That is an interesting point, but I never found them to have chemistry. Although I didn't see the first half or so of season 1, so maybe they did back then and it's just been off ever since.
My main thing is, I get that teenagers fall for people who are actually not very suited to them and it's mostly about hormones and all that, but the way they've framed the Tessa-Ryan relationship really does make it seem, to me, like they're supposed to be these soulmates we're rooting for. I mean, ending a season with them making out in the middle of the street, with both employing that movie cliche of running to the other after almost letting them go? And how he was more or less happy with June, but there's just this supposed undeniable magic of him and Tessa that made him cheat anyway? I just don't see it. And then the idea that Tessa was pining away for him the whole time he was gone? When, generally, teenagers might mope a bit at first, but then be onto the next hot guy, if that's all there is to it. The fact that she didn't implies we're supposed to believe she was so in love with him, and I just don't get that from their overall courtship. It seemed like she didn't even like him at first, but he was hot and wanted her, so hey, why not?
I think more so than George and Dallas, Tessa and Ryan seem like the "physical attraction only" couple (and even that I don't find very believable, as I mentioned earlier that they don't seem particularly hot for each other, to me). Even their making out in the street didn't seem very passionate to me. It felt forced.
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dmedinacooper
10 years ago
I think the terms "soul mates" and "teenagers" should really never be in the same sentence. TV wants us to buy into these teen relationships, but we all know in real life these things only last so long and then you continuing growing and having life experiences and things suddenly change and you grow apart. In this moment, in this show, Tessa and Ryan are not that bad of a match. I loved the episode when she wanted to go to an arty film with him and he didn't want to, but at the end she leaves to find him and finds him at the arty film which he kinda liked. They learned that they don't need to force their likes on each other, but also that sometimes it's nice to give in and do something you may not love if it makes your partner happy. That's a teachable moment in any relationship. The chemistry for me was there, but my standards for chemistry may be different than yours. I would put it down more to bad acting than bad characters if you didn't feel the chemistry. And yes, I can see her moping a bit longer because she was dumped when she felt she had done the right thing only to find out that she was completely way off base. Her sense of self was totally shaken to find out Ryan was in a long distance relationship with someone else. That could have been them. She was totally wrong AGAIN. That will cause some serious moping.
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number9-4
10 years ago
I guess if you see the happy ending being that they're just together for now, that's one thing. I just tend to think, as unrealistic as it is, these shows and movies that end in two teens getting together are sending the message that that's it for them. I mean, look at Lisa and Malik. Suburgatory is not beyond having teenagers supposedly be together forever.
As for the chemistry, I just think they made Ryan too dumb for him to have any real chemistry with Tessa. Chemistry is not just about the physical. Two great looking people can have terrible chemistry together. And they made him out to be such a buffoon, it always seemed to me like she'd have to dumb herself down to even have a conversation with him. That's not chemistry, to me. Being your truest self with someone, for both parties, and having a connection based on that authenticity, is what chemistry is for me. Not one person trying to bring themselves up to someone else's level while that person censors a part of themselves to make the other one not feel bad.
And yeah, that's true that the circumstances with the Ryan breakup would make things more difficult to move on, since she'd feel regret that she did the wrong thing. I just think we're looking at this through a real-life lens, and given that it's TV, we're supposed to be all like, "Awww, Tessa and Ryan forever! They finally found each other!"
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dmedinacooper
10 years ago
I think you're forgetting what it's like to be a teenager. For the most part it is about hormones. And once she started to get to know him and to also know that the smart ones can be just as ridiculous and maybe even more of a douche than a jock can be, she realized that a nice guy she enjoys kissing is not a bad option. It just didn't seem like a stretch to me.
And we're not supposed to "believe" anything except what we want to interpret. I interpret the end of all those teen movies as they resolved those differences and got together in the moment, but it probably won't last, but it's cute to see some character growth. I pretty much think that about the adult movies as well as most of those adults don't seem like they should work as couples at all. I interpret that these two characters really like each other and have now acknowledged it and can now determine how to move forward. Nothing more, nothing less.
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number9-4
10 years ago
And we're not supposed to "believe" anything except what we want to interpret.
But you don't know that. Maybe the writers do have some grand Ryan-Tessa vision like they did for Lisa and Malik, in spite their young age.
And regardless, what I'm saying is I don't see chemistry between them. Tessa is a fictional character, so we can talk till the cows come home about what we believe she feels for Ryan based on his niceness, hotness, etc. But as a viewer, the manifestation of that left me cold. There have been plenty young couples portrayed in TV and movies who I
did root for because the chemistry was there for me. It's not about me not being in touch with what it's like to be young and in love. I'm not even very far out of my teens.
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