character minutiae: trent crimm
there exist these tiny and precise details interspersed throughout the show that, while seemingly effortless; clearly evidence deep focus and attention on the part of the writers towards making characters fully three-dimensional. this little exchange with trent is an excellent example. he chooses clarisse renaldi as his favorite julie andrews character: and it offers some immediate insight on his personality. clarisse is royalty, and as a character possesses inimitable poise and refinement, which would suit and appeal to trent's own elegance and sophistication. if you've seen the princess diaries, as i have — you'll also know that clarisse is willing to sacrifice her title so that her grand-daughter mia is able to marry the person she loves. when you think about how trent voluntarily admits to his newspaper/magazine that he revealed the anonymous source to ted himself and how he gets fired as a result — it shows an affinity with clarisse's readiness to renounce important things in order to live up to her beliefs — a trait that trent shares. they're both willing to break with tradition if it means staying true to their ideals. as trent says, he wants something "different. deeper." it's a throwaway, blink-and-you'll-miss-it exploration of trent's personality, and i think it was skillfully done.
another thing that is a work of pure genius is how trent begins to behave after he discovers that colin is gay. it's not blatant or obvious, but i believe that trent starts signaling to colin that he's a safe person to be honest with. he starts dressing in slightly more unconventional ways (the dolly parton shirt!) — he carries around a little rainbow mug, and when he sees colin at the gay bar in amsterdam, he remarks offhandedly that the LGBTQ(IA+) party "sounds like fun." without being overbearing and in a touchingly considerate manner, trent is gently telling colin in his own way: "it's okay. you're not alone. this is me, too."
even when he has to come out and outright say it to colin, trent never makes it about himself — he listens to colin. makes him feel heard. makes him feel safe. he wants to know how colin's handling it all. he gives him hope that it is possible to be openly gay, and unabashedly content with yourself and your own identity.
in earlier seasons, trent has a certain commitment to seeing the truth of things without bias that is quite lovely to watch. he very much does not like ted during their first few interactions — but that doesn't prevent him from observing how rare and inherently decent ted is as a person. his article is a form of grudging respect, to be sure — but just the fact that he gives it at all is immensely important. he's a genuine journalist — he witnesses what is real and reports on it with fairness. because ted is ted, of course he manages to win him over eventually — but trent deserves his due too.
the conversation that trent has with roy next to the shower stalls in s3 stood out to me, as well. i could write whole dissertations on ted lasso's textured exploration of what real masculinity should look like, and how men are trained to wound each other (and i don't just mean physically) through the platform of sport — and how important it is to counter that with generosity of spirit and empathy. ted lasso is about the softness and grace that men owe each other, both on and off the pitch. really think about the scene: this is a man who is gay, and who probably grew up being bullied for it — realizing that in another man's life, he was once the bully. it's a symbolic experience on how we contain the capacity for incredible kindness and incredible cruelty in equal amounts — and how the entirety of life is about learning to only lean into your gentler impulses. it's phenomenal writing — and a reminder to be careful with your words: to treat everyone you encounter, no matter who you are or who they are, or where they come from — with compassion and clarity.
trent is a wonderfully nuanced character and an absolute joy to watch on screen. writers are complex creatures — and since i happen to be one, to see trent depicted with so much warmth, humor and wisdom was truly heartening. i have infinite love for the effort that went into creating him — and every character on the show. 🖊🌈
there exist these tiny and precise details interspersed throughout the show that, while seemingly effortless; clearly evidence deep focus and attention on the part of the writers towards making characters fully three-dimensional. this little exchange with trent is an excellent example. he chooses clarisse renaldi as his favorite julie andrews character: and it offers some immediate insight on his personality. clarisse is royalty, and as a character possesses inimitable poise and refinement, which would suit and appeal to trent's own elegance and sophistication. if you've seen the princess diaries, as i have — you'll also know that clarisse is willing to sacrifice her title so that her grand-daughter mia is able to marry the person she loves. when you think about how trent voluntarily admits to his newspaper/magazine that he revealed the anonymous source to ted himself and how he gets fired as a result — it shows an affinity with clarisse's readiness to renounce important things in order to live up to her beliefs — a trait that trent shares. they're both willing to break with tradition if it means staying true to their ideals. as trent says, he wants something "different. deeper." it's a throwaway, blink-and-you'll-miss-it exploration of trent's personality, and i think it was skillfully done.
another thing that is a work of pure genius is how trent begins to behave after he discovers that colin is gay. it's not blatant or obvious, but i believe that trent starts signaling to colin that he's a safe person to be honest with. he starts dressing in slightly more unconventional ways (the dolly parton shirt!) — he carries around a little rainbow mug, and when he sees colin at the gay bar in amsterdam, he remarks offhandedly that the LGBTQ(IA+) party "sounds like fun." without being overbearing and in a touchingly considerate manner, trent is gently telling colin in his own way: "it's okay. you're not alone. this is me, too."
even when he has to come out and outright say it to colin, trent never makes it about himself — he listens to colin. makes him feel heard. makes him feel safe. he wants to know how colin's handling it all. he gives him hope that it is possible to be openly gay, and unabashedly content with yourself and your own identity.
in earlier seasons, trent has a certain commitment to seeing the truth of things without bias that is quite lovely to watch. he very much does not like ted during their first few interactions — but that doesn't prevent him from observing how rare and inherently decent ted is as a person. his article is a form of grudging respect, to be sure — but just the fact that he gives it at all is immensely important. he's a genuine journalist — he witnesses what is real and reports on it with fairness. because ted is ted, of course he manages to win him over eventually — but trent deserves his due too.
the conversation that trent has with roy next to the shower stalls in s3 stood out to me, as well. i could write whole dissertations on ted lasso's textured exploration of what real masculinity should look like, and how men are trained to wound each other (and i don't just mean physically) through the platform of sport — and how important it is to counter that with generosity of spirit and empathy. ted lasso is about the softness and grace that men owe each other, both on and off the pitch. really think about the scene: this is a man who is gay, and who probably grew up being bullied for it — realizing that in another man's life, he was once the bully. it's a symbolic experience on how we contain the capacity for incredible kindness and incredible cruelty in equal amounts — and how the entirety of life is about learning to only lean into your gentler impulses. it's phenomenal writing — and a reminder to be careful with your words: to treat everyone you encounter, no matter who you are or who they are, or where they come from — with compassion and clarity.
trent is a wonderfully nuanced character and an absolute joy to watch on screen. writers are complex creatures — and since i happen to be one, to see trent depicted with so much warmth, humor and wisdom was truly heartening. i have infinite love for the effort that went into creating him — and every character on the show. 🖊🌈