After introducing us to the world through Fraser’s eyes on We Are Who Are Season 1 Episode 1, it was Caitlin’s turn on We Are Who We Are Season 1 Episode 2.
Caitlin is struggling with who she is and is still trying to find herself in the world. At 14 years old, she doesn’t have much life experience, but she has the drive to do what makes her happy.
The other perspective on what looked to be a sex scene with Sam from the premiere showed Caitlin to be uninterested in Sam and feeling like she had done something wrong by cutting the encounter short.
In essence, Caitlin’s struggle is that she is unhappy with her appearance. We’re starting to peel back the layers on why her relationship with her father is so solid as opposed to the relationship with her mother.
Caitlin’s father understands her on a level nobody else does, and she feels like she is herself when she’s out working and helping to make money.
Whether Caitlin has confided in her father, I don’t know, but their relationship appears to be built on a solid a foundation, which could bode well if she does open up to him.
Having her first period was obviously an emotional situation, primarily because it was something she had never experienced before.
But she tried to put on a brave face in front of her friends before burying the blood in the sand and making sure to pat it down.
It was as though she was burying her feminity because it frightened her — or because she didn’t want it to be a part of her life.
I’m also unsure about whether she actually likes Sam or if it’s easy for her to be in a heterosexual relationship so that people don’t ask questions.
Caitlin dressing up in baggy clothing, hiding her hair under a hat, and identifying as Harper suggests to me that she wants to identify as male.
The baggy clothing appears to be a comfort blanket for her, and she mostly wears it when she is leaving the compound.
Her mother did pick up on it on the series premiere, and I appreciated the way Caitlin bit back at Fraser.
Fraser’s pursuit of Caitlin was bizarre. He tried to take a photo or video of her when she was reading in class, pursued her out of class and into the restaurant.
Caitlin felt uncomfortable, but she also failed to understand what it meant to be the new kid on the base.
My theory is that Fraser felt like he and Caitlin were similar in many aspects; they are both on a journey of self-discovery.
That Caitlin didn’t want anything to do with him initially wasn’t surprising because of the way he acted. His actions felt stalkerish, and Caitlin hardly had the best first impression of him.
All she wanted was to feel free and have some time away from the base, but instead, Fraser was watching her every move.
Even his insights on the matter were out there. The best thing I could take from their heated conversation was that he felt Caitlin was duping people by dressing up in such a way and changing her name.
Caitlin deserved an apology, but she did not want to accept it. There was nothing about Fraser that stuck out beyond the way he was needlessly watching everything she did.
Leaving the gift of a baggy polo shirt with Caitlin’s mother was Fraser’s way of apologizing, and it took some time for Caitlin to understand.
Did he really understand her, or was he merely sending gifts to avoid being called a stalker when he inevitably attends classes?
There is still so much we don’t know about both of these characters, but what I do know is that I’m intrigued by everything on display during the first two episodes.
Tonally, the second episode was different from the first, but the message continued to be about finding your place in the world, which harkens back to the series being a coming-of-age drama.
Fraser is a bit more of a closed book than Caitlin, but together, they will help each other discover who they are … at least, that’s what we’re being led to believe.
I’m unsure how Fraser will be able to be a part of Caitlin’s social circle because, beyond Britney, nobody really likes him.
He made little effort to make friends, and those first impressions will come back to bite him continually.
Going forward, he needs to be more open with people. He tends to zone out of scenarios and drift into the background, hinting at his unhappiness.
At least we have plenty of time to spend with all of the characters since we’re still at the beginning of We Are Who We Are Season 1..
Okay, TV Fanatics.
What did you think of Caitlin’s journey? Do you think Caitlin’s father knows everything? What are your thoughts on Fraser? Do you think his pursuit of Caitlin is unhealthy?
Hit the comments below.
We Are Who We Are continues Mondays at 10/9c on HBO.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.