Love Is a Crapshoot

Romance and love can outrank magic, technology, or even a Physical God, in influence on the progression of a story. But how it influences the story is a crapshoot.

The Good: Love acts as a Fixer Sue or Deus Ex Machina, overcoming all.
 * The Dulcinea Effect
 * Love At First Sight
 * Love Redeems
 * The Power of Friendship
 * The Power of Love
 * True Love's Kiss

The Bad: Love is an Artifact of Doom, corrupting even unambiguously good people who lack the willpower to sacrifice their relationships for their morals into a Face Heel Turn. Murder mystery series seem to love this one.


 * If I Can't Have You
 * Love Makes You Evil
 * Murder the Hypotenuse

The Ugly: Love is an Artifact of Death, bringing doom and pain to all who encounter it.
 * Cartwright Curse
 * Death by Sex
 * Fatal Attractor
 * Love Hurts
 * Love Makes You Crazy
 * Love Martyr
 * Star-Crossed Lovers

The Complicated: Love is an embodiment of the Rule of Drama, making life unnecessarily complicated.
 * Adrenaline Makeover
 * Cock Fight
 * Love Triangle
 * Love Dodecahedron
 * Strangled by the Red String