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A comprehensive list as to why I think Carmy x Claire shouldn’t be together:
It took Carmy a good 10 seconds to remember Claire’s name at the store
Carmy originally gave her a fake number, so she hunted down Fak to get his real one
Claire had to make him repeat his real number to her even though he looked like he was fighting for his life to not hang up the phone
Their dates weren’t dates, they we’re running errands and not the sweet “I love doing mundane stuff with you kind” the “my cars not working so I need a ride kind”
When they attended the house party Carmy was clearly uncomfortable and quite literally pretended to be someone else the entire time (Logan)
Mikey and Richie pressuring Carmy about Claire in fishes even though he clearly just wants them stop and let it go
THE PANIC ATTACK SCENE, Carmy trying to his damndest to picture Claire to help himself calm down but it’s not working and the moment he pictures Syd he can breathe again
They had brief crush on each other in high school and nothing more, they were never close friends if anything Mikey and Richie seemed closer to Claire than Carmy ever was. Their conversation in the car backs this up because Claire talks about knowing and thinking Mikey was cool, but not a lot about Carmy
Every time Carmy was asked if Claire is his girlfriend he couldn’t answer, he even has to ask Fak if Claire is his girlfriend
Not to make this about SydCarmy but to make this about SydCarmy he does all these intimate things with Syd (i.e. the table scene, the monogrammed jacket, you deserve my full focus, opening an entire restaurant with her) but he can’t even bring himself to call Claire his girlfriend
There was no point where Carmy showed any interest at starting or being in a relationship with Claire it was all forced by someone else (i.e. Giving Claire a fake number, Fak giving Claire his real number, Richie and Mikey pressuring him in fishes, Richie and Fak pressuring him even now, only calling Claire his gf after someone told him that’s what she’s supposed to be, hanging out with her only when he runs errands and needs a ride, having to be reminded to invite her to family and friends night)
Their entire relationship felt like an obligation (specifically to Mikey) from Carmy’s part, he never pursued it and never put as much work into it as Claire did
The obvious indications that Claire represents Carmy’s past while Syd represents his future
Claire telling Carmy she loves him for the first time via voicemail after only dating for a few weeks
Carmy unintentionally breaking up with Claire whilst locked in a fridge