Over the years, you’ve probably gotten used to seeing love triangles on your screen or having a second love interest pop up in a book you’re reading. A lot of people are done with this trope, and I get it. We usually see love triangles where a girl chooses between two guys. Why can’t the girl be friends with a guy without it becoming romantic? Why can’t there be a different obstacle that the couple has to face? Why do they choose the one we weren’t rooting for? (If you’ve ever watched a K-drama and have had second-lead syndrome, you especially felt that last one.)
Ironically enough, I agree with all those points. Media definitely needs more platonic relationships between men and women. A love triangle isn’t the only obstacle a couple could face. I know the frustration when the second love interest is better for me than the first. However, that doesn’t stop me from finding love triangles entertaining. They can keep viewers/readers even more invested in a couple that with the right writing, they should already be invested in.
Love triangles are in so many works, but they admittedly add drama. It has people choosing sides and trying to decide which they think is better. Before you know it, teams are trending on social media and everyone has a paragraph ready to write defending the love interest they picked.
Here are a few love triangles that I think show how entertaining they can be. (Warning: spoilers)
- Jane the Virgin
This show had me switching teams many times. I started off Team Rafael, then I switched to Team Michael in season two before ending up on Team Rafael in the end. It’s a telenovela, so there were many twists and turns, as well as outside factors that made me change teams. But with how it is written, you really grow to love the characters and the way their relationships develop.
- To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before: P.S. I Still Love You
This is the second book/movie in the To All the Boys series, and it’s centered on Lara Jean, her boyfriend Peter and her old crush, John Ambrose. I read all the books, I’ve watched all the movies and I still agree with Lara Jean choosing Peter. Would I have chosen Peter? Honestly, no. But she was obviously still in love with him that it wouldn’t have been right for her to choose John Ambrose. It was sad to see her choose Peter since John Ambrose is genuinely a sweet guy. Everyone certainly had an opinion about this triangle, with many fans saying that they’ll take John Ambrose since Lara Jean doesn’t want him. It’s Jordan Fisher, so who can blame them?
- The Hunger Games
Who doesn’t remember how everyone was choosing between Gale and Peeta for Katniss? Personally, I’m Team Peeta and struggle to see how Gale could be a better match, but I know there are Gale fans out there who are ready to defend him. While the point of The Hunger Games wasn’t the love triangle, people still loved it. The way the series was written allowed this love triangle to take place without taking away from the plot or Katniss’s arc.
- The Summer I Turned Pretty
This book series came out years ago but it’s now a tv series on Amazon Prime. There were three love interests, but the main triangle was her and two guys who happen to be brothers. However, this didn’t limit people from choosing only one of the two. There’s Team Jeremiah, Team Conrad, Team Belly (the main character) and Team Cam (the third love interest). More people are saying how they’re on the main character’s team. It’s a great way to show how we can enjoy love triangles while acknowledging that what matters is the character’s arc and happiness.
- Never Have I Ever
Another recent love triangle is from this Netflix series centered around Devi Vishwakumar, who has to choose between Ben Gross, who fits the academic rivals-to-lovers trope, and Paxton Hall-Yoshida, the most popular guy at her school and her crush. Some viewers have switched sides as the series and the characters themselves progressed. Others have stayed strictly on one team. The actress who plays Devi, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, has made it clear whose team she’s on: Team Devi! It’s another example of enjoying the love triangle drama while still choosing the main character above it all.
- Twilight
With how popular this franchise was, it almost feels wrong not to include it on the list. I have to admit that I never finished watching all the movies, but you didn’t have to watch all of them to know how incredibly popular they were and how everyone chose a team. It was either Team Edward or Team Jacob. People have made jokes about it now, but many people were reading the books and watching the movies, becoming obsessed with this supernatural love triangle.
The will-they, won’t-they with the who-will-they-choose keeps people wanting to know how it all ends! While I do think it’s important to use other tropes in media, the love triangle trope is one that I think can always offer some fun drama.