Greatest Moments of ABM – The Friendships

Some of the greatest stories ever told revolve around friendships – Batman and Robin, Buffy and The Scoobies, Bert and Ernie. Often lasting longer than any romantic relationships, the friendships survive and provide the support that is needed to get through everything that life throws at them. These relationships can often be the most important of our lives, often forged in adversity and at times when we seek nothing more than for someone to understand and accept who we are.

Many of the friendships in ABM offer the respective partnerships support in advice in that pivotal period of adolescence when our favourite characters are trying to learn who it is they are. The decisions they are having to make feel overwhelming and it is the person they can turn to for advice – even when it is not always what they want to hear, that help them through it.

Here is a look at some of our favourite ABM partnerships:

Archibald and Vivian

Defining moment:

Aster: “You’re certainly going above and beyond by keeping her secret.”
Archibald: “It’s not like that. Vivian’s my friend. I don’t need to justify that by, “She’s gay.” That’s ignorant.”

My personal favourite duo, I have loved Vivian and Arch’s friendship ever since she walked into the Principal’s Office certain that she wasn’t supposed to be in boys’ gym. From the moment she recognised his Green Lantern drawings she immediately earned cool points with him culminating in the coolest of all geek endeavours – the development of their own comic strip.

Arch has proven himself to be a true friend to Vivian, someone to keep her company as they purge their respective sorrows with cheeseburgers as well as keeping her own life private without ever seeking explanations. Vivian in turn has offered Arch advice as he has tried to navigate the difficult terrain of the teenage crush.

Both feeling like outsiders in the small town they inhabit, it is not difficult to understand why they form a fast and true friendship. In each other they see a person trying to find acceptance for who they are, without compromise. That their defining moment is in a scene that Vivian isn’t even in goes to show that even when not in each other’s presence, they are there for each other.

They accept each other, wholly and completely. Neither asks that they be anything but themselves, and at a time when that seems to be so difficult, friendships like these are the most important.

Breck and Aster

Defining moment:

Aster: “Do you think I like not talking to her? Damn it this is the problem. She’s gone. I’m here.”
Breck: “She’s a half an hour away.”

If Archibald is the Butch Cassidy to Vivian’s Sundance Kid, then Breck is definitely the Woody to Aster’s Buzz Lightyear. The often put upon best friend, charged with keeping the impetuous Aster out of trouble following Vivian’s departure to Westchester, Breck sometimes has an impossible task.

Though we don’t see much of Breck we get the impression that there is not much that happens in Aster’s life that he is not aware of. He knows her inside out, and knows what is best for her, and is not afraid to tell her. This is the exactly the type of friend that Aster needs. When she loses focus, when she lets her fears stop her, Breck is there to remind her of what is important.

For her part, I think Aster helps to keep Breck’s life interesting. Everyone needs a bit of drama in their life, and whilst Aster’s may be more than most can handle, I think that when it comes down to it, Aster is the sort of friend that would put everything on the line for you. She is someone with big emotions, and so the more calm and reserved Breck balances her perfectly.

Jodie and Gabe

Defining moment:

Jodie: “You have disability, and pension. You don’t need to work.”
Gabe: “Yeah I do. I don’t know who I am like this. So yeah I do.”
Jodie: “You’re the dispatch for Sunshine Taxi and there’s a traffic jam. Passengers cursing you out. No free vehicles. It’s rush hour, and your first day.”

It isn’t just the kids whose friendships are important on ABM. The partnership formed by Jodie and Gabe is just as important, and also as supportive as any of the friendships of the younger characters. These two people have come together to try and raise Vivian in a loving home, albeit a less conventional family setup.

Jodie has to give up the lifestyle she has grown accustomed to when her niece and ex-brother in law move in, and Gabe, probably for the first time, has to depend on someone else. Jodie has never had to take on a parental role and for so long it was just Gabe and Vivian. Both of them are learning as the seasons progress to be in each other’s lives and trying to support each other along the way.

Jodie’s anger at Gabe after Vivian comes out to her is because she is incredibly hurt. She thought that they were a team; that they were doing this together, and for him to have kept something so key to who Vivian is feels like a betrayal.

It is not just in adolescence that we need people there who we can trust. Jodie and Gabe show that the friendships we have even in later life can be equally important. That need for support and reassurance that you are at the very least not making things worse, is always present. It is their ability to let the other figure things out in their often humorous, and unique way which makes this friendship so necessary.

Sophie and Vivian

Defining moment:

Sophie: “Cool idea, trying to uncover everyone’s secrets.”
Vivian: “It’s a truth finding mission, for the good of humanity.”
Sophie: “Seriously? You don’t see how this is hypocritical? I’m just saying; before you go giving people up why don’t you start with yourself?”

A somewhat controversial choice, at least from my point of view. I am not sure how good a friend you are if you end up kissing your friend in front of her girlfriend, who you most likely know to be prone to over reaction. Inappropriate kissing aside, even I cannot deny that Sophie and Vivian’s friendship does what the very best of friendships should do – push you to be better.

It is her friendship with Vivian, someone who knew her before she became the popular girl in school, which allows Sophie to see her once again as someone other than the quarterback’s girlfriend. She is able to confide in Vivian and is not afraid of showing her insecurities. When Vivian finds out who Sophie’s secret relationship was with she does not judge her, and when Sophie comes back inevitably heartbroken Vivian offers nothing but comfort.

For whatever reason, and it is open to speculation, it is only when Sophie calls Vivian out for being a hypocrite that Vivian makes the decision to come out to Aunt Jodie. This was an important step for Vivian, and its significance is not lost on Aster, especially when she finds out the impetus for Vivian’s disclosure.

At the opening of S3 Sophie and Vivian are unsure of where their friendship stands. Neither of them is sure what they want, but they know that they do not want to lose each other’s friendship. So instead they provide each other the unconditional support to be who they are and to make all the mistakes they need to. Knowing that your friend will be there no matter how badly you mess up makes life, let alone your teenage years, that little bit less scary.

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Don’t forget you can still tell us what your ‘Greatest Moment of ABM‘ is.