In real life, I’ m all metformin hydrochloride 1000 mg side effects about love – but when it comes to TV, the last thing I want is romance.
The reason for the dichotomy? Romantic subplots on television are problematic things in my experience. For a variety of reasons, I’ve seen them end in disaster more often than not, which has conditioned me to want to avoid the subject altogether. When it comes up for one of my favorite shows, I can’t help but cringe.
Before we start this discussion, it’s worth noting that there are TV romances that are great. I don’t mean to say that they all fail, nor to say that some are right and some are wrong. What I’m talking about is how they work (or don’t work) for the shows themselves. Even I get a little sappy sometimes.
Some of my favorites over the years include White Collar‘s Peter and Elizabeth Burke (Tim DeKay and Tiffani Thiessen) Friday Night Lights‘ Eric and Tami Taylor (Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton), The X-Files‘ Fox Mulder and Dana Scully (David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson), and Sports Night‘s Casey McCall and Dana Whitaker (Peter Krause and Felicity Huffman). Whether an established couple or one that might yet become a couple, these duos avoid all the don’ts on the below list. And there are others. We should recognize the good before we get into the bad.
That said, it’s time to break some hearts. Here’s why I’m not in love with the idea of TV characters falling in love.
Author’s Note: There seems to be some confusion regarding the below list. It is not a checklist, a ‘must not list’ or any sort of blueprint for failure – just a list of issues that I’ve seen when it comes to romantic relationships on television. Examples are included for illustrative purposes, and their inclusion is not indicative of anything beyond the clarification of the point under which they are included.
1) I’m just not that into it if the actors don’t have chemistry.
The two actors involved have to really click for me to even think about caring about a TV romance. You can tell me that Character A is Character B’s true love all you want, but if I don’t feel it myself, I’m not going to buy it. Chemistry isn’t something that can be created by adding it into the script. Kate Moreau (Alexandra Daddario) may allegedly have been the love of Neal Caffrey’s (Matt Bomer) life on White Collar, but most of their interactions left me cold. (Not to mention that we didn’t get to really meet her until just before she blew up…which was an entire season before we got to see why they ever got together at all.)
2) I’m just not that into it if we’ve just met.
If Character A meets Character B – or if the audience meets Character A – and by the end of the episode they’re in bed together, I’m not going to get excited about it. It feels like getting into bed with someone on the first date. Again, you can tell me these characters have known each other for the last two decades, but I want to see it myself, not just be told. Hawaii Five-O did this earlier this season when it put Steve McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) in bed with ‘old friend’ Catherine Rollins (Michelle Borth). And 24 did it when it paired Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) and Audrey Raines (Kim Raver). Sorry, Audrey, the show can tell me you and Jack have been in a happy relationship, but I’m not comfortable until I can see that you really do belong with the guy.
3) I’m just not that into it if the writers have dragged it on too long.
Even if a relationship is viable, writers can kill it in a hurry if they drag it out for all it’s worth. The “will they or won’t they?” question only takes you so far. Some shows string it out too far, all the while introducing other lovers that we all know won’t last, that therefore feel like a waste of time (Bones, I’m looking at you). Or they come up with roadblocks that make no sense. As much as I loved Sports Night, Dana’s “dating plan” sounded like an incredibly contrived way to keep her and Casey apart…and that’s exactly how it felt in execution.
4) I’m just not that into it if it screws up characters or plotlines along the way.
You know the story: your friend gets a new girlfriend or boyfriend, and then starts acting totally different? It happens in TV too, and it shouldn’t. Just because characters get together, they shouldn’t stop being true to who they are. Dirty Sexy Money saw Nick George (Peter Krause)’s once-loving wife Lisa (Zoe McLellan) turn into a shrew in season two…just so Nick could realize that Karen Darling (Natalie Zea) was his true love all along. The fact that he finally did so during a plane crash seemed oddly appropriate.
5) I’m just not that into it if the show doesn’t need it.
There are times when the entire idea of romance is just not a good one. The X-Files stumbled when it felt the need to duplicate the success of the Mulder & Scully relationship by repeating the story with new partners John Doggett (Robert Patrick) and Monica Reyes (Annabeth Gish). Human Target is a great action-adventure show, and it was fine in season one with an all-male cast; season two saw the unnecessary addition of Ilsa Pucci (Indira Varma) for Chance to spend the season very obviously falling for. White Collar didn’t need to give Neal a new girlfriend, but they brought on Hilarie Burton for just that purpose. Note to writers: let’s not think of characters just as “love interests.” Let’s make them fully fledged people and then we can discuss their romantic prospects.
6) I’m just not that into it if you assume I’m into it.
There seems to be a belief that most TV shows have to have a romantic subplot, particularly to attract women in the coveted younger demographics. As a result, rare is the happily married protagonist, and more and more shows arrive with a love story already written in. I’m not thrilled with the idea of someone assuming what I like and dislike, based on my gender and/or age, mostly because the assumption is wrong. (In some cases, anyway. More on that in a moment.)
7) I’m just not that into it if you’re into it too much.
That love of love stories isn’t just a belief in the writers’ room. It’s spread to the networks, and even to the press, which hype the things up just as much as the creative teams do, if not more. For example, the press release discussing the upcoming season three of White Collar described Burton’s initial run on the show as “a sexy arc.” In press leading up to the recent return of Nikita, executive producer Craig Silverstein hyped up the tension between Nikita (Maggie Q) and Michael (Shane West). Promos for this week’s episode included a scene of the two half-naked. A recent TV Guide article mentioned the two “hot” men Nikita is now between, including a quote from Silverstein mentioning a scene in which Nikita, Michael and Owen (Devon Sawa) are in a room “and nobody has any clothes on.” Shows like White Collar and Nikita have so much more to offer, but it seems that everyone wants to focus on sex, romance, and eye candy. I think we’re missing the real point.
I’m just not that into it if it makes the fans act crazy.
This one is a big one. What really doesn’t sit with me is how the emphasis on TV romance has spread to the fans, and how the fans behave because of it. Some of them take it too far. (It’s worth noting, if only because it’s curious, that they tend to be young women.)
Some fans are themselves guilty of violating item #4 above. There are some who support pairings that are in direct contradiction to the shows themselves, many of them involving homosexual relationships between heterosexual male characters, some even incestuous (such as Supernatural). If you believe one heterosexual female I asked about this, the trend (known as “slash”) has something to do with how “women like cute guys having sex.” (This is another assumption I don’t subscribe to.) No offense is intended to those who like this idea, but I have to stick to item #4 up there.
Then we get into fans’ bad behavior. I’ve seen exchanges between fans of opposing pairings get ugly in a hurry, often devolving into personal insults. Some people take real offense when someone doesn’t share their love of a certain relationship, to the point of wishing them real harm in extreme cases. That seems to only happen when relationships are the subject. I’ve never seen anyone get into a Twitter feud because they didn’t like the same plot twist or dialogue as someone else.
Some fans have issues separating what they see on television from real life. While covering Nikita, I stumbled upon a group of fans who not only support the on-screen romance between Nikita and Michael, but believe that it is an indicator of an off-screen affair between actors Maggie Q and Shane West. They take tweets from/between the actors as proof of this relationship, and at one point discussed how the two should have children together. They’re not the first, either; a friend of mine who remains involved in the Battlestar Galactica fandom related her knowledge of a similar situation regarding actors Katee Sackhoff and Jamie Bamber, including fan-written fiction about their affair (never mind that Bamber is and was married). Treating the private lives of real people the same way that you’d treat fictional characters bothers me. It’s one thing to be a fan of an actor or actress, but especially if you’re a fan, it would seem prudent to remember that it’s just a TV show.
In fact, that’s a good rule of thumb to remember all the time. It’s just a TV show.
I want to make clear that, as with the TV pairings themselves, the above is by no means meant to describe all fans of TV romances. There are plenty who are sweet, civil, and respectful individuals. Chuck fans are heavily invested in the relationship between Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi) and Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski), and in covering the show, I’ve found them to be some of the most kind, polite fans I’ve ever interacted with. What I’ve described above are the exceptions, and not the norm.
For my part, I’m not entirely against romance on TV. As I’ve said, there are pairings that do work, and that I have enjoyed. I’ll even admit to pulling for a romance that won’t and probably shouldn’t happen (that’s Teresa Colvin and Jarek Wysocki on The Chicago Code) and one that didn’t happen (that’s the “are they really going to?” moment in last week’s season finale of Law & Order: UK). And I’m okay with that. If romance is right, or it makes a show better, I’m all for it.
But for all the reasons I’ve just described above, I’ll always be apprehensive about the subject of TV romance. I don’t want to see them done badly, I don’t want them to overshadow great shows, and I certainly don’t want to see fans fight over them. I’m just not that into it.
Nice article. Despite shipping several couples, I agree with pretty much all of your points – especially the one about separating the characters from the actors who play them; it’s one thing to think they look cute together, and another to actually send an actor tweets asking if they’re in a relationship with their co-star (yes, this has happened).
Thanks, Katy! I’ll admit to shipping a few myself, although the majority of mine are pipe dreams (for example, as much as I think that Jarek and Teresa on The Chicago Code totally deserve each other, with all the relationship issues he already has on the show, I also think it wouldn’t be good for the show if it went there). I don’t want to say that having favorite couples is a bad thing, just that we could all use to relax, and keep it in perspective.
nice article, and good points. I do like romance in shows, and am a self-confessed shipper of a few different pairings. but some fans definitely cross the border into an unhealthy obsession (esp the nikita ‘shaggie’ fans – that’s just weird, no matter how hot they look together!!).
I don’t mind romance, but I do have an issue with the apparent idea that it MUST be in every show ever. That’s a general rule with everything, though. I love explosions, but not every show HAS to have something blowing up. (I mean, if something on Friday Night Lights exploded, I’d be a bit scared.)
And I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels uncomfortable with that…I know some Nikita fans who subscribe to that idea, and while they are lovely people personally whom I would consider friends, it’s sometimes hard to discuss the show with them because that issue does bother me.
I totally agree with all the reasons you put on this list! I’m an avid Nikita watcher, and I run the LJ comm for fans of the Michael and Alex pairing so I wonder if I’m guilty of being a crazy fan sometimes, especially considering the two characters haven’t had any overtly romantic scenes. I have had people be overly defensive on forums and boards for various TV shows when it comes to the actors and actresses though. In my opinion, reading an exchange on seeing a picture between two people who work on a show and thinking “Aww, that’s sweet” is acceptable but acting like these people are seeing eachother is a little strange. Fair enough if you really want the characters to get together but why do you want the actors together? You don’t know them in real life and if anything, it will only hinder the relationship onscreen rather than move it along.
I especially agree with the fact that we’re supposed to like certain pairings when we’ve just met the characters. I need to really like a character before I start caring about his/her relationships with other people, otherwise I start switching off.
Indeed. I was particularly thinking of Nikita when I wrote that part – just on my Twitter feed, knowing quite a few Nikita fans, I’ve seen some exchanges between fans over pairings and they are vicious. And it saddens me because we all are on the same page fundamentally, which is a love of the show.
I agree with a lot of your points, and I have to say some of the pairings that I’ve come across online are completely mind boggilng, and I find the whole Wincest thing incredibly creepy.
One of the things that bothers me the most about some shippers is their complete and utter belief that the writers/creators are wrong when the relationship that they wanted didn’t happen.
In general, the “I’m right and you’re totally wrong” thing makes me annoyed, but especially in that case. The writers/creators made the show. They’re the ones who are making it up. Most of us are just fans who wouldn’t have the first clue about making a TV show if we had the chance.
I have to say this is a very well written article and I agree with everything you said, especially the points about Hawaii 5-O and Nikita because those are shows I’m very into at the moment. I hope you don’t mind if I give my opinion on those points.
Catherine Rollins introduction was sort of a ‘huh’ moment for me. I’ve always felt that if a lead character has a love interest that is not a fellow lead then they should at least have some sort of tangible influence. Take Danny’s ex-wife for example, even though she wasn’t seen on screen until episode ten you knew she existed before then because you saw the influence she had on Danny’s life. Catherine Rollins sort of just appeared in McGarrett’s bed and has just randomly popped into the show since.
As for Nikita, well this is my number one show at the moment and I am seriously in the Michael/Nikita pairing. Yes I was over the moon about them getting together, but I’m actually equally interested in how them working together on the same side will effect how the show unfolds. Oh and you point about the whole ‘Shaggie’ thing, I totally agree. Yes Shane West and Maggie Q have great chemistry but you don’t need to be in a relationship to have that. I have friends that I have a strong connection with but that doesn’t mean I’m in love with them.
Sorry for such a long reply but you don’t seem like someone that will bite my head off because I actually have an opinion, like some people tend to do.
Oh, no! Never. (Actually, I’m afraid to have my head bitten off for this article, honestly…)
I’m not sold on the Steve/Catherine thing either. It is not through a fault of the actors – but it’s a “show, don’t tell” situation. We’re told she has history with Steve, but for us, as you said, she just arrived and then we’ve gotten…two? three? brief scenes with them since, which to my recollection were mostly Steve asking her for information/help, which isn’t much when it comes to development.
I do support the Michael/Nikita pairing, but because of some of the fan behavior, I’m wary to identify as part of that “shipper” group. (That and I’m still waiting to see how the events of “Covenants” affect the show long term.) I totally get what you’re saying. My best friend for the last more than a decade is a guy, and we’re very, very close, but he’s happily married to another woman. (Which leads to another pet peeve: women and men can’t be close friends on TV without either sleeping together or someone assuming they have/should/will.)
I remember when NCIS brought that up in season 2 with Kate. Tony and Tim said that Kate can’t be friends with men, because they all want to sleep with her and she wanted to prove them wrong. Even Abby agreed with the boys on that one. Which I found really annoying.
That’s always made me nuts. The majority of my friends are men, and many of them are happily married to other people.
This at one point led to me being asked point blank if I was bisexual or a lesbian. Since I couldn’t possibly be hanging out with men and be a secure, straight female. And for some reason, twice I’ve seen people quote my articles and refer to me as “he.” It’s kind of weird, since I’m not sure how it’s inferred given that my name is not particularly ambiguous.
Yeah Brittany stands out as a purely female name. People are weird.
Also true. I’m getting some much nastier comments in other places this article has appeared, for example. I’m glad that the people who’ve come here and read the whole article are having a great, mature, calm discussion.
Very nice article! I think it captures why the vast majority of TV romances fail, especially romances that were not established from the beginning of the series but were forced into them into the run. For example, one of the few TV romances that *does* work for me is Michael Westen and Fiona Glenanne on ‘Burn Notice,’ but it was established from the pilot that Micahel and Fi were the loves of each’s lives. (Also, it helps that they are more likely to beat up bad guys and blow stuff up together than make “romantic” declaration about twu luv.)
Your point #3 can be avoided if the writers give valid reasons for the pair not to get togehter, but this is rarely done. For instance, I totally want Mary Shannon and Marshall Mann from ‘In Plain Sight’ to end up together in the series finale and make sexy Marshal babies. However, there’s a valid reason to keep them apart: they’re (police) partners and that sort of workplace romance is never a good idea and, in their line of work, can even be dangerous. Also, Mary had a boyfriend/fiance and Marshal put Mary’s happiness before his own. Genuine, adult reasons.
Unfortunately, the “Moonlighting curse” (gag) has kept too many couples apart for NO GOOD REASON WHATSOEVER to the point where I just can’t bring myself to care anymore.
Tying into your point #4 is that most TV romances take time away or even destroy relationships that were already established on the series and in which the audience is already invested. (In particular, again, if the romance has not existed since Day 1.) While I could write a thesis on why Shawn/Juliet fails on ‘Psych,’ a MAJOR reason it’s rubbish is that it’s taken up an increasing amount of screentime since Season Three and HUGE amount of time in Season Five. This “romance” was to the disadvantage of Shawn and Gus’s relationship, which has always been the heart and soul of the series, not to mention Shawn and Henry’s father-son dynamic and Lassiter and Juliet’s friendship/partnership. If shows remove what I, as an audience member, cared about in the first place, why should I stick around?
Moreover, evaporating the established character dynamics also makes the characters in the “romantic” pairing seem unlikeable. They’ve dropped all their other friends and family … why? Also, as much as I hate to say it, but it’s the female characters that suffer more than the male characters, when she’s not “allowed” to have interactions with other characters, especially other male characters, as if the writers think that the audience is too stupid to process who the woman “should be with.” See the way Guinevere stopped having interaction with anyone except Arthur in ‘Merlin’ once the writers decided to make Arthur/Gwen canon or, again, see how Juliet was largely reduced to “just the girlfriend” once Shawn/Juliet became canon on ‘Psych.’
I bought Michael/Fi on “Burn Notice” instantly and I still do, exactly because of what you said above. Yes, it was established from the get-go, but we also got to see it in action from the get-go. It was clear that Jeffrey Donovan and Gabrielle Anwar worked together well, that the characters complimented each other, and it was believable that they had a long history (instead of us just being told it and expected to accept it).
If the writers ARE going to play a romance card (and I mean that they decide on it, not that the fans infer it) then I think they have a responsibility to the fans to pay off what they start. I remember when “Lois & Clark” was on (…I know I’m dating myself) and they not only did get together, but they got married and may have been discussing kids? I don’t recall. But at least it was paid off. I’ve lost track of how many love interests for Seeley Booth have been reported on “Bones,” and while I don’t watch that show myself aside from the occasional rerun, it seems like a waste of time for the viewers. They know that the relationship won’t pan out since the show has teased the Booth/Bones romance, so why should they invest their time in caring about Hannah or her relationship with Booth?
I hadn’t thought about “Psych” but I do agree with you now that you’ve brought it up. I think the writers had to get Shawn/Juliet together after teasing it for so long, but no romance needs to take over the entire series. No subplot of ANYTHING should take over an entire series, IMO. One of the things I like about “The Chicago Code” is while I am not a fan of the subplot about Jarek’s love triangle, the writers use it sparingly and only in the appropriate place where it supports the show. Hitting one note over and over again is not music, to use a bad metaphor.
So I got here accidentally and actually really liked the article.
There are so many shows that started off great and then just jumped the shark with dull romances ruining the characters. That´s why I am so wary when people on tv get 2gether. And then if the writers just can´t handle them they broke them up (cause why not?).
One of my all time favorites is Supernatural, but anytime I read/see/hear smt Wincest-ery I feel like I am going to …..squeal (not in a good way). In addition there are those who think the actors are actually 2gether or they are destined for each other >Actually I had that faze once, when I was 3 years old and thought the people in the telly are ,,real,,.
To sum up: I like on-screen romance if it has a meaning and does not disturb the storyline.
Well, thank you! Then it was a happy accident.
I’m glad that people understand the point I was trying to make by bringing up Supernatural (which I know has a serious fanbase, including several people I know). Putting aside the incest part, I have an issue with not respecting the established character. Especially one that you’re obviously already a fan of the way they are (or why would you care?). I feel like it’s not too much to ask to take characters as established by the creative teams, when it comes to the fundamental facts. If they’re gay, then let them be gay. If they’re not, then let them be straight. The characters’ sexual orientation is a part of who they are, just like it is in real life for real people, and I think we’ve got to respect that.
I too agree with what you said. I don’t mind romance if it is furthering the story or character development, but when the characters or show become all about the romance and forget about the other characters or what the purpose of the show is, then I have a problem.
I also agree with you about Steve and Catherine on H50. Maybe they were together when he was in the Navy, but it seems her purpose was to show that Steve has a sex life. Yeah of course he does, she really didn’t further the story or Steve’s character, except to show that they are friends with benefits, not a couple.
I think the H50 thing may also be partly motivated by the fact that everyone knows Alex O’Loughlin has a strong female fan base. At least, that’s why I assume the show kept coming up with reasons for him to take his shirt off (though, to be fair, that has stopped happening of recent).
Yeah I noticed that. I remember when he was out promoting the show, it was mentioned in almost every interview how much his shirt was off. He said something like, it is better to ask when is my shirt on.
I think you make excellent points. Point 3 in particular rings true. A romance has a natural progression and although some twists and turns along the way are fun to watch. There is a point when as a viewer you are left thinking maybe those people simply don’t belong together after all.
Awesome article! I agree with most things you said, especially about the “fans acting crazy” and fighting. But I do Love romance on tv shows and I think they’re great additions to the stories
I see your point about Neal and Sara on White Collar and I think they shouldn’t have got together already, but Sara was a great addition to the show. She is awesome, I hope her character grow more on season 3.
Btw, Castle & Beckett are just the example of perfect “couple” on tv
And about Bones…well, I’ve given up on that…
You’re not the only one. As I said earlier, I don’t watch the show myself but from reading various articles and from small talk amongst friends, I think a lot of people got disillusioned. I’m hearing the same things now about NCIS and the Tony/Ziva pairing. As a writer myself, I even loathe to put characters together because I’m so afraid of setting up that expectation and then not finishing it in a way that my readers deserve.
We can agree to disagree on Sara – I’m not a fan of her character, so it’s hard for me to get into the pairing. It’s a bonafide part of season 3, though, so I’m prepared to see where it goes. One part of the show isn’t usually (there have been exceptions) enough to get me to stop watching an entire series.
I don’t want Ziva and Tony to get together, ever. I like them just as they are.
I haven’t watched enough NCIS to have an opinion, myself. And when I do it’s mostly for Mark Harmon. But when I read articles on the show there seem to be a lot of comments about a potential “Tiva” pairing.
Somebody had to say it. Glad you did. Those inter-workplace romances always make me think, “Don’t these people ever go outside?” I don’t like characters automatically falling in love with each other just because of the accident of being physically next to each other during the work day. Real life is not like that.
What I liked:
1) Jeff and Britta. Jeff says to Britta, “Everyone is talking about our sexual chemistry.” They look at each other, strip and get it on. Takes care of that! (LOL)
2) If the characters are already romantically involved as the series begins.
3) This has never happened, but I would like it if a couple falls in love, has a courtship, gets engaged, gets married, and goes on to have a normal married life with neither of them dying. Writers can’t seem to imagine this. Love always ends tragically on the screen because, I guess, writers have no idea what to do next. I take that back: Desmond and Penny. That worked.
4) The writers come up with a valid reason. Kudos, Brittany, for getting through the whole article without mentioning Jate (oh you came close, though). Jate, and Suliet, were pairs of constants, and the love was integral to the plot.
In this vein, Brittany, I’d like to know your reaction to the end of last night’s The Chicago Code. Did that shower scene have you saying “Nooooo. Make it not so. Ick.” Because it did me.
Actually, I’ve never seen Lost, so if I came close to mentioning it, it was a complete and total accident.
I did not have a huge problem with the end of last night’s Chicago Code, because I figured from the pilot that Vonda and Isaac were going to eventually become a couple. (There’s that scene in the pilot where Jarek point-blank asks Vonda if they’re sleeping together.) I did have an issue with *how* it happened. While I understand *why* it happened, it did come off as a bit random. If they’d kissed or something, I wouldn’t have minded, but she was like “Hi, I am randomly going to get naked!” which was weird.
I will say, though, that I cut the writers some slack because I’ve seen next week’s episode already, and the relationship is treated appropriately – so if they continue to do so, it won’t bother me.
Right! It was kinda like, shouldn’t they have gone out to a romantic dinner first? I’ll have to rewatch the pilot, because it took me by surprise. I agree, not Jarek and Teresa, please. But Teresa and Adam Arkin, that might be nice.
I thought you might have been referring to the Jates and Skates of not too long ago when you mentioned crazy fans, because, yeah, pretty crazy!
Did you find it neat that Adam Arkin was in the last new episode and then directed this one? I was way too amused by that. But I would not be against him coming back. He’s a fantastic actor, and I think at least from an acting standpoint, that’d be fun to watch.
I’m of two minds on the Jarek/Teresa thing (or maybe three depending on how you look at it). I’d call myself a fan of the pairing, because I think that the characters work *so* well together. Last night was a great example with the back and forth. BUT. I see just as many arguments against it as I do for it.
For one, the show has already given him enough relationship issues with the triangle between his ex-wife and his fiancee (which I hope for his sake ends by the end of the season; it’s not pretty and we saw that it’s tearing him up inside). He doesn’t need to add to that. Neither does Teresa. We’ve seen how the other cops already think they ARE doing it – could you imagine if they were and it got out? Never mind the professional ramifications. As a writer, I cringe at just how much trouble that could potentially bring for the show.
That, and as someone who is female with a best friend I am very close to, I’m loathe to lose that platonic friendship on the show. TCC is a great example of how a man and a woman can have a close friendship and it not turn into sexual tension. As much as I think they could’ve been good together, it’s almost more important to me as a person to see it not happen.
Another well written article! All of what you say is true, but when romance works between characters, it’s pretty awesome. Sex sells, plots get dumbed down, demographics rule, but a good story is what makes a show tick.
Thank you! And yes, indeed. I have identified as a shipper for some pairings hardcore – I don’t know if you watch Law & Order: UK, but at the end of the season finale, I (and my friends) were on the edge of our seats yelling, “Just kiss her already!” (He didn’t.) I love it when it works…but I wish it would work more! Even my favorite show sorta messed it up.
I’m not much into TV romances either. I did like Mulder/Scully, but it was so long before they made it official…
My only favored tv couple right now is Peter and Olivia from Fringe. Their relationship developed over time, jumped some huge hurdles, and now they are together. It has really been a journey to root for these two. Fringe may be about weird stuff, but the weird stuff happened because of the characters. The characters are the heart of the show.
I like the show Castle, but the whole Josh thing is annoying… will they/won’t they… meh.
I haven’t seen Fringe beyond Mark Valley’s appearances, but from what I’ve read, I’ve been interested in the way that’s been handled. I know they didn’t start out as being together and now, as the third season ends, we’re talking about the alternate Olivia being pregnant with Peter’s baby (correct me if I’m wrong). It seems like they’ve taken some big steps. When a relationship *does* work, I do love to see it grow. Look at how much the Taylors from FNL have gone through together. That’s the best part of any relationship, romantic or otherwise – growing and bonding with a person.
Yeah, the alternate that fooled Peter into thinking she was Olivia had one heck of a surprise.
The whole Olivia-switch and the fall-out from Olivia’s escape from the alternate universe only to find out no one knew she was replaced… was just… wow.. heartbreaking.
But they got past it like adults, and I’m sure even when news of Peter’s son with “Fauxlivia” gets to them, they’ll be all right.
You should really give Fringe a retry. The first part of Season 1 took awhile to get going, but wow! It has turned into a show that breaks both the brain and the heart.
I have season one and season two on BR…I just have never had the time to really sit down and watch it. As you can imagine the life of an entertainment journalist is hectic and it seems like one of those shows not to watch half-assed while writing copy. But someday I will.
When pairings are good they’re really good. And even when they’re not perfect they can be good. I was never a Teri Bauer fan on 24 in first run, but when she had been killed and we saw how much of an impact she really had in the lives of her husband and daughter? I really appreciated Jack/Teri a lot more. To this day I’d say Teri is my favorite of all the women that show tried to put him with.
I really enjoyed reading this article, but I think that you forgot to mention one of the most irritating manifestations of TV Romance – when a romance does not fit in with a character that has already been so thoroughly developed. You touched on this point a little bit, but I think that it deserves a more complete consideration. I hate it when you spend a great deal of time ‘investing’ in a character, whether it is because you relate to them or because their back story is particularly interesting, only to have them enter into a romance that is in direct contradiction to the fundamental nature of the character. Personally, I enjoy shows with effective character development the most, and it drives me crazy when a show that I love takes my favorite character and involves them in a completely ridiculous relationship!
Excellent point, Rachel! I agree with you. Characters are the heart of why I watch TV. Even when the plots aren’t the most novel in the world, if there are characters I love, I’ll sit through just about anything – so by the same token, anything that messes too much with those characters bothers me. Whether it’s a romance or a plot point, anything. (The more I think about it, some of these items stem from general beliefs about what I’d like to see from my TV shows regarding anything, not just romance.)
I came back to re-read this article, because I thought it was so good, so I just saw this comment. I’m nodding vigorously at this:
“I really enjoyed reading this article, but I think that you forgot to mention one of the most irritating manifestations of TV Romance – when a romance does not fit in with a character that has already been so thoroughly developed.”
So very true! I commented earlier that almost all of the handful of TV romances that I like were established from the beginning of the series. I cited Michael/Fiona from ‘Burn Notice’ before. I think Nate/Sophie and Hardison/Parker from ‘Leverage’ would also apply. Zoe/Wash from ‘Firefly’ were amazing, too. That way, the characters actually develop together, as a couple, rather than tacking on a romance later in the run.
Again, I know I picked on it earlier, but Shawn/Juliet on ‘Psych’ fails for me in this respect. During Seasons One and Two and even into the beginning of Season Three, never in a million years did I think the writers were going to pair up these two. If any romance was going to occur on that show, I sincerely thought it was going to be between Lassiter and Juliet! I think that’s why Jules became so bland last season: the character the show has developed for her is totally incompatible with Shawn’s, so they had to strip her of any personality to force her into the role of Shawn’s girlfriend. Also, forgive me for repeating myself, but, sadly, it’s the female characters who seem to suffer the most when paired off. I imagine it’s because so many shows have male leads, and the creative team sees supporting characters as more expendable.
Not that the “From the Beginning” scenario always results in romances that keep the couple in-character. On ‘Eureka,’ I think TPTB intended Jack and Allison to get together in the First Season. However, both characters were eventually developed away from each other. Allison reconnected with her ex-husband. Jack moved on into a relationship with Tess. There was even an entire episode dedicated to Jack moving on. Then, suddenly, in Season Four, Allison and Jack are paired up, with no transition into the romance. Not just that, but Jack dropped some of his other, developed relationships, like his friendship with Henry. He even put his daughter second to Allison, one time when Zoe ran out the door angrily. It was completely against how Jack had been shown as a father for three previous seasons, i.e., someone who would pull up trees by their roots and tear down buildings with his bare hands to take care of his child.
TL;DR: I wholeheartedly agree with this statement:
“I hate it when you spend a great deal of time ‘investing’ in a character, whether it is because you relate to them or because their back story is particularly interesting, only to have them enter into a romance that is in direct contradiction to the fundamental nature of the character.”
Thank you. This article articulates my feelings on the shipping/OTP/slash phenomena better than I ever could.
You see, I’m a huge fan of Fringe. I loved the show’s first and second seasons. But in the S2 finale, the writers thought it’d be a great idea to have the leads kiss and do cheesy dialogue “You belong with me” and then season 3 has been entirely focused on their relationship. Gone are the monsters and strange cases and the mythology and disgusting things that made it an awesome science-fiction program. The worst part is – most of the fans whom I’m close with, love this new development. Everyone seems to think it’s wonderful that they’re suddenly making out. But it’s too early and it hasn’t been done right. Too much drama and angst and speed.
Like you, I admit to loving some television romances. Mulder and Scully from the X-Files had me hooked for nine seasons and two movies. Desmond and Penny on LOST had a beautiful romance that never overshadowed the over-arching plot; instead it enhanced it and made great character motivation.
These days, television doesn’t seem “complete” without the two main characters getting together at some point in the show. Even with all the new pilots, you can still tell who is going to be end game. Like you said, most shows don’t need it. I didn’t attempt The Event because of Sean and Leila’s awful romance, but because I wanted to see a conspiracy. The fact that their relationship was emphasized is what drew me away.
Television needs to get it’s act together. We need shows with two people who can work together in the roles given to them – as friends, as partners, as confidants – and leave the romance until it’s due.
Thank you! I’m glad. I figured it was going to be a fairly controversial piece, but I’m glad to see that most people who have taken the time to respond, are polite, mature and thoughtful individuals.
I do feel you, though. Several of my friends are Nikita fans who are die-hard Mikita shippers (and some even believe in the whole actor relationship thing I detailed above). They’re still sweet, supportive people – but it gets uncomfortable to even discuss the show with them at points, because we disagree. Several of them tweet a lot about both of those ships and so that makes it hard for me to look the other way. And when I’ve told them that it bothers me, it wasn’t received very well. So it’s that fine act of staying friends with people while respecting each other’s opinions.
I agree with you about Jarek and Teresa. I keep waiting for something more to happen, even if I’m not sure it would be good for the show. But I want it.
But I’m going to have to disagree about Doggett and Reyes. It might be because of my age, ten when the show started, but I never really got into hardcore shipping Mulder and Scully. Yet, when Doggett and Reyes came along I jumped right in. I liked having the two couples and didn’t really see it as a repeat of what came before.
We can agree to disagree. It seemed far too similar to me – two partners fall in love and then two *more* partners fall in love. Given how the writers were hoping for the show to continue with Doggett and Reyes replacing Mulder and Scully, I think I was hoping to see something entirely different, giving them a chance to start a unique slate. Not that we got that chance.
And then there’s a whole separate thing about me not being a Reyes fan. (I would’ve liked to have seen John get back together with his ex-wife, perhaps, if only because I thought it was super how she was played by Robert Patrick’s real-life spouse. Now THERE’s chemistry you can’t write!) To be fair, though, I was also kind of ticked off at how neither Doggett nor Reyes got much closure in the series finale. They just…drove off and we have no idea where they ended up. They weren’t even mentioned in the second movie.
You definitely make some great points here. I gotta say though, out of all the romance story lines, one type that irks me is the ‘roadblocks for roadblocks sake.’ Basically, if it feels like the writers are just coming up with reasons to keep characters apart, then it can get a little frustrating. As much as I love Chuck and Sarah together, there have been arcs of the show that felt like they were forced.
Most fans who support slash pairings don’t want/expect it to actually happen on the show, unless it’s like Blaine/Kurt from Glee, which actually is happening. They just ship that kind of pairing for fanfiction. I kind of take exception to that being included in your list of “crazy” fan behavior. If it’s not your thing, fine. But calling other fans crazy for engaging in a normal fan activity is a little judgmental. And whether you like it or not, many women DO like the idea of “cute guys having sex”. Maybe you don’t which is fine, but those that do are not “crazy”. I do agree that fans fighting over ships, or taking it into real life is over the line, but not all fans who ship different pairings do that kind of thing.
Hey Kate, thanks for chiming in! I want to respond to your first point really quickly. The heading was meant as more of a catch-all for my issues with fan behavior. That paragraph details that my chief objection with the slash phenomenon is that it goes against my fourth point, and fundamentally changes the character as he/she was intended (in that case, by changing the character’s sexual orientation). I’ve only seen the term used in same-sex pairings that are not canon, so I don’t think I’d include Blaine/Kurt in that argument, because it’s canon. Now, I’d have a problem with it if someone tried to make them straight. As I said in the text, no offense was intended.
I did state both at the beginning and the end of the article that the examples I was discussing were by no means indicative of all fans, all fans of a particular pairing, all fans of a particular show, et cetera – that they were specific examples I had seen of certain principles/beliefs that I didn’t agree with. Sadly, I’m hearing more and more horror stories of various fandoms the longer this article circulates. But those people are, in my experience, the minority.
I agree wholeheartedly with you. There have been some pairings that have been great – Veronica/Logan, Chuck/Sarah – that not only have chemistry but add to the story line. Several shipper pairings to me have never worked for many of the reasons you outlined. One refinement that I would like to make on your list is couples that have chemistry but it is more in the vein of partner chemistry than romantic. I put Bones/Booth and Tony/Ziva in that pot. I also don’t think House and Cuddy should have ever been together.
Supernatural made fun of Wincest in one of their shows – the idea is so repulsive I guess the only way to handle it is with humor.
Great post.
Excellent article. I hate when a show has good chemistry and then all of a sudden a romance is being shoe horned in that goes against the flow or upsets the team camaraderie or just flat out comes out of nowhere. White Collar is a good example, Peter and Elizabeth are great and believable, didn’t like Sara coming in and suddenly being Neal’s girlfriend. Ugh. Stargate Atlantis season 5 was another horrible example of “show don’t tell” when out of the blue they paired Rodney McKay with the young doctor Keller. The whole season then was focused on those two to the detriment of the team, particularly the lead actor.
I never saw Catherine on H50 as romance but rather a plot device for someone for Steve to call for on the spot intelligence. Maybe a throw in for the male demographic, female too for that matter, showing two hot people in bed. Also the reason why I am so nervous about the new Jenna Kaye character. I don’t see why they need a new team member and I absolutely hate the thought that they would add a female as a love interest rather than a fleshed out character. Of course, the writers haven’t said what their plans are but the first thing TV Guide asks in an interview is about being a love interest for McGarrett. Seriously! If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it and H50 has great team chemistry as well as a great supporting cast of local characters. I don’t want that messed up, especially with a character and an actress that I haven’t seen has the chops to share the screen with O’Loughlin and Caan. I sure hope no romance is in the offing. When they add romance is it what TPTB think females want or that males need to see some sex to keep their interest? Sometimes I have no clue how these things are determined.
That TV Guide article on Jenna Kaye was one of the reasons I started talking about the media playing up relationships. It was annoying as heck to me that the first thing TV Guide would ask – and what they ran as their headline – was if she would be a love interest for Steve.
And I think it could be a combination of both…in the case of Nikita, when the network wanted the show to attract a larger female demographic, that was about the time we started seeing more emphasis on the romance and a different shift in how the show was marketed (different promos, etc). But then I’ve heard rumblings about the sexual attractiveness of characters from men too. Sex – not even necessarily romance – sells all the way around for different reasons.
I enjoyed reading your well-written and well-thought-out article. You covered the points which can make or break a TV romance, and articulated them beautifully. Your references to Nikita were particularly interesting,as that is the show that I am watching. The raving wars between the Mikita, Malex and Owen/Nikita (I have no idea what to call that) are becoming unnerving.
I especially agree with you on point 4. I find that some fans become too invested in their TV romances and have fits when their ‘ship’ does not sail. However, to be fair, I would like to say that some fans can support non-canon pairings without becoming raving monsters about it. Unfortunately, with the Nikita shipping wars fresh in my mind, I cannot quite think of any.
Again, I really appreciated your article and your writing in general. I will keep an eye on your work in the future.
Thank you! And certainly, I agree with you that there are plenty of fans who can support pairings and behave. A lot of them have turned out to comment here as well. Unfortunately, they seem to be overshadowed by the more zealous fans, if only because those fans are passionate and therefore more likely to speak up.
As a regular Nikita watcher myself, I’ve become uncomfortable with the shipping wars around that show and it’s caused me to step back from the fandom just to avoid them. But I’ve heard stories from all sorts of fandoms since writing this article, which is disappointing. I’d hope we’d all just remember that whatever the show, it is just a show and no one is right or wrong.
Really interesting article. I agreed with a lot of it. Bones needs to get it on or be done. I’m sick of watching them dance around the subject; it’s been 6, SIX, seasons. I’m just about done. White Coller, it’s not necessary but to be honest I do like the character of Sara. Chuck, love it all the way. They’re awesome. And back to White Collar, the relationship between Peter and Elizabeth; it is so refreshing to see a married couple who obviously loves each other deeply.