I will always be sad about how little people talk about Miguel O’Hara’s childhood.
Seriously, you can count on one hand the number of posts that address how awful his childhood was, and it’s even rarer to find one that also acknowledges Conchata as part of the abuse (because yes, she was. In fact, when Miguel is an adult, she’s the one who actively abuses him psychologically with the horrible things she says to him).
Yes, George was terrible, and sure, when Miguel was a child Conchata showed at least a minimal level of concern for him, but that doesn’t make her a good mother (because she isn’t).
Conchata is not a good mother to him. She may love him, but the fact that she blames Miguel for the actions of George, Tyler, and even her own actions —when they are the ones responsible for everything— is awful.
Miguel didn’t ask for George to send him away to study with Alchemax’s support.
Miguel didn’t ask for Tyler to take an interest in him.
Miguel didn’t ask for Conchata to have an affair with Tyler (and that’s why Tyler took an interest in him).
All three of them are horrible because, directly or indirectly, they contributed to hurting a child.
Conchata is an interesting character, but let’s not pretend otherwise. She actively resented her own son for decisions he never had any control over. In fact, she blames him for being, in her eyes, a terrible human being for working at Alchemax, when she herself is partly responsible for him ending up there.
Does Conchata love Miguel? I think she does.
Does she hate him? I think she resents him.
Is their mother-son relationship complicated and full of parallels between them? Absolutely, part of my brain lives just for their disastrously complex family dynamic.
But is Conchata a good mother to Miguel? She never will be. She’s far too consumed by her own pain, misery, and regret to realize that she hurt her own son, that she wounded the innocent child who only wanted his mother to love and protect him.
P.S.: I always think about that panel where Conchata yells at George that Miguel is more afraid of him than of her. My boy was afraid of both of them.
