brians second date dream analysis
so this anon doodle sent me an ask saying the dream in Brian’s second date was pointless but Me, a Tireless AP English Student that has been programmed to analyze things like this, decided to take a closer look. and when it clicked I kinda…. fucken blew my own mind. read this,, its worth it Trust Me,
anon doodle asked: I found it weird that the strange dream that your dadsona had about his dad in Brian’s second date really amounted to nothing. Like what was that even about.
it’s meant to be taken metaphorically, not literally. the Dad agreed to go fishing with brian because he wants to feel good at something. he wants to be better than brian, because brian is the dad’s goals in life.
lets… look at this step by step
so the dream starts. the Dad is fishing in a lake. “I don’t understand why but … my life depends on catching fish right now.” the Dad is desperately trying to catch fish, but none of them are taking the lure. “You used the wrong lure.” the Dad’s father says this while giving him a disapproving stare. “I’m panicking… all [my] lures in the tacklebox are the same.” the Dad starts panicking, and now his father is gone. then the Dad falls into the water and… sinks. he’s drowning, and as he’s drowning, he sees all the fish that were just below the surface the entire time, “taunting” him. fish Brian shows up and tells him he was using the wrong lure.
now… the metaphors… the lake? the dad’s insecurities. catching fish? the Dad comparing himself to people and trying to change. the fish? everything the dad wants to be. the Dad’s father? the voice in his head.. the lures? the Dad. the lures represent who he is, the life he has to work with. each time he casts a lure he loses a part of himself. “you’re using the wrong lure?” the voice in the Dad’s head that is saying “you’re not good enough” the boat the Dad is in? his emotions. as long as he thinks he’s doing fine, he’ll stay afloat. the part where he falls in the lake? the Dad feels like he failed. why brian is a fish? he wants brian. he wants to be brian, he wants to be better than brian. he wanted to “catch” him and show off to the world and say ‘hey, I can be just as good as him’.
now let me rewrite it. the Dad is living. he’s under pressure to be good, to change himself. who’s putting him under this pressure? no one. he’s doing this to himself. no matter how hard he tries, he can’t change. he hears a voice that tells him he’s not doing good enough and that he needs to try harder… but he can’t. the Dad doesn’t understand that he can’t change who he is, and he panics. the voice is gone because he’s consumed with the stress he’s put himself under… and the Dad finally breaks down. he’s drowning in his insecurities, looking at everything he could never be pass him as he sinks lower and lower. now… the voice comes back… but it’s brian this time. telling the Dad he’s not good enough.
which…. is why he’s always competitive with brian…. it makes so much sense now oH mY goD