I loved how persistent Eric was with helping Hyde out in "Hyde moves in". He knew Hyde needed help and he wasn't stopping until he helped his friend.

I also like when Hyde's dad splits (I believe this was after Hyde tried living with Bud for awhile in his apartment) and Eric is trying to get him to open up about what happened and Hyde just doesn't want to. Eric is so persistent, though, even when Hyde burns him. :love:

I love it when Eric is persistent in wanting to be there for Hyde. He is a good friend that way.

That's love right there. :nod: And Hyde actually did tell Eric what happened (eventually).

Of course, I think it's a lame and OOC reason for Bud to abandon him again. It's a punchline rather than a seriously in-character motive.

It was lame and sad that Bud abandoned Hyde again, but I am glad it got Hyde back to the Formans, who really took him in and cared for him.

What was the explanation given, again? I just remember the lies he told Eric... that he was transferred and that he got back together with Hyde's mom. And that he was working with the FBI to develop handcuffs to restrain people with tiny wrists. :lmao:

Either way, that was an interesting arc before Bud split. I liked the episode where Red and Kitty tried to coach Bud to be a better parent to Hyde.

Bud abandoned Hyde to reunite with Edna. And neither of them told Hyde where they went. :rolleyes: After 10 years of bitterness, Edna would not have taken Bud back. My head!canon is that Hyde told Eric another lie 'cause that one makes no character sense (it's just a dumb punchline, like I said).

Me, too. I wish we'd gotten more than two episodes with Bud. Bud was pretty bad in the first one, tbh. He basically suppresses Hyde's anger with alcohol (good parenting -- a recovering alcoholic father teaching his son to repress his feelings with booze :no:) and brings him to a nudie bar when he's seventeen. And then Bud has Hyde paying his rent. Just awful...

Talk about continuing the cycle of abuse. Hyde was so desperate for his dad that he sacrificed himself. :pout:

I love, though, that Hyde was happy when Bud started setting parental boundaries in "Hyde's Christmas Rager". Kids actually need limits/boundaries in order to feel safe in the world, no matter how they might rebel and want "to be free". It just has to be balanced.

I liked it too when Red and Kitty tried to help Bud be a better parent, something Hyde really needed in his life. It's sad it didn't last, because I think they both could have used it.

Red and Kitty considered Hyde their foster son, so I love that they kept an eye on him even while he lived with Bud. :love: And that they let Hyde move back in (with only a few questions asked).

I think Red and Kitty secretly knew deep down that Hyde might have to come back and live with them someday. It's just this feeling I got.

Yeah, Bud was a wreck. That wasn't ever going to work out well. I liked that when Hyde told the Formans he was going to live with Bud, Red was hesitant and clearly protective of Hyde. Red didn't trust Bud.

RED: You're movin' in with Bud?

Red said this with much disgust. :lol:

HYDE: Yeah, Red. It's gonna be okay.
RED: No, it's not gonna be okay. Steven, your dad is not... good.

There you go. Red had seen Hyde give Bud a good chunk of change, and he didn't want Hyde to screw up his life.

HYDE: Yeah. I know. But, you know, he's my dad.
RED:Yeah. He's your dad.

So sad. Hyde was willing to risk his future to give his dad a chance. His dad leaving when Hyde was nine was a pivotal (scarring) experience for him, and it led to his mother bringing home a variety "uncles" over the years... :no: Not that Bud and Edna were wonderful parents while together. They were a pair of alcoholics who forgot Hyde a the mall, among other things.

I'm sure Bud abandoning Hyde again taught Hyde a horrible lesson. No wonder he didn't trust anyone or anything. :bawl:

HYDE: Yeah. Anyway, Red, thanks for everything, you know? Really. Hey, do me a favor. Would you tell Mrs. Forman? 'Cause I don't want to have to deal with the whole crying thing.
RED: You think I do? Nah, I'll just tell her that, you know, anytime you need a place to stay, you're welcome here. That'll make her feel better.

You can totally tell Red wasn't just speaking for Kitty but for himself, too. :love:

I loved that conversation between Red and Hyde. You can tell how much Red really cares for him without him coming out and saying it.

Yeah, I love that Red/Hyde moment. You can really tell he sees him as a son.

Red and Hyde's scene in "Hyde's Birthday" is one of my favorites, too. Red didn't want Hyde to move out then, either. :love:

That is one of my favorite moments on the show. Red treated Hyde like a man, but as his son at the same time.

And Red said Eric had to be out when he was eighteen. :lol: Red clearly liked having Hyde around.

I think Red definitely saw some of himself in Hyde whether he admitted it or not.

Red and Hyde are definitely cut from the same cloth. :nod: But Hyde's more sensitive and in touch with his feelings (which is weird to say -- but it's true).

You could tell that Red came to enjoy Hyde living with them - although he'd probably die rather than admit that. I like the scenes where Hyde and Red laugh at the same things (usually Eric, LOL). They kind of seem like they just "get" each other. Red probably felt like he had another man around the house. I don't think he saw Eric as a man. :lol:

Red definitely saw Hyde as more of a man than Eric. The whole scene in the basement on his 18th birthday comes to mind. He was starting to show Hyde the ropes of being a man.

:nod:

I think Red was one of the only people Hyde could or wanted to learn "how to be a man" from, too. They spoke the same language, so to speak.

You could tell Red wanted to protect Hyde, even if he didn't come out and say it.

I really like how you put this. :nod: And I agree that Red didn't see Eric as a man (not until he gave Eric his blessing for marriage -- and even then...).

The following scene always makes me laugh -- and is a good example of how Red views Eric vs. Hyde, despite Hyde's OOC answer about Jackie. If she were "shallow as hell," Hyde wouldn't have stayed with her for two years, not to mention the episodes where she demonstrates this to be the opposite of true. She's a complex character, but I digress. :P

Red: I've got some questions I want answers to. What are you doing about moving out?
Eric: I dunno.
Red: How 'bout Donna?
Eric: I dunno.
Red: Your job?
Eric: I dunno
Red: Your future?
Eric: OK, I'm gonna go ahead and hit you with an... I dunno.
Red: Then no food for you.
Eric: What?!
Kitty: Red, he's so skinny. Just take away his car.
Red: No! I'm trying to teach the boy responsibility. I want a plan out of
you by tonight, or no dinner either.
Eric: Dad, that's not... [turns around to Kitty] Wait. Mom, what's for
dinner?
Kitty: Fried chicken.
Eric: Oh, come on!

[Hyde walks in and sits down]

Red: Steven, when are you moving out?
Hyde: Soon.
Red: How's your girlfriend?
Hyde: Shallow as hell.
Red: Job?
Hyde: Dead end.
Red: Future?
Hyde: Bleak.
Red: Kitty, feed the boy.

Red's "Kitty, feed the boy," gets me every time. :lol:

I love that scene too, it always cracks me up. I always take what Hyde says about Jackie as saving face in front of everyone and not serious.