Did Danny Cheat? *416 Spoilers*

[Top41]

I voted for no. I think it's been clear this entire season that Lindsay's feelings for Danny run much deeper than his for her. Even going as far back as "Love Run Cold," Danny was very casual about asking her out. He's sweet, but I don't think he's in love with her, and after the way she treated him last season, he probably went so far as to decide she wasn't girlfriend material. Standing a guy up on the first date and then refusing to give him an explanation until he corners you is not the way to impress him.

That aside, I think I'd have a lot more sympathy for Lindsay if we'd seen her actually reaching out to Danny on an emotional level. Instead, we got her making excuses to Mac for not being good at emotional stuff, and leaving it at that. On screen, we have no evidence she reached out for him or tried to be there for him. Even her whole monologue was accusatory: he's trying to make her into a clingy girlfriend, he's not letting her in on dealing with Ruben's death, etc.

For his part, Danny seemed pretty surprised. I think it's clear that he doesn't want to confide in her, and that he thought what they had was pretty casual. I don't think he felt bad until she told him she was in love with him.

 

[ThumpyG]

Because I am a big loser and didn't watch last night, I missed the hot sex between Danny and Rikki :scream:

But the question is if Danny cheated on Lindsay by sleeping with Rikki. I voted no, mostly of course from others posts here, but his relationship (or friends with benefits?) with Lindsay was clearly just that to him- and from my standpoint from Snow Day on, there hasn't been anything defined as Lindsay and Danny exclusively dating, the writers haven't indicated it and we haven't seen it. Danny was shocked when Lindsay informed him she was in love with him- that tells me that he was obviously on another level with his feelings for Lindsay (or lack thereof) and they weren't exclusive- or even dating?

Not sure about a Danny/Rikki relationship, I actually prefer Danny with Flack. Danny and Rikki were grieving for her son, Ruben who Danny was close to, and people deal with grief is many different ways. Danny couldn't talk to Lindsay about how he felt, so he turned to someone he could talk to. IMO, Danny didn't intend to hurt Lindsay, it isn't in his nature and if his relationship with Lindsay were serious I feel that he wouldn't have done it.

 

[dl_shipper34]

To me, Danny cheated. Why? Because I believe DL have been dating. I know it's an issue that has been going on since the beginning of the season, but I stand firm on my belief. Make of that what you want; quite frankly I don't give a rat's ass. I feel very strong against liars and cheaters - to me they are nothing but scumbags. I've been lucky to have never experienced the latter, but I know people who aren't so fortunate. Cheaters are cowards, nothing more. Yes I know that when faced with turmoil and uncertainty, people will do things that are completely out of nature, things that no one would think they were ever capable of doing. Once upon a time I loved Danny; now all that is gone. I do NOT blame Carmine. Danny is a coward to me, but I will always love Carmine. Granted that 'coward' is a harsh term, but people who commit such sins are, in my eyes, exactly that.

Cowards.

And I blame TPTB for turning such a great character into a cheap dirtbag.

Take this post however you want. Frankly, I don't give a shit.

And no, I have not jumped overboard

 

[MBGrissom]

I channeled my Inner "Charlie Brown" and went all wishy-washy, by voting "I Don't Know". But in actuality, I lean towards "No, He Didn't Cheat".

As everyone has said very eloquently, the true crux of the matter is simply that their communication sucks, and they have never been on the same page - at least not at the same time - as far as their "relationship". At first he was gung-ho and she held back, then they finally had their Pool Table Consummation :wtf:, then of course she was gung-ho, and he was holding back.

I like to believe that if it hadn't been for the Writer's Strike, they would have given us something beforehand in previous episodes that led more sensibly up to this storyline, so it wouldn't have felt so Left Field-ish (well, at least it felt left field-ish, to me :lol: Dunno how anyone else feels). I do wish they would have established some things a little more firmly before getting to this point, seriously. As I said in my post in the Eppy thread, they should have at least thrown in a scene earlier on of Lindsay trying to be there for Danny, and him shunning her, also of her asking him out to dinner/lunch and him making lame excuses more than just that one time, so her anger and her speech would have made more sense in that respect.

I can certainly understand and empathise with someone being hurt and/or angry when they feel like they've been mistreated or spurned by someone they care about. And nothing sucks as much as being cheated on, unfortunately I've experienced that firsthand. But if D/L weren't on the same page - and I don't think they were - then no, it's probably fair to say it was not cheating. That doesn't mean it's not going to hurt just as much, if/when Lindsay finds out about it, but if he truly didn't consider her a girlfriend and didn't think she felt "that way" about him, then he wasn't cheating. However, I could definitely argue that he didn't use the best of judgement or consideration, and there were probably several ways and times he could have seen this coming, had he paid a little attention...

 

[kinkapoodles]

I voted "no". As dutch_treat said, there has been no clarification since Snow Day that the two were in any kind of intimate relationship. We can make as many inferences as we choose to about their behavior since, but from my perspective, that was a drunken hookup. It is apparent that Lindsay has believed their relationship to be closer than Danny did, but he was clearly confused after her rant. "Clingy girlfriend" and "in love"? I don't see it, and have not seen it. Therefore, Danny's grief-stricken, potentially misguided hookup with the hot grieving mother next door -- not cheating.

I agree and of course, I voted NO.

I have never believed Danny and Lindsay were together and I still think that the pool table sex was nothing more than a one night stand. Obviously Lindsay thought they were dating after that but sex doesn't equal love or dating. She shouldn't have assumed they were.

Danny looked clearly shocked at Lindsay's little speech. I don't think he had a clue she felt that way and I'm betting he doesn't feel that way about her. Rikki may have admitted it was just sex but from both of their actions, it definitely looked like more. There's clearly feelings there that we've never seen him show to Lindsay.

So no...he didn't cheat and I'm a bit shocked at some of the things I've read in other threads calling Rikki a bitch and Danny an asshole. I hated DL and do not like Lindsay but I've never called Danny an a-hole for screwing her or called Lindsay a bitch because she let him.:alienblush:

 

[carolina]

for me its a YES

even if I give in into all the happy campers here and pretend I dont think they were in a relationship, there are still facts that make it almost impossible for me to just brush this aside. because IMHO in this episode a) Danny cheated on himself and b) TPTB cheated on us.

I was watching this episode and I was wondering who the hell is this guy pretending to be Danny Messer? because the Danny Messer I know would never do something like this. I was introduced to a loyal friend who was a little too impulsive but who cared deeply for the people close to him. this guy just thinks about himself and treats his friends like crap. and then expect them to be grateful

I thought he was mature enough for a relationship but it now seems that he only was into the chase. so when after 2 years of chasing after her (all romantic gestures forgotten) he finally got her he simply lost interest. and I wouldnt expected that from the man they showed us in the previous 2 season. hell, I wouldnt even expect that from the S1 Danny and I didnt like him at all.

TPTB with help of Carmine build a wonderful and interesting character and with one scene they just made me loose all respect for the man. and I dont think there is a way for him to get it back.

(I dont know how he managed but he wasnt looking that hot in the scene either. like all the darkness and emptiness he was feeling on the inside show on the outside too)

 

[PerfectAnomaly]

I have a couple of questions for those who think Danny and Lindsay are together and Danny did cheat on Lindsay and that Danny's character has been ruined because he cheated. If during the few remaining episodes of this season, either Danny tells Lindsay he loves her and he and Lindsay stay together or they clear the air and decide to start over with their relationship, will you change your opinion of Danny? And if so, why?

And actually, I'll ask the reverse of those who don't think Danny and Lindsay are together and don't think Danny sleeping with Rikki was cheating. If during the few remaining episodes of this season, Danny either tells Lindsay he loves her or they clear the air and decide to start over with a relationship, will that change your opinion of Danny? And if so, why?

I personally think if Lindsay's monologue suddenly made Danny see the light and he proclaims his love for Lindsay I will have a really hard time of it. I don't think I could ever really dislike Danny so much as to stop watching, but if anything could do that it would be Danny ending up being whipped by Lindsay and him doing a 180 and being all about Lindsay and her happiness while Lindsay remains self centered. If they choose to start over, how I would feel would really depend on Lindsay. She'd have to change a whole lot for me to think Danny would think it was worth it to try and make something work with her.

 

[xPORCELAINDOLLx]

I said no. Honestly, I don't think D/L were ever really together so he was free to be with whoever he wanted to be with. I think Lindsay read more into their relationship than what was really there. I've done that before, unfortunately. And yes, it hurts but you can't blame the other person because you were too scared, dumb, or whatever to make your feelings known.

And to answer PerfectAnomaly's question, yes it would change my opinion of Danny. It would mean that he used Rikki to heal his pain and then dumped her cause something "better" came along. If there's one type of person I can't stand, it's a person who uses another for their own benefit.

 

[Top41]

^ETA: I kind of see it the other way around...I think Rikki was using Danny. She said flat out that it was just sex and that she was "taking advantage" of him. I think Danny was just fine with being used because he was trying to make the hurt go away, and consoling Rikki anyway he could made him think he could ease that hurt.

I thought he was mature enough for a relationship but it now seems that he only was into the chase. so when after 2 years of chasing after her (all romantic gestures forgotten) he finally got her he simply lost interest. and I wouldnt expected that from the man they showed us in the previous 2 season. hell, I wouldnt even expect that from the S1 Danny and I didnt like him at all.

I admit that troubled me at first, because it's such a cliche. But I think there are two big important factors here: one, that has been talked about a lot, is how Ruben's death has affected Danny. I think he's totally devastated by it and as he basically said to Rikki, he's trying to make the hurt go away.

But two is that I'm not sure that he didn't lose interest in Lindsay long before this because she put him off for so long. Carmine flat out said Danny went to Montana as a friend, not to chase Lindsay. She was the one who made the move on him in the courtroom and Carmine also said that after Lindsay put him off and put him off, Danny had to play hard to get. Lindsay was also the one that came on to Danny when they were playing pool. So it could have been the chase, or it could have been that Lindsay pushing Danny away for so long made him lose interest. Sure, he slept with her, but since then we've seen no signs of interest on his part, only hers. Maybe, like her wanting to be there for him, it was too little, too late.

And actually, I'll ask the reverse of those who don't think Danny and Lindsay are together and don't think Danny sleeping with Rikki was cheating. If during the few remaining episodes of this season, Danny either tells Lindsay he loves her or they clear the air and decide to start over with a relationship, will that change your opinion of Danny? And if so, why?

Not really. I think Danny is pretty fucked up and I could see him feeling obligated to try to work things out with Lindsay because she does love him. Danny does go out of his way to please or at least get attention from those he cares about. I guess you could probably say the same of him sleeping with Rikki, too. I don't know that Danny so much knows what he wants as he responds to people wanting him. I think that was what his initial interest interest in Lindsay stems from: she was obviously interested in him in season two and chasing him, and he responded to that. From what Rikki said, their hooking up could be him responding to her desire for him as well. She did say she was "taking advantage" of his guilt.

So no, if he gets together with Lindsay for real, it won't change my opinion of him one bit. I think Danny needs to be wanted and desired, or at least that seems to be what he responds to. It's kind of an interesting trait for a male character to have.

 

[carolina]

I personally think if Lindsay's monologue suddenly made Danny see the light and he proclaims his love for Lindsay I will have a really hard time of it.

well, this is implying Danny has not showed any feelings towards Lindsay what so ever. we can, and will, argue on that but I think this total disregard for his actions in S3 makes it kind of hard to explain why exactly I feelk they destroyed Danny for me.

if Danny realized that the feelings he has for Lindsay are still there and still as strong as ever and they clear the air I might give him a second chance. I wouldnt want Lindsay to do so right away, though. because she deserves better then what Danny seems to be capable of right now. he needs time to sort this out instead of running away from it. and I believe she would have given him the time because as she said she knows how he feels she just cant do more then offer a helping hand. and he should take it or leave it and not leave her hanging

I understand that in the eyes of a lot of you the perfection that is Danny Messer can do no wrong but if you feel that what he did in the last episode was actually in character for him then I really dont understand how you can say that Lindsay is the selfish one from the duo. but then again, you call pretty much anything she does selfish so I shouldnt really be surprised here.

he said they need to talk and Im really curious what he has to say. because either they were together and with her speech she pretty much broke up with him, or they werent together and now that he knows how she feels he is gonna lay down his feelings on the table. if he only knew what those feelings were anymore.

the biggest problem here for me is that we dont know anything about the nature of their relationship, of Lindsays attempts or lack of them to help Danny, on his reaction to it. we are all just assuming given the view we have on the characters and the relationship explaining the hints to fit our theories.

and thats why I feel TPTB cheated on us. becuase they were trying to apease both groups - the shippers and the haters, and now it came back and bite them in the ass. and serves them right

ETA:

she was obviously interested in him in season two and chasing him, and he responded to that

and this is were we dont agree. the firts sing of interest I have seen in Lindsay was when Sid told her Danny had a crush on her. he didnt respond to anything she was doing, he reacted to what he was feeling.

I can agree to certain degree about the SD comment, because it seemed for a short moment that Lindsay didnt know either what that night meant for Danny, but he said he was glad it happened, he left her a note and a flower and that doesnt exactly look like interest lost. her coming to him that night proves the Danny playing hard to get part Carmine was talking about. no one said anything about Danny not wanting to be gotten

 

[xPORCELAINDOLLx]

I understand that in the eyes of a lot of you the perfection that is Danny Messer can do no wrong but if you feel that what he did in the last episode was actually in character for him then I really dont understand how you can say that Lindsay is the selfish one from the duo. but then again, you call pretty much anything she does selfish so I shouldnt really be surprised here.

Oh no. I know Danny has flaws but Lindsay is most definitely the selfish one. What would you call someone who couldn't be bothered to even ask how he was doing after a little boy he cared about died but then bitches and moans about him forgetting her birthday? What do you call someone who gets pissed because he didn't turn to her for comfort? Yeah, I'd definitely say Lindsay's the selfish one.

 

[Top41]

I understand that in the eyes of a lot of you the perfection that is Danny Messer can do no wrong but if you feel that what he did in the last episode was actually in character for him then I really dont understand how you can say that Lindsay is the selfish one from the duo. but then again, you call pretty much anything she does selfish so I shouldnt really be surprised here.

Danny is by no means perfect, but you really can't set aside what happened with Ruben if you want to explain his actions. I doubt Danny would have slept with Rikki if Ruben were still alive, though given his indifference towards Lindsay this season, that doesn't mean he'd necessarily be with Lindsay.

As for Lindsay being selfish--I'd have a lot more sympathy for her if we'd seen her get over her issues and actually reach out to Danny. But she didn't. She let him walk away in the morgue and didn't try to approach him or even ask how he was doing with regards to Ruben. I'm going with what we've seen on screen because that's all we have to work with. She's saying one thing to him but her actions speak differently, and then it's all about how she feels. There are a million ways she could have reached out to him--asked him how she could be there for him, what he needed, etc.--but she didn't do any of those. She tried to make him feel bad for shutting her out when she never even made an effort to reach out to him.

and this is were we dont agree. the firts sing of interest I have seen in Lindsay was when Sid told her Danny had a crush on her. he didnt respond to anything she was doing, he reacted to what he was feeling.

She wasn't interested when she went out of her way to show him she knows more about Mac and invited him out to a bar--and bought him a drink to prove her point? She wasn't interested when she ate the bugs he bought? She wasn't interested when she got him to carry her for an experiment and promised him drinks in exchange? That all sounds like interest to me.

I can agree to certain degree about the SD comment, because it seemed for a short moment that Lindsay didnt know either what that night meant for Danny, but he said he was glad it happened, he left her a note and a flower and that doesnt exactly look like interest lost.

And he offered--no, pretty much insisted--on cooking Rikki breakfast the next morning. So Danny is a class act--he doesn't roll over and say, "Thanks, that was fun, don't let the door hit you on your way out."

her coming to him that night proves the Danny playing hard to get part Carmine was talking about. no one said anything about Danny not wanting to be gotten

No of course Danny was game for being gotten. But that's the thing with these two--it's a see-saw of interest and they're never interested in each other at the same time.

 

[carolina]

What would you call someone who couldn't be bothered to even ask how he was doing after a little boy he cared about died but then bitches and moans about him forgetting her birthday?

how do you know she didnt ask? we dont know how many times she tried or not to, to be there for him

as for her b-day. it was teasing in my eyes and then he turned on the macho engine and she became upset. I would be to if his reaction to missing my b-day was that it is no big deal.

sorry, still seeing no selfishness there

And he offered--no, pretty much insisted--on cooking Rikki breakfast the next morning.

which shows how deep he is in the sh*t and how right Rikki was about her being a distraction. wonder how long till distracion becomes addiction. class act or coward, take your pick

 

[Ceindreadh]

I think that TPTB should have shown us properly whether Danny and Lindsey were dating or what the position of their relationship is.
Do 'just good friends' get that pissy/guilty if somebody forgets their birthday? To me L's reaction last week was that of a girlfriend, and D's reaction was that of a boyfriend who knows he's messed up.

And if that's the case, then Danny cheated on Lindsey, end of story. Now maybe he figured they weren't in an exclusive relationship and that it was okay. Maybe that's the type of guy he is. But he needs to make that clear. TPTB need to make it clear.

 

[xPORCELAINDOLLx]

What would you call someone who couldn't be bothered to even ask how he was doing after a little boy he cared about died but then bitches and moans about him forgetting her birthday?

how do you know she didnt ask? we dont know how many times she tried or not to, to be there for him

as for her b-day. it was teasing in my eyes and then he turned on the macho engine and she became upset. I would be to if his reaction to missing my b-day was that it is no big deal.

sorry, still seeing no selfishness there

I'm just going on what I saw on the show. Do I know if she asked him off-screen? No. But on-screen, she's just acted like a spoiled, selfish brat. And maybe if a little boy hadn't died just weeks before, I'd understand the birthday thing, but you know, grief is like a haze. And, as for the macho act, I think it was a cover.