after 48+ hours of trying to encompass what it is about holmesbury that works so well without venturing too far into my personal bias toward them, i think the best thing about them is what they mean for each other’s lives. long post ahead.
enola’s biggest distinction is that she’s self-sufficient. from the very beginning, she’s known her own abilities, and she’s known that she wanted to remain independent. independence ≠ loneliness, however, and that was a lesson she still needed to learn. her story with tewkesbury was never about her sacrificing her independence to be with him, it was never about enola herself changing. it was about her accepting that love didn’t hinder her independence or her strength. at the end of the first movie, enola refuses his offer to stay with him because she’s essentially refusing to sidetrack her own desires. she also refuses him because, at the time, she wasn’t ready to accept that both of these things could coexist. this is so representative of how to be truly independent and what makes enola so different from characters like sherlock by the end of the second film. she’s learned that she can be with someone and still be her, no change necessary, and immediately puts it into practice because that’s who she is.
it’s not only important that she didn’t have to change to be with tewkesbury, but also that he grew as a person from being with her.
most people might look at the circumstances these two met under and insist that enola parallels disruption in tewkesbury’s life, but it couldn’t be more obvious that she represents a necessary change. when he’s first introduced, tewkesbury is a boy trying to outrun the politics of his family. becoming intertwined with enola means accepting the unconventional, the things he never saw growing up the way that he did. enola is strong, she’s a fighter, and he’s never just looked at her as a girl that he loves. he’s looked at her wit and her courage, and albeit chaotic in the moment, it’s what tewkesbury needed. he needed to meet someone who didn’t need to be saved, and tewkesbury didn’t have to change because of that, he just needed to be willing to accept it.
they propel each other, as well as counter each other, and their relationship not only teaches them something new, but makes them stronger because of it. the fact is that they’re one of the of the most accurate teen romances due to how they showed each other something new. seeing enola act so ooc, getting jealous of seeing tewkesbury with another girl, conveniently ending up on the same path as him, all of it makes sense for someone who’s trying to deny that she’s fallen in love. it doesn’t dim that she’s a capable young woman, it simply makes her more human. tewkesbury basically admitting that he loved enola on three separate occasions because he’s never known someone like her makes sense for a boy who’s been exposed to something new, and found himself needing more of it.
this goes as far back to the first film. the scene where tewkesbury is shot and enola is overcome with emotion. her tears, her vulnerability are what make them so real. he brings out the side of her that has no qualms about crying, or about being open. in that moment, the two of them truly became tethered to one another. it also reinforces that tewkesbury has never downgraded enola and her capability. he’s never treated her like this thing that needs to be protected, even if he does view her as delicate, and is still so reluctant to hit her while they’re in the carriage before the two of them have their first proper kiss. they parallel back to this scene in the second film when tewkesbury once again checks to see if enola is okay. him knowing that she’s capable has never stopped him from worrying, or chasing her down whenever she’s been gone for too long.
he doesn’t do it because he’s her keeper. he does it out of love. he wouldn’t do anything that would consciously hurt enola, even knowing how strong she is, because of that love. enola will never be like any other woman, she’ll never stop persisting once she’s set her mind to something, and tewkesbury will never be able to truly hold her back. he has no desire to. he sees enola for who she is and he loves her all the same.
their separate worlds are essentially what make them work so well. their inclusion in each other’s lives, whether accidental or purposeful, exposed them to things they both needed, and added to their strength as characters. enola has a man that she loves, that loves her, and she didn’t have to stop being herself for that to happen. tewkesbury has now become more responsible and faithful to his duties, but he’s still a lover of flowers, and a lover of enola, and all of those things get to coincide.
their relationship is all about growth and healthy change. it isn’t as simple as a “she hates every boy but one” trope, nor is it simply sacrificing enola’s strength, or her reducing her as an individual just so she can conform to her male love interest. they’re both their own characters, with more differences than similarities, but the love that they share is genuine and that doesn’t make them less of anything. that makes them better.
