Hi Respect!
I really loved @placetneplacet's post calling out how Zo's fears around Joke went directly back to his interactions with Puen, and you highlighting the specifics of how it's impacted Zo throughout the series. You both tapped so adeptly into something I've been rather incoherently rambling about, regarding how fear is a reoccurring motif in the show. And I was curious about your thoughts (and anyone else's) on how Joke's fear is being portrayed so far. We're seeing him push through a lot of more...I don't want to say superficial, because they're still quite valid...but more traditional human phobias (height, rollercoasters, etc) due to his desire to be near Zo. But there was that one scene where he absolutely panicked at Zo not answering the door & phone, to a rather excessive degree (I think most of us would assume our friend was asleep or stepped out without their phone before we decided they were probably dying and needed our help). So it seems that he's able to overcome fears in order to get closer to love, but that same love is also his biggest Achilles' heel around fear.
It feels to me that Joke has a rather substantial fear around loss based on something that happened in the past. And I'm wondering if there's going to be something revealed that will cause Zo's fear to retrigger, and maybe pull back, and then that will create issues around Joke's fear around losing Zo...
Anyway, would love to hear your thoughts!
(Adore your color analysis, btw)
@befuddledcinnamonroll, this is me after reading this -
@heretherebedork has mentioned a similar idea that Joke has his own issues with abandonment and loss due to the way he reacts to Zo's distance.
I'm of the mind that Joke is simply a lovesick guy who subjects his cousin to Sad Boy Karaoke when Zo avoids him.
But you and @heretherebedork have pointed out several instances of Joke panicking when it concerns Zo like the apartment moment.
And @chicademartinica mentioned that episode three was just forty-five minutes of watching Joke panic to the point that he showed up in the middle of the night outside of Zo's apartment
All because Zo was "acting weird earlier."
When it was because he touched Zo, and Zo ran for the hills.
TWICE!
But now that I think about it . . . maybe I've been too dismissive of Joke's behavior.
I took Joke for being the usual pushy seme in a BL, but when it comes to Zo, he is really pushy.
I have defended Joke's behavior because, to me, it's needed to break through Zo's resistance, but . . .
Each time Joke has been called out for his behavior, he offers a variation of this response:
And next week, when confronted with his hidden agenda (if it isn't him conspiring with Pat to get Zo, I'm going to be shocked - LOOK AT THE REFLECTION!)
He offers the same reasoning - due to his actions being based on his care for and of Zo, he wasn't in the wrong.
Which leads to Zo getting upset.
During their pseudo-date, Zo told him the story of roses.
In response, Joke mentioned he would never let his lover go.
Joke stated he "would never let someone [he] loves face danger alone."
We have four episodes left and have no idea where Joke's parents are. Why did he take Zo to meet his grandmother, and not his parents? But we've seen Joke cover for Nita to protect her from a stalker to the point that he didn't defend himself against rumors. And we saw how he reacted to James and Puen hurting his loved ones.
Joke's reactions are reasonable to me, but both Nita and Zo had to drag him off James, and Joke wanted to fight Puen so the second Puen grabbed Zo's arm, Zo had to tell Joke to back off.
I want there to be a reason beyond love that makes Joke so protective, but like you mentioned, what if love really is his Achilles' heel? What if Joke gets so blinded by love that he can't see reason? What if he wants to protect Zo so badly because one time he didn't?
And what if it all stems from the freshy contest?
Because even then, Joke had his reasons.
Perhaps the one time Joke didn't cross the line and didn't push back, was the one time he didn't protect Zo.
And he can't allow that to happen again.
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