Jjeffalch

Does anyone still see Tyler as part of the narrative? The two most 'normal' of the erstwhile kitchen brigade, Chloe and Tyler, both find themselves pursuing mundane normal activities at some considerable distance from the Hartley kitchen. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, dramas unfold, legalistic demons parade through and have their equanimity shaken in its foundations, the kitchen's denizens learn to excel at fire prevention, and the undead evolve into new (dare one actually say it?) "life forms". What possible role remains for Tyler? Even his tea-making has been usurped by Gregory, who through osmosis, apparently, has realized that the waves of tea somehow have to be organized into batches of seventeen pots (there is surely some diabolic, soon to be unveiled significance to the number seventeen as it relates to pots of tea). I confess, I miss Tyler.

Don't know how Tyler is supposed to compete against that. This might be the end of his relationship with Taine, who was deeply conflicted about it all at the best of times. It's a shame you wrote sTyler as such an amiable lovable character without flaw.

Well, Daniel has finally 'found' Malik, and it was clearly preordained to be thus--finding the "real" Malik will hopefully force him to recognize that the imaginary Malik he'd fixated on could not be part of his future and would never want to be. Maybe this inadvertent realization is just what he needs to give himself entirely i to hus new life, with Max, and to lay t he ghost of Malik to rest.

I agree, and I keep hoping the story line will shift back to Travis, though I'm thinking there will be some unraveling on his part...

I understand that Kitt is not ready to return to his parents--he may never be. BUT, having met with Matt, having learned that Matt never gave up searching for him, that Matt is waiting for him, what could it possibly hurt to call Matt regularly, to rekindle their relationship from a distance, to validate Matt's love and commitment? There are somebody rides rings at play here, Kitt, it is not just about you. I have long been frustrated at Kitt's refusal to even send a sign if life to Matt. But now that they have been reunited in spirit, Kitt's continued willingness to string Matthew along is beyond frustrating. It is selfish, self-centered behavior, and he need to stop it now. Because Matt knows where he is, and that there is nothing preventing him from staying in regular contact with Matt, even if he doesnt want to re-engage with his parents. And Matt bears no responsibility at all for the situation Kitt is in. So why does Kitt persist in treating Mattvto the same silence as his parents, even now? It would not surprise me at all to see the joy that Matt feels now at seeing his unwavering hope that Kitt is okay validated turn into frustration at Kitt's behavior. From there, it is but a small step to resentment, to Matt asking himself why, after a whole YEAR of waiting and hoping and praying, he should still be waiting and hoping and praying--but this time, for Kitt to finally get over himself. I have run out of patience with Kitt's dithering. I have no more sympathy for his 'situation'. I hope he doesn't persist with this attitude to the point where Matt, too, starts to run out of patience.

Here's hoping that finding himself in that "room that had finally been furnished with the people it was built for" will finally help Daniel exorcize the ghost of Malik. And kudos to Margot. That exchange with Nora has humanized her. No longer a calculating, manipulative ice queen impervious to emorion but a victim of her status bereft of the tools to embrace her emotions.

This, @Cane23, is the most compelling and insightful comment I have ever read. Malik is indeed "not the destination", and, I think, would not want to be. On that fateful birthday night, everything Malik said and did, to Nora and to Daniel, revealed a man in complete control, who gave Nora what she wanted, and Daniel what he unconsciously needed, but entirely on his own terms, shaping each of them to the narrative he brought into the penthouse with himself. Malik revealed himself very clearly to Nora in their closing exchange as he left the penthouse, having utterly destroyed Daniel's sense of himself, because he could. That Malik handled Daniel as a somewhat unexpected but fully exploited part of a prearranged transaction, because he could. He had no interest whatsoever in nurturing Daniel in his emotional upheaval. I don't know what could break Daniel out of this misguided fixation on Malik and allow him to grow into this new realization of his changed identity. Maybe he does need to see Malik again and to be again totally dominated physically, so that he recognizes the nature of the change within himself. Then maybe he'll recognize that Malik isn't the answer he is seeking.

I think Daniel is tying to much of his new sense of self to Malik, who had made it quite clear that the birthday evening was a one-off event. As per Nox rules. Daniel has the resources to try to find Malik but the question for me is, what does Daniel do if Malik does not want to be found ?

Sorry to hear about your surgery. That's never fun. Finger crossed that it all goes well.

Finally, they're actually taking the initiative instead of reacting dumbly to a script that was always a step or two ahead of them. The storyline has become a bit disjointed, though. In their 'helpless victim' stage, they were planning out all their steps, of course, stupidly, in full view of the Archivists, and thus to zero effect. Now everything they do seems to be happening in full view of everybody, including the paying, braying audience, but when did they hash out their plans? I feel like we the 'reading audience' have been relegated to a 'viewing audience' status.

Does Malik want to be found?

I'm sure how exactly Kitt thinks his father will be able to hurt Matt.. maybe he should give that some serious thought. He might just realize that sending a note to Matt, saying to him that he, Kitt, is alive, and asking him not to waltz next door to tell Stwphen that he's heard from Kitt, should be enough to avoid that scenario.

I agree entirely with the first part of this post. Kitt knows that Matt hasn't given up on him, hasn't stopped looking for him, is suffering and he STILL refuses to even let Matt know that he is alive. Self-centered and cruel. And @Jonathan Perkins is right that in this Kitt is no better than his father. For the goodness sake, if it's October already, it's been almost a year and Kitt has survived. It's past time that he starts living his own life and ceases to exist in the limbo his father imposed by kicking him out. Tom's suggestion about the GED is a good first step for Kitt to restart his life. But now Tom, and especially Mateo, need to stop treating him with kid gloves as if he were still as fragile as a year ago, and tell him he is wrong in his attitude, that he is causing Matt unnecessary pain, and that he cannot possibly move forward with the rest of his life until he stops giving his father that power to intimidate him, even in his absence.

It's sad, painful and frustrating to see all these kids unable to draw lessons from what they are going through

He knew Matt had not forgotten. Not even close. And the knowledge didn’t set him free. It made everything harder. This is what I was afraid of--it's what kept him from contacting Matt all these months. Tom, Mateo--you're up. You have save Kitt from himself, right now before he does something even more stupid, like run away again, this time from Matt.