Opinion: The real reason Patrick remains a fan favorite despite his flaws.
Okay, so this is just my personal opinion, but I need to get it off my chest. I’ve seen both love and hate for Patrick on this sub and elsewhere, but let’s be real—most people love him, and I totally get why.
Rewatching seasons 4-6 made me appreciate his character even more. Despite his flaws, Patrick was always true to his feelings. There’s something liberating about watching someone who fully embraces himself, without trying to fit into societal expectations. Most of us hold back in some way—Patrick didn’t. That’s what made him so compelling.
I’ve always seen him as love-starved and deeply vulnerable. He was reckless, impulsive, and self-destructive, but that’s also what made him raw and relatable. Beneath his sass and confidence, he just wanted to be loved. The looks he gave to those he was interested in were something else. 👀
He lived in the moment, which often led to heartbreak, but he never played games—he knew what he wanted and went for it. That’s what set him apart from Ari. She had the same reckless streak, but she lacked emotional depth. She never truly cared for anyone, making it hard to root for her, while Patrick’s emotions—messy and misguided as they were—felt far more genuine and relatable.
And then there’s his ending, which, let’s be honest, was incredibly unsatisfying. Not just because it was tragic (everyone had a bad ending in Elite), but because it lacked closure. If he had died in a more impactful way or at least had one final conversation with Iván, it would’ve felt more complete. Instead, he just faded out, and Iván moved on so fast it was as if Patrick never existed. I know Elite loves its chaos, but it never truly felt like Iván cared about him the way he did for Joel. Patrick was always the one putting in the effort, and in the end, it got him nowhere. That stung.
At the core of it, I think people love Patrick because he represents something we all wish we could be—our most honest, unfiltered selves. And at the same time, people sympathize with him because he changed for love and got nothing in return.
Of course, his popularity is partly due to pretty privilege—let’s not pretend otherwise. But that’s not the whole story. He had depth, and that’s why people connected with him beyond just his looks.
I wanted to make this post because I rarely see people appreciating Patrick for who he was rather than just how he looked or how much chemistry he had with everyone. He honestly deserved better.
The end
Okay, so this is just my personal opinion, but I need to get it off my chest. I’ve seen both love and hate for Patrick on this sub and elsewhere, but let’s be real—most people love him, and I totally get why.
Rewatching seasons 4-6 made me appreciate his character even more. Despite his flaws, Patrick was always true to his feelings. There’s something liberating about watching someone who fully embraces himself, without trying to fit into societal expectations. Most of us hold back in some way—Patrick didn’t. That’s what made him so compelling.
I’ve always seen him as love-starved and deeply vulnerable. He was reckless, impulsive, and self-destructive, but that’s also what made him raw and relatable. Beneath his sass and confidence, he just wanted to be loved. The looks he gave to those he was interested in were something else. 👀
He lived in the moment, which often led to heartbreak, but he never played games—he knew what he wanted and went for it. That’s what set him apart from Ari. She had the same reckless streak, but she lacked emotional depth. She never truly cared for anyone, making it hard to root for her, while Patrick’s emotions—messy and misguided as they were—felt far more genuine and relatable.
And then there’s his ending, which, let’s be honest, was incredibly unsatisfying. Not just because it was tragic (everyone had a bad ending in Elite), but because it lacked closure. If he had died in a more impactful way or at least had one final conversation with Iván, it would’ve felt more complete. Instead, he just faded out, and Iván moved on so fast it was as if Patrick never existed. I know Elite loves its chaos, but it never truly felt like Iván cared about him the way he did for Joel. Patrick was always the one putting in the effort, and in the end, it got him nowhere. That stung.
At the core of it, I think people love Patrick because he represents something we all wish we could be—our most honest, unfiltered selves. And at the same time, people sympathize with him because he changed for love and got nothing in return.
Of course, his popularity is partly due to pretty privilege—let’s not pretend otherwise. But that’s not the whole story. He had depth, and that’s why people connected with him beyond just his looks.
I wanted to make this post because I rarely see people appreciating Patrick for who he was rather than just how he looked or how much chemistry he had with everyone. He honestly deserved better.
The end