Love You (Partner)!
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room.
Hesitation
Hudson, brother, would it kill you to look at people and speak with confidence when you talk about K? It’s always the “uh” and the pause before giving her name and title. First in the VF GRWM, then in the Vogue GRWM, and now at the CSAs.
Girlfriend to Partner
"My partner, Katelyn" I will never get over how weird it is as a breakout actor to have your girlfriend/partner at every event. How much more obvious can this be?! I digress. The shift from girlfriend to partner threw me off quite a bit, but I find it interesting too. Partner can be seen as more mature/serious, but also comes across as less personal and not necessarily romantic either. After all, you can have many types of partners in your life. I'm curious to see how this plays out in the future. For all we know, Hudson could have chosen this to make their relationship sound serious in preparation for Season 2 shenanigans and beyond!
As a side comment - in my experience partner is most commonly used amongst LGBTQ+ couples, although it is becoming more common for everyone.
Wherever You Are
Ironically, the time Hudson spent on Connor's part of his speech was 5 seconds longer (how poetic given their first zoom meeting) compared to K's. I think it would have been a good 2 seconds longer still, if he was able to find K in the audience. I guess it's easier to find people (e.g. Jacob, Rachel, and Brendan) when you actually look at them though...
Love You
"Bye mom, love you!" "Bye bestie, love you!" "Love you too, girl!"
"Love you" is very casual, and often used as a throw away statement. This is not to say people who say it don't mean it. However, there's a stark difference between "Love you!" and "[Bye Huddy] I love you." or "I fell in love with [Connor] as a person." One is inherently more romantic and deeper than the other, and isn’t Hudson’s choice curious for tonight?
Finger Hearts
Fingers hearts are very Gen Z (I would know), however, they're not very Gen Z for your partner. They're a friend thing!! The finger hearts did make me laugh because guys… you're supposed to be in a romantic relationship!! "Uh... my partner, Katelyn, wherever you are, there you are, love you!" is not exactly exuding long-term romance... but it is giving two young Gen Z friends trying their best to play the part.
Stable
Answer featuring an anon! I was wrestling with how to say this and Anon came through for me in this twilight hour.
Using the word stable can imply a continuation of a previous state. It's steady, not supportive, doesn't allow for much change, it’s not giving “with me through thick and thin” etc., just keeps him where he is when he feels all-over-the-place or chaotic. Not always a bad thing, but certainly a far cry from an emotional support person in life.
Special Callout: Malicious Compliance
When Hudson's name was announced, K put her hands on his shoulder, watching him as he stood. It seemed like K almost expected him to acknowledge her in some way (kiss on the cheek, hug etc.). Instead, Hudson hesitated like he thought about it, then decided against it, and smiled at Jacob as he turned around. In my opinion, this was a perfect example of real-time malicious compliance. Hudson knew what would be normal for a couple and what he could do to make himself and K look even more real, but he also knew he didn't need to. So, he didn't. If that doesn't sum this night up, I don't know what does!















