Katie (from The Bevy Bibliothèque) and I discuss love triangles all the time, and we often pick the same boy. It was a given that I was going to ask her to write something for this particular week.
She decided to write about a love triangle that works for her, and why it works.
Like many, I get super frustrated with love triangles. Two
reasons: because my side isn’t going to “win” and why can’t anyone else see how
awesome this guy (let’s be honest: most love triangles are two guys, one girl)
is for this girl? Mostly because readers/viewers think about who THEY want, and
not who is good for the character. Or I just get really sad because I LIKE THEM
BOTH!
There’s one love triangle I actually really enjoy that comes
to mind so….
How To Love Triangle
Correctly*: By the Writers of “Haven”
The set up: badass
chick with complicated past (Audrey); hot, broody police chief (Nathan); and
sarcastic, unmotivated bar owner (Duke).
What they do right:
1.
Make
It Extremely Clear Who the Real Ship Is
In this case, Audrey and Nathan.
There has never really been a question, even through Duke clearly having
feelings for her, it was always known that, in the end, it would be Audrey and
Nathan.
2.
Change
the Narrative: Make Everyone Besties!
One of the most important, awesome thing the
show has done is make these three characters, with complicated histories and
tangled up in various degrees of romantic feelings, a unit.
3. Have Said Bestie-ship Trump the Romance
Duke, Nathan, and Audrey have each other’s backs in a weird
town that has a lot of cray going down and it’s just become a given that the
friendship between the three of them is more important than whatever romantic
feelings there are messed in between them.
4. Give the Side of Loss an adorable love of his own that is also AN AWESOME
CHARACTER.
I’ve seen this done before but
it’s always been obvious that it was just to placate fans, like “Here have this
random character that will hook up with your beloved character in two episodes.
Now he won’t be lonely!” and don’t even bother making readers/viewers care
about the newcomer. Haven brought in Jennifer, who actually had relevance to
the story they were building, and slowly built a relationship that was to. die.
for.
*if
you must have a love triangle at all…
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