vineta

Part 2

Ohh I'm obsessed with Marty's fingering story too !  You're 100% right about his sexual psychology. I can't help imagining he used to let other girlfriends finger him in ass and that could be his repressed need of gay sex. 

And yes, I agree with you that he's a quite terrible husband. He's obviously lack of respect for women when getting along with them (think what he does to Lisa ), which may be a problem from his education and surroundings. He takes it for granted a man should have a family but never understands the meaning of it. And I think in the late years of their marriage, Hart's family is losing its bond and turning into a shell. Marty is obviously excluded from his wife and daughters and out of their life for long. His reaction to Audrey's behavior is some projection of the guilt of himself. 

Digress a little,  I remember seeing some conspiracy theory that Audrey could be the victim of sexual assault in her childhood
(https://hieroglyphicsqiosang.tumblr.com/post/184027868252/gutterinouterspace-sybilius-i-just)
- I never take it seriously but considering her unstable mental state and hypersexuality behaviors, if there's a slice of possibility...that'll be disaster for all the Hart's family. 

And thank you for introducing nic's comment! " how do you love within the necessities of life and the roles you have to play? " That's so beautiful and really makes sense. Actually, it's the ultimate problem for both Rust and Marty - how to love adequately - to others and themselves. That is the ever lasting theme of good stories. ( And yes ! I'm so glad that Nic and Cary entitled their relationship of multiple meanings so we can free our imagination : )

Also this reminds me of some interesting theory I saw in the TD discord forum - that in the end of the show, Rust and Marty finally get out of their masculine ideology  (by violence - killing Childress and badly hurt)and have a rebirth and catharsis . ( I'm afraid I haven't quite caught the meaning of the theory yet but I suppose "the relinquish of his masculinity ideology "means 
putting down the walls and yielding themselves to love ?)

Yes Marty is definitely the victim of the toxic masculinity. As the post says, he has a covered sensibility and softness, which enables him to understand Rust instinctively (though he often hides it behind the facade of rudeness and neglect) . ( Actually I've just seen an old movie of Woody, the Cowboy Way in 1994, in which Woody is a reckless cowboy from new Mexico. That could be a caricature of the boys like young Marty. ) 

Thank you for interpreting Ben Woodard's comment ! I always thought Rust doesn't have so much masculinity obsession as Marty, but now I realize he may be the same, but showing in other ways. That's the common ground of he and Marty(given the fact that they both have a veteran father) , so they're on the same page in some sense. 

Oh the reunion scene in the bar, I can say it's one of my favorite scenes of the show (with Juice Newtons' songs). There's so much emotions underneath between the  two. I so much agree with your analysis of Marty's thoughts. He has such a turbulence in his mind -  Instead of condemning Rust of the fight in 2002, he firstly comes out with "you alienate every other person in your life, and finally came back to me" - that's some of the TRUTH inside Marty, that what had hurt him MOST is to be alienated by Rust for so long. And Rust seems so intense and desperate here, because Marty is his last hope of going on with this case after the interview with the FBIs, and he's not sure if Marty would agree to help him. He's almost crying when Marty's going to leave... But fortunately Marty only acts for a second then gives in to Rust. It's a decisive moment for both of them - Marty finally decides to give up his futile pride and does the right thing, and Rust finds back the bonds between them. And yes, I so love your  interpretation that Rust knows Marty so well and Marty enjoys being led by Rust: )They soon find their old tunes and cooperate with each other naturally. 
(I think Marty will fail to sleep at the night, 
I'd like to imagine what he'll feel after the day, of Rust's been back and what they'll do...
and here comes another question - do they know the FBIs has inquested each other ? I can't help imagining Rust may secretly stalk Marty several times before deciding to meet him. )

Oh you know I like angle in the morning very much . "And if we're victims of the night
I won't be blinded by the light " this brings so much vibe of Rust and Marty after Carcosa~ I believe you that they chose the songs on purpose - they even give a special shot to the album!  I never listened to them carefully before, so I searched Juice Newtons's songs you mentioned...ahh they kill me to fit Rust and Marty in .
"I'd be headin' for a heartache
Headin' down a dead end road" - that's definitely what Marty is doing now with Rust. 
"The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)" is a perfct love song of them after Carcosa! 
and "Ride 'em Cowboy" definitely older Marty recalling his younger years as a cowboy. (just think he humming this while driving and Rust will squint at him: )

So Marty and Maggie are together in 19? I don't remember this but I guess Marty meets Maggie in the college, he dates some girlfriends and has several romances then, Maggie is one of them. .. And as to Marty's father, I think he's the origin of Marty's masculinity obsession. I have a weird headcanon that he used corporal punishment to little Marty in his childhood (spanking by hand or by belt ), and Marty may have a issue of that when he grows up. ( I can't help imagining a weird kink that Marty enjoys being spanked by Rust for punishment...and In fact there's a fic in Chinese by my friend about that. )

Yes I love that scene of EP7 too ! And I totally agree that they're almost asking "do you come back(quit your job) because of me?" in a implicit way. This, and the way they awkwardly ask about the private life of each other is my favorite part. In fact, it's most fascinating to see the two trying to get close, step by step, to explore the truth of each other and what lies between them. 
It's interesting that it's Rust who initiates the private questions, such as why you quit your job and are you seeing anyone, and in the first time he talks about himself - he'd wished to be an artist, and so on. This is a remarkable change, if I can say - Rust shows his will to improve their relationship,  from simple working colleagues to something more sincere and complicated.  (  I think the "toxic masculinity "also poisoned their friendship in 2002, but now, they have grown out of that and cling to what they really need. It's a positive change for both of them. )

Another impressive thing in Ep7 is when Rust says "my life has been a circle of violence and degradation,  I'm ready to tie it off", Marty is probably aware of Rust's intention of end himself in Carcosa. If this happened ten years ago he would just like "stop this shit Rust ",  but now he just keeps silent - He doesn't stop Rust, but follows him to the end .

Another place is when Marty goes to Maggie's to say goodbye, he's so nervous sitting there in her big house and they talk in such a polite and cautious way as strangers. And Marty seems so painful when asking if she's met with Rust - he's still so hurt from the shit ten years ago. When he leaves without explanation Maggie must feels the familiar sense of powerlessness - she's excluded from the men's world again, like before. 

Oh thank you for following my twitter ! But I'm afraid there's quite a few silly stuff on it.  and I like you said Rust can't close the chapter - I believe the broken taillight is a reminder of Rust for what he can't leave aside,  something he must keep to link himself with Marty. 

Yes I'm so glad to see Rust drive Maggie out of the bar. As I think, Maggie may always have a possessiveness of Marty, and enjoys the sense of controling him even after the divorce. When Marty says goodbye to her (a REAL goodbye this time) it may be the first time she feels really lose him. ( Actually, Maggie is the character who disgusts me most in recent yeas...(sorry )
I can condemn her for a whole day of what she has done, but I don't want to waste our time here. )

Oh yes I agree with your idea of the final scenes ! There's definitely some metaphorical sense in Rust's white shirt - sacrifice and purity, even some divinity. ( I think in Childress' delusion Rust is a sacrifice and "bride" for the yellow king. I even suspect he did all the new murders to lure Rust here. ) But the image (bride ) so fits into  what happens later , when Rust and Marty talk about"proposal "and the ring box (and Marty literally kneels with one knee the whole time of the scene : ) and what's more, there's a eloping later. 
I think it is quite reasonable that Marty triggers Rust of his memory of near death. In my opinion, Rust is far from frigid or numb of emotion and affection (though he tries to disguise himself like that ),  and he's been alienated himself for so long. I believe in the parking lot Marty is the first one showing careness and closeness to him, and Rust is quite sensitive to all of this - in other words, the love from Marty brings out his memory of being loved, though it has been lost for so long.
(and I have a further speculation that the epiphany in the dark implies Rust feels the ability to love again - it's been too long he has lost it, for guilt and regret, but now he may find it back. )

And I love Deluge too ! Actually I've translated it into Chinese so I still remember a lot. The Rust and Marty there are quite in character and there's so much fascinating dynamic in their dialogue. I love all the fics you mentioned too, and I guess you might like Dienda's TD fics (my favorite is "And the home of wolf shall be my home ",  so poetic and beautiful ), and Desolation Angles ( so, so delicate and touching that makes me cry ), Imbolc,  and Dusk (it's an unfinished story but I like the scene Rust and Marty in a lonely lighthouse ). 

To my personal (weird )taste, I love" Half-said but Wholly Intended "very much. It's an explicit (or even smutty) fic but quite interesting. In 95 Rust talks about Foucault's theory of sexual psychology,  and then puts it into practice with Marty in bed. It's such an intriguing exploration into the repressed desire deep inside the two for each other. In fact my personal favorite are hadaly's TD fics. He used to post some TD fics on ao3 and I've translated nearly all of them, but last year he vanished from ao3 and deleted all his works. (fortunately I saved all his TD fics ). His fics are mainly around 95, when Marty still lives in Rust's and they keep a unsteady physical relationship. In hadaly's fics the sexual tension between Rust and Marty is so strong it's almost like electricity in air. It's a unique insight of the complexities of their characters and the perplexing relationship between them. (if you have interest, I can share the fics with you. )