[Kimba]

Alright, so I'm new to this board. And I don't know if it's okay that I want to talk about Ryan outside of a shipper post. More specifically about the Ryan/Theresa/Marissa scenario that is currently playing out.

I'm not sure where it will go, but I've seen several comments about how is it possible for Ryan to have feelings for Theresa so soon after he and Marissa have split. And I don't think it's that out of the sphere of possibility.

Ryan and Theresa grew up together. From the Thanksgiving episode it was clear that they were close for a long time. They have a natural chemistry between them. An easy vibe that comes from being from the same place and having faced similiar hardships.

Marissa did not believe in Ryan when he needed her the most. I still for the life of me cannot understand how Marissa could be so easily dismissive of Ryan's feelings about her relationship with Oliver, nor her blantant refusal to even consider the possibility that Ryan could be right.

That lack of faith was what tore she and Ryan apart. And it doesn't just return because she says she's sorry. Enter Theresa...

Here's a girl that does have faith in Ryan. He knows it. She's shown it over the years.

Ryan told Eddie he didn't know what he felt for Theresa. But it was clear that he liked having her around again. There are some old feelings there on both sides. Her story to Marissa about the stained glass portrait was extremely touching. Theresa is still in love with Ryan, but settling for what she feels she can get with Eddie. When she was calling Eddie she was trying to make her peace with this being her life. But then Ryan showed up.

Here are two people from the same background who have something special between them. She was packing and it seemed as if they were on the verge of losing it. Because Ryan knows that Theresa leaving means that door of possibility closes between them, and he's not ready for that. Not after rediscovering how great it is to be around her, be with her. To be with someone who knows him, who has faith in him, who stands by him.

Meanwhile for Theresa, it's like a sign. She's standing on the cusp of making this huge decision about the rest of her life. A decision she's not leaping to make. A decision she feels is the best she can get. She opens the door, and the man she really wants is standing in front of her telling her he doesn't want her to go.

They both know that they have heavy baggage... Eddie and Marissa may have let them down or may not be what they know they want, but they do exist. And "setting things right" with them isn't necessarily about reuniting, but about figuring out what it is they actually want from these people and if they can get it.

But in each other, Ryan and Theresa don't have those conflicts. They don't have those disappointments, those fears, those doubts.

They are a sanctuary admits the madness, and it's drawing them together. It may not last. It may just be a momentary reprieve from the heartaches and complications that plague their hearts and lives.

It doesn't make it any less real. It doesn't make it any less true. And it doesn't make it any less right.

Kimba

[CanonsAreWorthless]

I totally agree with you. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] It's not like Theresa appeared out of nowhere and Ryan fell for her. He and Theresa have a history, a far deeper history than Ryan and Marissa do.

[QueenBitch]

I basically can't stand Ryan and Theresa. Plus I don't like that name. I just don't. I have a cousin nameds thast.

[kidatheart83]

I totaly agreee with you there. I for one love the fact of Theresa and Ryan getting together. From day one I was looking for someone to ship Ryan with and I finally found it.

I agree though it's not like Theresa just walked off the street and Ryan feel madly in love with her. They have this past that means alot to both of them. I'm not sure were this r/s is going, but I can see something really good coming out of it for both of them. Who know maybe theresa will get a chance at a better life.

[Kimba]

Yeah, I doubt this lasts long. But it DOES make sense, IMO. She's someone he's already got feelings for. I think it was evident during Thanksgiving he still cared about her, but his life took him in a different direction unexpectedly.

And it doesn't mean that he doesn't still care for Marissa, much as I wish he didn't. It's just that right now, she's familiar. She's someone he can depend on emotionally, and when he was faced with that door closing forever, he acted.

And I loved it. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Kimba

[last beautiful girl]

I'm not sure where it will go, but I've seen several comments about how is it possible for Ryan to have feelings for Theresa so soon after he and Marissa have split.

I don't think he 'developed feelings' for her. They went out while he was in Chino, right? Maybe they'd been there all along.

I think they can only really take this in a positive direction. At least I hope so....

[Chiqa]

I certainly do not like Ryan and Marissa because that girl just whines and cries all the time. I am too bored. And she has the 'damsel in distress' syndrome which I, personally, hate seeing.

However, I am sick of love triangles already. Even though this is a little different as Seth pointed out, this is a love rhombus. I would have preferred them to just break up without Theresa being involved.

Having said that, I like Theresa because she's just more realistic as a human and isn't just plain ANNOYING. Plus she has real problems to deal with.

I hope when Theresa leaves, Ryan just stays solo. He should focus on bonding further with his new family and maybe accumulating a few more friends. Right now, other than his brother-type, he met his current friends through Marissa (Luke, Summer(?)) He needs some friends of his own and needs to do his own thing.

[Cleveland Rocks]

Here is how I see this triangle..

Ryan is running to comfort. He was hurt deeply by the love of his life, Marissa.

He is retreating back to where he feels safe and where he feels a familarity. That is Theresa. Don't get me wrong, Ryan cares a TON for Theresa. They have a special connection. That is obvious. But, I see it more as a Dawson/Joey type of connection. Platonic, safe and comfortable. I think Ryan is confused with his feelings but I feel like it is more than obvious that he still love Marissa. I mean, anyone catch how he watched her walk all the way down the hall as she was leaving whenever Theresa showed up. Notice the look on his face. He is thinking of Marissa. Notice also how he tells Theresa that he needs to figure things out for BOTH he and Marissa. I thought that comment was interesting. He didn't say he needed to figure things out for himself. No, he included a BOTH in there with him and Marissa..

Also, it was evident that there was tension and awkwardness every time he and Marissa were together. Notice how he can barely even look at her.. He wants to avoid any emotional connection.. It is more than obvious that he still loves her.

Marissa was really decent in this episode. She is doing EVERYTHING right in that she is working damn hard to right a wrong in the mistake she made with not trusting Ryan. She is doing everything briliantly. She was very sweet with Theresa and I loved their convo in Theresa's hotel. She is giving Ryan tons of space and she is letting things go as it comes. She also did not get too torn up with jealousy when Theresa showed up at Ryans and catching Ryan in a blatant lie as he originally told her that he had tons of homework.. Yes, it is eating her up inside because she loves Ryan to pieces and her heart is breaking because she wants to be with him, but I thought she handled herself in superb fashion and she is absolutely worthy of forgiveness from Ryan. I mean, she didn't cheat on him or do anything beyond repair. Mistakes come with relationships and I feel like Marissa is doing all the right things that will enable Ryan to give their relationship another shot.

Back to Ryan.. He is confused as hell. That's a fact. But, what I see that he is doing is running, running, running. Running scared actually.. He is desperately trying to reach his safe place and that is Theresa. Yes, he cares tons about her. But, is he IN love with her? I honestly don't think so. And the other thing, Theresa is doing the EXACT same thing that Ryan is doing. She is running from Eddie. That is so obvious. She is finding her safe place and that is Ryan.

Honestly, I strongly feel like Ryan is totally in love with Marissa still. Maybe even more than ever. But, he is too scared to deal with things and he finds it much more satisfying and easy to basically hide and search out comfort more than anything else.

[Kimba]

Cleveland Rocks wrote: Notice also how he tells Theresa that he needs to figure things out for BOTH he and Marissa. I thought that comment was interesting.

Yes, but he made that comment after Theresa said that she needed to figure things about about her and Eddie. He basically just followed suit of what she'd already said. Which still leads credence to your theory about comfort for both, but doesn't point to this great love he has for Marissa.

Personally, I believe Ryan is still obviously hung up on Marissa. Whereas Theresa is fully aware that she is settling for Eddie. She knows he's not "the one", but she's trying to do the right thing and take advantage of the limited opportunities she's given.

With Ryan it's different. He didn't seek Theresa out, but now that she's a part of his life again, she makes him feel happy. She knows him. She's safe. But not in the Dawson/Joey type way, cause Lord knows I hated that pairing with the fire of a thousand suns and a happy Joey was extremely hard to come by around Dawson.

Ryan doesn't have that problem with Theresa.

As for Marissa... I don't see where she's doing everything right. Then she wouldn't have just dropped by his house and stayed for dinner. Nor would she have gone to talk to Theresa. If she wanted to know what was going on between Ryan and Theresa, she should ask Ryan - not a girl she barely knows. Doing everything right would be accepting that she screwed up royally, and that for the forseeable future, friendship is all Ryan can offer her. It wouldn't be about sneaking about trying to find a way to get Ryan to take her back. Which is what I feel like she's doing from the most recent episode through to the previews for next week. She's talking about competing with Theresa, when she shouldn't be. She's the friend now. She should find a way to be happy for him if that's what he chooses.

But back to Ryan, I don't see him running at all. I see him justifably putting some distance between he and this girl that hurt him, and trying to move on. I see him having walked into his past when he walked into Theresa. He's not running from anything. But he's not rushing to it either.

He just knew that he didn't want Theresa to leave. He just knew that the happiness he's felt since she's returned to his life, he didn't want to end.

NaijaChiqa- ICAM with your assessment of Marissa. And I think more than anything, that's my biggest stumbling block. I just cannot find anything remotely likeable about her. The repeated drama queen/damsel in distress stuff is just too much and tiring for this Ryan fan.

But I also agree with you. When this Theresa thing ends - as we know it will, darnit - then I hope he's alone and spends more time with his new family. I'd actually like to see he and Kirsten get closer. They haven't had a real moment since the episode where his mother left.

Kimba

[Sabrina]

Yes, it really isn't like Ryan just fell for the first girl that walked by. I think Theresa was his first love and she will always be a special person for him.

Now with all that's been going on with Marissa, I think Ryan realizes how easy, good and natural his relationship with Theresa was, and still is. Which is also the reason he likes hanging out with her so much. He doesn't have to worry, be embarrassed or feel ashamed or whatever when he's around her. You can see they understand each other without talking and he's comfortable around her.

I think the things that are currently happening between Ryan and Theresa are only natural.

[LMS]

I haven't seen this episode (as I'm not from USA/Canada, I'm still on the earlier eps) so this opinion is basely mainly on what I've read (recaps and the like). I'm pretty sure, though it pains me to say this, that Ryan is still in love with Marissa. However, while I cannot comment on R/T's chemistry or the like, I think their relationship (at least theoretically) sounds more believable somehow, in the way that I can understand more why they would want to be together.

It's funny, Cleveland Rocks, that you should compare R/T to D/Jo cause personally I've always seen some D/Joesque about R/M. But enough about that. This is afterall, not the DC thread.

I would like R/T to remain friends after he eventually chooses Marissa (which he will most likeley do) cause Ryan needs more friends, especially ones that can understand him and who weren't Marissa's friends first (like Luke).

[Biznitch]

Kimba I totally agree with your entire post. Marissa is definitely not doing everything right. I thought it was very rude of her to just basically invite herself over to dinner and always hang around Ryan. She came off as desperate and annoying even though I'm sure we were all supposed to feel sorry for poor Marissa, she's had such a tough life you know. [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[ 02-28-2004: Message edited DeppsDoll ]

[pacifierrocks]

I'm not really a ryan and theresa shipper but right now anything to get him away from marissa is fine with me. she just gets on my nerves. but i did kinda feel bad for eddie in the last episode.

[freakygirl]

think about it, if you were ryan, would you take marissa back?

marissa needs to get her act together instead of trying to make people feel sorry for her.

maybe in the DISTANT FUTURE, ryan should give her a second chance. but right now, she needs to suffer, suffer and suffer.

[CanonsAreWorthless]

Well I hope you all know how I feel about Ryan/Marissa. *cough*I-started-the-anti-thread*cough* [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]