"Thank You For Everything."
"Thank you for everything," Oliver offers sincerely.
It's our first and perhaps last opportunity to get a true sense of how much Oliver truly values Dale, you can literally see it in his eyes. All of the reasons this might be the case I suppose we will never know, but I think among them is a deep gratitude for the truly consistent presence she has had in his life. It shouldn't be lost on us that Dale has been a constant in Oliver's life since they met sixteen years ago, even once Shane arrived---and we know how important presence is to Oliver.
On a deeper level, tied very much to our recent discussion about Dale and her name, is the role Dale played of seeing him through his "valley." Notice how Oliver and Dale are literally facing different directions, such that when Oliver walks past her, they will literally be "behind" each other, effectively in each others' past, in both a literal and figurative sense. At the same time, Oliver is gently putting Dale, and any feelings he may have harbored for her completely behind him, feelings, we could speculate, might have helped keep his heart open for Shane in even the tiniest of ways, for which Dale would certainly deserve thanks. |
"I Wish I Could Take The Credit---Shane Made The Call."
When Oliver says, "Thank you for everything," I got the feeling he meant not only Dale's practical support, but also, presumably, her prayers. Remember, though, that it's only after Shane prays that the final piece in Oliver's rescue falls into place, a fact we can assume Dale isn't privy to. So when Dale replies, "Shane made the call," she not only refers to the actual phone call that got her involved, but also Shane's "call" in the form of a prayer, which she likely doesn't even realize.
Knowing the impact this knowledge would have regardless of the nuances, Dale gracefully directs Oliver in the way she knows he should go, an act of love for Oliver, and respect for Shane, that endears Dale to us even when we wish it didn't.
It was only a few minutes on screen, but it was our most profound look at Dale and Oliver's relationship and how much they value each other, even as they face circumstances that will definitively change their dynamic forever. Dale may have only occupied a few installments for us, but her long-range impact on Oliver and his development is something we, too, should similarly respect and value in retrospect.
From Another Angle,
~C