The will-they-won’t-they relationship dynamic is one of the most tried-and-true storytelling models in television history.
It’s a solid foundation to fuel continuous storytelling because it keeps the audience in a limbo state where they clearly want a certain something to happen for the sake of emotional catharsis, but gives the writers leeway on how long they can stretch the inevitable out.
The issue with this style of writing is it often leads to clichéd scenarios where the ups and downs of a relationship can feel manufactured or histrionic.
A couple will get into a relatively small fight that leads to them not talking for the duration of an episode, or it’ll seem like the good portions of their relationship are dull and uninteresting, therefore not worthy of being shown on screen.
But HBO Max’s Harley Quinn is different.
Harley Quinn is a show that values the inherently uncomfortable and fluid
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