Will they, won’t they is a classic media trope that when used well can captivate audiences for years on end. The problem with framing any stories around with this trope is that once a writer chooses to actually get the main characters together the show quality generally suffers. If too much hype, tension or story is built up around the central relationship then everything falls apart when they finally get together. On the other hand there are a handful of shows where after the will they, won’t they couple gets together the show quality stays the same, or in even rarer cases, increases. We are going to talk about both and what makes a good use of the will they, won’t they trope.
https://vocal.media/geeks/tropes-and-tricks
I think the will they, won’t they trope is an amazing character device. The problem is when that trope becomes a plot device. A show should stand on its own without romantic entanglements from the main characters. Now I am not saying that you shouldn’t have good character relationships, you absolutely should but if the entire show hinges upon a relationship then you didn’t do a very good job writing the actual plot. I think that tropes in general are a good way to ensure that you as a writer are actually sticking to the intended genre, however writers that try and create story around tropes leave themselves with major gaps in quality.
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