What effect do you think the secret of Gabby Birch's death has had on Sean's life since the storm?

What effect do you think the secret of Gabby Birch's death has had on Sean's life since the storm?

The events that occurred the day of the storm, including Gabby's death, changed the trajectory of virtually every resident of Evelyn Bay. In Sean's case, he seems frozen in time, unable to move beyond that time, frozen forever as an insecure young man fearful of being found out.

Sean has tried to become Finn by sheltering Liam and living an exemplary life, but we see he is consumed by fear of being found out, so much so that he goes on to murder Bronte

I agree completely with Patty Claire and think that he's carried his guilt alone and for so long that the possibility of Bronte's exposing him leaves him off-balance, to the extent that he does not think it through - he reacts and acts immediately.

I think Sean used his role in Liam's life as a cover. Liam gave him the perfect excuse to withdraw from daily life around Evelyn Bay. He was too busy looking out for his nephew to date or start new relationships with people in town. He may have lived with Ash, but Sean made himself scarce it seems. And when Kieran returns to town, it was almost like a reunion for ALL the friends, even the ones who still lived there and could have spent time together. By investing in the diving business, Sean was able to further isolate himself. He spent his time on the boat or in the water- -away from people. He folded into himself- -as a punishment or out of fear of saying too much if he got too close. He was so withdrawn from everything that was happening in The Survivors, it didn't occur to me to even suspect him- -interesting considering he was responsible for the deaths of Gabby and Bronte AND Finn and Toby being out on the water the day of the storm.

When all was revealed at the end, I had the urge to go back and re-read chapters that featured Sean to see if I could get a better feel for his character. I though he seemed fairly innocuous and well-adjusted for someone harboring such dark secrets.

Even as an adult, Sean seems to be the most well-adjusted and serious of the group of three friends, yet we can only guess how heavily the secret must have weighed heavily on him over the years. He dedication of his life to Liam and his focus on maintaining the work Finn and his brother began has provided him "cover" over the years. His adult life was possible only because he allowed someone else to be blamed for the tragedy of that day. The horror and suspicions of Gabby's unexplained disappearance and the deaths of Finn and Toby have hung over that town for years -- and thus over him as well. Living with the fear of being found out must have been ever-present.

Trying to make it up to Liam for the death of his father became the single most important factor in Sean's life. Sean had lost a brother. He could have gone either way - using drink or drugs, being a town terror, or quietly manning up and making something of himself. He tried the later. However with his bruised ego, his lack of self confidence, and his knowledge of the crime he committed Sean carried a very heavy load. He tried to manifest good by helping Liam, tired to clear his conscious. The fact that no one really knew what had happened to Gabby and did not suspect Sean at all, allowed him to keep his head down and try to show that he was a good man, doing the best he could and standing in for his brother in Liam's case.