Board Thread:Series Discussion/@comment-4848837-20150121024809/@comment-4884507-20160211034659

Salutations fellow wikians! From the looks of things, I'll be handing out our update for the week. The topic? Romance.

Romance is a funny thing. Sort of a fundamental force of the universe when you think about it. I mean, would any of us be here reading this without it?

It comes in all shapes, sizes, densities, and volumes. And you'd think that knowing this, that there'd be a bit more diversity when it came to romance in television. It's no secret to anyone that Hollywood seems to get their kicks in by rehashing the same contrived romance plots since what feels like the dawn of time.

The worst part about it to me is how the people involved in these stories tend to be watered down into simple plot points, rather than actual human beings with goals, interests, flaws, and that.

I understand that romance can be revitalizing, but that doesn't excuse someone's entire character being nothing more than a trophy. An end goal to be chased after with haste, so much so that it isn't very often that we end up that much about the supposed "love interest." Being attractive to someone else on its own just isn't much of a personality you know? In my admitedly slighty less than humble opinion, to write a story, you need actual characters with actual human      personalities and motivations   .

Something that, from my perspective we just aren't getting a lot of the time.

Because when you really think about it, romances are more complex than that.

Humans are flawed. We make mistakes, and have a tendency to choose the easier option as opposed to the sensible or scrupulous one.

Some people seem to fit together as puzzle pieces, connecting with each other on a level that only the other could. Whereas some people are more akin to that of a

square peg being inserted into a circular hole: looking fundamentally insipid and only having been there in the first place as a result of idiocy or pigheaded tenacity.

Sometimes a relationship is doomed from the start. The lovers being ascribed to a flame refusing to be extinguished. Ardent and passionate? Sure. But there are absolutely no doubts that everything in its path will be consumed.

Sometimes a couple appears to be made for each other. Their interests, aspirtations, and passion seem indefinitely interwoven. But at the end of the day romances take effort. It takes dedication, time empathy, mutual respect, and patience to be with someone else. And missing even one of these ingredients  could cause the metaphorical milk of said romance to expire briskly beyond any percieved expiration date.

There's a popular saying that "Love conquers all." Which, if you ask me has more than enough truth to it. Love has the ability conquer some of the biggest obstacles in our lives such as our hostility, fears and insecurities. But by the same token, it can create obstacles by conquering things beneficial to our lives such as rationality or common sense.

Let's stop to think about that for a moment. How many times have we been with or associated with someone who we knew wasn't good for us? Something about them was toxic, but we chose to ignore it. Knowing full well the risk, whilst simultaneously being engulfed in that feeling of cloud nine? Invincibility? Telling ourselves lie after lie, pleading with our minds to accept that their flaws aren't a big deal and that this person was somehow the one we were waiting for? And what happens 9 times out of 10? Do we live happily ever after?

Just something to think about.