The kid is precocious enough to tamper with his father's brakes, and you're worried about him throwing a keg party?
Well, my reply to McTrooper was only meant to be funny - and I certainly know you know that.
But in all seriousness, when David tampered with Roger's brakes, that was a symptom of an already existing problem - one that seemed to have been resolved by '68, or at least one that was in check - and past behavior, even behavior as dangerous as what David exhibited against his father, isn't always an indication, particularly in a 10-year-old, of something that could easily be repeated - particularly when the circumstances that sprung the behavior has for the most part been resolved. However, a 12-year-old throwing a keg party would hopefully only be an indication of where he *might* be headed psychologically. True, with a great-great-uncle like Quentin and a father like Roger, both of whom, umm, love their brandy a bit too much for their own good (
), some could say David already has a predisposition to the same fate. But unless he was hiding it well, David wasn't anywhere near there yet. So, there was still some hope that he could beat the odds and be taught to drink responsibly. However, there's no responsibility on any side of a situation in which a 12-year-old is already drinking. And then if the Collinses actually condone it? Whoa!!
And if that's not decadence, I don't know what is...