stlavin95

Yeah Mark definitely played with both fanbases at times and he definitely played an massive part in why the triangle was massive as it was and you can't just blame the fans for it.

Slayerette89

Fans can be and often are insufferably entitled and delusional, but, in the case of the oth triangle, I have no sympathy for Mark. Imo, he wrote the triangle very badly (the transition of Lucas’s feelings from Peyton to Brooke in s2 was atrociously handled and the switch back to Peyton wasn’t much better imo) and he kept the hopes of both fanbases up through the show and the interviews. Remember how he babbled about embers before s3, even though he completely retconned and ignored LP in s2. If I remember correctly, for awhile after s5, he also talked about how Lucas’s 6.01 decision might not be final. He just wanted both fanbases watching. Though it turned out he didn’t really need either. Oth survived the absence of even the possibility of LP and BL in s7-9. As well as the dislike of the critics and relative unpopularity among the audience. (It was a show that was always on the brink of cancellation, right? Not with the worst ratings, but not with the best either.) The show is quite impressive in that sense, actually.

stlavin95

Agreed, I have no sympathy for Mark when he gets hate because of the triangle. LBP triangle was poorly handled (especially after season 1) and as a Lucas fan that sucks since he was the character who suffered the most because of it.

Slayerette89

Agreed, Lucas’s character suffered from the triangle the most, especially post s1. In, s1 his p.o.v. at least made sense. s2+ not so much.

On an unrelated note, I forgot to mention that I totally agree with the Jake talk from the previous page. He was a one-dimensional bore imo. I could have found some perverse satisfaction in a male character barely existing outside of his child (given it’s a role usually reserved for women) if Peyton and Nikki hadn’t been dragged into his mess. But they had, so I had no appreciation for Jake whatsoever. And I hate Jeyton even more than I hate Brucas. I didn’t see chemistry between either couple, which made them both difficult to watch, but Petyon playing a nurturing mommy (at the age of 16 at that) annoys me more than anything else on this show.

Ship mess aside, s2 would have been so much bearable for me if it had some of the more early-s1-like, down-to-earth (as much as that was ever the case on this show) sls instead of teen marriages, teen pseudo nuclear families, ridiculous music careers (music sls for both Haley and Peyton could have been so much better and more interesting than they actually were) and super cheer captan/class president snoozefest (Brooke's class president sl was one of the worst takes on this sl I've ever seen; some shows would have made it fun or at least tolerable, but not oth). Lucas's whining about not being a good guy (he was my least favorite character alongside Brooke when I first started watching the show in s2 partly because of all the whining about the mistakes he made) and playing super detective was also sleep-inducing. Emo, self-destructive Nathan I didn't mind, except I didn't think a ridiculous teen marriage was a good enough reason to behave that way./end rant, sorry for the length and off topicness

stlavin95

^ Yeah I hated that Peyton willingly put herself in the Jake and Nikki situation just because she was lonely without Jake/Jenny in the picture. Jeyton had no romantic chemisty IMO and while Brucas did, they were way too dysfunctional together for me to even like them together

Slayerette89

That’s what nauseates me the most, the fact Mark&co. thought it was such a great idea for Peyton to cope with her loneliness and her mother’s death by nurturing babies. Her isolating herself both physically (in her room) and emotionally (not really letting anyone get to know her), drawing, obsessing over music, oversharing on the internet I could understand. But the babies part made me wanna throw things at my screen.

stlavin95

And it didn't really help at the end of the day since she still lonely after Jake/Jenny left.

Slayerette89

Exactly. Imo, all Peyton needed to do was get out of toxic relationships with people she no longer clicked with (Nathan, Brooke), let people she might click with better in despite her fears of getting close to people (Lucas, Haley) and learn to communicate a little better (then even her relationships with Nathan and Brooke could eventually be revived in a healthier fashion). Also, drop things she did out of a misguided sense of duty or bond (cheerleading; I wouldn’t mind that she never quit if she ever seemed to do it for any reason than that her mom did it and that it’s one thing she and Brooke had in common/did together) and gather the courage to pursue things she actually enjoys doing (e.g. drawing; if her drawings sucks, they suck, at least she tried). But then this show couldn’t have gazillion season with over-the-top soapy plots. And we couldn’t hear a 16 female character say that her life is meaningless unless she has her boring boyfriend and his brat in it.

ETA: On a not so unrelated note, I'm allergic to Jeyton (as might be obvious every time I write about them) and hate when their gifsets get past my tumblr savior. Like one just did right now.

BlondieLeigh

Urgh, stuff getting past tumblr saviour is the worst. Why can't people just tag? Would it really kill them? (I legit unfollow people that won't tag properly ).

I think that's why I prefer Peyton's relationships with Lucas and Haley, she had to work to let them in, and when she did they really connected.

gwennylou

I personally loved Jeyton. I thought Jake/Peyton had great chemistry. But I only ever saw Jake as a stepping stone to Lucas for Peyton. Much like Brooke was for Lucs to get to Peyton. I think it's because Peyton is my favorite character on the show, I wasn't mad at her for falling in love with either Jake or Julian. But Leyton they were endgame and OTP, and any other relationship pales in comparison.

stlavin95

Yeah Peyton acting like her life didn't mean anything without Jake/Jenny in S2 really annoyed me and it annoys me even more that people disregard that just because Jake is a good guy (an extremely boring one at that).
I would have loved to have seen Peyton cut out of Brooke/Nathan out of her life for a while and focus on Lucas/Haley. Definitely would've preferred that to what we got. I've kinda figured that don't like Jeyton by now haha Jeyton had great platonic chemistry but they lacked romantic chem in my opinion. I liked Jake but I felt that he was as interesting watching paint try and I didn't like him as a romantic interest for Peyton.

BlondieLeigh

It's really unhealthy to have that mindset, especially in someone so young.

Realistically she should have. It would have been better for her in the long term, but teenagers don't often make decisions that are best for them.

Yeah, Jake was great platonically but he didn't work as an LI. I think that's because he was so boring though. Maybe if he hadn't been I'd be able to see something there.

stlavin95

Yeah it definitely isn't an great mindset to have at that age. Yeah Peyton shouldn't have had a love interest or they should've given Jake something else storyline wise besides Jenny. Plus I also felt that besides Jenny, Jeyton didn't connect on anything else.

BlondieLeigh

They really didn't, imo.

stlavin95

Yeah and that's an big reason why I didn't like them.