```meta-bind-embed [[note.embed]] ``` ## Original I am rewatching The Girlfriend again and still very much on Cherry's side going into episode 2. Putting pig intestines in her ex's wedding cake is out of pocket, but he and his now-wife are obviously obsessed with her. The response was beyond petty, but I truly have no problem with it. If anything, it's kinda badass. Her taking the money Daniel sent her for business class and using it for clothes and flying economy is also straight up fine to me. He gave her the money without her asking. She is well within her right to get the cheaper ticket and use the rest on clothes to impress him and his family. If anything, that's a green flag. If anything, the only issue is her not being honest with him, but it makes sense. She is struggling and not trying to take advantage of him or his money, but hiding her struggles isn't healthy either. But again, I get it completely. Also, I didn't catch the rock climbing foreshadowing on the first watch early in E2, but Daniel brings it up on the way from the airport with Cherry, and she appears visibly uncomfortable. Even if she is kinda crazy, I am almost willing to say the mom caused it to come out. Knowing what happens, the mom still seems in the wrong. But maybe that is the point. To show us justification for her behavior, even though she may still be in the wrong. And we still don't really know who the trustworthy narrator is, if either of them. Also, Daniel and Brigette talking about how they used to fuck is straight-up hoeing Cherry. And saying "Sorry, sloppy seconds" is the most insane shit I have ever heard. Oh and the jewelry thing, also completely explainable but only to an outside party. Daniel leading her into most of these situations is also super apparent. The tennis scene really illustrates this. I feel like rule #1 is don't embarrass your partner and he is embarrassing the shit out of her. Then we get to the boat scene... Daniel ignoring her while she nearly drowns is absurd. Not making sure your partner can swim before heading into the ocean is reckless. Also...where are their life jackets??? 🚩🚩🚩 Basic water safety could’ve prevented this, but the fact that Daniel didn’t notice she was seasick and unable to swim before she got knocked off her board is just inexcusable. Also the whole "she's like my sister" isn't fooling anyone. Like bruh...ick. Robin Wright is so good in this, as usual. ## Polished Rewatching The Girlfriend (Episodes 1–2): Still Team Cherry I’m rewatching The Girlfriend again, and I’m still completely on Cherry’s side going into episode 2. Knowing everything that happens actually makes her choices make even more sense — or at least more justified. Putting pig intestines in her ex’s wedding cake is insane, sure, but I can’t even pretend to care. Her ex and his new wife are clearly still obsessed with her. The move is beyond petty, but that’s kind of the point. It’s unhinged in the best possible way — a final, disgusting mic drop. The show frames it like a red flag, but honestly, it reads as self-defense with flair. Then there’s the business class money thing. Daniel gives Cherry the cash for an upgrade, and she buys an economy ticket instead and uses the rest for clothes. Completely fair. He gave her the money unsolicited. If anything, that’s efficient budgeting. She wants to look the part when meeting his family — and she’s right, presentation matters with people like them. The only issue is that she hides it, but even that tracks. She’s struggling and doesn’t want to look like she’s using him. It’s not healthy, but it’s human. The second watch made me catch things I totally missed before — like the rock climbing conversation on the drive from the airport. Daniel brings it up casually, and Cherry goes visibly still for half a second. It’s the kind of tiny moment you only notice when you know what’s coming. That’s the show’s brilliance — it hides its knives in plain sight. Even if Cherry’s a little unhinged, I honestly think Daniel and his mom bring it out of her. Knowing where the story goes, Laura still feels like the real manipulator. She’s so invasive it borders on deranged. And that might be the entire point — to make us understand why Cherry reacts the way she does, even if she’s technically “in the wrong.” And Daniel? I don’t trust him for a second. The conversation with Brigitte (“Sorry, sloppy seconds”) is some of the most disrespectful stuff I’ve ever seen on TV. Like, how do you sit there and let your friend talk about your girlfriend like that? Cherry’s not crazy for being angry — she’s crazy for staying. The tennis scene really says it all. Daniel knows she’s out of her depth and still sets her up to fail. Rule number one: don’t embarrass your partner in public. He breaks that rule constantly. You can almost see Cherry shrink into herself while the rest of them perform effortless wealth around her. Then the boat scene. Jesus. Daniel ignoring Cherry while she’s literally drowning might be one of the wildest things I’ve seen in a show like this. Who takes someone into the ocean without checking if they can swim? No life jackets. No basic awareness. It’s insane. The metaphor couldn’t be louder if the show screamed it — he’s so wrapped up in himself he doesn’t even notice she’s sinking right in front of him. Robin Wright is phenomenal, obviously. She plays Laura with this perfect balance of elegance and menace. She’s polite, poised, and utterly suffocating. You can feel Cherry’s sanity start to bend every time Laura smiles at her. What I love about these early episodes is that you still don’t know who to believe. Cherry lies about small things; Laura lies through her teeth about everything. Daniel floats in between pretending to be the reasonable one, but he’s quietly making everything worse. Nobody’s a reliable narrator. But that’s why I’m still Team Cherry. Even when she’s messy, she’s real. She reacts, she adapts, she survives. Everyone else in that world is pretending. Cherry just stopped pretending first. And if putting pig intestines in a cake or spending upgrade money on clothes is what it takes to stay afloat in that world — I say good for her. ---