Why I think S2's editing and/or writing makes Mark S seem more annoying/grating than he deserves (he deserves nothing but the best and I want him to be warm and safe)--

--and it makes his romance subplot all the more grating. This is a post about Irv B. Hold up-! Let me cook, I swear I'm not trying to be annoying!

I just finished the S2 finale after binging the show over the past 2-3 days, and there's one thing that peeved me that the show never resolved: Mark S and Irving B.

i Mark was really nasty to i Irving over something that in the end, Irving was 100% in the right for. He didn't even try to be snide about it. He approached both Helena and Mark S in good faith and very amicably.

Characters have flaws and conflicts, it's the entire reason stories exist. I get, celebrate and embrace that. But Mark is a good and loyal guy, on both sides, and it's the more loyal and in love he is, that reflects and equal amount of pettiness and pain when he has been hurt. I love that he acted just like outtie Mark during the funeral, he was shutting down.

But, even up until Irv's "death" he never called out or apologised. His eyes were mostly on Helly. I get it, he loves Helly, and it's the first time he's feeling something so intense and freeing and most of all- his. But I do not like that there wasn't even a scene, whether privately, or with the rest of MDR, that he didn't even grovel a little bit about Irv.

Irv tried to confide in and approached Mark about his Helly suspicions, much more than he did Dylan, but Dylan was the one who showed the most regret about failing his friend.

Sure, Mark S. showed remorse, but it was mostly about being hurt by Helena and having all his little victories being proven meaningless. He didn't anguish about how he betrayed Irv even though Irv was there for the team above all. He sacrificed himself so his team could stay int he fight for their lives.

Also, the fact that Helly and Mark S. didn't know Dylan almost Sever-cided (is that a horrible pun/portmanteau? It is, isn't it). Now, diegetically, this isn't their fault, they didn't know. But this just contributes to the feeling that Helly and Mark S are just wrapped up in each other and aren't really looking outside of themselves, where as before they were together but facing the world with open eyes. But now they were making goo-goo eyes while Dylan G almost died.

I feel like Mark S' character has now revolved mostly around romance, and it makes him a different character from the first season.

Am I making sense? If you think I'm wrong or not charitable enough please let me know. I love discussing in good faith! Thank you for reading my unintended mini-essay rant.

P.S. Also feels like the Ricken subplot was dropped halfway through the season, and s2 did a poor job of following through on his impact on innie lives in S1.