Thursday Movie Picks: Love Triangles (Television Edition): Wandering through the Shelves hosts a weekly movie challenge in which you choose 3-5 movies based on that Thursday’s theme and explain why you chose those movies. Today’s theme is Love Triangles (Television Edition), so here are my choices! Mind you, there are spoilers ahead for these shows.
BRENDA/DYLAN/KELLY (BEVERLY HILLS 90210)
The Brenda/Dylan/Kelly love triangle is one of the very first love triangles I remember becoming incredibly invested in. I was Team Brenda all the way, and I have never wavered from that. Dylan and Brenda had so much more chemistry, Brenda seemed to understand Dylan way better than Kelly ever could, and frankly, Kelly should have known better than to go after her best friend’s boyfriend (Dylan is not innocent here either, I know).
The Kelly and Dylan relationship never felt right to me, and I suffered through it as long as I could. I don’t care what happened in the “new generation” series between Dylan and Kelly… in my head, Brenda and Dylan are still living happily in Paris. (RIP Luke Perry).
ANGEL/BUFFY/SPIKE (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER)
This is a love triangle I try to keep from arguing about. I will never understand the appeal of Spike and Buffy as a couple. Yes, they had some good chemistry, and yes, Spike is a fantastic character (mostly)… but he and Buffy had zero going on beneath the physical attraction. Spike’s love for her is obsessive and creepy, and the scene between the two in the bathroom during season 6 (?) is one that I will never forget.
For me, Angel and Buffy were always Meant to Be. She is his definitive happiness, and he is hers. BtVS and Angel tried to push the two toward other people, but it never felt quite the same. Buffy and Angel had that spark from the beginning, and it never faded. Team Angel 4EVA.
JORDAN/ANGELA/BRIAN (MY SO-CALLED LIFE)
My So-Called Life was a perfect television show that no one watched. I loved everything about it, and I still mourn that there was never a second season, especially as the season one finale left so many things up in the air. One of which was the outcome of Angela (Claire Danes) discovering Brian’s unrequited love for her. She had been pining over Jordan Catalano for the majority of the season, and while he took his time, Jordan finally came around to admitting his feelings for Angela as well. All the while, Brian Krakow, her childhood friend, has pined for her.
When Jordan royally screws up, he recruits Brian to help him win Angela back by putting into a letter how he feels about her. Brian fills the letter with his feelings but signs Jordan’s name. The letter is practically perfect, and Angela and Jordan reunite. Of course… Angela discovers the truth… we never get to know what would have happened between Angela and Brian because the show was canceled. But this was a love triangle where I wasn’t one hundred percent on board with one love or the other.
Jordan grew a lot as a person because of Angela and how he felt about her. They had amazing chemistry, and while the bad boy tends to win over the sensitive soul, Brian’s love for Angela was clearly something that moved her, and the *promise* of these two lifelong friends finding love with each other was a very real possibility. I adored both, and I wished I knew what had happened to these characters.
Do you have a favorite love triangle from television? Sound off in the comments!
Joel
February 25, 2021I LOVED everything about My So-Called Life!! Claire Danes was great but I also loved her parents, they seemed so real and recognizable with both performers giving beautiful performances. My heart went out to poor Brian every single episode! I’d like to think that Angela would have eventually realized his worth and ended up with him.
90210 was one I’d drop in on every now and then but never faithfully. It was okay but I never connected with the characters.
I avoided Buffy. I have great disdain for Gellar so the show was always a big no for me.
I struggled this week for some reason eventually going with three shows I watched in reruns as a kid.
Our Miss Brooks (1952-1956)-High school English teacher Constance Brooks (Eve Arden) is hopelessly enamored with handsome but obtuse science teacher Phillip Boynton (Robert Rockwell). They exist in a sort of limbo land where Mr. Boynton takes it for granted that Miss Brooks will always be there. That is until Connie moves to a new school and the gym teacher Gene Talbot (Gene Barry) tries to sweep her off her feet. At last Boynton’s dander is riled up enough to fight for her.
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959-1963)-High school student Dobie Gillis (Dwayne Hickman) is hopelessly in love with Thalia Menninger (Tuesday Weld) who hardly acknowledges his existence while Zelda Gilroy (Sheila James) likewise pines for him. Even after Thalia moves away and Dobie, as the title says, constantly falls for a series of beautiful and unattainable girls Zelda continues to yearn.
Petticoat Junction (1963-1970)-When crop duster Steve Elliott’s (Mike Minor) plane crashes near the Shady Rest Hotel in Hooterville he’s taken in to recover by proprietress Kate Bradley (Bea Benaderet) and her three daughters Billie Jo (Meredith MacRae), Bobbie Jo (Lori Saunders) and Betty Jo (Linda Kaye Henning). During his convalescence he and Billie Jo start to date but once he decides to stay in town, he realizes it’s Betty Jo that he really loves.
Sara
February 25, 2021I stopped watching 90210 a season or two after Brenda left the show though I did tune in for the series finale I was obsessed with that show.
Buffy is really great, despite being created by Joss Whedon! I may do a rewatch after my XFiles rewatch is over.
I’ve never heard of the shows you listed but for Petticoat Junction! I’d watch it just because the daughters are named Billie, Bobby and Betty Jo!
Joel
February 25, 2021And when Betty Jo and Steve eventually married they had a daughter named Kathy Jo!! 🙂
Sara
February 26, 2021Nice! My mother’s middle name is Jo. LOL
Katy
February 25, 2021Nice picks! I wasn’t an avid watcher of Beverly Hills 90210 or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but I caught enough episodes to get pulled into their love triangles. I’m totally Team Angel too – their chemistry was on fire.
Sara
February 25, 2021Yayy! Team Angel! Both shows did lose that extra something when Brenda and Angel both left them.
thevoid99
February 25, 2021Whoa, we share the same pick with Brenda/Dylan/Kelly. I was more into Brandon and Kelly though I didn’t mind Dylan and Kelly as I just didn’t care for Brenda as I just don’t like Shannen Doherty very much as a person. Still, I would’ve preferred Brenda over… ugh… Tori Spelling. Ew!
Sara
February 26, 2021I really liked Brandon and Kelly too. Brandon just never really had a spark with anyone else, IMO.
Mettel Ray
February 26, 2021We match with Buffy!! Yay! I have heard of the first one of course but I think I never fully saw it. The third one is a mystery, heard of it but never saw it. 😀
Brittani
February 26, 2021Aww My So Called Life! I remember that. I didn’t watch your other two picks but they’re pretty popular this week.
Sara
February 26, 2021I miss MSCL. It was one of the first shows I got incredibly invested in and I was so bummed when it got canceled.
Ruth
March 1, 2021Hey Sara, we matched on 90210! It was one of the most popular shows back in the early 90s and there weren’t many options for me to watch back then.
Btw, I really LOVE your blog name… ‘It Was Like A Magic!’ it’s from Sleepless In Seattle right? Love Nora Ephron’s writing!
Sara
March 5, 2021Huzzah!! 90210 was so addicting back in the day. I was obsessed.
And thank you so much!! Yes, it’s from Sleepless in Seattle, which is my favorite rom-com. Nora Ephron was a legend. I miss her!
Ruth
March 5, 2021Yeah, she was definitely one of the best writers ever. I love Sleepless and also You’ve Got Mail, both stories are so timeless despite the dated technology, ahah.
Sara
March 8, 2021Yeah, they’re definitely dated! But I think that gives both movies a bit of extra charm 🙂
ThePunkTheory
March 5, 2021OMG I forgot about My so-called Life! I will never forgive myself. It was such a wonderful show! I’m still not over the fact that it was canceled!
Sara
March 5, 2021Same! It deserved so much more love than it received. I love that Claire Danes won the GG for Best Actress for the show. I’m still bitter that it ended on a clifhanger.
Wandering through the Shelves
March 11, 2021These are all classic teen shows. I have seen them all, though not all episodes. I would say of the three, I remember MSCL the least.
Sara
March 11, 2021I’ve seen all of BtVS and MSCL but not all of 90210. I can’t remember when I lost interest in it but definitely don’t remember it as well as the others.