Carter's Guilt Won't Let Her Ignore Lori Now

Well, this isn't going to be easy. Every time Carter really starts to get her life together, something comes crashing down around her and, on Tuesday night, it was Lori. Shortly after Carter learned that her former friend Madison talks to Lori on Finding Carter and more or less tried to convince her to run away from her real family, Carter was reminded of how much her past really is a part of her still. In the final moments of "Riptide," Carter learns that Lori tried to commit suicide on Finding Carter , crushing her resolve to stay away from her kidnapper. So, what happens now?

Carter's stayed extremely strong in avoiding contact with Lori ever since that failed attempt at helping to evaluate Lori's mental state. But I really don't think Carter can continue to ignore her "mother" after this — her conscience is just too strong and, even though it seems crazy, Carter is still incredibly bonded to Lori and their past. Neither of these things were helped by the fact that Madison spent most of Tuesday's episode convincing Carter that her new life really can't hold a candle to her former life with Lori and that Lori really isn't so bad because she's "cool."

So far in Season 2, we've seen Carter blame herself for Lori's illness and the fact that Lori's behind bars. Even though she's with her real family and it's been proven a thousand times over that Lori is in the wrong here, Carter feels guilt. She's a good person with a good heart, so that shouldn't necessarily surprise everyone — my only concern here is that it's going to get her hurt. Carter's come so far from where she was in Season 1 — she's a real friend, she's a good sister, and she's got a great relationship with her parents — and she's really been a rock for her family in Season 2. This huge Lori reveal is going to make her slide right back into being that uncertain, withdrawn teenager that doesn't feel right with her family.

It's kind of sad and it's truly disappointing that Carter will probably end up reading Lori's letters. But, if Max's big reveal about his mother's attack on Tuesday night is any indication, it might do Carter some good to not suppress her feelings about Lori. Maybe going to see her kidnapper one last time will give her peace of mind and, if not, at least she tried.

Image: screengrab/MTV