Anonymous wrote:Big was a father figure to Carrie, who was abandoned by her own father, whereas Aidan was more of an equal partner. She wasn’t ready for that at the time. Seems like she is now. But her choices are coming back to bite her, because he made a life with someone else, and he’s committed to those kids above all else.

Maybe they’ll be able to rekindle things when the kids are older. But for now, she’ll have to accept that her inability to commit back then facilitated this new difficult ending.

You can’t have your cake and eat it, too.

I've never understood this saying. What is the point of having a cake if you can't eat it, and what cake are you supposed to be eating if not the one you have?

I've also never understood the deep hatred for Carrie and wish to see her punished. Like everyone who's ever not married the very first person they ever dated, you've sometimes been the one to hurt someone and sometimes been the one to be hurt, and the risk of trying to join a life with another person is that they may break your heart. Aiden and Carrie had a messy relationship but it certainly wasn't one in which she was an evil mastermind and he was some hapless naif. They tried - I feel like both of them tried. Messily, imperfectly, in good faith, they tried. And it just wasn't the right relationship at the right time.

Anonymous wrote:Did anyone find Aiden's reaction over the top (the hysterical sobbing and saying "I should have been there.")? I'm divorced and have a 14 year old with disabilities that affect his behavior (mental health issues). I'm upset when things go wrong for him, and wish there were something I could do, but at the end of the day, I don't feel a lot of guilt - he's had a lot of love and support from both my ex and I, a lot of mental health treatment, and at the end of the day, he's going to have to work some of this out (or not).

It just didn't ring true to me, but I admit I may be biased by my own situation.

No way. I think it's a very understandable reaction. His son was basically chasing a death wish (driving drunk and recklessly) and could have very easily died, and Aiden knows that if he had been around, it wouldn't have happened. I think most parents are devastated by that (I say this as the sibling of someone with severe mental illness who acts recklessly (reckless is violence towards the self, and is related to suicidality). ).

Did anyone find Aiden's reaction over the top (the hysterical sobbing and saying "I should have been there.")? I'm divorced and have a 14 year old with disabilities that affect his behavior (mental health issues). I'm upset when things go wrong for him, and wish there were something I could do, but at the end of the day, I don't feel a lot of guilt - he's had a lot of love and support from both my ex and I, a lot of mental health treatment, and at the end of the day, he's going to have to work some of this out (or not).

It just didn't ring true to me, but I admit I may be biased by my own situation.


Has your 14 year old gotten drunk, stolen a car, run into a tree and ended up in the hospital with broken legs because he was upset you weren't there?

Not that exact behavior, but equivalent (or perhaps worse, but to law enforcement involvement and a push for involuntary commitment). As for his reasons for the behavior, sadly, I genuinely do not know - I strongly suspect it does not involve wishing I were there, which is its own separate issue.

Anyway, the difference may be that in my case it has been clear for a long time that something is very wrong. Perhaps for Aiden, because this is newer, the reaction does make sense. Thanks for the feedback.

Anonymous wrote:Did anyone find Aiden's reaction over the top (the hysterical sobbing and saying "I should have been there.")? I'm divorced and have a 14 year old with disabilities that affect his behavior (mental health issues). I'm upset when things go wrong for him, and wish there were something I could do, but at the end of the day, I don't feel a lot of guilt - he's had a lot of love and support from both my ex and I, a lot of mental health treatment, and at the end of the day, he's going to have to work some of this out (or not).

It just didn't ring true to me, but I admit I may be biased by my own situation.

It’s hard for most people when they can’t be with their kids all the time, especially kids who really need both parents. I think that Aiden’s feelings of guilt and responsibility are completely normal. Divorce is hard, and clearly being away from his kids is hard on him.

Anonymous wrote:Did anyone find Aiden's reaction over the top (the hysterical sobbing and saying "I should have been there.")? I'm divorced and have a 14 year old with disabilities that affect his behavior (mental health issues). I'm upset when things go wrong for him, and wish there were something I could do, but at the end of the day, I don't feel a lot of guilt - he's had a lot of love and support from both my ex and I, a lot of mental health treatment, and at the end of the day, he's going to have to work some of this out (or not).

It just didn't ring true to me, but I admit I may be biased by my own situation.

Has your 14 year old gotten drunk, stolen a car, run into a tree and ended up in the hospital with broken legs because he was upset you weren't there? I find Aiden super annoying in many ways - the hair, the coats, his attraction to Carrie, but I completely get his reaction to this.

I thought Carrie's reaction was typically selfish and unsympathetic - "bones heal"? - not particularly reassuring.

Did anyone find Aiden's reaction over the top (the hysterical sobbing and saying "I should have been there.")? I'm divorced and have a 14 year old with disabilities that affect his behavior (mental health issues). I'm upset when things go wrong for him, and wish there were something I could do, but at the end of the day, I don't feel a lot of guilt - he's had a lot of love and support from both my ex and I, a lot of mental health treatment, and at the end of the day, he's going to have to work some of this out (or not).

It just didn't ring true to me, but I admit I may be biased by my own situation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel that Harry and Charlotte are being teed up to separate for sure. He cannot handle her new independence.

Yeah, no. They will go the distance. The current storyline is about gender roles in marriage, and what’s “fair.” They are readjusting, not imploding.

Agree. I love it whenever she speaks sternly to him about stepping up!

I mean, they had a fight! Do people not argue with their spouse? They are not breaking up.

believe me, they are being teed up to have a threat in the marriage.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel that Harry and Charlotte are being teed up to separate for sure. He cannot handle her new independence.

Yeah, no. They will go the distance. The current storyline is about gender roles in marriage, and what’s “fair.” They are readjusting, not imploding.

Agree. I love it whenever she speaks sternly to him about stepping up!

I mean, they had a fight! Do people not argue with their spouse? They are not breaking up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel that Harry and Charlotte are being teed up to separate for sure. He cannot handle her new independence.

Yeah, no. They will go the distance. The current storyline is about gender roles in marriage, and what’s “fair.” They are readjusting, not imploding.

Agree. I love it whenever she speaks sternly to him about stepping up!

The season started off miserably but has been improving with each episode. Thankfully! I cried when Carrie said she was worried.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel that Harry and Charlotte are being teed up to separate for sure. He cannot handle her new independence.

Yeah, no. They will go the distance. The current storyline is about gender roles in marriage, and what’s “fair.” They are readjusting, not imploding.

They will wrap it up with a little bow, or at least a Band-Aid, for now. There’s not enough season left for anything else.

Big was a father figure to Carrie, who was abandoned by her own father, whereas Aidan was more of an equal partner. She wasn’t ready for that at the time. Seems like she is now. But her choices are coming back to bite her, because he made a life with someone else, and he’s committed to those kids above all else.

Maybe they’ll be able to rekindle things when the kids are older. But for now, she’ll have to accept that her inability to commit back then facilitated this new difficult ending.

You can’t have your cake and eat it, too.

Anonymous wrote:I feel that Harry and Charlotte are being teed up to separate for sure. He cannot handle her new independence.

Yeah, no. They will go the distance. The current storyline is about gender roles in marriage, and what’s “fair.” They are readjusting, not imploding.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope Aiden breaks Carrie's heart after the way she manipulated him twice.

She manipulated him once, and he came back for more. She did not cheat on him the second time around. He, understandably, couldn’t get past the hurt and the broken trust.

And now he’s back for a third time. She didn’t hog-tie him and throw him in the back of her trunk. He came back to her. Twice.

Is cheating the threshold for a bad partner? Carrie was incredibly selfish with Aiden. She knew what he wanted in life. She cheated on him, they broke up, and then she pursued him again. She wouldn’t give up her friendship with big. She had panic attacks moving in together and getting engaged. It was the same thing the second time around- she did want a life with Aiden even though she knew there was nothing wrong with him.

Yes, and? She was twirling around waving red flags. And yes, she pursued him. And he said no…and then showed up on her doorstep again. He signed up for round two, and round three. Not to mention Abu Dahbi dinner and the kiss. There are no victims here, only volunteers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope Aiden breaks Carrie's heart after the way she manipulated him twice.

She manipulated him once, and he came back for more. She did not cheat on him the second time around. He, understandably, couldn’t get past the hurt and the broken trust.

And now he’s back for a third time. She didn’t hog-tie him and throw him in the back of her trunk. He came back to her. Twice.

Is cheating the threshold for a bad partner? Carrie was incredibly selfish with Aiden. She knew what he wanted in life. She cheated on him, they broke up, and then she pursued him again. She wouldn’t give up her friendship with big. She had panic attacks moving in together and getting engaged. It was the same thing the second time around- she did want a life with Aiden even though she knew there was nothing wrong with him.

She didn’t* want a life with Aiden.