Originally Posted by CollieWobbles:
“Debbie hasn't got away with it. As seen last night, she finally can accept all the things she's done was wrong, something I suspect she always knew, but couldn't admit it out loud, even to herself, as that would make it true, whereas by saying it wasn't her fault and 'forgetting' it, she could stay in denial. As we've seen many times, her tough as nails, don't care-wont care attitude is a face she puts on, underneath, she does care and it does affect her, regardless of what she says. She's been held hostage and had her life threatened by a murderer she detests, then by the same man, held hostage again, had a gun pointed at her several times, almost drowned several times, and now has to live for the rest of her life knowing what she's done. Every single time she sees Brenda she's going to be reminded and it will bring it all back. And that guilt will be there permanently, even if we as viewers can't see it ( because let's face it, they can't show her mourning and crying for the rest of all her scenes), doesn't mean it won't be there. I don't think that's getting away with it at all, that's a far bigger sentence than a few months in the clink for dangerous driving.”
Totally agree with that. I've heard people say in interviews and so on that it's actually better to go to prison, and take the punishment, because it helps the perpetrator deal with the guilt to some extent - they've had a punishment for their crime, they can then at least try on a practical level to get on with life after prison. I think psychologically it's far worse not to get the punishment, and still have all that weight of guilt to carry on top of that.