Today I went to see Mockingjay Pt2 for the second time, and I could really focus on the details this time around. The main thing I really paid close attention to was Finnick’s treatment of Peeta throughout the movie.
Finnick stays close to Peeta, always speaking softly, incouragingly “yeah you got it!”, almost always walking along beside him with a hand going to his shoulder or bag. During the scene where they’re running up the stairs to get away from the hot oil(?), Finnick doesn’t really let any of the other Unit members touch Peeta, restraining him and tranquilizing Peeta himself, locking his arms around Peeta and lowering him to the ground.
Earlier in the movie, when Peeta and Katniss are talking and the Unit is trying to sleep, Peeta gets a little upset, his voice rising, and Finnick immediately wakes up, like he’s done this a hundred times before. “Just ask, that’s what Annie does.”
I came to the realization that Finnick acts this way with Peeta because he’s had to deal with something like this before, with Annie.
This is the Finnick that Annie fell in love with, the Finnick that was soft spoken and encouraging of even the littlest of victories. The Finnick that would have gently touched her hand when he saw her losing focus or wrap his arms around her and not dare let go when she would thrash and scream and cry. The Finnick that might have slept beside her bed because he knew she had nightmares, he’d wake up as soon as he heard her crying, and he’d tell her to ask him whatever she needed to know, he’d tell her everything.
Everyone else in their group, even Katniss for a while, treated Peeta like a bomb, a weapon, and Finnick must have taken one look at Peeta and remembered what Annie was like after she came back from her games, and knew exactly how to take care of Peeta.