Does romance lead to character derailment/assassination for certain characters?

[QuinnFillory]

There have been a lot of complaints about romance in certain stories on tv and in film. One of those complaints is that the romance usually leads to the ruination of certain characters. For example, a lot of people stopped liking Felicity on Arrow after she and Oliver got together. Apparently, her character got worse with the relationship. So, can being in a romance make things worse for certain characters? If so, why?

[Jon Clark]

I blame Moonlighting. That show was falling apart behind the scenes by the time they got the two main characters together, but somehow Hollywood decided the lesson was "actually moving the relationship forward is poison". So now every show has to follow the soap opera formula of tossing everything but the kitchen sink at a romantic couple to keep them from getting together. Early on there is something to be said for having a few obstacles to overcome, but it gets old when there seems to be no real relationship being shown and every episode seems to revolve around forced romantic conflicts.

Hero keeps secret. Love interest discovers secret. Take 2 steps back. Rinse-lather-repeat ad nauseum.

[Gray Lensman]

I blame Moonlighting. That show was falling apart behind the scenes by the time they got the two main characters together, but somehow Hollywood decided the lesson was "actually moving the relationship forward is poison". So now every show has to follow the soap opera formula of tossing everything but the kitchen sink at a romantic couple to keep them from getting together. Early on there is something to be said for having a few obstacles to overcome, but it gets old when there seems to be no real relationship being shown and every episode seems to revolve around forced romantic conflicts.

Hero keeps secret. Love interest discovers secret. Take 2 steps back. Rinse-lather-repeat ad nauseum.

Basically this - most writers don't know how to keep things interesting once a couple is actually together.

[Sutekh]

Basically this - most writers don't know how to keep things interesting once a couple is actually together.

Exactly. For all the 'Moonlighting' nonsense, there *have* been shows with couples that didn't suffer from any sort of problem because two of the main characters were permanently off-limits to romantic subplots (other than with each other...). Hart to Hart was just one example of such a show, that lasted five years with the main characters being a married couple.

Sure, if your show entirely revolves around will-they, won't-they shenanigans, and the chemistry of two leads who will never get together, then yeah, that's gonna sink your show if they ever consummate their UST. But there's no reason every character in every medium has to be stuck in this weird sexy loser who can't handle a grown-up relationship zone, just because Moonlighting's last season was bad.

[Bat-Meal]

In the Flash, many of Barry's motivations (at least in the first 2 seasons) are about romance that I think the character might not work quite as well without it, that said they do go overboard with it. The latest season of Supergirl was the best so far, in part, because Kara didn't have a love interest and got on with the super-heroics. In Legends it seems to work well, because it doesn't take-over the whole story like season 3 of the Flash did. It's there and enjoyable but doesn't take priority over the main story. Wonder what they'll do with Batwoman.

[Jackalope89]

Romance is fine when used well and organically. It's really bad when it's forced and manipulative and when it doesn't serve the characters in a way that makes sense for their story.

This and;

In the Flash, many of Barry's motivations (at least in the first 2 seasons) are about romance that I think the character might not work quite as well without it, that said they do go overboard with it. The latest season of Supergirl was the best so far, in part, because Kara didn't have a love interest and got on with the super-heroics. In Legends it seems to work well, because it doesn't take-over the whole story like season 3 of the Flash did. It's there and enjoyable but doesn't take priority over the main story. Wonder what they'll do with Batwoman.

This. Romance CAN work for a series/film when done right. But if its just shoved in there and takes away from other parts of the story (often for drama of the stupid variety), then no.

[Beaddle]

Has anyone heard of Reylo from the star wars movies. Could it BE anymore annoying?

I think I deslike romance more now that I am older. the writers tend to drag a romance unnecessarily, they would end up bringing in irritating characters who will only last for 3-4 episodes just to derail a central romance in a TV show. what they don't realize is that it hurts the entire show.You are right to use the word HIJACK. The main characters would also do things that are out of character with no consequences in the long run.

When I was younger I loved Ross and Rachel from Friends. Now that I am older, I don't like them as I used to. Monica and Chandler were the best romance in friends.

What I also dislike is how many writers can try to ''romanticize'' a lot of relationships that are actually abusive, unhealthy, obsessive and toxic.

[anyajenkins]

I blame Moonlighting. That show was falling apart behind the scenes by the time they got the two main characters together, but somehow Hollywood decided the lesson was "actually moving the relationship forward is poison". So now every show has to follow the soap opera formula of tossing everything but the kitchen sink at a romantic couple to keep them from getting together. Early on there is something to be said for having a few obstacles to overcome, but it gets old when there seems to be no real relationship being shown and every episode seems to revolve around forced romantic conflicts.

Hero keeps secret. Love interest discovers secret. Take 2 steps back. Rinse-lather-repeat ad nauseum.

Someone on another site brought this up and also brought up that’s not really what happened in the actually show (they even had a link to article giving more details.) that in the show, they got the two leads together, but the immediately ‘split’ them up again, like they weren’t even in scenes together and in different storylines. So the audience didn’t even get a chance to get bored of them together. So the Moonlighting scenario isn’t really ‘true.’

[AJBopp]

If a given show is about a couple being together, it often works pretty well. If a given show is about a couple getting together, then they keep having to invent ways for the couple to never quite complete that journey, or the premise of the show is done.

There are a handful of shows where they successfully transitioned from "getting together" to "being together" (Castle comes to mind), but in general there seems to be a fear to even try. They'd rather risk increasingly implausible stories that get in the way of their relationship (which Castle also did for a time). The Big Bang Theory has also managed it pretty well.

[stargazer01]

Some romances in shows are done well enough, especially if they take it real slow and don't bring too much attention to it. The CW shows are really bad at it, for instance, because they focus on the romance too much a lot of the time and it often feels contrived when they separate and that hurts the characters. There is a reason why many hate Felicity. She became the show, which was supposedly about Arrow lol.

[Gray Lensman]

If a given show is about a couple being together, it often works pretty well. If a given show is about a couple getting together, then they keep having to invent ways for the couple to never quite complete that journey, or the premise of the show is done.

There are a handful of shows where they successfully transitioned from "getting together" to "being together" (Castle comes to mind), but in general there seems to be a fear to even try. They'd rather risk increasingly implausible stories that get in the way of their relationship (which Castle also did for a time). The Big Bang Theory has also managed it pretty well.

I think shows with an ensemble cast can pull off the transition from getting together to being together more easily. Mainly because they can focus the getting together stuff onto a different couple and try to work out the being together parts for the first - they basically can have their cake and eat it too by virtue of having a second cake.

[XPac]

There have been a lot of complaints about romance in certain stories on tv and in film. One of those complaints is that the romance usually leads to the ruination of certain characters. For example, a lot of people stopped liking Felicity on Arrow after she and Oliver got together. Apparently, her character got worse with the relationship. So, can being in a romance make things worse for certain characters? If so, why?

I don't think you can decisively say that romance makes things worse. Like anything else, it's a matter of execution.

I do think there's some validity to the arguement that it's more about the destination than the journey. It probably is more of a struggle to keep things interesting once a couple is together, in comparrison to the journey of them getting together in the first place. But that's speaking in generalities.

[stargazer01]

Romance is fine when used well and organically. It's really bad when it's forced and manipulative and when it doesn't serve the characters in a way that makes sense for their story.