i have so many thoughts about dan (and phil) being so concerned in episode five. about how dan worries that ilya is going to get murked in the underpass. about dan commenting how he's used to dramas where one of the gays dies. about the low bar of 'i'm glad so far they've survived'.
i engage with so much modern queer literature -- specifically romance books -- that i forget, even long after the fall of the hayes code, that a lot of more mainstream queer representation is still... kind of shit. still often ˆincludes the same tired narratives. would dare to write a queer romance plotline that doesn't end in happiness.
but they were so surprised when scott hunter kissed kip at center ice. and it's a great fucking moment, don't get me wrong. i get chills every time i watch it. but also, i've read at least like five other queer books with equally grand gestures (including at least one where the gesture literally was kissing your boyfriend on center ice – jack & bitty, y'all were the ogs).
but like, dan suggests sending a vague heart in kip's direction – that's the bar (and like yes, there's probably some projection of their own feelings there, but they're still surprised this is what the show does). it melts their little brains when scott calls kip down (which doesn't at all parallel to i've spent the majority of this year with one person, not one bit. mmm-mhh).
i want to spoon feed dan a thousand different adult queer romance books where the entire point of the book is queer joy. i want to soothe his gay little heart with happy, emotionally-fulfilling queer stories. i want him to know that queer representation don't have to be sad or tragic or queerbait. he's had such a hard journey and i feel like a big fat helping of books about queer joy would be good for him.
