Could it be Andrew was being worked on to eventually embrace the transformation to Elena for a longer time than we think, namely months before the story even begins?Was thinking more about Andrew forgetting all this stuff. Here is when Elena awakens:
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Sounds like she was drunk, or I suppose possibly drugged. And he brings up having the same hangover feeling before when Marina got angry with him. It seems to imply that something after the salon visit happens - Andrew is so horrified at his appearance after the salon visit he goes to a bar, gets plastered, and something bad happens?
Let's be real, an actor is just a euphemism for a bartender with a dream. Andrew doesn't sound like a great catch, yet for some reason Marina loves him. Could it be that Nikos eyed him out, saw he was not good enough for his niece, remembered the story of his gender bending friend he loved and decided he would try a similar thing with Andrew. That way he'd get rid of him as a partner for his niece and he'd find a partner for himself.
That first test run six months ago was a success, the seed was planted and he reaped what he sowed the first time Andrew comes to Greece.
Would that work?