- Jun 18, 2022
- 318
- 2,215
I feel like there's a bit of a recency bias going on with how people are looking at Emma and Deb in particular. Emma is flying really high after a couple of strong updates for her in a row. Deb is getting more criticism as her relationship with Carl has been gradually (and then suddenly) falling apart. Hardly anyone comes out looking great during a breakup -- that's all the more true when there are two good people (neither are villains in my view) involved who still love each other but are fundamentally incompatible.Emma: Familiarity, common interests, feelings (not vocalized), Keeps the MC on his toes (has the most appeal 'feelings-wise')
Deb: Does not share a lot about herself (fair enough). Not sure what she wants. Was in a relationship for over 2 years, and had a guy who (against his nature) accommodated her kinks (just not all the time). The way she verbally destroys Carl when he does not do exactly what she wants......Then booty calls her 'friend' soon after her long relationship ends..... IMO, all of this just screams 'You will only get affection IF you please me...It's all about ME ME ME!' No thanks!
My favorite Deb moments definitely happen earlier in the game. I feel like she recognized the MC's mental struggles earlier and more keenly than most of the other characters including people who theoretically knew him better. I loved how she gently pushed him away from wallowing in despair and towards healthier activities like working out and opening up to people (even if they happened to be patients). Despite her usual directness and tough exterior, I think she comes across as really caring and warm in their beach conversation to give one example.
I'm with you in that I definitely didn't like how Deb treats Carl during certain moments, particularly the bull scene. I see them as two people who genuinely love each other but never quite manage to understand one another and often ending up hurting each other despite their best efforts. Remember, it's not just Carl who makes a sacrifice for the relationship by trying to be more submissive. Deb prefers monogamy, but she still tries to indulge Carl's cuck fetish to please him. True, her resentment boils over in the bull scene with the MC...but I think that's understandable given the circumstances. I imagine there were probably times Carl showed he wasn't entirely happy when Deb was trying to get him to act more submissively as well. I respect them both for trying so damn hard.
Of course, you're not wrong to view Deb's treatment of Carl as a red flag. That's reasonable. I just don't think it's a given that a MC-Deb relationship would necessarily follow the same path if they start out more or less on the same page and can learn to clearly communicate their needs and desires.