thoughts on the I-would-rather-die-than-divorce-Christy?
Yes, let's talk about this mildy disastrous moment!
First things first, the baggage. In GMM, Link has "threatened" enthusiastically to kiss Rhett on the lips, to which Rhett responds pretty serious and alarmed. Later, Link under the desk finds an opportunity to massage Rhett's leg, Rhett chooses to expose him and then Link explains that he was actually trying to hurt him. (We can't know what Link's true intention was. Either way, it was an intimate choice to mess with his bestie's leg in secret.) So, we have two incidents in which Link is suggestive and Rhett is unresponsive.
The GMMore starts with Rhett explaining he had been trying to go to Italy with Jessie for an anniversary vacation (btw it was funny that even this year it was a last minute decision only because Link was going to be busy, it was almost like this trip has not truly been amongst Rhett's top priorities for at least the last five years).
Link intercepts with his usual comparison; he's married longer than Rhett (by one year). Rhett replies with something he has said before "I am going to catch up with you", which is like telling him; "You're gonna break up". Link never likes it when Rhett says this. There are two possible reasons for this:
He doesn't like the concept of breaking up with his wife.
He doesn't like the notion that Rhett would keep being happily married and add years to his marriage while he would have gotten divorced .
In any case, he initially says a parts meek, parts dry "okay" but hey! He does the nose signal!
The nose signal was longer, I cut the gif a bit too early. As we have figured out, the nose signal can mean either or both "this is a lie" and "careful now". I should also point out that there seem to be two separate nose signals; the unmistakeable one in which the finger starts from the top of the bridge and is dragged down to the point of the nose and this one, where they just flick the tip of the nose. I don't know if they both mean the same thing or not.
Link then quickly says: "But it's going to be because of death". Here I will say that Link just thoughtlessly said what he also said later; that only death would be the reason for his "break-up". This is truly sort of what he meant but the thought gets out of him so quickly that it's quite messy again, in typical Link fashion. You see, he rushes to counteract Rhett's seeming straightness and will to prolong his marriage and the fact that he's going to anniversaries and all. In other words, he says "Oh you want your marriage to last, and last longer than mine, then my marriage will end only due to death".
You can tell the conversation approaches dangerous waters by the fact that Rhett's brain is also not at its best efficiency; he jovially agrees to what Link said, in fact hilariously saying "May it be because of death", shakes hands with him and after all that he eventually catches on and he's like "Wait, why would we say that?" (stating the obvious here, it sounded a bit too much like a "let's get Christy out of the way" scenario). By looking at them, I feel positive that there was nothing shady or weird in what Rhett said. He was just operating on a single overheated braincell, because apparently all the rest were like "Caution! You're entering a dangerous zone!!!".
Rhett argues that this could only happen if Link (or Christy, might I add) died before Rhett and Jessie. Link now is cornered and has no other way out, unless he chose to say: "Okay yeah I am gonna divorce Christy for your marriage's sake bro haha" which is obviously something he would not say. Therefore, Link chooses the logical path, if not the only path as well, and says: "I'd rather die than divorce my wife". He then repeates it. Not on the camera. Not to us or to himself. Full face on Rhett.
I think we can easily see that he's displaying defiance towards Rhett. From his facial expression, to his movements, to the sound of his voice if you watch the video again, he's being provocative and defiant towards Rhett. I don't think it has much to do with his feelings about Christy. His behaviour is basically like how kids will try to provoke other kids into jealousy like "nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah".
If I can tell it's pure taunting and nothing more, at least in this case, I assume Rhett would be able to tell much more easily, because he understands Link and his motivations very well (let's be real, it's not exactly difficult, he's the most open book guy to ever open book). And yet, it's fascinating to see that Rhett goes a bit wide-eyed at that. It's really interesting, even in the case he didn't believe it, he still didn't like hearing it very much...
Of course Rhett immediately retaliates with a "May it be to the death" and a handshake, as in, "Very well, stay married for life then". But then, amazingly, he immediately touches his nose too.
I also slowed down the gif so you can really see the awkward. Is this always how awkward and loaded straight friends get when wishing each other a happy long-lasting mariage?
This was so hilariously awkward, like, why would your story about going with your wife for an anniversary trip get such a weird introduction lol Also, notice Link's absolutely frozen and forced smile and also if you notice in the video, he batted his eyelids in a cutesy but very blatantly fake fashion, while of course he remained utterly silent after Rhett's wish for his marriage to "may be to the death".
I will add that Rhett then addresses Jenna about her love for travelling and he touches his nose again. These are all the possibilities:
a) both were just random touches, b) the first wasn't but the second was, maybe the first touch provoked a ghost itch to the nose, c) it was double bluffing in case he's aware some of us have figured out the nose signal (oh dear).
I tend to think the first touch was not coincidental because it didn't look like he was satisfying an itch, it looked like an otherwise pointless touch and too devilishly performed right at that moment of the loaded exchange.
In any case, even if we remove Rhett's nose touch from the equation, the whole interaction doesn't become any less crazy!