#we can't get an explanation for why rian would fuck That old man; just why it wasn't otherwise taylor specifically

[unproduciblesmackdown]

truly further [2 sides same coin] of billions tragic failing of either quant's writing that the effective Demand that taylor & rian must have a very special dynamic is all about going "well i'm epic & you're epic" at every stage, which is nothing, while winston and taylor can never have a dynamic b/c he's so Not Epic, despite that he's more similar to taylor in any ways that actually matter or could mean anything, while also if rian was ever peers with winston / had a reciprocal dynamic there, maybe we'd Have to have had more of an actual character from that role, but instead once again [no] b/c he's so Not Epic. billions writing getting an award for [okay. tmc trifecta] as the only option heading into s6 & giving us Nothing instead

#fr the one arc left is winston being sick of it like alright i'm outta here #wherein it's time apparently for rian to draw on the apparent nonzero affection she thinks she has for all that that means anything.... #and oops it did nothing; she may as well have Again jumped in & volunteered info herself in the first place #and tbt rian could be indignant on lauren's behalf based on like 3 days of distant technical half coworkership #but Nothing re: taylor's participation in treating winston like that. nothing re: rian either. but you see....lauren was also epic #winston billions #when you're both Epic you're on the defensive about why you Don't date. except for when you're not! #like again so wendy thinks she & taylor were peers? why did They not have to explain why They didn't date? wendy being that cishet abt it? #we can't get an explanation for why rian would fuck That old man; just why it wasn't otherwise taylor specifically #this being the ''well it's how i'm So thoughtful abt things. & it's how i'm So Unthoughtful abt things'' In The Same Breath #like yeah yeah you dropped all pretense of [character: rian] for [young woman: inherently sexually available] like amazing #it was always like jesus christ but just increasingly dismal experience surveying the mess of nothingness & insults that was like. #again the Nothingness that was rian & pick your poison re: analyzing Power whether it's the ungodly thread of banging prince #or her casually being this general bully + personal abuser to her ''friend'' / coworker there & this is Completely Neutral to billions #perhaps Good! & there's just nothing else to the character. having her Not Leave also just further whittling away any sense of anything #again it's just like depressing lmao gotta get out of here #and as per usual the way that ripping off winston's character from getting to have focus; material; arcs; relationships etc just #impacts these other characters negatively too. rian's main traits having to be ''loves being a bully'' & ''presumed to have a vagina'' wow #billions doesn't even know abt the former which just makes it all the more amazing. taylor having ''nobody'' to talk to but rian for half #a season like WINSTON!! he was half their employees at that time & billions is still That resolute abt The Epics Vs The Losers #and being a Thee Epic is like [there's nothing there] like that was Really supposed to be rian's whole character & [there's nothing there] #the substance not in taylor going ''who's Epic like me'' but in who's Actually inherently intractibly offbeat & different & Knows This #embraces it works with it Has to embrace and work with it; suffers for it but thrives for it; is this secret weapon for it; can work w/You. #all the ways taylor had to water down talking abt themself to like wendy or axe or whomever tf....winston is right here #he's Understanding them & talking abt Them unprompted unguided just Getting It & Caring; doing 9000% better than these other Epic ppl.... #lord. it's just amazing they were really this committed to like well yeah the real binary that really matters. the cools & the nerds #they really were like oh we love winston sm....we Love to write 3x03 endlessly where he gets shitted on & we have so much fun seeing that #we could've at least had the Consequences of [winston deserved to throw hands] like fr. rian; taylor; wags; dollar bill; wags again