After seeing all the edits and ships, I finally started watching shows like Never Have I Ever and My Life with the Walter Boys. It made me realize how some shows, even from years ago like Vampire Diaries or Jane the Virgin, use a love triangle as one of the main plots. While it certainly makes the show more interesting at times, it can cause some division. Here are some pros and cons of TV love triangles.
Pro: Builds Tension
From the small gestures like giving her a jacket to the sentimental moments leading up to a first kiss, having a love triangle is one of the best ways to keep fans drawn in. It keeps fans like myself on the edge of their seats wondering who our main character is going to pick. These shows are amazing at splitting moments between love interests, which keeps fans debating about which moment was the most meaningful. Was it the heart-to-heart conversation they had, or the fact that he remembered her favorite childhood movie?
Con: Can Be Too Long
Although fans love the little moments and the toss-ups between love interests, there comes a point in time when it’s time to just pick a side already. Eventually, the love triangle plot gets drawn out, to the point where it feels unnecessary and overdone. Finding the right balance and length for shows like this is the way to capture fans’ hearts while not boring them to sleep.
Pro: Picking Teams
At this point I think everyone has asked or heard what team you are: Team Conrad or Jeremiah, or even Team Paxton or Ben. In most of these shows, both love interests are complete opposites, which is what makes the tension and drama 10 times better. It’s always between the nice guy who’s always there for her and the bad boy who only has a sweet spot for her. It makes fans discuss and even fight about who is better for her and fantasize about who they would pick in her shoes. Fans pick one guy and stand by his side throughout the show.
Con: Takes Attention Away From Real Issues
While the drama and tension make it binge-worthy and easy to get caught up in, I feel as if certain love triangles push it too much. In My Life with the Walter Boys, Jackie faced the traumatic and devastating loss of her parents and sister. While it’s mentioned at times, it seems to barely have any impact on her, and fans rarely see her moments of grief. In some cases, love triangles seem to push away the bigger issues that define characters and don’t allow fans the chance to know them away from the love triangle.
Besides all of these pros and cons, I’ll continue to binge-watch these shows. Like everyone else, I can’t seem to stay away from them, but hopefully, these shows can do a new twist on the basic love triangle plot in the future. Like everything else in life, there is always room for improvement (hint @ future screenwriters).
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Pinterest!