They could’ve changed just a few things about the Dan and Sean scene to make it work better, tbh.
They could’ve written things to pop off and Yok get between them when it seemed like Dan was really gonna kill himself because that really was too much for Sean to try to ask. But still not try to invalidate Sean’s legitimate feelings with Gram’s proselytizing which felt very out of place since Gram and Sean frankly don’t seem close enough to carry the weight of that kind of talk.
Now White could’ve showed up there and calmed Sean down to help them mediate. Especially since White finally leveled with Black about not wanting to give up on Sean and the boys so him coming to the gang the next morning would make sense…
But my personal choice would be Sean storms off after not resolving things with Dan and meets up with White alone to actually unpack his trauma about learning that his friend’s boyfriend is the man that killed his father with White in a safe space. Maybe they do this while they do the mission to take pics of the drugs. Sean then comes to a decision to allow Dan to help with this last mission while not fully forgiving him yet because it’s simply too soon for that.
Then we also get an after scene with Dan and Yok dealing with the fact that Dan almost blew his own brains out and actually confront Dan’s suicidal ideation and help him work through healthier ways to repent.
Then Sean and White come back to the group to give an update about the spy mission and there is when he tells Dan his decision to let him help take down Tawi. Sean can make it clear that everything is not forgiven and forgotten but the least Dan can do is help take down Tawi and then have Sean demand that Dan expose the truth about what the police did so it’s no longer a dirty secret.
After they come to that uneasy conclusion, then they can reveal the fact that White is a twin and use that to reveal that Tawi and Todd actually connected and reveal that Black was in a coma this entire time, thereby connecting the two major plots of the show as the team realize they are fighting the same war from two fronts.
I go back and forth on whether Black should also be there for the last scene. On one hand, keeping the narrative integrity of Black pushing everyone away and going Lone Wolf means not having him in the scene.
On the other hand, we could’ve had this be the moment when Black realizes that he needs his friends and his brother’s help to complete his mission of taking down Todd and Tawi. Black could’ve been turned around on this stance during the talk with White on the pier when he realizes that White is not going to stop and that doing things his own way with Todd (and with Eugene, White, & Sean tbh) has not been working. Perhaps Gumpa and White’s way of being a team and working collaboratively is the better play.
At the end of the day, we got what we got, but I’ve had a couple hours to think about it and wanted to get out some rough thoughts on the situation.
Thank you so much OP for writing this. I did not like how the scene was handled and how Sean's feelings were just completely pushed aside. It just left a bitter taste in my mouth (and no I don't agree with him trying to get Dan to kill himself). But Sean desperately needed someone in his corner, who would care for him and hold him while also stopping him. Basically, I wish White was in that scene so bad. 😔
And yes. Dan needs therapy. He needs to tell the truth and may be leave the police force and then he needs counselling 😢. Honestly, so many characters in this show need it, starting from our twins Black and White (White has suicidal tendencies from being separated from Black, that much is clear, whatever he says and Black.. oh where do I even start with my poor boy who treats his life as disposable, who cares for everyone but doesn't seem to care about himself) and then Sean who's channelling all his trauma of losing his parents into this anger and violence that is simply not good in the long run. Yes, White makes him feel better and makes him want to live, but that's not healthy for their relationship. Because relationships cannot substitute therapy or make our mental health get magically better. They might help for a while, but how long will it be before you regress or get triggered and your trauma comes back full force?
