Diksha Sundriyal
Hulu’s ‘Saint X’ follows the story of two people whose lives are changed after a death whose mystery is never solved. Emily Thomas has been haunted by the death of her sister, Alison Thomas, for the past two decades. Because the murder was never solved and the circumstances surrounding Alison’s death never came to light, Emily has struggled to get closure on the matter. She gets that chance when she crosses paths with Clive Richardson.
Clive was one of the suspects in Alison’s death. Even though he was never found guilty, many people, including Alison’s family, believed he had a part to play in it. The flashbacks reveal the complications in his relationship during the week Alison spends with her family in Saint X. Ultimately, his friendship with Edwin becomes one of the central things to impact how everything turns out with Alison. If you want to know more about their relationship and whether they end up together, we’ve got you covered. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Edwin’s Unspoken Love for Clive
Edwin had been in love with Clive since they were children. Because homosexuality was not accepted in their world, Edwin kept his feelings about his best friend to himself. To others, he was a charming boy who flirted with every girl. Edwin carried this image to his job at the Indigo Bay resort, where he became popular for his friendly nature. Alison Thomas, too, fell for his charms and believed that they could have a connection. For Edwin, however, the only person that mattered was Clive.
When they were teenagers, Clive fell in love with Sarah. He wanted to be with her but was too shy to tell her how he felt. When they ended up sleeping together and Sarah got pregnant, Clive thought he could marry her and raise a family together. However, Sarah disagreed and decided to raise her son by herself while getting financial help from Clive. Still, he thought they would eventually sort things out and get married someday.
It isn’t until much later that Clive discovers Edwin was the reason Sarah didn’t marry him. He thought Edwin had feelings for Sarah, so he kept her from being with Clive. While this was a revelation, it was also confusing because, from how Edwin talked about Sarah, Clive thought he didn’t like her. He thought this might have been an act on Edwin’s part, but later, he discovers that Edwin didn’t have feelings for Sarah.
On the last night of Alison’s week-long vacation on Saint X, Edwin’s feelings about Clive come to light. Alison wants a threesome with them, so she makes them kiss. It is shocking and absurd for Clive because he never thought about Edwin that way. However, kissing him stirs something inside him. When Alison goes away, Edwin kisses Clive again, and Clive kisses him back. Edwin confesses his love for him, but before Clive can respond, Alison sees them, and they have to bench the conversation.
Now that his feelings were out in the open, Edwin thought he could finally be with Clive. He thinks about surprising him by taking him to New York, but then, he discovers that Alison has gone missing. He never gets to tell Clive about his plans, and they never get to discuss what that kiss meant. The investigation into Alison’s death leads to the discovery of drugs in Clive’s house, and he is sent to prison. When he comes back, he has nothing left in Saint X, so he leaves for New York.
For years, Clive harbors a grudge against Edwin for betraying him. He believes that they were punished for their “sin,” and none of the bad things would have happened if Edwin had not kissed him and had feelings for him. He is further enraged when he discovers that Edwin has married Sarah. However, none of this changes the fact that he has feelings for Edwin too. That night when Edwin kissed him, Clive kissed back, which surprised him because he’d never thought about Edwin like that before.
In the end, when Clive discovers that Edwin is terminally ill, he returns to Saint X to meet his friend. They talk and reminisce about their childhood and how things had been. They reconcile but don’t get to be together because Edwin dies soon after. Perhaps, if Alison had been alright, Clive and Edwin could have considered a future together. But they never got to explore that.
Read More: Is Saint X a Real Island? Is Indigo Bay a Real Resort?
