what gets me about “kiss my ass you sanctimonious bastard” is that a lot of fanon has portrayed it as this grand moment with like, merle yelling it heroically. but to me it was a resignation. it was merle giving up on a guy he hoped he could reach. it’s a moment of “yeah well. i was hoping this could work out. i’d hoped we could be friends. but there’s nothing i can do here bc you’re choosing to be an asshole and refuse to come out of your own black hole of negativity that you built yourself here.” it’s a moment of acknowledging that this person you wanted to help is bringing you both down with their wilfully toxic behavior and though it’s a pity, you have to cut your losses and get out of that fucked-up one-sided friendship. and that’s way more poignant to me than yet another heroic yelling moment