I love slow burns… when done correctly
Slow burn is one of my favorite subgenres/tropes in television and media in general. I love to witness some good “will they, won’t they” tension when watching a romantic plotline unravel. Nothing is better than the moment when two characters admit their feelings for each other and finally get together. My only quarrel is when the writers fail to properly build up this climactic moment in the characters’ relationship and it ends up falling flat. Here is the ranking of my top five most disappointing get-together moments in television, spoilers ahead:
5. THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
As much as I love Delana and The Vampire Diaries as a whole, I found myself slightly disappointed when they finally got together. I think that the forbiddenness of their relationship was a large part of the attraction to them as a couple. The fact that he was her ex-boyfriend’s brother, and that he was a vampire while she was human. When the buildup was gone and they were finally together, I felt a little disappointed. Additionally, by the time Damon and Elena get together, Elena is also a vampire, so that aspect of their dynamic is changed. I put this at the bottom of my list because I still think that they had some really good climactic moments in their relationship, and I was still psyched when they got together.
4. ANNE WITH AN E
Anne with an E is ranked number four because, while everything about their relationship and buildup was amazing, the show was cancelled right after they got together, leaving me feeling unsatisfied. I love Anne and Gilbert and was deeply saddened that we didn’t get to see them as a couple. I do love the scene of them finally kissing in the last episode.
3. TEEN WOLF
While I personally prefer Stiles and Malia together, Stiles and Lydia’s slow burn is what most fans focus on. From the very beginning of the show, Stiles maintains a one-sided crush on Lydia. Throughout the seasons, the writers tease their possible romance with longing glances, infrequent kisses and Lydia’s eventual confession of her feelings for Stiles. I found this slow burn to be disappointing because their relationship felt mostly one-sided to me. The writers gave us many moments of Stiles showing his feelings and dedication to Lydia, but not as many from Lydia. In the end, I felt that their getting together felt cheap and rushed.
2. GIlmore Girls
From the very beginning of the show, you can tell that Lorelai and Luke have feelings for each other. They spend four seasons tiptoeing around their feelings until they finally kiss and get together in the season four finale. This moment, to me, felt overshadowed by Rory’s drama and ultimately a little anticlimactic as they transitioned from the intense yearning they had going on to a normal, committed relationship.
1. bones
In my opinion, the most upsetting and anticlimactic slow-burning get-together moment of all time is in the series Bones. The moment when Booth and Brennan finally cement their relationship to each other occurs OFF SCREEN. This is the ultimate betrayal, in my opinion. After six seasons of “will they, won’t they,” the viewers don’t even get the satisfaction of seeing an epic love confession. To make matters worse, we don’t even get to see a honeymoon phase of their relationship because of Brennan’s immediate pregnancy. This made me sad because it rushed over the beginning of their relationship and immediately shoved them into a deeper commitment. I understand that the actor playing Brennan, Emily Deschanel, was pregnant in real life, but I feel that they should’ve found some way around it in order to give the fans the moment we deserved.
The shows listed above are some of my favorite watches in spite of my disappointment. It’s because they are such great shows that fans like me care so deeply about the characters they portray. In summary, slow burn can be an excellent plot device if executed correctly and with care.