Taylor and Datoka convo season 4 ep 5 and 6
My apologies if this has already been brought up. I just rewatched Season 4, Episodes 5 and 6, specifically the conversation between Dakota and Taylor toward the end of Episode 5 and the beginning of Episode 6.
Even the first time I watched it, I felt like something was off. I didn’t really see Dakota trying to pick a fight or deliberately trigger Taylor, yet suddenly Taylor started crying, and Mikayla said she knew they were doomed the moment Dakota walked in. I found it odd but I didn’t think too much of it at the time.
However, after rewatching the scene, I’m seeing it in a completely different light.
Let me put this out there first - I don’t like Dakota, nor do I agree with many of his choices. But during that particular conversation, I saw someone who was at least trying to have a proper conversation with Taylor and figure out how they could move forward. Meanwhile, Taylor kept bringing up things Dakota had done in the past.
Yes, Dakota needed to change, and Taylor had every right to be hurt by what he had done. But in that specific conversation, I felt like Taylor became extremely emotional on her own. She started crying and saying that nobody listened to her, yet she barely gave Dakota the opportunity to explain what was on his mind. It suddenly became about her not being heard, while she wasn’t really listening to him either.
Edit: there’re some people think that I implied that Dakota cheated on Taylor which is not what I’m trying to say at all.
I’ve had my own experience with a partner cheating on me, so I understand how intense those emotions can be even thought that’s not the case for Taylor as much as she thinks she is entitled to that emotion because Dakota never cheated on her. I’ve been angry, I’ve lashed out, and I’ve needed time to cool down. But eventually, if you decide to continue the relationship, there has to be a point where both people are able to communicate about what happens next. At the time this conversation was filmed, Dakota “cheating” with a family friend had presumably happened months earlier. If Taylor had decided to continue sleep with him, I don’t think every attempt to discuss moving forward could keep turning into the same argument about the past. She’s 30+ years old, she should know better to get a hold of her emotions and discuss calmly instead of just crying out loud like a child.
As for Mikayla saying she knew they were “doomed” the moment Dakota walked in, that felt very biased to me. Mikayla had also watched Taylor repeatedly go back to Dakota. I even recall Taylor saying she didn’t want to tell Mayci certain things because she didn’t want to hear what was “right.” To me, that says something about how Taylor views her friendships. Sometimes it seems like she doesn’t actually want advice or a different perspective at all. All she wants is someone to validate what she already feels.
I like Mikayla, and I’ve actually supported a lot of what she’s been doing recently. But I don’t think it’s fair to automatically attribute Taylor’s emotional reaction in that scene to Dakota simply because Dakota has behaved badly in the past.
Dakota didn’t make Taylor cry in that conversation. Taylor became emotional because of what she was feeling and what their history represented to her. Those feelings are completely valid, but that’s different from saying Dakota caused that particular reaction through his behavior in that moment.
Taylor repeatedly said that she didn’t feel heard, but after rewatching the scene, my biggest takeaway was, was taylor willing to listen to anyone at all?
With Dakota being with Shinia now. I wouldn’t make that choice if I was one of them but it seems like they worked it out. I don’t know but to me it feels like a somewhat of a more mature relationship.
I don’t know.. what do you guys think?