Maxton Hall Makes A Case For Men In Therapy — And Women Everywhere Are Applauding

Lately, Instagram has been flooded with Maxton Hall edits but the clip that actually stunned me wasn’t a kiss or a fight. It was James Beaufort… in therapy. Properly, consistently, willingly. And, it wasn’t just “aww, character development.” It was: wait — why is this suddenly so attractive?

Maybe because, for most of my dating life, I’ve been a human magnet for boys who genuinely needed professional help. The kind who treat emotional intelligence like it’s an optional elective they forgot to register for. Honestly, after a breakup, men love to sprint to the gym and good for them, but a few of my exes should’ve been running to a therapist’s office instead to fix whatever cosmic joke the universe played when it handed them a personality. Their EQ? Let’s just say it was giving “cracked iPhone screen.” They were barely responsive, permanently glitching, and somehow always my responsibility to “fix.” Like, hello — I’m not your mother.

So finally seeing a fictional man willingly untangle his issues instead of outsourcing them to the nearest woman? Absolutely revolutionary.

The Bad Boy Trope Was Always A Scam

Somewhere between Tumblr-era edits and Wattpad fanfiction, we were sold the idea that a man’s emotional chaos was… alluring. That silence meant depth or that jealousy meant passion. That unpredictability meant romance. In hindsight, it feels like we were all collectively hypnotised. 

Because let’s be honest: the “I can fix him” fantasy only looks cute on screen. In real life, its more unpaid labour. It's like you’re managing a walking red flag with WiFi.  Honestly, dating them felt like trying to assemble a piece of furniture with half the screws missing and no manual, so frustrating because you’ll get something vaguely shaped like a relationship, but it wobbles the second you put any weight on it.

And the words? Oh, they are great at their words!

“I’m not sure if I’m ready for a relationship right now.” (Translation: I’d like all the benefits of one without the effort.)

“I didn’t mean to hurt you, I just shut down.” (An autobiography no one asked for.)

"I'm just not good at talking about my feelings” (Then why are you here?)

“You deserve better, but I still want you.” ( sick of your confusion...)

And the worst one - “That’s just how I am.” (The national anthem of men who refuse to grow.)

And there you are — spiralling or rereading messages like they’re divine scripture, wondering if your cortisol has replaced your serotonin at this point. You start analysing his tone, his punctuation, his “maybe” like you’re decoding ancient runes. Meanwhile, he’s operating with the emotional range of a dull spoon.

It’s the romantic equivalent of waiting for a man to text back while he’s clearly online. "I didn't have my phone with me," please ! You’re telling me the same man who refreshes Instagram like it’s oxygen suddenly transforms into someone living off the grid, meditating in the mountains, unreachable, uncontactable, spiritually elsewhere. 

And the worst part? Women are expected to stay calm, patient, and endlessly understanding. Smile through the disappointment. Swallow the frustration. Pretend this emotional bare minimum is somehow profound. As if “confused and inconsistent” is a love language.

No! We’ve retired that era. Indefinitely. 

The New Green Flag? Men Who Actually Do the Work

James Beaufort walking into therapy this season hit somewhere strangely personal. Because honestly? Watching a man voluntarily sit down and confront his behaviour feels almost fictional to me. In real life, most men treat self-reflection like it’s a tax audit: avoid, delay, deny, hope it disappears. 

There’s something genuinely attractive about a man who pauses and says, “I might be the problem here, let me work on that.” A man who doesn’t hand you his issues like a group project. A man who doesn’t expect you to translate his moods, manage his silence, or guess his trauma like it’s a riddle.

And then there’s Conrad Fisher. I’ve spent seasons wanting to shake him and ask, “Do you… plan to communicate anytime this decade?” But when he finally starts opening up in a straightforward, honest way, you can’t help but pay attention. You’ve seen the closed-off version for so long that even a hint of emotional clarity feels striking. It doesn’t feel dramatic or romantic, it just feels… grown. And that, more than anything, is what makes you stop and think, “Okay. This is different. This is real. This is good.” 

It’s not the romance that makes James or Conrad appealing. It’s the effort and responsibility, the“I won’t let my issues become your burden” energy.

And maybe that hits so hard because, for so many of us, that’s never been the reality — it’s been the fantasy. 

Until now.  

We’re living in an era where everything feels fast, disposable, constantly refreshing. Trends recycle weekly, feelings get communicated through Instagram stories, and even King Kylie can have her comeback moment overnight. But in the middle of all this chaos and fast paced energy, the one thing we actually want is clarity. Who likes to stay confused, atleast I don't. 

Effort is the actual flex. Accountability is the new aesthetic. 
Emotional intelligence is the new bare minimum — and somehow, still a luxury.

It’s funny: we grew up on characters who broke things, shut down, walked away. Now the most attractive thing a man can do is stay. Show up. Communicate. Try. 

Because if even fictional men are evolving, real ones no longer have an excuse. 

Also Read:

Love Languages? No, It’s All About Dating Dictionaries Now

A Buffett? Cute. But, I Prefer Plus Ones Over A Plus One