I think it's kind of both at the same time. Jimmy really *does* feel that way, or at least similarly, but instead of genuinely processing that he creates distance by using it as part of his con. So the truth becomes a lie for everyone else, but for Jimmy the lie *is* the truth. It's just that he can't face it unless it's in the form of a lie.
Also I think the thing that bothers Kim more than anything is that she couldn't tell. She puts up with a lot from Jimmy but she wants to be *in* on it and not one of the people being played.
Alex
2025-03-05 05:22:08 +0000 UTC
Jimmy lies by telling the truth; His emotions are genuine, but he is capable of weaponizing them; At this point in the series, he’s totally in denial about his emotions, and can’t express them without several layers of irony and performance to protect him; but they are still very real