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- Episode 8 of Crowded room Stimulates discussion of gender and gender fluidity, as Tom Holland’s character Danny takes part in a steamy scene as Ariana, highlighting Danny’s sexual fluidity.
- Danny’s alter egos are mostly related to men, with the exception of Annabelle, suggesting that he feels sexually comfortable in women and emphasizing his sexual fluidity.
- Ariana, part of Danny’s identity, chooses to interact with men in the LGBTQ+ club, showing her preference for a safe space when the LGBTQ+ community faces hostility, while Danny himself seems to approve of any relationship that does not remind him of his disgusting past.
Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Season 1 of The Crowded Room.
Crowded room quickly became the most talked about series on the internet. Following the release of Episode 8, Tom Holland There is a trend on Twitter for a particularly steamy scene. After revealing that Holland’s character, Danny, Yes Ariana (Sa Sa Lan Chang), Holland takes her spot in the sex scene with Jerome (Elijah Jones). This scene speaks to the fluidity of gender and sexuality through Danny and his transformation.
Danny himself never had sex, but that changed do There are mostly intimate scenes with men — Annabelle, played by Emma Laird, is the only exception. It speaks volumes that he mostly experiences intimacy with Ariana because Ariana is the only woman in all his alter egos. This may suggest that he feels more sexually comfortable as a woman and can emphasize his own sexual fluidity. She is also the antithesis of Danny. While he is shy, quiet, and anxious, she is confident, angry, and passionate.
Ariana is a big part of Danny’s identity
Although it has been suggested that Danny is a straight cis man, Ariana contradicts this Because Her confidence with all her partners. When Jerome refers to Danny as Ariana, he also changes the words, which can be interpreted by some who identify as gender-fluid. Each change of Danny is A part of him and will not exist without him. A good example of this is revealed when Ariana’s rapist is Danny’s own abuser and stepfather, Marlin (will run). It is also strongly hinted that his twin, Adam, is another of Danny’s alters (who commits abuse for Danny). Ariana and Adam both experienced abuse with Danny and changed each to hate Marlin.
Ariana identifies as bisexual most because Danny is also bisexual. He is afraid of having sex because of years of abuse and this is why Ariana took Annabelle’s place. Other alters point him in Annabelle’s direction and encourage him to follow her, but Danny is just comfortable enough with Ariana to actually share the experience. Among all of Danny’s changes, Ariana is the closest to him, and he relates to her more than the rest. If not for Danny’s split personality, he might be a lot like Ariana with his poor defense mechanisms, and that includes her night life.
Going to an LGBTQ+ club and working with Rya raises questions
Ariana’s alternative club also says something because she doesn’t go to an area dedicated to the cis name community. She chose a safe club for LGBTQ+ people because she was involved with men. Time is also relevant here because 1979 was not a friendly time for the LGBTQ+ population. While Danny is hanging on to Annabelle, he is still encouraging and in some ways involved in Ariana’s relationship with Jerome. When working with Rya (Amanda Seyfried), Danny can remember some of what his alter did. This is related to the time he remembers Johnny engaging in a sexual act with a drug dealer, Angelo (Stephen Barrington), to exchange for drugs.
Danny is ashamed of Johnny’s relationship with Angelo because it puts him in another exploitative situation similar to Marlin’s. He is not shy about his time as Ariana, who pursues intimacy for intimacy. Danny does not confirm his own sexual identity or sexual orientation, but it seems that he is approving of any relationship that does not remind him of Marlin. His main concern is to fully integrate him with his other alters to begin healing. But, this process may lead to a more fluid future in terms of gender and sexuality because some of his changes fall within the LGBTQ+ group.
