favorite argument: 6x02, specifically:

but also this one was intense too, so basically just this entire episode tbh 🙃

Another point at which I’d like to point out the minuscule changes in Upstead’s expressions (& give more props to Trasse duh), because I think it’s interesting to see.

Like in the first two photos, they’re mad, clearly you can see that. Hailey had just yelled at Jay to give her the keys & that she was done being his punching bag (🥺), and he was feeling betrayed that he was brought out there under false pretenses where he wasn’t gonna be able help now without a car or police radio.

In the second two, Hailey had just raised her voice & told Jay to GIVE HER THE DAMN KEYS, so he did. You can kind of see that while he’s doing that, his expression softened the tiniest bit. I feel like it’s because it finally hit him...what he had to said to Hailey, I mean. Cause if you watch the video clip (I’ll leave the link below), you see the slightest shake of his head, like he’s in disbelief that 1) this is happening & 2) that he and Hailey are still at odds. At least that’s what I think was going through his head.

full clip ⬇️

For Hailey, on the first one, she was pissed as hell that Jay was acting like that towards her (can’t say I blame her). Then in the second one, you can see a tiny change too, she’s kinda looking at him like: “Wow it’s really come to this? Okay....” all glum about it. Because she knew Jay was hurting, but she also knew that his comment hurt her too. And so I think she too was overwhelmed with their fight & that she was still “on the outs” with her partner.

So in a way, Jay’s later admission of “Hailey I couldn’t stop myself” was not only to running down the shooter, but also for what he said to her, IMO. I feel like he realized what he said was wrong in that moment...but he still had a lot of other emotions swirling inside him to deal with. Plus Hailey had to go off with Voight to work the case so the timing was off.

Could he have said sorry? Yeah, he should’ve. But I feel like he kinda did, in his own Jay way, of course. Because obviously you can tell how affected/moved he is by Hailey’s abuse story. 7x16 is the prime example of that. ⬇️

I still think the scene in 6x02 is important, because even partners can make mistakes & say things they don’t really mean out of anger & whatnot. Thankfully, Jay has grown a lot since then, & grown a lot closer with Hailey. Here’s hoping she can fully open up to him in s8 a la 5x18 style (although Jay’s face in 7x16 of 🥺 at Hailey’s story...I need that to happen again too because he cares about her SO MUCH it kills him to hear her pain, but he also knows she needs to talk it out because it’s the “thing that works” between them).

PS: Tracy and Jesse both looked absolutely FLAWLESS in the fight scene from 6x02 like oh my god 🔥🙌 one of their best looks that’s all 😍🤤