#though obvs everything else about Max/Grace is not to be aspired to

[man-down-in-hatchet-town]

"You're Funny"

Steph saying to Pete "I didn't know you were funny" vs. Max telling Grace "you're funny." The parallels and the contrasts in the context and deliveries are so good.

Both scenes happen at the start, feature the characters' first out-of-song interactions in the show, and have the cool, popular kid complimenting their nerdy, unpopular love interest on their sense of humor.

And yet. When Steph calls Pete funny she really means it, she's truly responding to what he said and her interest in him as a person is genuinely piqued. Max, on the other hand, laughs like he didn't find Grace's line actually funny, but rather was primed to laugh at and repeat anything that came out of her mouth. He doesn't really listen to Grace or understand anything she's saying, he's just got the hots for her and is pursuing her...erm..."peach."

And this perfectly sets up the difference in their relationships throughout the show. Steph and Pete develop a soul-deep connection that thrives on multiple levels. Each truly sees and cares about the other, and they never actually objectify each other despite their obvious physical attraction. Meanwhile Grace and Max, though two very fun sides of the same very fun coin, never actually connect on any level but the physical. They each simply see the other as something hot to be used/attained/conquered whilst in the pursuit of larger, more ultimate plans of humiliating/murdering/sending the other straight to hell.

And one little bit of parallel dialogue sets all that up and communicates exactly what we need to know. Fuckin' neat.