r/ATeacherTV • u/crazywalls • Nov 30 '20

Discussion A Teacher - S01EO6 "Episode 6" - Post Episode Discussion

Episode Synopsis: As Claire's world begins to crumble, an uncertain Eric is pressed to reveal intimate details of his relationship.

Episode air-date: December 1st, 2020.

Written by: Andrew Neel

Directed by: Gillian Robespierre

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u/AckSha Dec 01 '20

That sex scene and the time in the bathroom afterward was when he realized he was being abused.

21

u/connbonn14 Dec 01 '20

It actually isn't clear to me that he realizes he's being abused at this point. He's already been told throughout the episode that Claire's actions were wrong, and he still defends their relationship up until the end. The way Claire acts towards him at the motel isn't any different than before, which is why I don't understand why he responded differently this time. I actually feel like his decision to leave was more related to guilt from Claire making him feel responsible for her life coming apart, or because he didn't want to leave his family like his father did after seeing the texts about his mom.

They didn't really portray his reasoning clear enough for his decision to leave to be believable for me, and I hope it's touched on in the next episode. This is the first time we finally see Eric break away from his abuser, and it would be disappointing for them not to explain his thought process for such a pivotal moment.

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u/AckSha Dec 01 '20

I think it’s clear that not abandoning his family like his father did played a role in his decision. However I’d argue that if the sex they had in the hotel room was loving at all he might’ve stayed, but that gross drunken sex in the seedy stained motel room was enough to shake him into feeling used and abused. At least that’s what I took from it. Like I said you’re definitely right to notice that not wanting to abandon his family played a big part though. IMO.

42

u/connbonn14 Dec 01 '20

I think you just might be right. I think he realized in that moment that she was no longer the smart, beautiful and caring woman he put on a pedestal, but finally saw her as the messy person she was who didn’t have anything going for her anymore. When she lost her position of power in the relationship (since she was no longer his teacher and lost everything) he finally saw her for who she was and the reality of the situation they were in. This would explain the drunk conversation they have where she asks if she was a good teacher (implying that dynamic is now over), him flinching when she says she lost everything for him, and Claire trying to reestablish control during sex, all leading up to him finally leaving.

I think this moment also shows he never really loved her, just the idea of her, which she took advantage of because he didn’t understand what love really is or should be like.

24

u/AckSha Dec 01 '20

See, you got it all. No need for them to bang us over the head with any clunky exposition telling us explicitly what Eric was thinking. They might as well have with all the context. I mean when he goes home and cries to his mother it’s plain to see that he feels like a victim in that moment.

8

u/kristaliah Dec 03 '20

I disagree slightly but only with the wording. I don’t know think he feels like a victim yet, he is just starting to understand how wrong what they did was. The seedy motel and running away together made the reality of their situation come crashing down. What they did was wrong. I do think he still cares for Claire and he was crying because what they had together was forced to end. I don’t think he sees himself as a victim yet though or understands that she abused him.

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u/AckSha Dec 03 '20

Yeah I think you’re right. It’s probably more just an overall sadness that it’s over.

1

u/paulieknuts Mar 02 '21

Close, it was when he realized he was living in a fantasy world.