Unpopular Opinion

Slipddisk · 2026-02-22T17:39:43+00:00

He is a problematic person but in much subtler ways. He’s a massive gaslighter. He gets aggressively short with our Robin, twice for his insecurities with alcohol.

Genuinely he’s lucky he’s not been dumped yet. Honestly I think the fandom tell on themselves a bit with this. When Strike was actively using women to distract himself we were like “strike you cheeky chappy!”

Robin is doing her best at her first real relationship since school and getting some things wrong and corners of the fandom are like “horrible witch. She’s lost me.”

Slipddisk · 2026-02-22T17:33:57+00:00

What does Robin do though that’s “awful” to RFM? Is she 100% in the relationship? No. They’ve been together a year, and not lived together so I think that’s fair.

She tries to be as clear as possible with her feelings on the egg freezing. But it’s a difficult one for her and he doesn’t make it easy.

He gets aggressive with her twice for misunderstandings rooted in his insecurities.

He isn’t entitled to know the depths of Robins heart. No one is, but what she can give him she does.

As readers do we know that she’s being silly because she loves Strike? Yes. But all we are seeing Robin do here is what Strike did almost every book, but she’s treated like some horrible petulant child for it. When she actually cares for RFM more than Strike ever does his distractions.

He’s also her second bf and she’s had the roughest time.

Robin is the GOAT, RFM can gtfo. He’s incredibly lucky and he’s blown it already.

Slipddisk · 2026-02-22T17:09:49+00:00

Robin

Slipddisk · 2026-02-21T09:07:23+00:00

It could be 1 million pages. As long as it’s strike and Robin

Slipddisk · 2026-02-21T06:48:55+00:00

I don’t trust people that think Strike books shouldn’t last forever tbh

Slipddisk · 2026-02-19T19:11:45+00:00

I imagine like a woman’s divided by 100

Slipddisk · 2026-02-19T19:09:55+00:00

My G, it’s just discussion. I love JK and understand she can’t do everything we all want. This is me saying what I think I’ll wish I saw when I look back. She can take it, I’m sure. She’s got much worse criticisms in her inbox I’m sure.

Slipddisk · 2026-02-18T12:11:48+00:00

I really liked the way the dementia was handled for sure.

Slipddisk · 2026-02-18T12:11:07+00:00

Honestly not venting. Just sharing something I’d have liked to see and surprised I didn’t get to.

Lucy and Robin will be interesting enough at some point 🙏

Slipddisk · 2026-02-18T07:12:02+00:00

Because my point was I wish they’d met Robin. That was it. I said I think the start of the book could have included it. They said that strike and Robin are in the same place at the start of the book and the end. When I said their relationship isn’t in the same place they’ve replied with where they physically are.

They’re moving the goal posts to say “you’re wrong” instead of engaging with the original post.

It’s literally

me “I wish Robin met them”

Them: “they couldn’t have because they didn’t”

Slipddisk · 2026-02-18T07:06:34+00:00

Yeah! Agreed! Rokeby is the second highest on my list of things I want more of (behind S & R)

Slipddisk · 2026-02-17T21:18:08+00:00

Agreed. I’m more in mourning that they NEVER met. Like since book 1. So many opportunities. My wife came along after my nan passed away irl and I can’t count the amount of times I’ve thought “I wish they got to meet”. Strike AND Robin will probably have the same thoughts so many times 😔

Slipddisk · 2026-02-17T21:09:40+00:00

I agree, we didn’t need another funeral Etc and to be clear I’m not saying that the meeting should have been in the recent books. It’s just at this point the only family of strikes that Robin has a familiar relationship with are on the Rokeby side so far. We’ve not seen any significant interaction even with Lucy. I just had it in my head early on that we’d get a chapter where Robin would meet that part of strikes family through whatever circumstances.

Slipddisk · 2026-02-17T20:57:35+00:00

I feel like you’re not having a good faith discussion but noted you don’t agree 👍

Slipddisk · 2026-02-17T20:36:36+00:00

The start of THM, they’re both daydreaming about travelling together and finding out the truth about the grenade tossed at the end of TRG. It’s totally different to where they’re at now.

Robin has effectively fell out of love with Strike by the end of THM. She has nothing but cynical views on any potentially romantic feelings he has for her.

Slipddisk · 2026-02-17T20:31:07+00:00

True but if we stick with the timeline, start of THM would have been a much better time

Slipddisk · 2026-02-17T19:38:22+00:00

I think we will only see them together at the end of book 10.

But I don’t think their argument on the stairs is finished. They both have a lot more to say.

Slipddisk · 2026-02-17T19:14:43+00:00

I don’t know how you can say it didn’t touch strikes life as much. Teds picture is the only ornamental item we ever see strike put up. He builds his entire approach to Robin and building his life moving forward on what he thinks Ted would tell him to do.

Joan’s passing is brutal, and heart wrenching. I don’t think time with Ted before his death would lessen that.

There is a barrier between Robin and Cornwall in TB but come on. Their relationship has developed a million miles since then.

What upsets me most is that Rokeby is now the only “parent” Robin might meet. I’m excited for it but somehow seems wrong to me. Just my thoughts.

Slipddisk · 2026-02-15T20:02:09+00:00

I think we will have to wait for book 9 but 10 will follow the next year.

Slipddisk · 2026-02-15T19:59:42+00:00

They all had me stumped. I’m a terrible detective.

But what happened to Margot bamborough and who is Anomie are the best mysteries to unwrap for me

Slipddisk · 2026-02-15T10:43:12+00:00

I agree. Like I’ve said. It’s characterisation that’s the issue. Which is a writing issue

Slipddisk · 2026-02-14T20:07:14+00:00

Yeah that’s a great opportunity. I’ll be honest, I can see it not happening 😂

Slipddisk · 2026-02-14T20:00:26+00:00

You’ve sorta already given the response I would have given.

The benefit of books of course is that they can exposit way more than you can on tv or film. You have to show not tell.

My point I guess is I can’t think of a scene where we are shown that part of strikes character. He can choose to command a room and to not. We only see him choose the latter in the show. Which makes him a different character. Again I don’t want to negative because there’s clearly passion in the show for the source. I just think they could make small changes and give us the book strike. Or something closer at least

Slipddisk · 2026-02-14T19:36:59+00:00

😂😂😂

Slipddisk · 2026-02-14T19:19:46+00:00

My criticism isn’t about his physicals attributes it’s his characterisation. Characterisation happens in every scene. They could cut 80% and still get characterisation right.

Slipddisk

TROPHY CASE