The moment it was revealed that the (supposed) rapist was the son's friend, I knew what the story was going to be. And I was right. Well... until the end. Didn't expect the mother to throw her son under the bus like that. My god, that's one fucked up mother.
A 15 year-old boy in 2017 would not take or have Polaroids. Lol. They would be pictures on a phone.
Shout by hannahBlockedParent2022-03-04T06:02:50Z
this episode aired when i was first trying to cut ties with a malignant narcissist parent but didn't understand that was what her problem was, and it's pretty telling that the rewatch years later is when i fully comprehend this episode. it does a good job of encapsulating just how absolutely self-absorbed people like this are, and the lengths they go to to maintain what little self-image they have.
for anyone else who's known a person like this, benson says something really important near the end to the son: it's not your job to sacrifice your life for that person's. the crazy thing is just how completely ingrained that belief can be, and how long it takes to unlearn.
the acting in this was too notch, too. also—buchanan, continuing to represent literally the worst people alive!