The Love Triangle
As in many romantic stories, be they in cinema, novels or television, the love triangle is used to give some friction to the story or obstacles for the main protagonist to over come.
Often times the person is in a relationship with a person who is either terrible, merely blase' or just not a fit and the protagonist meets the perfect match for them. They then have to decide whether to stay with the person they are with or take a chance on love. Some examples are "Sleepless in Seattle" where the main protagonist cares about her fiance, but she falls instantly in love with Tom Hank's character and thinks they may be destined to be together. Another is "Sweet Home Alabama." Her guy is seemingly great but after going home and being reminded of her roots and her deep love for her ex, she realizes that her current beau is not a good fit and that she had to be a different person. There are many others that I'm sure you can recall.
So why bring up Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist?
Mainly because, in movies especially, the writers work hard to make us either hate the first love interest, pity them, or just feeling kinda Meh about them being cast off. The main reason is so that as a viewer you don't dislike the main protagonist. I mean, if the heroine has a fantastic guy that she throws over and breaks his heart into itty bitty pieces, we as the viewer disassociate with that character and frankly don't give a shit if she found true love. The heartless bitch.
And it gets a bit repetitive. I find myself watching these movies or reading these stories and I'll be looking hard for the scooby clues that the person the protagonist is with is actually an asshole. (See Hans from Frozen). And although I feel like a super sleuth when the person shows their true nature, I also kinda feel like I've been let down by a trope.
Why Zoey's is different
This story is different because both men (Max and Simon) are genuinely likeable and attractive. They both care about Zoey and have her best interest at heart. They also are both very attracted to her and want to be with her even though she can be quirky and at times self involved.
Now there is a good reason she is distracted. First off her father is slowly dying and the whole family is trying to band together to be there for him and each other. The second reason is that after a freak MRI accident Zoey is constantly hearing people sing (and dance) to her about their issues. Her friend Mo calls them "Heart Songs" So, yeah, valid reason for distraction.
This music is also how she found out that her closest friend Max loves her romantically and it also showed her Simon's pain and allowed her to be able to talk to him about deep issues and get close to him. So now here are two men that want her and feel an emotional connection to and she knows it because of their heart songs. Both men are a little jealous of each other, but neither of them have thrown hands or acted like fools because they know that Zoey has too much going on in her life right now to deal with a pissing contest. The music also brought her a new close friend and confidant in the form of her next door neighbor, the fabulous Mo (Formerly Unique on Glee). Mo gives good advice and tries to help Zoey figure out her musical issue while singing and sashaying into our hearts.
By the time season 1 ended, nobody had a clue who she would or should pick. And it will probably be put off another season, not only for the rating but because of some awful stuff happening outside of Zoey's love life.
Some people are hardcore Max fans as he knows her so well. He's always been there for her and will probably always be there for her. He comforts her, he helps her when she's floundering at work, he cares about her family, and he called Simon when he thought Zoey might need him more.
Some people are hardcore Simon. He's smart, sweet, kind and in touch with his emotions. He knows what Zoey's going through as he is still grieving the loss of his father. He's a gentle soul that is there for Zoey when she needs advice or a shoulder to cry on. And the chemistry between them is sizzling.
I look forward to watching the next season to see how this story plays out. Because whoever she chooses will bring mixed emotions. I will cheer her romance, while at the same time wanting to hug the other man to make him feel better. Which is a nice change from the writers shoving asshole qualities into a potential good guy and forcing us to hate them or feel blah about their loss.
Plus, it has some great music and fun flash mob dancing scenes that suck you in to the fun aspect of the show.
What do you think of love triangles? Have you noticed this theme of making one of the choices unlikable? Have you seem Zoey's extraordinary playlist? What do you think of Max and Simon?
Let me know. I love hearing from you.
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