ollibear

Currently, on Facebook and Twitter, Emmett is the recipient of extreme venom and wrath.

Even people who claim to still like the character, often do so with the caveat that his behavior in the last year is atrocious and unforgivable.

I just don't get it. I don't feel that way AT ALL.

To me, Emmett is the most Emmett-like ever, when he is standing there on the beach breaking up with Bay. I see that decision as mature and strong. I see that as loyal.

Would I rather things had not come to that moment? Of course. I love Bay & Emmett together. I don't want them apart.

But things aren't working, and Emmett did what he needed to do. As I see it, he really didn't have another mature choice.

Any other choice that Emmett might have made would have to include denying the reality of their situation. Bay & Emmett have drifted apart. Trying to force something to work, when it is not working, would only make the situation worse than it already is.

I just don't get the disappointment with Emmett's character.

What if the tables had been turned?

What if, instead of Bay doing all of these things to Emmett, Emmett had done all of these things to Bay? Would people expect Bay to stand by Emmett's side?

• What if Emmett overhears the Kennishes discussing a move out of state, and rather than tell Bay about it, he manipulates things, behind the scenes, to try to strengthen Bay's bond with Regina and keep Bay in Kansas City? What if, in the process, Bay feels more abandoned by Regina than ever?
  
  
• What if Emmett is devastated to learn that he didn't get into the one and only college to which he applied? And what if, rather than sharing that news with his girlfriend Bay, he shares it with everybody else, and he waits until much later to tell Bay the news (off screen)?
  
  
• What if Emmett goes to Chicago for the weekend with his father and learns some scary news about his health? What if, during his trip, he never once contacts Bay, despite the scary health news and despite the fact he learns Bay's best friend is doing cocaine? (As an aside, what if, while Emmett is away, Mandy, his ex-girlfriend, takes a violent swing at Bay in a bar, but luckily, she misses?)
  
  
• What if, after reuniting with Bay, Emmett is plagued by thoughts that he cheated on Mandy? What if, even though Emmett is in a relationship with Bay, Emmett approaches Mandy, several times, and asks for her forgiveness and friendship?
  
  
• What if, when Mandy repeatedly rebukes Emmett's attempts at rekindling their friendship, Emmett offers to go to dinner with her, while she tells her mother that she quit her sorority?
  
  
• What if, on the same night, Bay asks Emmett to celebrate her acceptance to Pratt, by sharing a hamburger with her? What if Emmett refuses, saying that he has to go to dinner with Mandy and her mother that night, instead?
  
  
• What if Emmett adds, for Bay's benefit, of course: "I did something AWFUL to Mandy, and the least I can do is be there when she tells her mom that she's de-pledging. She doesn't have a lot of friends right now, Bay. It is one dinner. And it's going to be boring and awkward. And I owe it to her. We both do."?
  
  
• What if Bay responds by asking Emmett to leave her out of it, and Emmett still goes to the dinner with Mandy and her mother?
  
  
• At the dinner, with Mandy and her mother, what if Emmett discovers that Mandy never told her mother she and Emmett broke up?
  
  
• At the dinner, with Mandy and her mother, what if Mandy tells Emmett how handsome he is and just beams at him?
  
  
• At the dinner, with Mandy and her mother, what if, when Mandy's mother joins them, she tells Emmett how handsome he is, too?
  
  
• At the dinner, with Mandy and her mother, what if, as Emmett sits there, awkwardly, listening to all of this praise, Mandy's mother asks the two "love birds" (Mandy and Emmett) to sit closer together?
  
  
• At the dinner, with Mandy and her mother, what if, as Emmett finally nudges Mandy into telling her mother the truth about the sorority and their breakup, the mother abruptly leaves Emmett and Mandy at the table, to finish their meal alone together?
  
  
• What if, as Mandy and Emmett are leaving the fancy restaurant together, Emmett begs Mandy for her friendship once more?
  
  
• What if Mandy finally agrees to a friendship with Emmett, and Emmett decides, out of the blue, right then and there, that he needs to tell Mandy the truth about his serious health concern, the one that he has never shared with Bay?
  
  
• What if Emmett waits until he and Mandy are alone together, in her SUV, and then, Emmett opens up and shares all of his fears about his potential to develop an aneurysm with Mandy?
  
  
• What if, the next day, Emmett follows Mandy's advice to call a doctor, but still doesn't tell Bay any of his health concerns?
  
  
• What if, at senior skip day, Emmett sees Bay's ex-boyfriend Tank, but he hides this information from Bay?
  
  
• What if, later, when Tank approaches Bay at senior skip day, Emmett abruptly ends his phone call to the doctor's office and runs over to help Bay? What if Emmett still has not told Bay about the serious medical issue, but instead, he has an emotional outburst in front of Tank and Bay?
  
  
• What if Emmett runs away from Tank and Bay in tears, and as he is leaving, Emmett tells Bay to go to Pratt and meet new people next year, without him?
  
  
• What if, later, Emmett shows up at Bay's workplace and declares his desire to move to NYC with her, while she attends Pratt?
  
  
• What if Bay has expressed serious reservations about attending Pratt, but Emmett has insisted, from the very beginning, that Bay has to go?
  
  
• What if, as Bay agrees to go to Pratt, Emmett smiles and declares Bay will be a great artist and he will be a person with no idea what he wants to do?
  
  
• What if, before their prom, Bay arranges to make the evening as special as she can for Emmett, to make up for the disaster she caused at their first prom? What if Bay even campaigns for them to be Prom King and Queen? What if Bay plans every detail to be special for Emmett, and at the very last minute, without telling Bay, Emmett decides to wear a dress to the Prom, to support Matthew?
  
  
• What if Bay accepts that, despite her efforts to make the evening special for him, Emmett is happiest supporting Matthew?
  
  
• After graduation, what if Emmett ditches the big graduation party, without telling Bay, and leaves her to attend alone?
  
  
• What if, instead of going to the graduation party with Bay, Emmett accompanies Travis to the police station and impulsively takes the fall for Travis's felony crimes, thereby making it impossible for Emmett to go to Pratt with Bay in the fall, even though the school is 2000 miles away from their home and virtually no one at Pratt will speak Bay's language?
  
  
• What if, when Bay asks Emmett, "What about us?" and she questions him about his decision to take the fall for Travis, Emmett says that he didn't want to be talked out of it?
  
  
• What if, when Bay asks Emmett, "What about us?" and she questions him about his decision to take the fall for Travis, Emmett says that if he didn't do this for Travis, he knew that he would regret it every day of his life. What if Emmett adds: "I saved my brother's life today, and I feel lucky. I feel great."?
  
  
• What if Emmett continues to pressure Bay to attend Pratt without him, despite her reservations about leaving Emmett, going so far away from home and family, no one speaking her language, and the expense? What if Emmett absolutely insists that Bay go without him, and he promises her it is the right thing to do?
  
  
• What if, when Bay comes home to surprise Emmett as he has his ankle monitor removed, Emmett asks why Bay cannot stay longer? What if Emmett scolds Bay for not telling him that things had been rough for her, while she was away? What if Emmett expresses disappointment in how much Bay has changed, while she has been gone? What if, rather than being grateful for their time together, Emmett is angry at Bay for the fact that she has to leave so soon?
  
  
• What if, after Bay leaves for the airport, a dejected Emmett goes to a dorm party and shares his relationship troubles with his ex-girlfriend Mandy? What if Emmett begins drinking heavily with Mandy and looks at her with starry eyes full of longing? What if Emmett puts Mandy on his lap for the chair races and allows his hands to drift over her inner thighs?
  
  
• Later, when Emmett is drunk in bed, what if he asks Mandy to join him to look at the stars on the ceiling and kisses her?
  
  
• What if Emmett does a video chat with Bay, to tell her that he slept with Mandy, after their fight? What if Daphne travels to Pratt to tell Bay that Emmett was actually raped by Mandy? Then, when Bay comes home to check on Emmett, what if Emmett tells her that Mandy is a good person and that what happened between Emmett and Mandy was his fault, too, and Emmett needs Bay to be okay with that?
  
  
• What if Bay indicates she needs some time to process this news and everything that has happened between them? What if Emmett proceeds to show up during Bay's final art project for the semester and surprise her in NYC?
  
  
• What if Bay explains that she is in the middle of creating her final art project, and Emmett makes himself scarce, until he discovers that Bay's art is, in part, about him sleeping with Mandy? What if he shows up on the set again, and yells at Bay in front of her fellow students?
  
  
• What if Emmett yells at a particularly friendly fellow student, telling this student to "Back off! I'm talking to my girlfriend here," and gives the guy an angry scowl?

I could understand Bay doubting Emmett's love, after all of that happened. I could understand Bay doubting whether she and Emmett are right for each other, at least at this juncture in their life, and especially if she is really enjoying her schooling at Pratt (in the way that Emmett is enjoying his schooling at USC).

I understand why Bay would make the decision to break up with Emmett.

Bay & Emmett have their youth working against them, the distance, the secrets, the lack of trust, the broken promises. I understand why Emmett didn't feel, after all of THIS, that he and Bay should have to force their relationship to work.

For whatever reason, it obviously wasn't working between Bay & Emmett this time.

Maybe Bay never did get over Emmett cheating on her. Maybe that is why Bay kept secrets, told lies, broke promises, and manipulated Emmett during their second go-around at love.

Emmett has good reason to doubt Bay's love.

Bay has shown Emmett that she is not ready for the type of commitment that a 2000-mile move requires.

I've gone back and re-watched their breakup scene on the beach numerous times, and I believe Emmett is telling Bay that they should not have to struggle as hard as they have been struggling. He is saying that their relationship should not have to be forced, in order to make it work.

It should just work.

Emmett was not scared or unwilling to DO the work. But the relationship should work, so that he can work on it. Since it wasn't working, Emmett wasn't willing to force it, not with so much at stake. He has his entire future riding on this college education.

To Emmett's way of thinking, their entire future is riding on it. It's not like Bay, with her felony conviction, is in a good position to support them.

I also went back and re-watched the episode Protect Me From What I Want yesterday. That's the episode that aired on Valentine's Day 2012, when Bay & Emmett declare their love for each other, for the first time.

What Emmett wants in life, what Emmett desperately needs, is a happy family. Bay has always had that. Emmett hasn't.

What Bay wants, at least in part, is to belong. Bay has wanted someone to choose her, to put her first. But Emmett did that, from the moment he made his mistake with Simone, Emmett recognized that mistake, apologized for it, and put Bay first, from that moment forward.

But I don't think that was enough, because Bay didn't seem really happy or connected to Emmett, during their second relationship. I don't think they were able to recover from Emmett's original mistake.

If they are both struggling to the point of unhappiness in trying to connect, and I believe that they were, then Emmett is right. Now is not the time for Bay to move to LA.

Perhaps what Bay is going through with Tank, now, will help her understand that Emmett did love her, despite his cheating on her with Simone.

Or maybe, because of Emmett's mistake, Bay & Emmett will forever be star-crossed.