[spoilers] Harry and Ruth Strike Back

[A Cousin]

(29-08-2010 12:36 PM)Tea Lady Wrote:  

(29-08-2010 12:14 PM)Silktie Wrote:  Upon rewatching 5.3, I'm wondering what others think about Ruth deciding she couldn't have a relationship with Harry. Do you think she had valid reasons for doing so?

I can understand to some degree, why she did what she did. It is never nice to be "the one the boss is shagging" as you ARE talked about.

In saying that though, you do have to have a thick skin, to carry that off and unfortunately, Ruth does not have a thick skin.

I can understand her reasons. One of the on-going themes is the balance of ones personal and professional life. She defines herself so strongly by her job that anything that diffuses her definition of herself would be very difficult to accept. I think it is nearly impossible for her to separate her personal with her private life. Most of us can put the job away at the end of the day. That is not possible for her. She doesn't compartmentalize that way.

My question to all of you is: The initial reason she gives for cutting it off is that any relationship and subsequent gossip/teasing would undermine Harry's authority. Do you think that this is just an excuse or do you think she really means it?

Oh, and I think she accepted dinner in the first place because she couldn't resist. (I know I couldn't!) The feelings are there and she tends to follow them. She may have been taken a bit off guard in the asking too. She also didn't find out about the gossip until Malcolm brought it up after the date. I agree, a bit naive but only on the personal level, not on the professional.