I think there should be a time limit for will-they-won't-they-get-together dances between TV show couples. What about no more than one or two seasons?
A time limit for will-they-won't-they dances
- Thread starter Joe Washington
- Start date
Well when they do dance everybody knows the show is on its last legs. This topic was handled better in the 70s when they did "dance" but it was on the friends with benefits level and you didn't know until the reunion movie if they ever became a committed couple.
I think the only time limit is if it's still interesting/compelling. Nothing more, nothing less.
The time limit is whenever it gets so annoying people change the channel.
Most of the time, it's not an important enough factor to drive viewers away. To whit: Chuck.
Most of the time, it's not an important enough factor to drive viewers away. To whit: Chuck.
Whenever will-they-or-won't-they couples get together the show almost inevitably turns to shit. So the answer is that they should normally NEVER get together.
Or you can go the Joss Whedon route where once they get together one of them sies horribly. Or turns evil. Or both. MOONLIGHTING would have turned out so much better if after Dave and Maddie got together she had been slaughtered by bunnies in a world without shrimp.
Or you can go the Joss Whedon route where once they get together one of them sies horribly. Or turns evil. Or both. MOONLIGHTING would have turned out so much better if after Dave and Maddie got together she had been slaughtered by bunnies in a world without shrimp.
There is a network-imposed time limit, though it's variable. It's called "Nielsen ratings." When the perceived Nielsen value of the very special "oh-my-god-they're-doing-it" episode arc exceeds the perceived value of The Dance, they get together.
Perhaps they did. Just because you didn't like it doesn't mean that others didn't or that the network had any problem with the "chemistry."
"I didn't like it" very rarely actually equals "they did it wrong."
Isn't "I didn't like it, so they did it wrong." one of the internet critic bylaws?
By and large I find the will they or won't they storylines to be absolutely awful and they turn me off from watching shows. I'd rather see a romance develop naturally as opposed to having the same back and forth tease that is on every bad sitcom and every bad drama on television.
Isn't it generally accepted that the show jumped the shark when Clark and Lois got together ? That's what every fan I've ever come across would say.
I think it should depend on the talent of the writers/actors/etc. Frasier for example proved you could pull something like that out (Niles/Daphne, obviously) for several years and maintain interest.
That's just my opinion, anyway.
That's just my opinion, anyway.
There are exceptions to every rule, of course. However, I think in the vast majority of cases, when a show is successful and popular based on the two leads having sexual tension between them, it almost invariably goes downhill the moment they decide to end the tension and actually pair them up.
Although the audience may be screaming for the writers to put them together, that's never really what the audience wants, unless perhaps the show is already going off the air. Because that's not what made them like the show in the first place.
Remember, a wise man once said, "Having is not so pleasing a thing as wanting. It is not logical, but it is often true."
Although the audience may be screaming for the writers to put them together, that's never really what the audience wants, unless perhaps the show is already going off the air. Because that's not what made them like the show in the first place.
Remember, a wise man once said, "Having is not so pleasing a thing as wanting. It is not logical, but it is often true."
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