WOLDUM TV

Exploring one of TV’s most common tropes

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, it’s time to talk about one of the most popular and ubiquitous romantic TV tropes: the “Will They/Won’t They” couple. These types of couples are a staple of ongoing series, can be found in just about every genre of show, and feature two people who, from their rst moments onscreen, everyone knows will end up together… eventually. Doctors, detectives, high schoolers, and vampires: no one is immune to the temptation of irtation, especially if it’s with someone who’s a terrible idea. What these types of relationships all have in common is that they feature a couple who are obviously attracted to each other, but some element of the story is keeping them apart. Maybe it’s the fact that they can’t stand each other, or that their jobs or social positions establish them as enemies. Or maybe it’s unresolved sexual tension, created by the intimate situations they continually nd themselves in, and the sheer proximity has got them subconsciously thinking “What if…?” Often, what’s keeping them apart is that one or both parties are already in a relationship, and they can’t see what’s so clear to the audience — that their soulmate isn’t their bland boyfriend, but that sexy other guy who’s just kind of always around. These Will They/Won’t They relationships are nothing new: they’ve been around at least since Jane Austen gave us Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. We love them because they elicit our ongoing investment. We know from the start that these two characters are meant to be, but when and how is it going to happen? The subtext of attraction paired with the uncertainty of circumstance have us on the edge of our seats, tracking every interaction, hoping for the two to cross paths, groaning at every new obstacle, holding our breaths over the briefest moment of eye contact. The downside of the Will They/Won’t They relationship is this: what happens when they get together? If our interest is largely sustained by uncertainty, what happens when that uncertainty is removed? It takes a great writer to successfully resolve a Will They/Won’t They relationship. Either they must be brave enough to let the relationship play out realistically, even if it means it doesn’t work out, and risk angering fans, or they must sustain the characters’ chemistry for so long that their eventual love declaration coincides with the end of the series. And if the couple does work out before the end of the show, how do they keep the relationship interesting, when so much of the audience’s investment was driven by its con ict? Many writers have tried; few have succeeded. Below are some of the most famous, frustrating, and heart palpitation-inducing Will They/Won’t They Relationships from my own life of TV watching.

Seth Cohen and Summer Roberts, The O.C.

Summer is rich and popular; Seth is rich and not. He’s smitten from the rst moment; she’s, like, ew. Eventually though, his loyalty and sweet neuroticism win her over, and the two begin dating, despite how it might negatively affect her social status. Though three seasons of obstacles abound, the two eventually get married in the series nale.

Rory Gilmore and Jess Mariano, Gilmore Girls

When Rory and Jess rst meet, Rory is faithfully in love with her boyfriend Dean. She’s a rulefollowing bookworm, dismayed by bad boy Jess’ delinquency. But he’s interested, though she can’t tell if it’s genuine or just a game. Small town run-ins are unavoidable, their irtation grows, and eventually Rory can’t help herself: in a move that fueled the fantasies of my 8th grade heart for the next ten years, she kisses Jess abruptly in a sunlit grove of daffodils. Soon after, Dean and Rory break up and Jess and Rory start dating. Unfortunately, it turns out Jess is kind of an asshole, and their relationship ends after just one season. But fortunately for me, fan voices are loud, because in 2016 — nine years after the original series ended — Gilmore Girls creators released a follow-up mini-series, and this time around, Jess had matured, Rory was single, and by the nal episode, prospects were hopeful.

Nick Miller and Jessica Day, New Girl

Everyone — onscreen and off — can see that roommates Nick and Jess are meant to be. Accept, of course, for Nick and Jess. This is a classic case of opposites attract: Nick is cynical, curmudgeonly, and underachieving, while Jess is bubbly, optimistic, and naïve. The two remain friends through dozens of each other’s relationships with other people; though they both separately realize their feelings, the timing is always off. In Season Three, they even date for a string of episodes, but their differences drive them apart after only a few months. But four seasons later, they nally, nally, nally realize — at the same time — that they’re in love, and after a total of seven seasons of back and forth, the two get married in the nal episode.

Jim Halpert and Pam Beasley, The Of ce (US)

Perhaps one of the most beloved TV relationships of all time, Jim and Pam meet as co-workers — she’s a receptionist, he’s a sales rep, and their desks just happen to face each other. But the course of true love never did run smooth, and Pam’s already engaged to Roy from the warehouse. Waiting three seasons for the stars to align so they could nally start dating was sweet, delightful agony, and watching their relationship deepen into parenthood and marriage over the subsequent seasons was just as good. There’s a reason people still put “Looking for the Jim to my Pam” in their Tinder bios.

Buffy Summers and Spike, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Talk about barriers — Buffy is THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and Spike is — you guessed it — a vampire. These two don’t just pretend to hate each other, they actually do, and spend most of the early seasons trying to kill each other. Eventually, they become uneasy allies, and much to his chagrin, Spike falls hard for the blonde badass. She, however, is repulsed by her own sexual attraction to him, and refuses to return his love declarations. That is, until the literal end of the world, when Spike prepares to sacri ce himself to save humanity. Only then can Buffy say “I love you,” to which Spike sadly responds, “No you don’t. But thanks for saying it.” 