*Warm* tension between Patty and Ellen
This is more on the part of Patti than Ellen, but there was definitely some tension there, tension of hidden depth – reserved but caring, complete with subconscious warmth.
As cruel as Patti could be, even towards Ellen, there is an odd dichotomy between them. On the one hand, Patti obviously subconsciously sees Ellen as the daughter she never had, while on the other hand, even though the subject never came up, I seriously doubt Patti would've rejected a warm embrace from Ellen either! And before some of you go and tell me that these are ridiculous assumptions and that I'm reading too much into it, remember – not even Patti is clear on how she feels about Ellen – even she is mixed up about it.
Also recall in season one or two, how Ray Fiske ended up revealing his crush on Arthur Frobisher. I think the same as possible with Patti towards Ellen – only, she's too set in her ways to ever admit it. It would have to be circumstantial for l Patti to involve herself in that kind of relationship, but what I'm saying is, if the opportunity arose – such as when Ellen is sitting in her living room having a cup of coffee with her – if she were to suddenly put her hand on patties, and express how much she loves her,, I think Patti would go with it! I think Patti loves Ellen more than she lets on… She tries so hard to keep her around, after all!
Is it possible to subconsciously think of oneself as a mother figure, while still having the hidden crush on someone at the same time? Because I think that's what was going on there. In other words, when an otherwise cold woman takes a special interest in you and warms up around you, that speaks volumes!
Who else gets a sense of hidden warmth with a potential crush-quality from the Patti-Ellen chemistry?
Here's a video someone made and posted on YouTube that sort of taps into the warm-tension vibe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_hvy2KoTZs
Please excuse typos/funny wording; I use speech-recognition that doesn't always recognize!