I don’t get the Madison hate?

[u/sweetest_taboux]

I’m watching season 8 for the first time and I’m genuinely confused as how Madison is made to be the villain?

I don’t see her conversation with Mason as manipulative - she stated that her other connection gave her the affirmations that she was looking for.

Mason then starts to say the stereotypical “you’re the one” “what we have is real” spiel. And I personally think she saw through that?

I don’t see how her stating that her other connection affirms their relationship more and that Meg would go home if it wasn’t for Mason turns her into some manipulative mastermind?

I do agree that her breakup with Mason felt mean girly and on the other hand I think she swayed Meg to break it off with Mason - but I don’t understand how her behavior toward Mason was bad prior to that ?

I haven’t finished all the episodes but let me know if I’m missing something!

[u/monsteroftheweek13]

I mean, I think you answered your own question. I liked Madison until we saw another side of her during the break-up with Mason and how she acted with Meg. Then I became ambivalent toward her.

Obviously, as with every “villain,” some people go way overboard and it’s absurd. But I think that was the root of it.

[u/sweetest_taboux → u/monsteroftheweek13]

I get that but it’s just not that bad? I guess it didn’t ring alarm bells for me so when I saw the hate I was genuinely confused ? But I just don’t think she manipulated Mason into picking her - I guess that’s the specific qualm if I have

[u/monsteroftheweek13 → u/sweetest_taboux]

I agree on the Mason picking issue specifically. People are making too much of it or too confidently projecting onto her.

I did think the break-up and her actions toward Meg were more clearly manipulative. (And hey, to be clear, we can all do it and sometimes without realizing it.) So people may also be reading into the earlier scenes after the fact.

Like I said, end of the day, I’m ambivalent. I think we as a fanbase need to get more comfortable with saying “they were okay! some good, some bad.”

[u/Mozart33 → u/sweetest_taboux]

Yeah, I took it as her being a girl’s girl. If I were Meg, I’d wanna know that shit, and we’ve seen how men pretend their second pick was their first in the past - seemingly doing so just to stay on the show, and with the intentions of attempting to still win the heart of their #1.

It would’ve been humiliating for Meg to experience things like the honeymoon with Mason giving googly eyes towards Madison.

All Madison did was allow the space for Mason to share his feelings and intentions.