After Episode 2, my facebook friend India Lindsey was the first one on my timeline to touch on this subject. What we are seeing with Issa Rae and Daniel is not a relationship but co-dependency. Issa always runs to Daniel when she is in a bind and Daniel always saves her.
Issa decides after meeting with Kelli to become a more useful roommate in exchange for hoping to convince Daniel to let her stay a little longer. She starts cleaning the kitchen, rearranging the cabinets and really making her presence useful. Daniel notices and that allows for his guard to come down.
After weeks of ignoring her, he confides in her that he was stood up by his friend that was supposed to introduce him to an artist. Issa steps up to be his wing-woman and eventually proves herself even more useful by not only setting up the perfect AllyOop to meet the artist but encourages him to reach out to a mutual friend to help elevate his career.
At the end of the episode, Issa gets a call back from a property manager job she applied for and has the opportunity to tell Daniel about it but declines to not ruin the moment of perfect co-dependency. In true co-dependency fashion, after a day of feeling appreciated, Daniel offers Issa his bed.
In Episode 3, Daniel and Issa are atDinner as she is thanking him for letting her stay and lets him know she will be moving out soon, she is taking the property management job and now has affordable rent! Issa will be glowing up the rest of the season, I think.
During dinner, Daniel tells Issa what happened at the studio. Issa gives great advice, tells Daniel he was wrong and tells him he should apologize. Daniel wanted, at that time, for Issa to be his yes man–again their co-dependent relationship rears its ugly head. Issa giving Daniel good advice triggers Daniel to lash out. Daniel finally calls Issa out on always leaning on him to save her when she is in a jam, and telling her she is unqualified to give him work advice.
That is totally not true, Issa is a smart, educated woman who is just figuring stuff out, the advice she gave was good, Daniel was just not ready to receive it.
At the end of the night, they are laying in bed and Daniel tries to make up with sex, Issa stops it because she is on her path to growth and knows she deserves more. She deserves a whole man, not a situation. Good for you Issa!
According to Psychology today, here are 5 signs you are in a HEALTHY relationship.
- You and your partner are on the same page in terms of your basic values and life goals.
- There is a strong sense of trust between you. You openly discuss everything—the good, the bad, and the ugly. There is no hidden agenda and no secrets from your past.
- You keep your own identity within the relationship and so does your partner.
- You spend quality time together doing things that are mutually fulfilling as well as quality time apart doing what is important to you individually.
You encourage each other to grow and change. In other words, you inspire each other to be a better person.
Danielle Mitchell is an International Marketing Strategist and founder of Average Black Girl. At Average Black Girl, the mission is to create more black millionaires through marketing, web design, product management and securing partnerships. Connected with Average Black Girl is her partner brand called Melanin Business. Melanin Business is a free global business directory that is free to sign up, add a business and leave a review.