Here is a fun little prompt a professor asked me to do. Look at a love triangle depicted in a movie or on TV where a woman has to choose between two men. Is the female's POV presented more or less than the male's? What does each man represent? Does the program lean towards a specific choice? Which one should she choose? Why?
In TNT's TV show Perception, Kate Moretti is one of the main supporting characters. Although she is not currently dating anyone and has not revealed her feelings towards each man, the show has given subtle hints that Moretti likes Daniel, the schizophrenic genius and show's main character. She had a crush on him while he was her professor, and she has always supported his ideas during investigations when no one else would and is a caring friend. When it started out, the show seemed to hint that Kate and Daniel would get together, until Daniel's first love came back into the picture and he seemed to lose interest in Kate.
In the second season, Kate's ex-husband Donnie moved back to the city, ultimately to try to win Kate's heart back. Since he cheated on her with her best friend, Kate has little respect for him and does not trust him. As the season progressed, Donnie seemed to be truly remorseful of his actions and has been persistent, sincere, and considerate. Kate kissed him when she was feeling vulnerable, proving that she still has feelings for him. By this time, it is obvious to Donnie that Daniel has feelings for Kate, hinting that there is still hope for Daniel to express his love to Kate. To me, it seems like the show is leaning towards Kate to end up with Daniel, but it is possible that she could be involved with either man.
Kate's point of view is not presented as often as Daniel's is, since Perception's premise hinges on how Daniel deals with his schizophrenia and how his illness can help him solve murders. The audience knows little about Kate's past. She's a hard-working detective dedicated to her job and willing to take risks to find the truth and ensure justice. She seems cynical to love, due to her past relationship with Donnie, and has only briefly dated another man since the show started.
Donnie represents forgiveness, a relatively stable lifestyle, risk, and a more conservative choice from a political point of view. She and Donnie have a long history together, and since they were married, it would restore the natural order to things if she chose to date him again. It would require her to learn to forgive him, which could be a hard obstacle for her to overcome. There is risk to renewing their relationship though because Donnie could cheat on her again. If their relationship works out, they could look forward to a normal married life, with both of them working in related fields.
Daniel would be someone new and exciting for Kate. She has never been involved with him before, and Daniel's quirky idiosyncrasies and zealous attitude would never leave a dull moment in her life. However, due to Daniel's illness, she would always have to worry about whether he was taking his medication or putting himself in danger by listening to his bad thoughts. He would be a more progressive choice because he is several years older than her and had schizophrenia, two factors not normally associated with an "ideal" man.
Even though it seems like Donnie is really trying to change for Kate, I would want her to choose Daniel. That's not to say that I would not like seeing Donnie with Kate if he can make her happy, but I feel Daniel is a better choice for her. From the start, I thought his silent love for Kate was endearing, and he has always treated her kindly for fear of hurting her in any way. His love and devotion would make her happy, and in TV shows, I think we expect the girl to choose the more rebellious, exciting, funny character. Sometimes, real life does not offer that, and we look to see our secret desires lived out through TV characters. Kate is happier and more herself when she is around Daniel, and she is one of the few people who understands Daniel's quirks and still loves him.
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