I am all caught up on Cooking Crush (!!!), AND --
I did some tag diving, AND --
I am reading Fire and Dynamite differently than many in the pack, it seems.
As I'm catching up on these posts.... I don't see Dynamite as a stalker for a second. And I think I understand the context of Fire's sudden emotional change, from angry rejection of Dy to becoming a total puppy.
I see Dynamite and Fire both as products of internalized and externalized homophobia.
Does Dynamite come off as a wackadoodle hardcore flirt to start? For sure. This face is not a sympathetic face! (Although I was CACKLING at it.)
I posit that Dynamite went so hard, so unrealistic, on his flirting to Fire, because -- he's used to getting rejected.
(source: @moonkhao!)
If Dynamite's own dad rejected him for who he is, then -- Dynamite can possibly act however he wants to, to whomever, because he may very well think he has nothing to lose.
Fire reacts to Dynamite with disgust and anger. I posit that due to Fire's fear of
1) admitting his own queer preferences, 2) his fear of coming out, specifically to his mother, and 3) the confusion of not understanding, identifying, or realizing his own feelings, that Fire's initial reactions to Dynamite are ones of extreme rejection.
I also think that what's happening there is that Fire is initially rejecting HIS OWN FEELINGS, and HIS OWN REALIZATIONS.
Enough research exists to demonstrate that internalized homophobia leads to these kinds of distressed emotional states.
Fire in the car, as he and Metha are cruising? Fire's considering something. And it makes him tingle.
He needs booze to open up more. And then when he's sober, he rejects it again. And Dy sees Fire with Jane, and gets frustrated with Fire's mixed messaging.
Fire doesn't know how to authentically communicate at this point, because, yes -- one point in which I'll agree with posters on the tag is that he's had to learn to be submissive in order to placate an OVERLY demanding mom. He's used to hiding his true self.
But Fire is also AFRAID OF HIS MOM. He's afraid of her rejection!
Like, that's no good!
I think Fire's sudden change to becoming a puppy-wuppy is: HOMEBOY'S FINALLY FOUND LOVE! Love that satisfies his needs as his own authentic self. He doesn't need to hide anything from Dy anymore, because Fire's not hiding anything from HIMSELF anymore.
Most of the parents in this show are not good parents! Dy's dad can go to hell. Ten is forced to submit to his dad's demands. Fire is forced to submit to his mom's demands. That's very common in Asian parenting -- but we also have good parents! Unky's parents welcome him home in happiness and pride. Prem's grandma is a G.
Do we not think that this robust background information on where these men hail from is not impacting how they're behaving in their current relationship states? It is.
And I believe that the places of fear and rejection from which Fy and Dy come from exactly explains how they got together, and how they are together now.
I LOVE THEM, YER HONOR! DyFy 4ever!
