samamakhalid:

I think there was a missed opportunity at some critically needed character growth for Melanie with the scene in the tunnels where she beats Jon not five minutes after offering to help because his panic attack overwhelmed her. Instead of landing on a comedy note of tiny woman hitting a grown man and him just taking it on the chin, Jon had every reason to break further down into another “don’t touch me!” moment like he did in his final confrontation against Helen. I wanted to see Melanie challenged with the direct consequences of actions she can’t deflect because her harm has the aptitude to be tangible and deeply felt beyond her capacity to fix with an apology. She kind of starts to round that corner during the final 199 discussion when she admits the apocalypse is all their faults, but justifying her treatment of jon is such a key throughline of her damaged self image that ignoring her worst actions means likewise curtailing her most meaningful development. She doesn’t have to become the president of Jon’s fanclub, but she does have to be confronted with the ramifications of her worst moments for her journey to be a journey.