I don't think anything about how the LA arc impacted BJ was dealt with well in canon.
I don't find it at all surprising after the way Justin jumped at the offer without even discussing it with Brian (who I'm sure had his cell with him in Toronto) that Brian lost a lot of faith in their "partnership". That is NOT how partners behave. So after that I think that Brian kind of felt that he was a stop-gap for Justin and Justin would be out of there without a backwards glance if anything better came along.
And I don't think that the cancelling of the film and the devastating effect that must have had on Justin's hopes was dealt with well either. Because I think that it played in to how he was after he got back - he wanted Brian to make it worth his while that he lost the Hollywood opportunity. And that's not really a reasonable demand to make. It's almost like he was punishing Brian for the film falling through. Not consciously, but in the way that he behaved. It was as if he was subconsciously thinking "I gave up Hollywood for you, so you better give me what I want to make up for it".
Of course, one huge problem with that was that he didn't give up Hollywood for Brian. Just the opposite. So there were immense problems as a result.
But none of this was really dealt with, really explored, so Justin came across as ... well, really, not a very nice character at all in S5, if you want my opinion. He blamed Brian for getting sick, he showed not a shred of empathy or compassion when Brian was going through a very real crisis of identity over the ageing thing, he pouted and walked out when he didn't get promises of picket fences, etc when he wanted them and then when they were offered, he threw them all away anyway because something more interesting had come along. I'm not saying Brian was guiltless or perfect. But I do think that he was dealing with someone who was not being honest even with himself, and who was operating right through S5 from almost entirely self-centred motives. Not once did what Brian wanted count with Justin if it in any way ran counter to what he wanted at that moment. And, once again, what he wanted changed from episode to episode so that it was almost impossible to keep up with the changes. (Sybil!Justin strikes again.)
Sorry, don't know what started me on that rant. Just that the whole LA arc really got to me.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 20/9/12 03:48 am (UTC)I don't find it at all surprising after the way Justin jumped at the offer without even discussing it with Brian (who I'm sure had his cell with him in Toronto) that Brian lost a lot of faith in their "partnership". That is NOT how partners behave. So after that I think that Brian kind of felt that he was a stop-gap for Justin and Justin would be out of there without a backwards glance if anything better came along.
And I don't think that the cancelling of the film and the devastating effect that must have had on Justin's hopes was dealt with well either. Because I think that it played in to how he was after he got back - he wanted Brian to make it worth his while that he lost the Hollywood opportunity. And that's not really a reasonable demand to make. It's almost like he was punishing Brian for the film falling through. Not consciously, but in the way that he behaved. It was as if he was subconsciously thinking "I gave up Hollywood for you, so you better give me what I want to make up for it".
Of course, one huge problem with that was that he didn't give up Hollywood for Brian. Just the opposite. So there were immense problems as a result.
But none of this was really dealt with, really explored, so Justin came across as ... well, really, not a very nice character at all in S5, if you want my opinion. He blamed Brian for getting sick, he showed not a shred of empathy or compassion when Brian was going through a very real crisis of identity over the ageing thing, he pouted and walked out when he didn't get promises of picket fences, etc when he wanted them and then when they were offered, he threw them all away anyway because something more interesting had come along. I'm not saying Brian was guiltless or perfect. But I do think that he was dealing with someone who was not being honest even with himself, and who was operating right through S5 from almost entirely self-centred motives. Not once did what Brian wanted count with Justin if it in any way ran counter to what he wanted at that moment. And, once again, what he wanted changed from episode to episode so that it was almost impossible to keep up with the changes. (Sybil!Justin strikes again.)
Sorry, don't know what started me on that rant. Just that the whole LA arc really got to me.