NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
It’s hard to pinpoint the best scene in either a show or a movie. However, there was one scene in Forever that stuck out to me when it came to the bond that Justin and Keisha shared. Labeling the bus scene as the best is a bit vague, considering there were quite a few of them. One was in the beginning, after their first date went to hell, in which Keisha decided to block Justin for the first time. With an older lady looking over her shoulder, that was pure comedy.
Another was after her intense stalker moment, where she traveled across the country with Chloe to Martha’s Vineyard and had to ride a bike, then catch a bus to the other side of the island, just hoping she could find him. Those were both touching scenes. However, the best scene in Forever I’m referring to is the one following his big game, and he’s trying to get to the Bowling Alley for a meet up.
Before that moment, Keisha was at the game and wanted Justin’s attention. As Justin ignored her and went outside to meet his family, Keisha was standing off to the side. It was subtle, and the way the camera panned to her, I figured she would just leave. But that just set the stage for that beautiful scene.
Justin needed a ride, but then decided to catch a bus. While he’s walking, Keisha is right behind him. Justin kept ignoring her, but she never wavered. She was there the entire time. Justin was never out like that, so he had no idea where he was going. It was more of trying to get away from Keisha, but in his own way, he still needed her there.
As the bus approached, she asked if he knew where he was going. Justin ignored her and tried to pay for the bus trip with a gold AMEX card. Keisha paid, and they sat across from one another only for Justin to get up and run to the back. Keisha followed him, stood by the back door, and just stared at him.
Eventually, Justin’s guard came down, and they made up. But what made that scene so powerful for me is that I, as a viewer, was mad at Keshia and Justin at the same time for what went down earlier, and yet, I was still rooting for them to make up. Keisha following him on the bus meant everything that Forever stood for.
Young love. Forever took the best and worst parts of puppy love and made it seem okay to be vulnerable. Justin was lost, and so was Keisha, but together, they found what they were looking for. It was in that moment that I forgave both of them for being so young and stupid. Keisha proved to Justin that she would be there, and Justin proved to her that he would be there.
That entire scene from the moment Justin and Keshia left the gym was the foundation of Forever. Little words were said, and the music in the background was just right. It was all about the emotion of everything they were going through separately and as a couple. One touch and a pair of headphones was all it took.
In my old age, I remember those bus trips and being mad at my high school girlfriend. But I still rode that bus to make sure she got home safely. We didn’t speak the entire way there, but she knew, just as I knew, it was a temporary stop on our road to happiness. We just needed a few quiet moments before we went back to being us. That’s what that bus scene meant to me and why I say it stood out in Season 1.
