# You don't like the main character's love interest **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 19, 2011, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-dont-like-the-main-characters-love-interest/586018 "2011-06-19T07:36:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![breezman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@breezman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breezman)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-dont-like-the-main-characters-love-interest/586018/41 "2011-06-20T11:59:30Z")
Donna on Sanford and Son. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-dont-like-the-main-characters-love-interest/586018/42 "2011-06-20T13:25:59Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > Granted, being a straight guy I’m extremely biased. What? If I were a straight guy I wouldn’t even be able to watch the show because seeing her leathery skin and every single one of her vertebrae would turn me off sex for the rest of my life and I’d have to go live on top of a pillar handing out prophecies. The woman looks like a leather bag full of antlers that thinks it’s sexy. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-dont-like-the-main-characters-love-interest/586018/43 "2011-06-20T16:06:29Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Same here. She just seemed too much a burnt-out, beaten-down loser. Plus any chick as hot as her is gonna have any number of guys wanting to take her out of that crappy little house and ghetto car she wound up with. . . . I’m trying to remember if I got it from the series or from one of the books, but Dex chose her because she was a beaten-down loser. She was supposed to be a fake girlfriend, just there to provide him with camouflage normality, but she started getting better with his support. He had assumed that she’d be fine with no touching or intimacy because of the abuse she had gone through. I kind of enjoyed watching her working to assert herself, even if it was cringe-worthy at times. Nobody’s path to assertiveness is going to be smooth. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-dont-like-the-main-characters-love-interest/586018/44 "2011-06-20T17:01:47Z")
Yeah, you’re right. I remember Dexter saying things like that in the voiceovers. [spoiler]I think the main problem (for me) was that the woman who played Rita was just too good-looking to be believable as the whiny, insecure, beaten-down woman with no apparent options that Rita was. Good-looking, successful men would abound in the life of a woman [that pretty](http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/images/news2/Julie-Benz-Talks-Rita-s-Death-on-Dexter-Finale-2.jpg), and it just didn’t add up to me that she would be content barely getting by, living in that cramped little house, walking to work and soliciting rides to and from school for her kids from the neighbors because her druggie ex-husband’s car got confiscated by his dealer (not to mention actually being happy to drive that hideous ghetto car that Dexter got for her). Maybe I’m just jaded, but I just can’t help but think that she’d have allowed herself to be snared by a handsome guy with a successful career and plenty of dough long before she’d have wound up like she was…if for no other reason than to provide a good life for her kids. Julie Benz, the woman who played Rita, is a good actress though. To me it’s a testament to her acting ability that she was able to pull off the role as well as she did. But I think the reason that so many people disliked her for being so whiny is that on a subliminal level it just didn’t add up that she would be that way. Just my .02 though. I know others’ MMV.[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Lady\_of\_the\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@Lady\_of\_the\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lady_of_the_Lake)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-dont-like-the-main-characters-love-interest/586018/45 "2011-06-20T20:01:34Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > What? If I were a straight guy I wouldn’t even be able to watch the show because seeing her leathery skin and every single one of her vertebrae would turn me off sex for the rest of my life and I’d have to go live on top of a pillar handing out prophecies. The woman looks like a leather bag full of antlers that thinks it’s sexy. My husband and I are both fans of Fiona - her character is awesome! 🙂 I find Gabrielle Anwar to be extraordinarily pretty (but, yeah, we both feel that she needs to eat a sandwich. Or ten.) ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-dont-like-the-main-characters-love-interest/586018/46 "2011-06-20T20:10:44Z")
> [@Lady\_of\_the\_Lake](#): > > My husband and I are both fans of Fiona - her character is awesome! 🙂 I find Gabrielle Anwar to be extraordinarily pretty (but, yeah, we both feel that she needs to eat a sandwich. Or ten.) Perhaps she can’t quite get them through her surgically inflated lips? ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-dont-like-the-main-characters-love-interest/586018/47 "2011-06-20T20:19:12Z")
Buffy: I didn’t like her with Angel, or Spike, or Riley (though Riley had potential at first - his first appearance “I lost my manners what with the concussion and all” was funny). She should’ve wound up in a catfight with Willow over Xander. (Yeah, I know Willow ended up bi or gay, and I liked her and Ox together but still…) Gilmore Girls: I never liked Christopher. Once they became adults Lorelai Gilmore was always miles more grown up than Christopher was so it just felt totally wrong when she ditched Luke and suddenly up and married Christopher. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-dont-like-the-main-characters-love-interest/586018/48 "2011-06-20T20:28:56Z")
> [@zamboniracer](#): > > Buffy: I didn’t like her with Angel, or Spike, or Riley (though Riley had potential at first - his first appearance “I lost my manners what with the concussion and all” was funny). She should’ve wound up in a catfight with Willow over Xander. (Yeah, I know Willow ended up bi or gay, and I liked her and Ox together but still…) if it hadn’t been the plan to turn Willow gay, I thought she would have worked better with Riley. Hannigan and Blucas had some genuine chemistry. > [@](#): > > Gilmore Girls: I never liked Christopher. Once they became adults Lorelai Gilmore was always miles more grown up than Christopher was so it just felt totally wrong when she ditched Luke and suddenly up and married Christopher. You know, I think that was intentional. Christopher was always presented as basically a wrong choice. I mean, ye gods – their _own child_ didn’t want them together. Speaking of which, I didn’t like Rory and what’s-his-name, Logan. On the other hand, at least he was keeping her out of the dating pool so no innocents would be hurt. That girl needed therapy in a major way. Or, to be honest, she needed Paris. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-dont-like-the-main-characters-love-interest/586018/49 "2011-06-20T20:44:49Z")
On the early seasons of House, I got very tired of people going on about what a good couple House and Cameron would make. They were clearly completely wrong for each other. I was very glad when that was finally borne out. As for House and Cuddy, I thought they had amazing sexual chemistry…until they actually got together. The last season has been hard for me to watch, because Cuddy changed into something I didn’t like. Frankly, I think the best couple on that show is House and Wilson. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-dont-like-the-main-characters-love-interest/586018/50 "2011-06-20T22:47:12Z")
Not that I didn’t like her, but dammit - Hermione was supposed to wind up with Harry Potter, not that git Ron. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-dont-like-the-main-characters-love-interest/586018/51 "2011-06-21T03:10:28Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Not that I didn’t like her, but dammit - Hermione was supposed to wind up with Harry Potter, not that git Ron. Yes, yes she was. But in my case, I liked Ron (though not as a love interest for anyone) at first, until maybe the 4th book, and slowly began to despise him. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-dont-like-the-main-characters-love-interest/586018/52 "2011-06-21T15:12:32Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Yes, yes she was. But in my case, I liked Ron (though not as a love interest for anyone) at first, until maybe the 4th book, and slowly began to despise him. Yeah, I liked Ron less as a person as the books went on, but I liked him fine as a character. I think he was very well written–a lot of his assholishness was a product of his upbringing (Mrs. Weasley was very nice, but very old-fashioned and judgmental, plus living in the shadow of several older brothers he constantly had to compete with), the fact that he was in love with Hermione but too socially inept (or maybe he was just a teenage boy) to let her know it in the proper way, and he hung around with probably the most famous person in the wizarding world (who he was constantly worrying was going to sweep Hermione off her feet before he could make a move). Ron had a big inferiority complex, and in his case it manifested itself in stubbornness and occasional asshole behavior. In other words, he was realistically written. I liked that. Still wanted to punch him in the face a few times, though 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-dont-like-the-main-characters-love-interest/586018/53 "2011-06-21T15:20:29Z")
I wanted to punch Ron a whole lot less than I wanted to punch Harry, personally. (I still haven’t read Deathly Hallows - it’ll have to wait until after I’m done with A Song of Ice and Fire - but I don’t suspect the ratio will skew too much the other way after that.) ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-dont-like-the-main-characters-love-interest/586018/54 "2011-06-21T15:23:02Z")
Agreed on the love interest in A Knight’s Tale, and I have trouble watching it because of that. Pity, because I really do love the first half of the movie. And I also didn’t like Ginny for Harry. What a plain, ordinary girl. Not interesting at all and it certainly did feel shoehorned. Plus it’s like, the first girl is always the one that captures it. I never thought Harry & Hermoine would end up together, but I was hoping for Luna Lovegood, whom I found perfectly sweet and adorable. ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-dont-like-the-main-characters-love-interest/586018/55 "2011-06-21T15:25:57Z")
Another vote for Ginny. In the books, while she still wasn’t interesting, you could at least imagine that they had chemistry. In the movies it is painfully apparent that they have none. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-dont-like-the-main-characters-love-interest/586018/56 "2011-06-21T15:31:21Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > I wanted to punch Ron a whole lot less than I wanted to punch Harry, personally. (I still haven’t read Deathly Hallows - it’ll have to wait until after I’m done with A Song of Ice and Fire - but I don’t suspect the ratio will skew too much the other way after that.) Yeah…it won’t. Harry is eminently punchable in that book. ---
**Author:** ![SecretaryofEvil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@SecretaryofEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecretaryofEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-dont-like-the-main-characters-love-interest/586018/57 "2011-06-22T19:47:24Z")
Harry Potter ended up with Ginny because he clearly has a latent homosexual desire for Ron. Harry badly wanted to nail Ron, but wasn’t really gay, so he chose the available female that was most genetically similar to Ron. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-dont-like-the-main-characters-love-interest/586018/58 "2011-06-22T20:47:38Z")
Viktor Navorski’s love interest in **The Terminal**. Catherine Zeta-Jones can’t act her way out of a wet paper bag, but even if they\* had\* cast someone else the character is just wrong for Viktor. A person as sincere, patient and caring as Viktor wouldn’t waste a breath of oxygen talking to the skatterbrained selfish self-absorbed Amelia Warren. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-dont-like-the-main-characters-love-interest/586018/59 "2011-06-22T22:06:27Z")
Going back thirty years… I felt sorry for Dudley Moore in _ **Arthur** _. Because the rich girl he was being FORCED to marry was soooo much prettier and infinitely more pleasant than Liza Minnelli. Of all the issues to rebel against his family over! ---
**Author:** ![Tanbarkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@Tanbarkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanbarkie)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-dont-like-the-main-characters-love-interest/586018/60 "2011-06-22T22:47:59Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > And I also didn’t like Ginny for Harry. What a plain, ordinary girl. Not interesting at all and it certainly did feel shoehorned. Plus it’s like, the first girl is always the one that captures it. I never thought Harry & Hermoine would end up together, but I was hoping for Luna Lovegood, whom I found perfectly sweet and adorable. I’m right there with you. There’s a brief scene at the end of book 5 in which Luna and Harry make a personal connection that communicated more depth of feeling than anything Rowling ever wrote about Harry and Ginny. It didn’t help that Ginny was the worst kind of character: a hyper-talented Mary Sue that still somehow managed to come off dull as ditchwater. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-dont-like-the-main-characters-love-interest/586018.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-dont-like-the-main-characters-love-interest/586018.md?page=4)