Quote Originally Posted by Ionathus View Post
I've had this back-and-forth feeling about Haley & Elan's dynamic before: it's fun to have a fictional relationship where the guy is the complete ditz but still romantic, empathetic, and competent (in his own ways). However, some of the jokes of Haley managing Elan's behavior do read as very maternal, especially that exchange when he'd been lured away by Sunny which verged on feeling almost icky for me. I think their dynamic is at its strongest in scenes like bartering in Sandsedge, where they're both acting like adults but Elan simply has much lower savvy.

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The vast majority of married couples I know treat each other with mutual respect.
I don't see Haley as disrespectful, nor an unhealthy dynamic necessarily. Elan is childish in intellectual matters, with intelligence being his dump stat. His growth story arc focused on learning how to manage his emotions, gaining wisdom and behaving as an adult in his family and couple relationships. That's a good basis for a healthy relationship, if that means she has to handle matters that require brain power.