKJDKD.
Look, I wholeheartedly agre with the sentiment that Stan is WAY more attractive than Ford, yeah, Ford is fucking handsome, but for god's sake Stanley looks exactly like him, just in a "better shape" Stanley has that charisma and strong personality that I melt for, and that back, arms, belly and freaking hot voice? Maybe I have a type, but the turtle neck DOES HELP ON FORD, Stanley has MEAT, both are THICC, shut up people who think Stanley would looks better without a belly, that's the most hot thing about him. GRRRR
AND PLEASE TALK ABOUT BILL LMAO, sincerity beforehand, Bill terrifies me, look, he's a fun guy, I have pity for him. But godamn it Ford WHY YOU DIDN'T RUN FROM THAT FREAK?! That speaks VOLUMES ABOUT YA NERD. As my lovely Fiddleford says, he's like satan, and I don't like him, die in therapy fuck up, you deserve it 🗣️
