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'Lovecraft Country' Episode 5: Christina and Ruby are 'canon', excited fans say after shapeshifting reveal

What has gotten fans into shipping Ruby and Christina in such a frenzy? Is it even right? A whole lot to unpack

Spoilers for 'Lovecraft Country' Episode 5: Strange Case

It's almost like 'White Chicks', but not entirely 'White Chicks'. Instead, it is Ruby Baptiste (Wunmi Mosaku) who shapeshifts into a White woman courtesy William Braithwaite's (Jordan Patrick Smith) magic and gets to enjoy a day in privileged shoes. In the end, however, it is revealed that she wasn't the only person consuming that shapeshifting potion. Turns out William never existed and it had been his sister Christina Braithwhite (Abbey Lee) all along. But it is the final conversation between Ruby and Christina that has given hope to fans. They think the two would make a solid couple, arguably 'canon' that too at that. 

William's magic allows Ruby to walk into a store and get a job she had been waitlisted for months as a Black woman. She eats ice cream, sits in the park without being harassed and flaunts 'Whiteness' as the only currency she needs throughout the day. But there's only so much bias and racism she can tolerate in the name of being a good employee, so Ruby decides to exact revenge on her boss by seducing him as a White woman and shoving the stem of her high-heeled shoes up his butt, before shedding her skin - as is customary - all over him. It's all sorts of gory and perverse and in channeling life as a White woman Ruby becomes the most monstrous she has been. What she does is to pay back her boss for sexually assaulting the only Black employee the store has but there's no denying that something in Ruby has been awakened and won't fizzle out for a while.

After a long hard day of facing life from the flipside, Ruby realizes there is no getting out of this cesspool and decides to confront William about it. This is where she learns the whole truth behind William's identity as Christina too goes through the same skin shedding to reveal her true self. Christina justifies her action as ambition in trying to make it to the top in a man's world. She plays the 'I'm a woman, I know your struggles card' but Ruby sees right through her bullsh*t and reminds her that being a Black woman was a whole other ballgame. All through the episode, William and later Christina promises Ruby to keep supplying her with the magic provided she does a favor. And while it remains to see how any of that will pan out, fans believe the two should continue the steamy fling they had so far.

Taking it to Twitter, fans shared "There's a lot to unpack in tonight's #LoveCraftCountry ep (which was f**king great), but I'm just coming here to say: They are a couple. That's canon." Another fan wrote: "I feel like christina sleeping with ruby was part of her own secret plan." A third fan also expressed heavy interest in a Ruby and Christina steam-sesh, expecting one soon to come. "I predict a lesbian scene between Ruby and Christina in the near future."

Another fan got curious if they were the only ones so heavily invested in the budding relationship. "Is it weird that I kind of ship Christina and Ruby? Just let them take over and run the world together," they wrote. Yet in amid the sea of fawning fans was the disturbing reminder of Ruby being somewhat deceived into having sex with a stranger.  "So, are they going to address the fact that Christina technically raped Ruby? Ruby consented to sex with William," asked a fan, pointing out the same. That's a game-changer for the ship, and as a fan pointed out: 

'Lovecraft Country' airs on Sundays at 9 pm only on HBO.