Torn Between Two Lovers (yawn)
Whether you are a fan of romance, urban fantasy, SciFi, television, movies or books, the love triangle of one woman choosing between two men is a popular device. You all know what I am talking about. The woman loves the good guy more than the bad boy, and we spend time watching her tiptoe over to the dark side occasionally, usually battling a strong sexual attraction. Early in Vampire Diaries, Elena loves the pure (albeit recovering sadist) Stephan, despite moaning every time Damon looks at her with those smoldering eyes. Audrey (Haven)professes love for Nathan, the police chief but who saves her from her bad judgment time after time and also loves her? Duke, of course, the town criminal. Come to think of it, Damon saves Elena pretty consistently, too. In the Stephanie Plum series we see the same dynamic with Stephanie, Ranger and Morelli.
I tend to find the triangles more interesting when one of the men are at the center, for example in Supernatural. Someone is always competing for either Sam or Dean's attention, taking one of them away from their true love. Oh wait...not the same thing at all is it? Perhaps a better example isTanya Huff's Fire's Stone. Aaron, and Darvish love each other, but Darvish is betrothed to Chandra. Sadly, Huff returns to the more traditional structure with the Blood series (Henry and Cellucci both love Vicki). Another rare configuration of this triangle happens when the woman loves two kind, non-criminal men. Unfortunately, Circle of Light, another of Tanya Huff's works, is the only example I can think of, at the moment.
I admit that I get caught up in the drama sometimes, usually cheering the bad boy on. I can't be the only one who was TOTALLY cheering and needing a cold shower when Damon finally slept with Elena. What about you?
Are you Team Bad Boy or Team Good Guy? And wouldn't a little more variety in the traditional love triangle be interesting?
I tend to find the triangles more interesting when one of the men are at the center, for example in Supernatural. Someone is always competing for either Sam or Dean's attention, taking one of them away from their true love. Oh wait...not the same thing at all is it? Perhaps a better example isTanya Huff's Fire's Stone. Aaron, and Darvish love each other, but Darvish is betrothed to Chandra. Sadly, Huff returns to the more traditional structure with the Blood series (Henry and Cellucci both love Vicki). Another rare configuration of this triangle happens when the woman loves two kind, non-criminal men. Unfortunately, Circle of Light, another of Tanya Huff's works, is the only example I can think of, at the moment.
I admit that I get caught up in the drama sometimes, usually cheering the bad boy on. I can't be the only one who was TOTALLY cheering and needing a cold shower when Damon finally slept with Elena. What about you?
Are you Team Bad Boy or Team Good Guy? And wouldn't a little more variety in the traditional love triangle be interesting?
