we need to talk about Caitlyn’s whole interaction with Huck
(gifs credits: refuted & lena-luthor)
When Caitlyn walks out of Vi’s home, she’s immediately intercepted by Huck and pulls out her gun at him defensively. She softens when he explains that he’s a friend and that he owes Vi’s old man his life (and probably more than that). It’s an important detail about Vi’s life that Vi hasn’t disclosed to her yet. It tells Caitlyn that Vi has been raised by a great man.
As soon as she realizes this man is harmless and is a person that means something to Vi, she lets her guard down. She doesn’t aim her gun at him anymore. She tries to understand why he would take Shimmer if it destroys him. No judgment, just curiosity. She doesn’t refute his explanation either or try to moralize him.
She hugs him.
He’s a pure stranger with a loose connection to Vi and this is how she treats him.
He ultimately betrays them both, but it doesn’t occur to Caitlyn in the moment because he brings her to the cure that saves Vi. He knows Vi. She wanted Vi to see him - she wanted to make her happy, but because he’s ashamed of his appearance, she does what she thinks Vi would have wanted to do.
She hugs him on Vi’s behalf.
Granted, she’s a bit naive, but so so sweet. It shows the layers upon layers of empathy she feels. In my opinion, it’s her best moment of character establishment. She extends her sympathy for this man because he knows Vi and he helps her when he’s got no real reason to do this, especially since she’s a Topsider.
Caitlyn’s kindness is unbelievable. She’s doing this selflessly and she doesn’t even get to tell Vi about him nor the trade. I don’t know if she knows he betrayed them, but Vi sees him.
Vi only sees the betrayal and barely has a reaction to it. She would have expected it. Huck knows Vi recognizing him would have most likely set off alarm bells in her head that they had been spotted. She wouldn’t have blindly trusted him.
I love this exchange so much. It shows just how much love Caitlyn is willing to give. I love Caitlyn :’)
