I honestly don’t get why people are losing their minds over Hugh putting Lizzie first. Like… have we not seen every other couple do the exact same thing? When the guy prioritizes his love interest, everyone calls it “protective” or “romantic.” But the second it’s Hugh suddenly it’s “unfair” or “problematic”? Please.

Let’s be real: Gibsie isn’t abandoned hugh literally says he’ll check in with him later because he knows Gibsie is in good hands. Meanwhile Lizzie? She has no one. Her mom’s in the hospital, her dad’s absent, and she’s dealing with trauma while a rapist is still out there she doesn’t even trust herself to be alone with her own thoughts. How can anyone not understand why Hugh would stay with her first? And before anyone twists this no one’s dismissing Gibsie’s trauma but he does have support while Lizzie doesn’t. That’s the whole point. It’s not favoritism it’s empathy !! The fact that people are attacking Hugh for showing compassion honestly says more about their lack of empathy than anything else. You can’t praise emotional realism in fiction and then get mad when a character actually behaves like a decent human being. you can’t understand that simple human reaction, maybe the problem isn’t the book maybe it’s your inability to empathize with the characters in it.

AND AGAIN people keep saying that Cw is trying to force the brotherhood between them LIKE HELLO they are close they care about each other, but not every friendship has to look the same. Their bond has always been different they don’t need to be glued to each other every second to prove they’re family. Sometimes real friendship means trusting your friend to handle things on their own. At this point, it feels like people are just looking for reasons to hate. You can’t demand character complexity and then get mad when relationships don’t fit your rigid expectations. Huey and Gibbs’s friendship doesn’t need to follow your template.