At least that’s what I’ve decided. Just before the beginning of this year’s broadcast season, I skimmed an article about LOST, in which one of the people behind the scenes promised to deliver some “much-needed” romance to the show.
I know it’s an issue much discussed here, but is romance “much-needed” on a show, and if it is, just who is it as an audience are the TPTB trying to court?
In many cases, it’s hard not to see romance-as-drama as a last-ditch effort of TPTB to get their audience interested. In many cases, it’s not needed. LOST, for example, was ripe with drama just from the enormity of the castaways’ situation. Could romance develop on a mysterious island? You betcha. Of course it could. However, if I were trapped on an island and had bad things and bad people after me, I’m not certain I’d get totally wrapped up in that hot guy with the 13 day scruff going on.
Supernatural is another case where there were pre-season rumblings of a love interest being added for one of the brothers. For no apparent reason, other than to draw some elusive, unknown section of the audience. It wouldn’t work for this show, either. I mean, really – two guys ride around in a car killing evil things. 1) what woman is going to want a long term relationship with one of those messed-up boys? (she’d have to be quite messed up herself) and 2) no room for romance, sorry. They can’t have their focus split like that – it could cost lives.
Obviously romance works for some (Grey’s Anatomy, anyone?)…but is it absolutely necessary for the workings of every show? Must there be some element of it in order for a show to be successful?
And will we ever figure out just who that “much-needed romance” group of people TPTB are trying to please?
Women: maybe, but many of my female friends also think romance shouldn’t be there as a mere red herring.
Men: maybe, but I doubt there are many guys out there who will watch a show solely for the romance angle.
Teens: probably.
The birds: definitely.
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Responding to SBG: you’re not a prude. Sex scenes do slow the story. And very often they’re just… standardized. Seen one, seen ‘em all. That said, I know of a couple of exceptions where the scene actually said something worthwhile about the characters, in which case I liked it.
Ran across an example of romance I did like in a show. In last night’s (and the week before’s) episode, a character was seen out on a date. The scene wasn’t actually necessary to the forward movement of the episode, and yet I didn’t mind it because it did accomplish something: it gave the main character depth that normally is not there. He’s written is an immature (sometimes very, very) boy most of the time, but these little glimpses of him in the beginnings of a serious relationship really help give him maturity.
sbg(Quote) (Reply)
I haven’t seen Lost, but maybe it’s the idea that people form romantic relationships more readily when they’re in trouble, since they have no choice but to trust and rely on each other. People have seen the “pair up two characters by forcing them through an ordeal together” technique so many times they might just assume that trouble must lead to romance.
Karakuri(Quote) (Reply)
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