Another Wave of You ✓

Discussion Thread

Hi, hello, welcome back!

So this is a bit of an impromptu decision, but I've been reading the comments lately — yes, I read every single one of them — and I can't help but think that there's things to discuss related to the characters' motives and actions! If you're interested, feel free to share your thoughts on each thread, I'm as intrigued as you are to point out the flaws in this story's personages.

1. Eleanor and Theo's first kiss was born out of cheating.

Even if that night was when she and Travis broke up, it still happened only moments before. We also later find out that Travis lied about cheating on her and only said it to hurt her more. Was the relationship toxic just from one side? Who's to blame? Who's the liar here?

2. Theo tolerates Travis after their encounter at the playground.

Reading this back, I'd like to think Theo and Travis would've gotten into a physical fight and that they wouldn't have been as diplomatic as they were. And knowing Theo's character, he's far less forgiving than El. He would've been less inclined to even give Travis the time day, even if he did save El's life during the rip current.

Mature on Theo's part, but was it slightly out of character?

3. Daisy normalising Travis's abusive behaviour.

There are times (but not all times) where Daisy makes excuses about Travis being a dick, saying that that's how he is sometimes but that he always comes back to El and everything'll turn out okay. She and Travis go farther than neither had with El and advocates for the high school sweethearts. What does this say about Daisy?

4. Theo and Travis were both 'influenced' by Alex.

In Theo's backstory, he said it was when he started hanging out with the wrong crowd that he became vile and cruel, verbally abusing a kid to the point of suicide. One person standing from that crowd was Alex, who appears again in town. In Travis's backstory, he said one person he's been hanging out regularly is Alex, who's part of his uni circle.

Were Theo and Travis just influenced by their toxic environment, or was some part of them inherently malicious and bitter?

Do we act based on nature or nurture? 

5. Eleanor throwing her parents' ashes to the ocean.

It's not regularly stated, but we know that her parents were cremated and that El's family kept it in an empty bedroom at their house. El decided to throw them into the ocean, claiming that was the place their parents loved the most, and her grandparents let her do it. Was it a waste to throw such a precious thing away like that? 

What would you do in her position in order to let go?

6. Anchor's crew being charity case(s).

Jeff admitted to Theo and Zach that everyone who works in Anchor's are ones who have difficult situations, whether at home, themselves or their personal lives. While this is an immensely kind feat, we must question whether this is, in fact, the right thing to do in the end. What happens when El or whoever is in charge grows tired of taking care of these people? How far is she willing to go to accept strangers who have complicated pasts? What can that do to her mental health?

Kindness is free, but sometimes comes with a price later on.

That's all I have for now, but let me know in the comments if there's anything you'd like to discuss that I missed! 

Have a grand day everyone, & always stay safe. x, J