I should be writing, but I’ve also been watching a lot of mid-season finales on TV. (When did that become a thing?) I’ve concluded that TV show runners must not like romance readers, or they don’t understand how voracious and fanatic we are. Why do I say this? Because they’re killing off all the romance!
Just last week, I saw Oliver appear to lose Felicity on Arrow. (The jury is still out on whether she really dies or not.) On The Originals, Klaus woke up to find Cami had her throat slit. I understand drama, but do the writers of these shows really understand that they’re removing the part of the show that keeps a lot of viewers watching?
Earlier this year, Orphan Black killed off Paul. I was a huge Orphan Black fan until that moment. (Well, let’s call it that season. Boy clones? Bad idea.) But seriously, I started watching the show because of the chemistry between Paul and Sarah. It lit up the entire first season. Then the writers forgot about it in Season 2. Season 3, they killed him, and I walked. I haven’t watched it since. Same thing for Revenge. I stopped watching after they killed Aiden. I loved Aiden and Emily/Amanda. I mean, I literally turned off the television when he died. I never returned to either show. Ever. I lost all interest.
So I have to ask why shows are doing this. Is it because it’s too difficult to keep couples interesting after you make them a couple? Whaaaa. Tell that to J.D. Robb. She’s up to over 50 books about Eve and Roarke and still topping the charts. No, writing romance isn’t easy, but it’s rewarding to the viewers who have invested their time in your show. Romance readers love series. We gobble them up and eagerly await the next book (i.e. episode.)
Here’s an idea: Keep the couples. Keep the viewers.