Love Triangles

All good T.V shows have one thing in common: love triangles. They keep us gripped, as we get emotionally invested in these love stories. We argue with friends, and with people online, as we root for a side, as we watch week after week, hoping that they will end up living happily ever after.

Here’s a list of infamous love triangles that I’ve compiled from the list of shows from my previous post, ‘T.V Programmes I Miss.’

FRIENDS: (Ross/Rachel/Copy Girl)

Okay, it's not a love triangle per say, but Ross’s one night stand with the copy girl broke up our favourite ‘FRIENDS’ couple, Ross and Rachel. The break up lead to one of their saddest ever episodes, as well as the memorable ‘WE WERE ON A BREAK!’ quote. Later, Ross and Rachel had a one night stand, which resulted in their daughter Emma. In the finale, Rachel was on her way to a new life in Paris. But she ‘got off the plane’, finally getting back to9gether with her ‘lobster’ Ross.

Beverly Hills 90210: (Dylan/Brenda/Kelly)

Brenda and Dylan were Romeo and Juliet of the 90's. Despite Brenda’s parents’ disapproval of their relationship, their love was too strong to keep them apart. That was until Brenda’s trip to Europe. She ended up having a fling with tour guide Rick, while Dylan stayed at home and got closer to Brenda’s best friend Kelly. In the end, Dylan chooses Kelly, as Brenda sets off for a new life in London. Dylan and Kelly break up, as she starts a relationship with Brenda's twin brother Brandon. Dylan ends up marrying the daughter of the man who killed his fatehr a few years previously. This ended tragicallly with her being murdered. But all is not hopeless, as in the finale, Dylan and Kelly get back together and David and Donna's wedding. 'From the new ‘90210’, we know that Dylan and Kelly now have a child together, but Dylan isn’t in the picture anymore, choosing to travel the world, rather than settling down. Me personally, I would have loved to see Dylan get back together with Brenda.

Sex and the City: (Carrie/Big/Aidan)

Carrie was attracted to Big from the very first episode. But Big’s inability to commit left Carrie heart broken. Along comes Aidan, a good, dependable guy that helps her pick up the pieces. In the meantime, Big ends up marrying another woman, Natasha. But Carrie and Big cannot fight their attraction for each other and start a tumultuous affair, which ends when Natasha catches them in bed together. Their subsequent relationships end also. All is not lost, as like a fairytale, true love prevails. In the finale, Big goes to Paris to rescue her from her latest beau, Aleksandr Petrovsky. He takes her home to New York, and ‘absofuckinlutely’ finally gives her the commitment she so desperately wanted. 

Dawson’s Creek: (Joey/Dawson/Pacey)

It was clear from the beginning that Joey was in love with the boy across the creek, her best friend Dawson. Dawson remained clueless for a while, but they finally got together in the beginning of the second season. They were broken up by the end of that season, after Dawson helped put Joey’s dad behind bars again. Dawson asked his best friend Pacey to look out for her, and they end up falling in love, leaving Dawson heartbroken. Joey and Pacey eventually broke up, leaving fans guessing about who Joey was going to end up with until the final episode. While Dawson was Joey’s soul mate, and they will always share a special bond, Joey's heart belonged to Pacey. Joey and Pacey get back togther, with Dawson realising his dream of working with Spielberg.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: (Buffy/Angel/Spike)

Okay, this might not be a traditional love triangle, but this isn’t a traditional story. Buffy fell in love with two vampires with tortured souls, at two different times. First, there was Angel, the vampire with a soul, which was destroyed after they spent a night of passion together. Then, after he moved to L.A, there was Spike. While he spent a good while trying to kill her, he ends up falling for her. He even gets his soul back just to prove to her that he does genuinely love her, and they have a somewhat unconventional romance. Angel comes back in the final episode to help her fight in a battle. They share a kiss with Spike watching in the wings, giving fans hope that these are the two that will live happily ever after.

One Tree Hill: (Lucas/Peyton/Brooke)

Probably one of the most complicated of the love triangles. Lucas had a thing for his brother Nathan’s girlfriend Peyton. It was obvious that they shared an emotional connection. But even after Peyton and Nathan break up, it never really went anywhere. So he ended up dating Peyton’s best friend, Brooke. Peyton finally realises that she wants Lucas, so they have an affair behind Brooke’s back. Brooke finds out and breaks up with Lucas. Peyton, feeling guilty for what she did to Brooke, breaks up with him too. After a while, Lucas gets back with Brooke. Peyton tells Brooke that she still loves Lucas. Brooke breaks up with Lucas again. Lucas and Peyton eventually get together, after Lucas realised that she was the one he wanted next to him when his dreams came true. They get married, have a child and drive off into the sunset at the end of the sixth series. This left Brooke free to find the love of her life, Julian Baker.

Gilmore Girls: (Rory/Dean/Jess)

This one is pretty straight forward. Dean was Rory’s first ever boyfriend. He was kind, dependable, and treated her well. Along comes Jess, a troubled guy who Rory had an undeniable connection with. Rory and Dean break up, and she gets together with Jess. Jess ends up leaving town, and a heart broken Rory. Uncharacteristically, she later has an affair with Dean, who had since gotten married. As with most affairs it didn’t last. Rory went off to college and meets Logan, the guy who she finally ends up with. 

So, who was your favourite couple of all time?