#they had normal sex on cinco and gob can’t get over him

[gregmarriage]

that whole thing where it’s like “a man ruins every romantic relationship he has with a woman because his real soulmate is a man” or whatever, but apply it to gob bluth

[anonymous-tals]

In season four, Gob was at his lowest. Just at the end of his rope. Truly hopeless. He goes to Tony’s magic show, intending to take revenge, take his anger towards himself out on someone else to try and make himself feel better about his own life(which never works) but, when he goes to see Tony’s show and watch his revenge unfold, he’s found himself genuinely touched by the show. He sees himself in it. A gay man who was forced into the closet by society, the world, his parents, the father in particular. A son who was constantly compared to his brother and hated by his father. That’s him up on that stage. Or, rather, he wishes it could be him. He wishes he could be like Tony, out and proud; here, queer, and now over here.

The last time he saw Tony, he was in the same place he was; the same place Gob currently is. The self centered, straight, womanizing magician stuck in a persona in a magic scene rife with forget-me-nows. And, Gob sees this man who he’s been enthralled with for years and years and years and sees how he’s moved past that. He became a better person. He moved past his old life and seemed to be doing okay; great even. And, then that same man asks him to get a drink and he’s absolutely mesmerized. While it’s all under the guise of revenge, deep inside, he knows he doesn’t want to harm Tony. He wants to be better, for his sake and Tony’s.

But, the funny thing is is that Tony hadn’t actually changed. Sure, his persona was different but he was still the same guy he used to be. Still just like Gob, selfish, taking out his self hatred on others, a womanizer, etc. It was all an act manufactured by the gay mafia. But, he sees Gob among the crowd and, after inviting him to get a drink and talking, he realizes how much Gob has changed. I mean, not long ago, he witnessed the man evade his own wedding to a woman and now he’s here on gay night? He really discovered who he truly was…And, plus, he’s being super sweet and nice, not at all like the man he had had that brief interaction with all those years ago; the man like him.

And, as the night goes on, Tony can’t help but see himself in Gob. The once self centered, straight, womanizing magician stuck in a persona in magic scene rife with forget-me-nows. And, now Gob was seemingly trying to break through the persona, one that was certainly going to be hard to escape…While Tony’s persona actually involved being gay, he still had yet to truly admit to himself that the fact that he also liked men was not just a part of that persona. It was real. And, he sees Gob, who was previously so tangled in the thralls of internalized homophobia and comp het and he was now spending his night with him on a date. What progress he had made! Maybe he could be just like Gob, out and proud. Actually here, queer and now over here.

And, both of them caught up in wanting to be better for the other, a man they had fallen for so completely, are kinder to the other person than they’d ever been to anyone else in their entire lives. Because, they can’t bear to lose each other. And, they can’t let the other know that maybe they aren’t as content and at peace with themselves as they say they are. So, they both don’t even do anything regarding their initial plans of sabotage, trickery and scheming because that’s not what you do to someone you care about. And, soon enough, they’re planning to have ga-I mean, normal sex on Cinco. And, they’re both happy. Genuinely happy. They’ve found someone who understands them. Who they understand. And, they may feel awful and shameful and terrible inside at the thought of someone finding out they’re really gay, at the thought of it being confirmed to themselves that they’re gay, but maybe it’ll all be okay if they get to do it with the other by their side.

Which is why finding out the other was “lying” was so heartbreaking. So devastating. They’d allowed themselves to really open up to this person and had become hopeful that maybe this was the start of their lives finally, truly looking up only for the man they loved to turn out to be straight? Not that they themselves weren’t straight or liked him in that way because they’re definitely straight. They’re not gay. They never were, they aren’t and they never will be. And, they can’t believe they let themselves fall into the other’s trap.

Of course, as we know, they sleep together and realize that they really are gay. There’s no denying that they like men. They’ve been on this journey together and well, now, it’s coming to an end. Their shame too great to bear, they both plan to take a forget-me-now. But, this is where their paths diverge. Tony takes the pill and Gob doesn’t, Gob having given his pill to his brother instead, Michael having caught Tony coming out of the bedroom Gob emerged from earlier and putting two and two together. Gob remembers the night that confirmed to them both that their feelings were real. That they loved each other. That they were gay. But, Tony doesn’t. Tony was sent right back to his state of denial.

They’re no longer purely same. They’re at different stages of realization. Off by a hair. But, that doesn’t change things for Gob. It’s discouraging, sure, but he doesn’t give up on what seems like a hopeless situation. The man he loves ghosts him, is running away, and clearly afraid of acknowledging his feelings, afraid that, if he gets too close, he might get scared “again” and leave Gob more lost than ever. But, Gob doesn’t give up. He’s in the position to take action here and, instead of avoiding confrontation and difficult situations, he does what he can to try and get Tony to open up, feel comfortable. He’s kind. He’s patient. He lets Tony catch up with him at his own pace. They’re different in the same way. Same in a different way. But, even when they aren’t, they’re willing to reach out to the other to bring them right back up alongside them. It isn’t about getting something from the other. It isn’t about sending one back or sending themself ahead. It’s about getting somewhere together. And, if the other is in need, they stick through it together and help them trudge through the difficult terrain. They’re there waiting for them at the finish line, cheering them on as the other tentatively approaches a place in life they never thought they would or even could.