Love the continued commentary on an unseen other recording people and that recording becoming public with the intent of causing harm coming into Only Friends Dream On.
In the original, we had Boston surreptitiously recording a kiss between Ray and Mew and then saving it for two years to just use the kiss part to fuck with both Mew and Ray as they tried to move into relationships with Top and Sand, especially to get Top to sleep with him.
We also in the OG, had Nick recording Top and Boston fucking in the car, which he and Sand used to hurt Boston and Top for their own revenge.
And then in the continuation of this universe, Raffy gets his hands on a recording of Dean in his work as a host to share with the drama faculty to hurt Dean and to get closer to Jack.
And I just…
Considering how often these men are recorded by a third party, sometimes without their knowledge, and then that is put online.
The continued commentary on performance and what is acceptable and what isn’t and how we shame people for their choices continues to delight as we move from business management to drama.
As well as the ways the groups react to them. No one in season one seemed to have a major issue with someone leaking recordings unless it was a recording of them. The swift rebuke of Raffy in season 2 by Rome and the way Jack, Tua and Timmy rally around Dean — to the point that Raffy’s scheme backfires (whereas arguably Boston, Nick and Sand got what they wanted from their leaks)…
But also, the first friend group from Only Friends OG was heading into that rupture for a long time whereas we are picking up with the Dream On friend group trying to piece themselves back together after several major ruptures, what with the break up between Jack and Dean as well as Jack and Rome’s disdain for each other and Rome and Dean’s connection as well as Tua’s Boston hook up. It’s narratively continuous while being entirely distinct.
We are getting an idea of what repair could look like, just with a very different group of people. Whereas the majority of characters of season one were self righteous in their anger and feelings being wounded, the characters of Dream On are very aware of their flaws and pitfalls.
Anyway!!! I love it here.