So, is decided, Nick is Rio's "boss"? So, he is the third piece of the triangle?
i think it’s p safe to say he is the third piece of the triangle, though i still don’t think it’s going to be a like, twilight-style triangle where beth’s romantically interested in both of them. i v much read her interest in nick in 408 to be predominantly curiosity and interest in an avenue to contextualize and find out more about rio based on the way she kept pulling the conversation back around to trying to figure out their relationship. i do think she was maybe a little flattered by nick’s p open interest but i don’t see that ultimately going anywhere for two main reasons reasons:
the show’s been p consistent about showing nick subtly and sometimes less subtly ignoring/disrespecting beth’s boundaries and making vaguely belittling assumptions and generalizations about who she is in a way that i think’s a tad reminiscent of dean, tbh, and i don’t see beth being down with that or the show being down with pushing beth into another relationship like that
the heavy-handed, unambiguous good vs bad visual metaphor from the cold open. the show was extremely explicit about who was who, and i think beth’s going to catch on to that as the season progresses. hopefully quickly but i’d also strap in for it maybe taking a minute, hahaha
what’s interesting to me is how both of those things set up pro-rio contrasts. the way he sees beth (more) clearly has always been a thing that’s attracted beth to him and the show straight up said no seriously guys, he’s the good egg. so yeah, i remain entirely unbothered by the potential conflict set up by a love triangle.
i know a lot of people are extremely bothered by the brothers of it all and that’s super valid! but i don’t think things with beth and nick are going to progress far enough that that’s a thing. beth is uh, v v v selective over who she’ll get down with and i don’t see her going there. obvs, standard disclaimer, i am a shite magic eight ball! but i’m still not worried. i also don’t think rio and nick are going to like, compete for her? mostly bc that’s not the tone i got from their relationship, they seem much more likely to band together against her when it comes down to it based on them like, you know, banding together against her when it came down to it. but again, shite magic eight ball. who knows.
re: the boss, i don’t think we’ve seen enough of rio and nick’s relationship to say whether or not he’s a true ~boss or if they’re more like, partners heading up two different departments. i do lowkey think nick’s pulling more strings than rio is though, but that might just be because i don’t like him so i’m inclined to view him as a snake, hahahaha.
