What is the WT/WT conundrum you ask?
The best examples of this conundrum come from television, although you can find it in movies and series and such. It starts with a character, they could be male or female, who has interactions with another character of the opposite gender. They could be friends, or co-workers, or whatever. At first, one might like the other or they might have a mutual attraction for each other that they keep at bay. But the fact of the matter is that we as the audience want them to get together, a term called "Shipping", even if they don't want to be together. (Or the writers don't want them to be together.)
Some times we wait years for characters to get together. Sometimes they never get together. Or the show ends on such an ambiguous note that we have no idea what has happened. (Of course, we can imagine what we want to happen... But I've NEVER done that before...).
Why do we put ourselves through such agony? Do we naturally just feed off of drama? What it is it about the angst and drama of two people who may or may not be in love that causes us to devote hours of our lives to their story? You know these are all supposed to be rhetorical questions right?
I've decided that I'm going to answer them for myself anyway. Because it's my blog and I can blog if I want to!
1. Why do we put ourselves through such agony?
I know for me, I love a good story. Even better, I love a good love story. It must have been the way I was raised or reading some many stupid books, but I like seeing two people I think are meant to be together... actually getting together. Even if it takes 7 agonizing seasons. At least, they finally have their "lobster" or their better half or their soul mate. Whatever you want to call it. I just want people to get their happy endings. I believe in happily ever afters. (Sure, life is going to always be sunshine and roses but we aren't meant to deal with trials alone).
2. Do we naturally just feed off of drama?
Heck yes!! Even when we don't want drama in our lives, we naturally like to watch it. How else have the movie, television, and theater businesses flourished so much? Why else do we like to watch movies like Jurassic World and The Notebook and The Help and Insidious (No, I don't watch Insidious or any other creepy scary movie that will 100% give me nightmares.) The whole point is that we watch other people's drama for entertainment, even if it is fictional.
3. What it is it about the angst and drama of two people who may or may not be in love that causes us to devote hours of our lives to their story?
This is actually just a variation on the first two questions, thus I've already essentially answered it. We like to watch other people's drama. We like stories. That's a part of human nature. We like to see people struggle and learn and grow and be happy and sad and in love and in hate and so on and so forth.
Maybe you're reading this (if you got this far) and thinking that I'm a complete weirdo and no body thinks like this. And nobody cares what happens to fictional characters. Well you know what?! I care! If that makes me happy, then so be it! Also, I know it's fiction. I don't have any weird delusions like these people, these characters exist. They don't have to exist to have a happy ending.
On that note... I thought I'd share some of my favorite drama-inducing Will they/Won't they conundrum couples from my TV watching time. These are in no particular order.
Ross and Rachel from FRIENDS.
Ross and Rachel were my first "ship". I thought they were meant to be together. And it took 10 LONG YEARS for it to finally happen for good. At least I'm assuming for good because the series ended. They were on and off again. They got married and divorced (Vegas wedding). They had a child together. It was torture to watch them dance around the fact that they were each other's "Lobster" (Lobster apparently mate for life, according to Phoebe Buffay.) I'm glad that the writers finally brought them together at the end. They finally made it.
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| They finally got together after 10 seasons. |
Booth and Brennan from BONES.
Booth and Brennan were my favorite WT/WT couples for the longest time. I loved their partnership before I loved the idea of the two of them together. I also love that their relationship isn't without it's problems. They don't have a sunshine and rainbows kind of relationship. But just like their working relationship, they both do their best to make what they have work... (I'm assuming because I'm a season behind...) I wanted them to be together but I was almost scared of them together. I think the writers did a pretty good job and keeping them true to their characters and yet making them work as a couple.
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| They got together after 6 seasons... FINALLY! |
Castle and Beckett from CASTLE.
Castle and Beckett... mutual attraction from the beginning. Beckett was the one to fight it the longest. I was so happy when they finally got together. I liked their relationship because it had it's serious moments but it was full of light and flirty moments too. It's a fun relationship. And who wouldn't want to be in a relationship with Castle. He's awesome!
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| They got together after 4 seasons. |
Jim and Pam from THE OFFICE.
Jim Halpert and Jam Beesely... Oh what agony as you watched Jim pine for an engaged girl. Thankfully we didn't have to wait too long before we got them together. I loved their relationship because it seems so real. It's a relationship you could find out in the real world as well as on the TV screen.
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| They got together at the end of season 3. |
Veronica Mars and Logan Echolls... They were friends and then they hated each other and then they were madly attracted to each other! Come on! Make up your minds people! They were on for a minute and then they were off for a season and then they were on and then they were off. The show was cut in its prime and we never got any resolution about their WT/WT relationship. ...Until the movie came out... HUZZAH! Finally some resolution. And a way hotter Logan Echolls! For two people with so many skeletons in their closet, they sure are meant to be together. Their story is EPIC!
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| They got together in season one, season two, season three... and finally in the movie. Hurray! |
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| I just wanted a picture of his biceps... haha. |
Danny and Riley from BABY DADDY.
Danny and Riley have been best friends/neighbors since they were kids. Riley has been in love with Danny's younger brother forever... and Danny has been in love with Riley the whole time. It kills me to watch them dance around the attraction and love they have for each other. I'm still anxiously waiting to find out if they end up together... Oh the agony... I love it and I hate it!
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| My inspiration for this post... and still waiting to find out what happens... |
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| I couldn't resist a Danny shirtless one... haha. |
There are so many more WT/WT examples out there but these were some of my favorites. Some of them got their "happily ever after" early on in the game, some it wasn't until later, and some of them (like Danny and Riley) we're still waiting impatiently to find out how the writers can keep tormenting us!
I hope you've enjoyed exploring the Will they/Won't they conundrum with me. It's been fun to be reminded of all the couples that I love to watch. Just proof that I am indeed a hopeless romantic... and proud of it!
Until next time,
The Hopeless Romantic
