Ushering in a New Season of Rom Coms

Even if you’ve never watched the re-hyped ‘Summer I Turned Pretty’ (TSITP) tv series, I can almost guarantee that you’ve been asked if you’re Team Jeremiah or Conrad, or had your TikTok feeds transport you to Cousins Beach.

 Recently, our screens have been blessed with a new wave of romance films and tv shows: TSITP season three, Anyone But You, My Life with the Walter Boys season two, My Oxford Year, The Map That Leads to You and many more. And with this, they have brought up the argument of: ‘they just don’t make rom coms like they used to’.

Initially, not a TSITP fanatic, I was cornered by my housemate into watching the entire series ahead of the new season’s premiere. Now, three weeks and twenty-four episodes later plus a pros and cons list plastered on my pantry cupboard, I am an official ‘Team Conrad’ girlie through and through. And yes, ahead of the next episode(s?), I am aware this claim may not age well at all.

Ashamedly, I have fallen into the trap of being a true TSITP enthusiast but that hasn’t made me ignore some parts of the series that have made me blink twice. The extremely fast-paced advancement of Belly and Conrad’s relationship at the end of season one paired with the utter cringe-worthy statements that just would not fly in real life (iykyk), has really made me compare this new era of romance media to that of the 2000s.

Above - Gif titled ‘Pretty Please’ of Jeremiah from The Summer I Turned Pretty series (Media Credit: Tenor)

The beauty of the 2000s rom com era

Picture this: 

The absolute pining of Noah Calhoun in Nicholas Sparks’ 2004 film The Notebook. 

The *chef’s kiss* of a montage between Andie and Ben to Chantal Kreviazuk’s ‘Feels like Home’ in the 2003 How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

Although, I do have to say TSITP is setting the bar extremely high with its soundtrack, it is unfortunately an exception and not the rule. This is because new romance releases just don’t feel the same!

 In an article titled ‘Why We’ll Never Get Over the Hollywood RomComs of the Early 2000’s’, author Anushka stated that our staple rom coms “…captured a kind of authenticity that’s hard to find in modern cinema”.

Anuska says the detailing of life’s complexities and messiness is what has allowed audiences to remain captivated with the twenty-first century romance ‘classics’.

Echoing Anuska’s belief in the hold these early 2000s films continue to have over us, is Nicol’s ‘How 2000s rom-com classics shaped our view of love’ article.

Nicol contends that our infatuation with the likes of ’10 Things I Hate About You’ and ‘A Cinderella Story’ (to name a few), are driven by these films’ ability to showcase the duality of love and compromise.

“Characters in these films sacrifice negative aspects of their life and character to be better for another person, but they also teach us we shouldn’t be with anyone who isn’t willing to put in the effort to grow and become a better person,” says Nicol in her opinion piece.

If today’s TV romances are so ‘cringe’, why do we keep watching?

It’s a question I’ve pondered a bit recently. As someone who is semi-against this new age of romance media I admittedly still look forward to 5pm every Wednesday (aka TSITP episode release aka Christmas Day in my household).

Between the late 90s/early 2000s and now, we have undoubtedly still been blessed with a plethora of love triangles (country and seaside), flirtatious quips, definite heartthrobs and life lessons to take away. Same same but different.

 But one thing that has remained the same, despite the 30-odd-year time difference: these waves of romance all offer a form of escapism in times where global chaos is peaking and infiltrating all aspects of our life.

In the ‘90s, society faced the end of the Cold War, emerging conversations on climate change, the death of Princess Diana, worries of an accelerating digital age and fears of an impending new millennium (just to name a few).

 For the early 2000s, the events of 9/11 terrorist attacks reverberated shock waves across the globe, a recession dominated dinnertime talks, the whispers of a nuclear race and devastating impacts of natural disasters, were again, a reality people wanted to run from.

Today, we’re still trying to navigate the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change conversations remain ever present as do social inequalities, and war continues to threaten livelihoods.

 Wow, that’s full on, a lot and super overwhelming - definitely not what you expected when you saw the ‘new season of rom coms’ headline.

But it’s important.

Connection amongst the disconnection

With our new era of romance television and the practice of asking everyone ‘Are you team Jeremiah or Conrad?’, we have found a place where we can connect over the frivolous rather than being divided over the serious.

Whilst they may not feel the same as our Roman Empire rom coms of the past, the ones today have still upheld their ability to bring people together. Gosh, I even caught my Dad binging My Life with the Walter Boys and is under strict instructions not to watch it without my little sister. (Sorry Dad).

So, I guess, as some parting words – roll with the changes of romance shows and movies, just as you are with the changes of the world. Not only this but use these little snippets of TV magic as opportunities to connect – find your new favourite quote, organise a girls’ night or make your own pros and cons list on the pantry.

Because romanticising rom coms is ‘so your look Connie baby’ ;)