An Analysis of the Factors Behind David's Romantic Attraction To Matt in The Grotto
One of the questions that The Grotto, a linear horror audio drama created by Johnathan 'Athan' Magno, raises is why the character David (played by Taylor Michaels) is romantically attracted to the protagonist, Matt (played by Athan). Matt is viewed by the audience, himself, and many of the other characters in the show as emotionally unstable, self-destructive, and explicitly says that he doesn't believe he is 'good for other people' (The Grotto, Episode 7 'Damaged Goods'). Matt is a deeply flawed character who is shown to hurt himself and those around him, whether intentionally or not, and the audience, seeing the story from Matt's perspective, is made extremely aware of this. This leads many to then question what David sees in Matt, especially considering that in multiple instances, he displays a level of care for and a desire for an emotional connection with Matt that goes beyond what would be expected if he simply found Matt visually attractive.
In order to explain the reasons why David feels the way he does about Matt, it must be established that he does in fact feel that way and how much he really cares about him. Even before it is established that David's feelings for Matt are romantic in nature, it is made clear throughout the series that David cares very deeply about Matt and his well-being. When asked how he's coping with the death of his girlfriend and secondary protagonist, Emily (played by Lyssa Jay), Matt says to his therapist I've shut myself off from everyone in my life.
(The Grotto, Episode 8, Callous
) and later in the same scene, he says Well there's this guy, David. I haven't told you about him. He started hanging around our friend group right before the accident. He's stayed in touch here and there, but lately he's been inviting me to hang out,
(The Grotto, Episode 8, Callous
). This scene is a flashback to right before the events of The Grotto take place, as evidenced by Matt agreeing to do more outdoorsy stuff
with David, which is what Episode 1 starts off with. The discussion between Matt and his therapist is about how Matt's grief has affected his relationships. This is significant because it displays that despite Matt's self-isolation, David was reaching out and keeping in touch with Matt through the time when Matt was at what was arguably his lowest point. Episode 5, Milestones
is when it is first implied that David has romantic feelings for Matt, but it becomes more explicit in Episode 15, Restless
, when he says I really liked you. I mean, I really liked you, Matt, maybe more than you liked me. But I thought-- I thought there was something special there. God, it sounds corny to say but I just-- I felt a chemistry. I really saw us together and I thought that there was a point where you loved-- shared the same feelings as I did.
(The Grotto, Episode 11Restless
). In this scene, David had just gotten out of the hospital from a stab wound that he didn't know was from Matt stabbing him in a panic while completing a ritual in the caves to bring Emily back, and is talking to who he believes is Matt from the other side of the door. This solidifies that David not only had romantic feelings for Matt, but saw a future with him and felt that this was reciprocated. There are several other scenes in which David offers emotional support or shows concern for Matt's physical and mental well-being in episodes such as Looking For Answers
, in which David refuses to take Matt caving until he's recovered from his injuries and is said to have stayed with Matt in the hospital, and Damaged Goods
, in which David encourages Matt to open up about what he's been going through emotionally, despite Matt's attempts to lash out and sabotage the relationship.
The first explanation for why David has romantic feelings for Matt is that he had a different first impression of Matt than the audience gets. David is introduced by Matt saying Oh, right you don't know David that well either. So, David's that guy from work, we- we used to work together,
(The Grotto, Episode 1 Buried Alive
) while talking to Emily through recordings as a way to cope with his grief. Later, in the finale, in a flashback, Matt says [David] started hanging around our friend group right before the accident,
(The Grotto, Episode 8 Callous
). Both of these confirm that David knew Matt before the accident which killed Emily, an event that plunged Matt into a self-destructive spiral. Not only does the audience not see Matt before the accident until the flashbacks in Episode 15, Repaired
, The Grotto is told primarily from Matt's perspective, and Matt believes himself to be unlovable and unstable, therefore the audience is inclined to feel the same, seeing the same flaws that Matt sees and more that he isn' aware of. Matt says I'm not good for other people.
(The Grotto, Episode 7 Damaged Goods
) and the audience is meant to understand what he means, even if they can choose to root for him. Where the audience may see this self-destructive person who has made a lot of mistakes and wonder why someone who knows and is close enough to see this version of himself would like him enough to want to pursue a relationship with him, David saw a much healthier, happier version of Matt, and in his mind, that happier, healthier version of Matt is the baseline of who he is. This, combined with the fact that David behaves as if the knowledge that Matt was drunk during the accident was news to him, makes David much more likely to like Matt as a person and as a potential partner, despite the flaws that he often displays.
The second explanation for David's feelings and care for Matt comes from his own upbringing. David's mother, Nicole (played by Pine Gonzalez) died what was presumably a couple years before the events of The Grotto. While undergoing surgery and talking to his mother in a sort of dream-like state, David shouts at his mother while crying, saying You lied about it, too. Why did you do that? Why- why did you lie to me? Why didn’t you let me help you?
(The Grotto, Episode 10 Milestones?
). This lack of foreknowledge meant that David, a character that is shown to want to help people whenever possible, as seen with Matt throughout the first season, as well as Lillian in Episode 17 Balancing
, as he acts as Lillian's emergency contact and stays with her in the hospital, was not allowed to care for his mother in her last couple months. The death of a parent is already a very traumatic event, and it stands to reason that not having any warning and not being able to do anything about it at all made David feel all the more helpless. Matt is someone David can---and expresses a desire to---help. The aforementioned quote is similar to something that David says to Matt, I also just care about you. And I think you'd have an easier time of it if you let people help you. And I can help you. If you want.
(The Grotto, Episode 7 Damaged Goods
). Not only that, but Matt is going through a similar loss of someone close that David did. Returning to Episode 10, David says to his mother when discussing how her death affected him, I don't think I ever even realized it but it has affected every relationship I've ever had. I'm not mad at you, but for a while there I was just so angry all the time.
(The Grotto, Episode 10 Milestones?
). This mirrors how Matt's grief has caused him to sabotage several of his own relationships and lash out at those around him. This makes helping Matt even more personal for David, because he was in his place not very long ago. David likely doesn't want to be in the position of not being able to help someone be in the position of not being able to help someone he loves again, and so he is willing to give more of himself up for Matt.
Falling in love with someone isn't a choice. It's often hard to directly pinpoint the reasons why one falls in love with another, and this is true of David's character, but with him there are some explanations for what may have gotten him to have romantic feelings for Matt. David sees Matt from a different perspective than the audience does from Matt's own, Matt not only reminded David of himself after his own loss, but was someone that David could help after feeling unable to during said loss. It's implied that to some level, Matt reciprocated David's romantic feelings and care, but throughout the show, he was much more concerned about his own grief and doing what he thought would resolve it by trying to bring Emily back, and nearly kills David in the process. He describes David as the only good thing I have going
(The Grotto, Episode 7 Damaged Goods
) but he's so caught up in his own issues that he ends up hurting David and forcing David to decide that it may not be worth it to keep him in his life. As much as Matt might've cared about David, he wasn't his priority; he wasn't at a point in processing his grief where he could acknowledge his feelings for David, let alone make him a priority.
