You make a lot of good points. Thanks for bouncing ideas around, it's fun!
Why blackmail, when you can just ask? That is a great point, and I think whoever is revealed to be the blackmailer it will revolve around the nature of the blackmail being centred on sexual pedagogy for Ashe. Why is it so benign and sexual? Finding that combination will be the key. As for Victoria, she may have seen how messed up Ashe is, how harsh on herself, how insecure, etc., and this whole production is a way to open her doors and come to grips with her own sexuality. A bit like her dream demon self. Maybe Victoria wants to either prepare her for Delilah, or show Delilah how Ashe isn't going to be a good fit for her? I don't know, but I don't think the theory is necessarily blown up, but it does need more nuance. It could even be a shotgun of motivations, with some altruistic, some inherently selfish and sexual. The form of the blackmail, 'try out this anal plug,' 'take sexy pics of yourself,' 'try and get laid on your date,' really don't match the seriousness of blackmail. It's more like a game, some kinky foreplay that Ashe has been coerced into.
Oh yeah no worries, I enjoy bouncing ideas around.
Yeah I wouldn't dismiss it, I just don't think we've uncovered a good enough reason for Victoria to do what she's doing, hence why I also noted that there's a chance the blackmail is hinging on information that we don't have access to, perhaps a shared past event between Ashe and whomever the blackmailer is that lies as an unseen trigger for that character.
And yeah as you said, it's more like a game than conventional blackmail which makes it a bit difficult to pinpoint whom the blackmailer is and why they are blackmailing to begin with.
I did ponder the idea of Victoria potentially doing it to show that Ashe isn't a good fit for Delilah, I think out of all the reasons for Victoria to blackmail, that one makes the most kind of sense in a twisted way. Mainly because we don't really know Victoria or what she's like, so it's absolutely a possibility and gives an adequate reason for Delilah to be involved other than Victoria being a sociopath.
Delilah as a white knight is a very interesting theory. I like that. Not sure if it's how it will play out, but the pieces are there. That implies that she found out when Ashe and Zoey fucked at the sleepover, and she came up with the plan on the fly. Possible, but I get the feeling Delilah would need more time to mentally build herself up to that.
I think a character as wired and apparently into Ashe is a bit of a coinflip in terms of how they would react or do things in that they either take WAY too long to mentally build themselves up and think of plans, or they do things WAY too quickly and rashly. The current blackmail and Delilah's behaviour would fit into the latter where she might have jumped the gun and she isn't really sure where to go with things or what she's doing, and only really thinking that she wants Ashe to turn to her.
I think it's the strongest theory involving Delilah atleast since it would explain her erratic and almost unhinged behaviour a bit better than most I've seen thus far, and it would also fit in with how much she seemingly romanticizes Ashe.
Fiona seems pretty stoked for Ashe's hookups, like Lexi, and so determined to keep themselves casual, I can't quite see it. But good to look at every possibility. I'd be very surprised, as it just doesn't feel like her style. Her style was to watch porn with Ashe and eat her out. And hang out and fuck her another day. It's so 'go with the flow' compared to the manipulation and effort of the blackmail plot.
Agreed on Kate and Zoey. Neither feel like good suspects.
Yeah, I think Fiona is a fairly weak possibility, but it's also one I have a hard time letting go of completely with all the media I've seen/read that involved a best friend blackmailing someone. But yeah it is basically the weakest out of all the 'possible' ones, but given that the blackmail started
after Fiona potentially got a handjob, there's always a small possibility that it triggered something with Fiona.
Moira has the means, but I think circling back to the nature of the blackmail being almost a soft sexual bootcamp, it doesn't match her cutthroat potential. I'd expect something more definitive, rather than this cat playing with its food style of things. And pushing for her to sleep with Vanessa and the tone around it...I'd expect more snark or a patronising tone to have snuck in. It all seems too small fry for her, in my book. As you say, she has many more efficient ways of pushing Ashe out of her daughter's life, if that was the goal.
And I agree, I think all the clues pointing towards Delilah means there's more to the story than it just being Delilah (though if that had been revealed in Chapter 5, I would have been very happy). And the logical conclusion of it being someone we haven't seen yet is why Victoria jumped out at me as a candidate.
If it turns out to be Rachel, then yes, that's about as evil and conniving as a character can get. I can't see how it wouldn't destroy Ashe and blow up the family, especially with the incongruity of that kind of betrayal with the asks of the blackmail. That'd be so brutal, and I hope it's anyone else.
Oh yeah, Moira has the means but that's about it, you pretty much perfectly pointed out why it's not feasible.
If it turns out to be Victoria then hot damn that situation will be complicated going forward.. you're potentially banging her wife, and her daughter is into you to an unhealthy degree and now you're getting blackmailed by that person. That's a LOT of potential drama and potential to blow up several peoples lives.
Rachel would be the worst case scenario, fully DEFCON 1 status and would probably cause me to drop the game.
