the third wheel: a little rant about love triangles.

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So. The third wheel, love triangles, and why I’m kinda mad right now.

*cracks knuckles*

Maybe there’s a better name for this character than ‘the third wheel’ (TV Tropes, help me out!). I don’t know. But if you don’t understand what I’m talking about…let me explain!

Say you’re watching a TV show, and there are two people on said show that you just know are going to end up together. You know it, your friends know it, the other characters on the show know it. That couple is endgame, no question. And then, perhaps in season two, another character is introduced, a character who starts dating one half of The Dream Couple. Drama ensues. But it’s all pointless. We, the audience, know that The Dream Couple are going to end up together—no matter what. And that new character? They end up getting shunted to one side when the writers decide it’s time to bring The Dream Couple back together.

And that infuriates me. (We’ll get to the whys and wherefores in a bit.)

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A few specific examples of what I’m talking about:

—Arrow. When Oliver Queen is rescued from a deserted island (after having been presumed dead), he returns to find that his best friend Tommy is in a tentative relationship with Oliver’s former girlfriend Laurel. Tommy loves Laurel and wants their relationship to work out, but eventually Oliver and Laurel cheat behind his back and Tommy spirals to the dark side because…that’s what had to happen, I guess. *fumes*

—Downton Abbey. Matthew and Mary have been destined for each other ever since that first meeting. (*feels*) But in Season Two, Matthew engages himself to Lavinia Swire. Lavinia is an amazing woman. Sweet, kind, courageous, self-sacrificing…I could go on. But Matthew and Mary still have feelings for each other, and so Lavinia must die.

—The Flash. Eddie commits suicide and thus the way is clear for Barry and Iris’s relationship. Eddie’s death is held up as a noble sacrifice, but it is horrific, heartbreaking, and ultimately pointless in the grand scheme of things (he killed himself to prevent time travel stuff from happening—but it still happened). This is the most infuriating example of all, in my opinion.

*is full of rage* (source)

Why I get so mad about this:

It makes the characters look bad. Loyalty in a relationship is such an essential quality. And when you have two characters pining away for each other behind the third character’s back, cheating on their boyfriend/girlfriend, trying to justify their actions, not being clear and open about their feelings, not really trying to tamp down feelings for someone who isn’t available to them, etc.—I can’t respect that! Who could? Love triangles so often make at least one of the characters involved look like a jerk. And I don’t want to spend time with jerks.

The whole thing is a waste of time for the audience. Like I said, we know that Main Character #1 and Main Character #2 are going to end up together. That’s just how storytelling works, ninety-nine percent of the time. (For the other one percent, watch Lost.) So having a third character pop up for the sake of drama? Yawn. Glare. Hard pass.

It’s unfair to the ‘third wheel’ character. Are these people fictional? Yep. Do I care? Nope. Not when it comes to this. Lavinia dies! Tommy dies! Eddie dies! Not only that, but they die with a broken heart. Plus, many audience members view the ‘third wheel’ characters as annoying hindrances to their OTP’s happily ever after—and they end up hating on those poor, defenseless characters because of that.

So what’s the solution?

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You know what’s better than a messy love triangle that makes everyone look bad? A couple who remains loyal and true to each other, even when circumstances beyond their control drive/keep them apart. Or enemies to friends to lovers. Or no romance at all (for a change). Or a character who is already married. Basically ANYTHING besides the dreaded love triangle. And if you are going to have a love triangle, please, please treat the third wheel gently. Let the main characters be open and honest with the third wheel when they begin to realize that they have feelings for each other after all. Let that third wheel find a love of their own. Let everyone behave honorably.

Pretty please?

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So! What are your thoughts on this? Do poorly resolved love triangles make you mad? Or am I getting too worked up about this? XD I’d love to hear from you!

Eva-Joy