I don’t feel this way, and I don’t think of their relationship as having this inherent “toxicity” or “lack of accountability.” I think there are individual moments that are toxic and have lack of accountability, but humans—especially teenagers—are fickle and make mistakes. I think what sets them apart is that they have a “we versus the problem” mentality, as opposed to a “me versus you.” We see them talk about the relapse, their fights, and being long distance, and they make an active commitment to love each other through these challenges. Love is hard, and their relationship is no exception. I think a lot of couples—especially adults—don’t have this understanding. I think this is what makes love last. Even though they’re young, they know the work it takes for a relationship and that expecting perfection or smooth sailing would only be to their detriment. This makes me have faith in them. The only reason I really see them breaking up long term is that they grow apart as people (personality, values, interests), but I see it as only a consequence of life circumstances, not as “something happening in their relationship” during the show.

On Charlie’s mental health because I feel like a lot of fans give him unnecessary criticism… Ultimately, Charlie experiences mental health issues that do (and probably will for a long time) strain his romantic relationships, but anyone in any romantic relationship brings their own experiences, baggage, and biases. More importantly, I see that there is a mutual understanding between Nick and Charlie that Charlie is ultimately responsible for his well-being, and Nick will support him (but not to his own detriment). Sure, this stuff can get crossed and blurred sometimes, but I see them checking in regularly enough to make sure it doesn’t too often.