ALL: What makes a good llve triangle?

[d_wsb]

I think it's when not one but all 3 characters are good actors for one and obviously they all have to have chemistry together but the middle man/woman is so in love with both people that it's really hard to choose between the two.

I don't know if Robert/Anna/Duke we're one but Sonny/Brenda/Jax is the one I could think of.

[Ridge]

poohbear mentioned it, IMO, its one where you can root for both couple, feel for them and want them together. Kenny described it well too.

The one that stands out right now is Jess/Antonio/Nash. I think the show developed this one perfectly without overdoing it or overplaying the major reasons for it (Tess), there are still beats that need to be played like someone said in the OLTL thread, the angle that maybe Jessica is just someone different and that is why she is now leaning towards Nash. But all in all the show developed it very well for 2 years now and both couples are very rootable NOW. I hated Antonio and Jess 2 years ago now they just seem right...

I think natural and un-forced development is key. The John/Evangeline/Natalie triangle seemed kind of forced because of the Natalie angle, Natalie and John kinda seem forced to me and then one day John and Evangeline just start sleeping together. Slow but real development works. In fact OLTL is in the process of developing a lot of triangles right now, some seem like they will work, others don't...

[poohbear19]

I think Jessica/Antonio/Nash had the potiental to be a good one, but the fire and Antonio's injury blew that out of the water for me (not to mention Keri's death and the whole Santi saga left a bad taste in my mouth from the beginning)... but mainly because it seems like Jessica sticking with her husband because of it. Jessica said it herself, that with Antonio in the hospital/injured convinced her more to stick with him (in addition to the so called love she has for him.) If/when she hooks up with Nash after it, it will make her and him look evil and sympathic compared to Antonio.

[Angela]

A good triangle with three basically "good" characters is made good by:

a. Good writing.

b. Good acting.

c. Good chemistry.

d. Good balance.

If one of those ingredients is missing at any end of the triangle it usually isn't a very good triangle. Good triangles are hard to find. Sonny/Brenda/Jax, early on, had all those ingredients.

I don't know if I consider a triangle, a traingle when one side is obviously psycho or close to it.

[DrewH]

I love a good old fashion love triangle. However, I'm with those that say that the psycho routine has got to go. It's been played out too many times for my liking. When the centerpiece is truly in love with both opponents, it makes it better. Some of my favorites include:

Mickey/Bill/Laura - Many reports say this is the very best love triangle ever to come out of daytime. I didn't get the chance to see it live, but I did much reading and also caught a few clips of the story. And those reports were right. It's just classic. You had Bill and Laura in the beginning. Theart attack and a subsequent stroke, which caused him to have amnesia. He checked himself out of the hospital and wandered to a farm, calling himself Marty Hansen. During this time, Mickey would meet a crippled farm girl named Maggie Simmons (Suzanne Rogers) and fall in love with her. Ultimately Mickey regained his memory and returned to Salem with Maggie while Laura and Bill would finally marry and have a second child Jennifer.hey were both very in love and engaged. Bill had a health crisis and left town, devastating Laura. With the engagement broken and Bill out of town, Laura picked herself up and moved on. While working on a case with Mickey, the two got really close. Again, there was no cheating involved because the Laura was no longer committed to Bill. I hate when the one person cheats on the other and that's how a triangle ensues. Anyway, back to the storyline. Mickey and Laura eventually married and Bill came home, shocked to see his older brother married to his former fiance. Bill had a problem with alcoholism (like his son, Lucas) and visited Laura and the two had an altercation. Bill ended up raping Laura in the process. Laura found out she was pregnant, but kept the night with Bill a secret and planned on passing the child of as Mickey's. The only problem is that Tom knew Mickey was sterile and coudln't produce children and assumed Laura had an affair with another man. Upon confronting his daughter-in-law, Tom learned that his other son raped Laura. Tom didn't want to see more family drama in the Horton family and felt it was best if Mickey never knew the truth. Soon after though, Mickey discovered he was sterile and Laura's night with Bill was revealed.

Bo/Hope/Billie - Bo was devastated when the love of his life, Hope, died. He found love again with Billie Reed and the two became very popular with fans. When Hope turned out to be alive, she was an amnesiac named Gina (not a princess like it would be later believed). Bo was truly torn between his newfound love for Billie and the love of his life. In the end, Bo chose Hope and Billie left. And even after Krista Allen took over the role and Billie returned, the triangle was still strong. Yes, Allen's Billie was a bit of a vixen and a manipulator, but fans remembered the love Bo and Billie shared. It was true love. That's what made the triangle work, the first round.

Antonio/Jessica/Nash - This triangle is a trianlge that would have never worked had it not been for Jessica's DID and Tess. When Tess came out, Antonio wasn't her type. He was Jessica's type. Jessica and Tess are two different people. So when Tess fell for Nash, fans new a love triangle was building. But it wasn't your typical love triangle because of the conflict, which was DID, and again, not a psycho. Jessica loved Anonio. Tess loved Nash. When Tess was finally intergrated into Jessica, Tess' feelings became one with Jessica's and she eventually devloped those feelings for Nash. She still loves Antonio though. Who will she choose in the end? It's not predictable and that's a great love triangle.

[PhoenixRising05]

I good love triangle is one where you can root for both sides. I think the best is the Roman/Marlena/John story. The emotion was there and you felt torn. Both men were rootable. The Jack/Jen/Frankie triangle was bad but towards the end it was salvaged somewhat by good acting and the fact that both men were friends and rootable.

The problem with Brady/Chloe/Philip was they trashed one character to make the other look good. They also changed Brady too fast too. Brady lost alot of his edge when paired with Chloe and Philip became even more of a jerk then usual. Chloe also became this typical, teen girl stereotype whereas she had a dark quality to her before as well. I liked Chloe/Brady back then early on but they soon were changed way too much, so much so I grew to hate them.

The first Hope/Bo/Billie story was very good because Hope had died and Bo had moved on. The writers kept going back to it so much afterwards that it diluted it. The first time it was fine and even the second time it worked but after that it should've been left alone.

The key is to make sure there is good writing, good acting, and rootability factor on both sides. The same goes for a quadrangle. You never want it to come off as forced because then it goes down the tubes for the audience.