Ariel and Eric both risked their lives for the dog which already made them the best Disney couple by default—the rest of the movie was really just icing on the cake after that
when you look up the definition of simpdom in their little island kingdom i hope prince eric shows up. i hope dimples mcgee who had his ass saved and decided actually, that’s my future wife. TIME MAY CHANGE THE SHORELINE, BUT TIME WILL NOT CHANGE ME. even aside from his kindness to ariel when she couldn’t speak, when he found out she was a mermaid, he just held her tighter. dude had his mind made up. married her so fast, man. love me a dimples mcprince ericgee.
& even though he’s still hung up on that girl who saved him, he was already looking at Ariel like that—all dimply and soft and eyes shining— while also probably thinking “I wish it was her. Please be her.”
listen if the little mermaid 2023 did anything right it was ariel and eric… they were already a good couple in the original but fleshing him out and making him drawn to the ocean in a parallel to ariel being drawn to land is so good. and kind of increasing that human vs merfolk tension to make it this romeo & juliet love story. like sorry they kind of slayed there. eric sees ariel turn back into a mermaid in front of him and all he does is hold her tighter. they’re both gigantic nerds. he’s a foot taller than her. it’s incredible.
I think it’s the win. He finally saved a daughter. He finally didn’t fail her. In his eyes as long as Ellie’s alive, damn the future consequences. He can take them as long as she’s breathing. And for now, they have today.
Today he no longer has that feeling of failure over his head. Today he no longer has to worry about the mission and the possible dangers that will come with it. Today he’s on his way to a safe haven with Ellie and to reunite with his brother.
Today Joel has found an inner peace.
Today his good memories of Sarah aren’t being crushed by the memory of her bloodied body in his arms. The good memories are winning for once. His guilt (when it comes to Sarah) has faded, and inside he’s near bubbling over with happiness because of it. He can’t help but want to talk about those memories now.
And he wants Ellie to know Sarah. He wants to share her with Ellie because they are the two most important people of his life. They could’ve been sisters. And he wants Sarah to be remembered. Sharing her memory keeps her alive in a way.
So he finally brings up Sarah willingly, and, for once, it doesn’t hurt.
