User blog:Jam7/Bizarre Love Triangle: A mid-season follow-up...

(Sorry for yet another blog post on this topic, hehe. I know how much some of you just love to keep hearing about it. xD)

Since I wrote my original love triangle blog post, a lot has happened. It's funny, but when I wrote that, I hadn't anticipated that Duncan would cheat on Courtney with Gwen. It seems like a scenario I should have included, but I suppose I didn't expect out out of a character like Duncan (especially given his reaction to Trent's supposed cheating in Search and Do Not Destroy).

Anyway, what we've seen is a lapse of judgement from all three participants in the love triangle. Duncan cheated on Courtney by kissing Gwen and has yet to show remorse for it. Gwen felt remorse over the kiss but never actually apologized to Courtney once the incident became widely known, even succumbing to petty name-calling in her final moments of the competition. And Courtney sought a path of retribution against Duncan and Gwen for betraying her, vowing not to rest until they've paid for what they've done.

But as of the latest episode (Aftermath Aftermayhem), it seems like Gwen has reconnected with her ex-boyfriend Trent. In Gwen's last interaction with Duncan, she was angry that Duncan seemed to cry over the loss of Courtney (even though it was a ruse), making her believe that Duncan is a jerk. So perhaps Gwen's mindset would have her believe that Trent is looking better than Duncan at the moment. As for Courtney, she's still set on following Alejandro's advice to make Duncan jealous by flirting with other guys, which seems to be working to a certain extent. But it seems like she's genuinely fallen for Alejandro's charms, setting herself up for another broken heart for when he eventually betrays her. And Duncan? He seems to have no problem that Alejandro is manipulating Courtney -- it was even his idea -- but I doubt he'll stay complacent about it for much longer. He's a jerk for what he did to Courtney, but I still don't believe he's completely heartless as to allow Courtney to get hurt again. I don't think he's as over her as he claims he is.

With that said, what I'd love to see happen later on in the season is the following:


 * Gwen realizes that she hasn't been acting as mature as she normally would, which is why she hooked up with Duncan the way she did. Perhaps part of the reason is because of how her relationship with Trent fell apart in the previous season.
 * Seeing Trent mature since last season made her realize that she can (and should) mature as well.
 * Gwen breaks it off with Duncan but lets him down gently, stating that while he's a great guy, seeing how immature he's acted in the competition made her realize that they wouldn't be as good a fit as she once thought.
 * Gwen apologizes to Courtney for the way she hooked up with Duncan, but also tells Courtney that she shouldn't try to change who Duncan is, because being someone you're not isn't good in the long run. Gwen then tells Duncan that Courtney is a great girl, and tells him how much Courtney missed him when he was gone.
 * Gwen hooks up with Trent again, or at least remains single but attracted to Trent's good qualities again.
 * Duncan apologizes to Courtney for cheating on her, stating that it was the wrong reaction for the frustration she's caused him. Courtney apologizes to him for constantly trying to change him and says that she should just accept who he is and embrace his good qualities.
 * Duncan and Courtney hook up again, and both remain on friendly terms with Gwen. Everyone's happy.

If I were a writer for the show, that'd be my ideal ending to this love triangle. It would grant redemption to everyone involved, particularly Gwen. How likely is it to actually happen, though? Probably not very -- my previous predictions didn't exactly pan out, after all. And there are still some concerns I have about this prediction, especially one in particular: Is it really like Courtney to forgive Duncan for cheating on her? Initially I didn't think so, but when you think back to TDA, she also believed back then that he hooked up with Gwen, and yet she still felt feelings for him right up to the end of the season. It seems like she cares about him so much that she's willing to give their relationship another chance. Perhaps that's why she was pressing for an apology from him in Sweden Sour. She wants that first step to happen.

Thoughts?