Diksha Sundriyal
In Netflix’s ‘Leanne,’ the protagonist Leanne’s life falls apart after her decades-long marriage to Bill comes to an abrupt end when he reveals that he has fallen in love with his dentist. The show opens with her dealings with the aftermath of this breakup. Her sister, Carol, stands by her, consoling her for her loss, but also encouraging her to be enthusiastic for this new chapter of her life. While Leanne goes through ups and downs, Carol’s life also takes quite a tumble. By the end, however, things seem much more hopeful. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Pastor Tom Arrives in Carol’s Life Like a Breath of Fresh Air
For most of the season, Carol is consumed by her love for Dylan. At first, he seems like a perfect man for her, but then, it turns out that he is a criminal being chased by the FBI. The revelation about Dylan leaves Carol utterly heartbroken, because being with him made her think that she had finally found someone to settle down with. When he goes out of the picture, she tells herself that perhaps she was meant to be single. Just as she accepts this possibility, she and Leanne get in a minor accident. The close brush with death makes them reconsider their life choices, and Carol, especially, decides to change her ways.
Before the accident, Carol had been entirely free-spirited, with little to no filter on her words and feelings. She wasn’t much religious either, but the near-death experience leads her to reconsider her relationship with God, and to delve deeper into this, she decides to talk to the pastor of the church that her family has attended for many years. Carol knows the pastor and feels that she would be comfortable talking to him, so imagine her surprise when she finds someone else in his office. It turns out that the old pastor has some health issues, so he is on a sabbatical, and a substitute preacher has been sent in his stead. This is Pastor Tom.
Being used to a certain type of pastor, Carol is surprised to see how bubbly and happy-go-lucky the new pastor is. He makes jokes and puns and enjoys them himself, even if the other person doesn’t. His energy is infectious, and it doesn’t escape Carol’s attention that he is also handsome and around the same age bracket as hers. The next day, when she attends his first sermon, he exhibits the same energy, and this time, she even laughs at his joke about being a substitute preacher. But this is not their last interaction. Being comfortable talking about her feelings, Carol visits the pastor in his office again.
Carol and Pastor Tom’s Crackling Chemistry Points to a Potential Romance
One of the things that quickly stands out in Carol and Pastor Tom’s interaction is the chemistry between them. They could be set for the trope of “opposites attract” because, with Carol being the grumpy one and Tom being the ball of sunshine, it seems unbearable at first. It must also be noted that he is the exact opposite of the guys that Carol has dated so far. She admits that all of her relationships have been a series of bad decisions, where despite the red flags waving in her face, she ignored everything because she thought she was in love. She was about to make the same mistake with Dylan and was ready to be his “prison wife.” This is why being with Pastor Tom would be something entirely new and, to be honest, healthy for her.
So far, their interactions have been pretty limited, but sparks already seem to fly between them, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the next season focuses on developing their romance. Of course, as hopeful as it seems for Carol, the romance wouldn’t be without challenges. So far, we have no idea about Pastor Tom’s personal life, which would be a huge factor in deciding which direction their potential relationship heads. However, considering that Carol has vowed to become a better person and is already making concerted efforts in that direction means that Pastor Tom’s influence could be great for her.
It would be a huge learning curve for her, as well as for the pastor, who would be introduced to new sides of Carol and learn a few things of his own. At the end of the day, pairing Carol with Pastor Tom would be incredible from the point of view of plot and, more especially, character development. Carol’s life needs a much-needed makeover. She is long overdue for a significant shift in the way she has lived so far, especially when it comes to her romantic life, and Pastor Tom would be a great way to explore her journey forward.
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