'We Are Who We Are' Episode 3 Preview: Fraser tells Caitlin they are 'never going to kiss' despite their bond
There was a slow unfolding of the spaces inhabited by Fraser and Caitlin, including a glimpse into their family dynamics and how they present themselves to the world in general. Episode 3 sees their worlds collide as they become better acquainted and bond with each other. We see both of them go off on their own, from a boat ride into nowhere where Caitlin asks Fraser all kinds of questions, from why he reads poetry to whether he has never kissed anybody to adventures in the seaside town around the base.
Their bond is so evident that Caitlin's friend and classmate, Britney, who has a bit of a crush on Fraser asks her if they are a "thing now". When Caitlin tells Fraser that everybody thinks they are dating and asks if that bothers him, he tells her that they are "never going to kiss". These words reveal that Fraser thinks of their connection as more than a mundane hormone-fuelled bond, but rather something deeper and soul-affirming.
For Fraser, lost in the army base that has been made to look like America, this bond is a precious one since he seems to be adjusting to the loss of another close friend Mark, that he left behind in New York. In the trailer, we don't seem to get what Caitlin thinks of Fraser or their friendship, but she seems to be content to be with him. We see them, their heads together, lying down as they stare at the sky.
In the advance pictures released for the episode, we also see that Caitlin joins Sarah, Maggie, and Fraser for dinner. Sarah, as usual, takes command of the room and all the attention. Given the existing dynamic with Fraser, it will be interesting to see his reaction to Caitlin getting to know Sarah. How will this affect the family dynamic and what will Caitlin's father Richard have to say about the influence of these two women on his precious daughter's life?
While episode 3 will center around the developing relationship between Fraser and Caitlin, we will also see how the other kids react to the "new kid" aka Fraser. In the trailer, it is shown that he is not afraid to show off his intellect and unconventional thoughts. In one sequence, he holds forth gender binaries and how limiting they are, while the other kids look at him, uncomprehendingly. It is evident why Caitlin keeps her gender experiments to herself and behaves normally around the others.
But Fraser, with his eccentric energy, has the potential to disrupt the balance of the group. Fraser will also likely attract the anger of Sam, Caitlin's boyfriend, who is not on the same mental level as Caitlin but is smitten by her. The trailer also shows two unlikely people bonding over their roles as spouses of their dominant partners -- Maggie and Jenny. Jenny asks Maggie why she never considered having her own child (since Fraser is Sarah's biological son), and Maggie counters her asking her if she ever had anything of her own that was not connected to Richard. It is interesting to note that both of them have fallen upon the same dynamics in their respective marriages, despite one being a cookie-cutter heterosexual partnership and the other, a supposedly alternate, same-sex union.
'We are Who We are' Episode 3 will air on September 28 on HBO at 10 pm ET.
