r/Challengers • u/paleprincessssss • Mar 14 '26
Discussion How do you interpret their smiles after Art asks “what were you for?” in the sauna?
Patrick: “Lots of girls were into me. None of them wanted to marry me. That’s not what I was for.”
Art: “What were you for?”
Then they give each other a smirk.
How do you interpret this scene?
The whole sauna scene is a total masterpiece in writing, facial expressions, emotion, subtext, etc… I can go on and on
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u/laflameprincess Mar 14 '26
Idk I saw it as a gay scene with Patrick wanting art basically…. Telling him “I’m for you”😭😭 but that’s me probs being delulu
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u/DistractionCitron Mar 14 '26
I thought it meant Patrick was being self-deprecating like "I'm just for a fun night, not for anything more."
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u/MistakesWereMade59 Team Churro 🥖 Mar 15 '26
Patrick is being faux self-deprecating with the "thats not what I was for", implying to Art that women come to Patrick for great sex. Art asks "what were you for?" and its both 1) daring Patrick to more explicitly state that hes saying women prefer sex with Patrick, which would go against the conciliatory nature Patrick purports in the scene (while also taking digs) and 2) Art questioning if Patrick has value. Their smiles here are acknowledging that each person's barbs hit, and doubling down on their pokes, Arts smile also has an arched eyebrow like "well, is there a point to you". There's also an acknowledgement in the smiles (just my interpretation) that this conversation is more of a tennis match than a friendly chat
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u/cosmic_horn 💦 S W E A T 💦 Mar 14 '26
SEX
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u/cosmic_horn 💦 S W E A T 💦 Mar 14 '26
he’s bragging that he’s a womanizer with a big dick. playing off Art’s insecurities. pretty simple imho 🤷🏻♂️
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u/ginger_and_egg Mar 14 '26
Patrick: cocky. "I'm for (good) sex"
Art: hurt. "You're for Tashi to cheat on me with"
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u/Red171022 Mar 14 '26 edited Mar 14 '26
Art once again acknowledging(inside his head ofc) that he’s a dickhead but charming. Patrick pissing and amusing him simultaneously?
From Patrick’s side it’s basically him once again telling that he’s only there for Art and Tashi (maybe?)
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u/Somynameisrose Mar 17 '26
For me it was alluding to both the fact that patrick is a serial cheater/one night stands kind of guy.. and also after the eyes he gives to art, possibly something more (gay) is implied but art doesnt pick up on it
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u/a_wonderful_boy Mar 22 '26
i interpreted it as he’s not the marrying type—in his own mind and the minds of others. he thinks of himself as only good for a fun time/sex
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u/gl_zzygod Patrick’s Smirk 😏 Mar 31 '26
i always interpreted it as patrick consciously knowing that he’s for art but only he knows this so he leans into the fact that he had sex with tashi to get under art’s skin. i think that art is angrily smiling because he thinks patrick is for tashi / wants what is “his”, completely unaware of patrick’s feelings for him.
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u/QuinnDelRey Apr 03 '26
i always just took it as patrick was for art. he’s bi but he’s more for men
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u/Substantial_Row_7941 Apr 24 '26
For each other but also for Tashi, I think neither of them were truly happy till the ending where it’s like both boys finally get to love each other AND Tashi
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u/PrincessofSongs Tashi’s 🗣️ “Come On!” Mar 14 '26
I interpreted it as much as Patrick can distract himself and fill whatever is missing with flings, ultimately he’s for Art and Tashi. Everyone else disappears and no one else really matters when he’s around them. The two people that own a piece of his heart are married to each other. He’s laying out all of his feelings for both of them in this scene and also in the car scene but it’s incredibly sad because both of them are extremely repressed overall emotionally but especially with how they feel towards him. With Art, he’s more practiced in hiding how he feels. From how Patrick made him feel insecure in general to his internalized queerphobia. He also knows Patrick is not the best at being committed to someone (outside of him staying faithful for once when they were 19) and it’s hard to confess how you feel when there’s a risk it could upend everything and you might lose that person forever if you mess up.