Nobody talks about how "friendzoning" goes both ways.

When Nikki outright tells him "Now's the time to tell me you like me" and Bear chickens out and says he likes her as a friend, so much of the understanding and relatability seems to land on how people get why Bear is afraid to admit it how women don't get how hard it Is for a man to make the move or to convince a woman they should be more than friends.

But almost no discourse I've seen picks up on the fact that Nikki is making the move here. She's not a benevolent Queen who's allowing her subject to speak freely just this once. She's literally saying "Tell me you like me and try to kiss me" that's a move.

And how is that move met? "Listen, we're such good friends"

She plays it off with confidence, but Bear just totally rejected her advance and friendzoned her. But, nobody seems to understand this idea that when a man decides to "stay in the friendzone" because hes too afraid of if he'd be rejected or lose her... he's friendzoning her too.

He's saying "I am perfectly okay with us never being more than friends". Unless she is just like "No, I'm a woman you want me, you're lying because how scared" what other thing is she supposed to feel beyond "oh, this guy doesn't look at me as someone he'd want to be with romantically" and then handle that feeling.

The disconnect on this whole trope just seems to be the acceptance of "Well of course the guy is lying when he makes you think he just wants to be friends with you" while its just accepted that a woman is of course always telling the truth when they say the same thing.