![]() ![]() THIS is what keeps their bond interesting for viewers - not breakups and misunderstandings that we are so used to seeing within the majority of our favorite TV couples. They keep the magic in their relationship alive by being each others best friends and playmates, by shooting each other with marshmallow guns in the middle of the night, by throwing crazy parties together, and by role-playing as Burt Macklin and Janet Snakehole whenever they are at boring social gatherings. The thing is though, Andy and April may be married to one another, but they never settle down. She thinks there is no way they will be satisfied committing to each other so quickly, because in her experience, (and from our own experience of what we have seen on TV), the best part of a relationship comes before the "settling down" period. Leslie Knope famously tries to stop the two of them from getting married, considering they had only been dating for one month. Why would I want the best part to end? The part with all the passion that derives from the "forbidden love" aspect? And is the best part of a romance when there is pain and heartache involved? That is what all these sitcoms seem to suggest.īut with Andy and April, these fools rush into romance even though everyone around them thinks their fast-paced love story is one big mistake. These shows that alluded to the idea that relationships stop being interesting once the couple commits to each other made me, in turn, terrified to commit. I assumed that my romantic pursuits were just like a TV show, and once I finally committed to someone I liked by entering a relationship with them, all the excitement and thrill would come to an end just as they had on all my favorite sitcoms. ![]() How many TV couples can say the same? Now, as a person who takes TV shows way too seriously (to an embarrassing extent), I began to associate the "sexual tension ticking clock" with my own love life. It isn't until this couple ties the knot and fully commits to one another that the fun and excitement really begins. With April and Andy on the other hand, quite the opposite is true. ![]() After their first kiss, the tension dies, and their relationships are no longer a thrill ride of epic curiosity and excitement. you're always playing 'now what do we do with them?'" We see this happen with Jim and Pam on The Office, as well as Nick and Jess on New Girl, and too many other TV couples to possibly list. According to Levin, "Usually once a couple finally gets together the series is never as good. This is famously the case with Sam and Diane on Cheers who have a strong case of what sitcom writer Kev Levin calls "The sexual tension ticking clock." This theory states that once the "will-they-won't-they" couple finally shares their first kiss, the ratings are never as high afterwards because they have already resolved all that built up sexual tension, which made the show (and their dynamic) so thrilling to watch. It is a common belief among television writers that once you finally pair up a TV couple with that epic first kiss, their relationship stops being interesting (and thus, so does the TV show).
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