#tronick

[haylouise]

Journaling, astonished time slips by.

[tobaitfishwith]

It’s killing me to love you.

it’s 2021 and I’m still not over trick someone help…also it’s Zombie! Troy & Nick. This is how I pictured Nick would die in Season 4.

[starkjoy]

On Troy and Nick:

These two have had palpable chemistry ever since the “I think we can be friends now” scene earlier this season. I thought it was mostly wishful thinking on my part, but with each new episode I keep wondering if I’m not so off base. It’s been ambiguous and subtextual of course, but it doesn’t go unnoticed. I’d even bet the general audience has been squinting at certain scenes lately, especially during this last episode, going “...is this gay?”

Troy has a “strange fixation on [Nick],” as described by Madison. While the writers haven’t made Troy’s feelings clear, there have been moments where---either through dialogue or acting choices---it felt as if Troy harbored some physical attraction toward Nick, whether it be subliminal or conscious. Their relationship started antagonistically, so to say anything romantic was going on at the onset is out of bounds. Yet, as the season progressed, their relationship surprisingly transformed into this toxic, yet weirdly fitting friendship of sorts. Nick’s strange loyalty hasn’t been lost on Troy, and I think that’s allowed an emotional fondness to grow for him as well. 

As confirmed last episode, Nick sees himself in Troy because they “share the same self-destruction.”  I think he identifies with Troy because he’s mentally ill, just as he was as an addict. He’d been one to constantly make wrong choices and hurt those around him, all because he couldn’t control his mind’s urges. He sees that in Troy. He gets that. And even though he’s beyond the drugs now, he’s still doing terrible and morally questionable things in the name of survival. It’s become second nature to him. Perhaps in his mind it’s just another form of addiction. Maybe by believing Troy can get better, Nick feels that he can too. 

Furthermore, I think it’s interesting that the writers had Alicia textually reveal that Nick’s concern for Troy wasn’t rooted in guilt over his father, but stemmed from the fact that he likes him. “You like him”---I mean, come on really? Of course that doesn’t mean it’s romantic or sexual in nature, but there’s definitely some interesting subtext behind that insertion, especially because later that episode they decide to parallel Troy and Nick’s relationship with Jake and Alicia’s. Before he takes off after Troy, Jake gets into an argument with Alicia about whether or not their romantic relationship was genuine, or if it was a political alliance on Alicia’s behalf. I can’t recall the exact exchange, but if I remember correctly Jake asked if she ever really “liked” him. He could have said love to hammer home the point and to make his later death even more devastating, but the writers chose to emphatically use the same word as they had minutes before in regards to Nick and Troy. In this way they aligned the two relationships instead of differentiating them. 

In the same episode, we have the concept of “like” confirmed in one relationship and brought into doubt within another. It’s fascinating that in the beginning we assume Alicia and Jake’s relationship to be the genuine one, but by the end wonder if Jake was on the right track by alleging Alicia had other motives. That’s not to say she didn’t have real feelings for him, as she later argued that episode, but I do think they became muddied by her political efforts to control the ranch alongside her family, as well as her blossoming leadership intelligence. I think that reading is more interesting for her character than just “I have a boyfriend and I love him” at least. On the other hand, Nick begins loathing Troy (for good reason) and only tolerating him for the sake of Madison’s plan to gain agency at the ranch. By the end, however, he’s putting his and others’ lives at risk to protect Troy, even if it’s not the politically apt thing to do. His attempts to save Troy ultimately come at the expense of Jake’s life. Alicia and Jake’s relationship is destroyed, while his and Troy’s deepens another layer. It’s been an interesting subversion of what we’d expect from the two relationships.

All that being said, I don’t know if anything will come of their chemistry. Troy could very well die this season or even during the next episode (Nick’s “you’ll sleep when your dead” seems foreboding). If he doesn’t, it’s possible the writers could push forward with a potential romantic arc next season whether or not Troy continues on his path of destruction. However, the TWD/FTWD franchise doesn’t have the greatest track record handling queer romance (yes, Strand is great, but his love interest was barely a character before dying) so I’m not holding my breath. The cast has already described Troy and Nick’s connection as “bromantic,” so that signals to me that there’s something deeper than just alliance at play here, but also that there’s nothing outwardly romantic happening this season. The writers may not have intended a queer reading of the pair’s newfound bond (although I think they’d have to be profoundly stupid not to realize Daniel and Frank had sexual chemistry when filming and that some fans would ship it...they’ve been down that path before many times on both shows). Maybe something will happen down the line, but it may go nowhere or turn into queer-baiting nonsense. It could very well end in disaster---I expect it to, actually, unless Troy lives and makes an effort to turn a new leaf.  Time will only tell, but for now I’m shipping it. 

[paradoxycat]

Nick x Troy playlist

well, I tried

[tobaitfishwith]

Black sheep

[starkjoy]

wish this was longer, but definitely captures the strange attraction between troy and nick.

[starkjoy]

Regarding troy amd nick, i really super duper feel as though nicks sees troy as an outside version of himself? and this kinda, trying to save him and give him second chances and nudge him in the right direction is largely because nick is trying to achieve those same things for himself? and if troy cam get better so can he? i feel like a really large part of nicks attitude towards troy is frustration and exasperation?? (Cont.)

(pt. 2) because nick tries to fix people? or at least sagely ex junkie wisdom them towards the right direction? he did it a little with chris? and then with alejandro? and now hes doing it with troy, except only hardcore because in his head, him and troy are of the same stuff?? and if he fails eith troy he’s failed himself and would prolly just. the self loathing. the worthlessness? its like nick is very aggressively back seat driving troy into being a better person.

I agree, I think you hit the nail on the head. Which is why I think it’d be far more interesting to see Nick succeed this time around, allowing Troy to live and grow next season. Despite his unconscionable actions, I think the audience, like Nick, can sense the humanity in Troy, his vulnerability. He’s a divisive character for sure, but a compelling one. I’d like to see him around longer and for the writers to explore his bond with Nick. It’s one of the most interesting relationships on the show at the moment. 

Knowing my luck with TWD/FTWD he’ll be dead next week, but here’s to hoping! 

[tobaitfishwith]

shout out to all authors in this tag， i love you guys n you guys are the best