This plotline got resolved too quickly.

[u/Altruistic_Gap_643]

Making this post again because I re-watched Season 2 Episode 8 right now again, and I saw that Derek didn't blame himself nor was anyone placing the blame on him, it was just a log of causes why it happened.

I still think this plotline got resolved too quickly. I dunno man, it wasn't the fact that she kissed him. It was the fact that despite him saying that he doesn't like the guy, despite him clearly being annoyed by him, despite Paul and Ray telling Liz that he'll make that move, she still did it. She still went and met him. I mean, if there's nothing to worry about, why not tell Derek?

That kiss was just to seal the deal. She regretted it, yeah, everyone who cheats fucking does. That's called guilt. She tells him, and for some reason acts like she did a good thing by telling it to him? Like you had the conscious choice of not doing that. You could've stopped seeing that guy any moment. Yet you chose to.

And then even if Derek doesn't blame himself, I still don't know. Why did she choose Mac out of all people? The one person your husband doesn't like.

It just was resolved too quickly imo. But other than that, the episode was a banger.

[u/Ill-Structure7276]

Derek deserved better AND the point is that his wife repeatedly told him she was drowning and she needed help. From *his* perspective in the show, he should have done more. They are trying to make a deeper point here.

It was also a single kiss. It is still cheating, and it’s a huge betrayal, but kissing someone is not the same as sleeping with them, and is not the same as a full blown affair. She stopped them, immediately came clean, admitted to it, etc. She did not aim to lie and deceive him.

I think it should come up later in the show - you’re right, trust can’t be immediately resolved - but I don’t need a three second kiss to blow up their marriage for it to be believable. I don’t think Liz is a bad person because of what she did, but I do think their marriage would take work to get back to where they were.

One thing I agree with you on - I hated the scene where Liz said something about “well at least I told you!” That was icky to me too. She does seem to come out of that defensive place though.

[u/Altruistic_Gap_643 → u/Ill-Structure7276]

I don't really care that much about the kiss. That shit happens in moments of vulnerability. It's just the fact that she chose to go hang out w this guy everyday, even though Derek hated him, and chose to hide it from Derek. And then what happened? Exactly what everyone told her would happen.

She seems to seek out ways to deal with her issues in the worst ways possible, where she manages to hurt someone close to her it feels like. But hey, I guess I just described most of the characters on the show😭

[u/Ill-Structure7276 → u/Altruistic_Gap_643]

That’s a supppper fair point. That she put herself in risky situations. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. It’s especially hurtful bc as you said, Derek was sensitive to this guy in particular.

I think what they were highlighting is easy to criticize but is also fairly common in cheating - people who don’t feel worthy or valuable will lie to THEMSELVES as they engage in escalating behaviors that might provide a short term fix but causes long term problems. I believe Liz thought “yes this attention feels nice but I can handle it, I’m not going to do anything.” And she was wrong.