History Main / TemporaryLoveInterest

8 ''DGrayMan'': Anita was this to General Cross. Cross is a ChivalrousPervert. WordOfGod says he likes good women. He is also stated to have many lovers, but Anita was the only one we met. Anita mentions that her mother was a lover of Cross, and supported the Black Order for him, before she was killed by an Akuma. After meeting the Exorcist team that's searching for Cross, she offers them a ship and goes with them on the journey to find him. Sadly in a fierce attack on the ship, she and most of her crew are killed. Shortly before she dies, she thinks about Cross and wonders silently if she had become a good woman that would honor her mother. Lenalee is the one who lets Cross know of Anita's fate later. He is very somber, and comments to Lenalee that he'd told Anita not to follow him, no matter what happened -stating that good women tend to be too simple-minded. Cross carries around the corpse of a deceased woman with parasitic innocence, named Maria. We haven't learned the origin of Maria yet. But if she was a lover of Cross, then he may lean toward being a victim of CartwrightCurse -because that would be three lovers we know of that are deceased.

8 ''DGrayMan'': Anita was this to General Cross. Cross is a ChivalrousPervert. WordOfGod says he likes good women. Anita also mentions that her mother was a lover of Cross, and supported the Black Order for him. After meeting the Exorcist team that's searching for Cross, she offers them a ship and goes with them on the journey to find him. Sadly in a fierce attack on the ship, she and most of her crew are killed. Shortly before she dies, she thinks about Cross and wonders silently if she had become a good woman that her mother would be proud of. Lenalee is the one who lets Cross know of Anita's fate later. He is very somber, and comments to Lenalee that he'd told Anita not to follow him, no matter what happened -stating that good women tend to be too simple-minded.

In an [[StoryArc arc]]-less show, one in which each episode stands alone, the hero cannot be allowed to have long-running relationships. A girl/boyfriend would interfere with opportunities to insert romantic tension.

** Parodied in a ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' sketch which shows that he turns into a clingy wimp (and a selfish lover) whenever he actually gets the girl. The reason he's always single again for the next film is that each of the girls dumps his ass when they realize how lame he is.

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** In "The Aztecs", the First Doctor has a fling with, and gets an AccidentalEngagement to, an Aztec healer named Cameca. They are seen through much of the serial cuddling or holding hands and both Ian and Barbara tease him affectionately about his fiancée ("you old rogue!"). The Doctor is clearly conflicted about whether he needs to move on immediately at all, until Barbara's meddling puts them all in danger. Cameca admits she knew that the invention he was working on (the wheel) would take her from him, and she gives him a ring as a gift, which he attempts to discard but [[TearJerker can't bring himself to]].

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* Any episode of ''WesternAnimation/TotallySpies'' where the subplot focuses on the love lives of any of the girls (or all three), Clover has a new boyfriend almost every time—Blaine's the only love interest of hers to last more than one episode in a relationship with Clover.

* The vast revolving cast of the main characters' love interests in ''{{Seinfeld}}''. Often {{Lampshaded}} as examples of how dysfunctional the core cast are.

* ''Literature/MythOMania'' provides a possible explanation for the existence of this trope through Cupid's description of the different arrows he fires. Love induced with yellow-tipped arrows only lasts an hour. Orange-tipped arrows create romantic effects that wear off after three days. Red-tipped arrows avert this trope by making people permanently fall in love. Book IX introduces the "Smoochie Woochie" arrow, which Cupid uses to make Helen of Troy leave Menelaus for Paris. [[spoiler:Its effects wear off of Helen after Philoctetes slays Paris.]]

* ''Literature/MythOMania'' provides a possible explanation for the existence of this trope through Cupid's description of the different arrows he fires. Love induced with yellow-tipped arrows only lasts an hour. Orange-tipped arrows create romantic effects that wear off after three days. Red-tipped arrows avert this trope by making people permanently fall in love.

Thus, the TemporaryLoveInterest who shows up has a brief, idyllic relationship with the hero, then [[ThePlotReaper dies tragically]], is left behind or is otherwise written out. After that, she's usually [[ForgottenFallenFriend never mentioned again]]. If she's put out of the picture without dying, she's a GirlOfTheWeek. If a character has loads and loads of {{Temporary Love Interest}}s, they may have a CartwrightCurse.

* ''Anime/KirbyOfTheStars'': Whispy, of all people, who is a ''talking tree'' gets his TemporaryLoveInterest in the form of a flower. Dedede has her transformed into a monster, and Kirby has to kill her. To make things even ''more'' bizarre, when Whispy fell for her, she wasn't even ''sentient''. She didn't come to life until after the transformation started.

* The early first season episodes of ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess'' were notorious for providing both Xena and Gabrielle with a doomed TemporaryLoveInterest, including what is perhaps the most extreme example of the form as a whole, Marcus: he actually died ''twice''. No wonder they quickly shifted to HoYay.

* Lorna to Wirt in ''OverTheGardenWall.'' Although their brief relationship [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRvWJWgaICM merits a gorgeous duet between their voice actors]], and the two even plan to run away together, the romance ends with the episode, Wirt retains his crush on Sara without any conflict, and if any character gets LostLenore treatment in fanfiction it's far more likely to be [[FanPreferredCouple Beatrice]].

Thus, the TemporaryLoveInterest who shows up has a brief, [[HappilyMarried idyllic relationship]] with the hero, then [[ThePlotReaper dies tragically]], is left behind or is otherwise written out. After that, she's usually [[ForgottenFallenFriend never mentioned again]]. If she's put out of the picture without dying, she's a GirlOfTheWeek. If a character has loads and loads of {{Temporary Love Interest}}s, they may have a CartwrightCurse.

** Parodied in a RobotChicken sketch which shows that he turns into a clingy wimp (and a selfish lover) whenever he actually gets the girl. The reason he's always single again for the next film is that each of the girls dumps his ass when they realize how lame he is.

* Lorna to Wirt in ''OverTheGardenWall.'' Although their brief relationship [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRvWJWgaICM merits a gorgeous duet between their voice actors]], and the two even plan to run away together, the romance ends with the episode, Wirt retains his crush on [[GirlNextDoor Sara]] without any conflict, and if any character gets LostLenore treatment in fanfiction it's far more likely to be [[FanPreferredCouple Beatrice]].

* Lorna to Wirt in ''OverTheGardenWall.'' Although their brief relationship [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRvWJWgaICM merits a gorgeous duet between their voice actors]], and the two even plan to run away together, the romance ends with the episode, Wirt retains his crush on [[GirlNextDoor Sara]] without any conflict, and if any character gets TheOneThatGotAway treatment in fanfiction it's far more likely to be [[FanPreferredCouple Beatrice]].

'''[[spoiler: Zuko]]:''' [[CrowningMomentOfFunny That's roug]][[MemeticMutation h, buddy.]]

* Four Murasame from ''ZetaGundam''.
** Stella Loussier from ''GundamSeedDestiny''.

* ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' had two for Clark. The first one died, and the second one was put in prison. However, {{Shipping}} was so great they decided to [[BackForTheDead bring her back for two episodes and kill her to stop it]]. The latest season introduced a third who also died in her second appearance. Of course [[ForegoneConclusion we know]] [[LoisLane who]] he'll end up with, which makes temps a requirement until the show ends. Lex has also had several, and married a few of them.

* ''KirbyOfTheStars'': Whispy, of all people, who is a ''talking tree'' gets his TemporaryLoveInterest in the form of a flower. Dedede has her transformed into a monster, and Kirby has to kill her. To make things even ''more'' bizarre, when Whispy fell for her, she wasn't even ''sentient''. She didn't come to life until after the transformation started.

* Most {{dom com}}s, especially ones with teenagers, had temporary love interests. Usually, they were used to enforce that episode's [[AnAesop moral]].
* In most murder mystery shows, if a main character gains a love interest chances are they're not going to last, usually because they are killed or they are the killer.

* Much like ''Film/JamesBond'', the 90s Creator/TimBurton and Creator/JoelSchumacher ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' films are meant to retain ([[BroadStrokes loose]]) continuity with one another, but each film contains a LoveInterest who shows up, become deeply involved in Bruce / Batman's life, learn his SecretIdentity, and then disappear in the next film with no explanation. They are:

** Any girl who asks the Doctor if she can travel with him but who would obviously not make a good companion for one reason or another in the David Tennant era:

In an [[StoryArc arc]]-less show, one in which each episode stands alone, the hero cannot be allowed to have long-running relationships. A girl/boy friend would interfere with opportunities to insert romantic tension.

Thus, the TemporaryLoveInterest who shows up has a brief [[HappilyMarried idyllic relationship]] with the hero, then [[ThePlotReaper dies tragically]], is left behind or is otherwise written out. After that, she's usually [[ForgottenFallenFriend never mentioned again]]. If she's put out of the picture without dying, she's a GirlOfTheWeek. If a character has loads and loads of {{Temporary Love Interest}}s, they may have a CartwrightCurse.

Related to RomanticFalseLead, except that [[CleaningUpRomanticLooseEnds relationship must die]] for the OfficialCouple to be able to get together. Contrast to DisposableLoveInterest, who is a kind of SatelliteCharacter only there for a TokenRomance and tends not to even get the dignity of being killed off. See also ThePlotReaper, a similar mechanism for killing off characters who'd ruin the status quo if they live.
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* In the ''StarWarsExpandedUniverse'', Luke Skywalker went through girlfriends like most people go through socks. It was so sad. Fortunately, the suffering [[strike:ended]] [[spoiler:was substantially delayed]] when he married [[TheyDo Mara Jade]].
* The ''MortalEngines'' quartet has two of these: [[spoiler:Kate Valentine]]; in an interesting variation, [[spoiler:Kate]] also has a Temporary Love Interest [[spoiler:Bevis Pod]].
* In the ''Literature/HoratioHornblower'' book ''Flying Colours'', Hornblower has an affair with a French widow named Marie, the daughter-in-law of the Comte de Gracay, while the Comte shelters Hornblower, Bush, and Brown after they escaped French captivity. While she [[GirlOfTheWeek survives the novel's events]], [[spoiler: she is [[DeathOfTheHypotenuse killed]] near the end of the next book she appears in, ''Lord Hornblower'']].

* Most {{dom com}}s, especially ones with teen-agers, had temporary love interests. Usually, they were used to enforce that episode's [[AnAesop moral]].

*** Most notorious is Serena, played by Kevin Sorbo's real life wife, who Hercules marries at the end of her second appearance ([[FourthDateMarriage only having known her a few days]]) she is killed off in the very next episode
* ''{{Smallville}}'' had two for Clark. The first one died, and the second one was put in prison. However, {{Shipping}} was so great they decided to [[BackForTheDead bring her back for two episodes and kill her to stop it]]. The latest season introduced a third who also died in her second appearance. Of course [[ForegoneConclusion we know]] [[LoisLane who]] he'll end up with, which makes temps a requirement until the show ends. Lex has also had several, and married a few of them.
* Happens in an episode of ''KnightRider'', when Michael Knight's bride is killed before the wedding ceremony ends.

** Jessica, Sam's girlfriend in the pilot, burns on the ceiling at the end of the episode.

** Subverted with Cara, the doctor Sam sleeps with in "Sex and Violence". Dean, based on Sam's history, thinks she's the monster and they'll have to kill her. Turns out, it wasn't her.

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' Any girl with Sam or Dean, especially Sam who is known for his CartwrightCurse. In general, most women in the series either get killed off or don't show up again after being introduced.

*** In "Voyage of the Damned", this is done particularly badly -- she practically commits suicide through stupidity (see, after you use the forklift to push the bad guy off the edge, you could at least ''try'' to jump out...). He then tries to save her through a mild DeusExMachina, but it was broken in the wreck, and she [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence turns into a glowy remnant of herself]] that goes off into space and gets to see the Universe like she wanted.
*** Rose Tyler. In ''Journey's End'', she chooses to remain in Pete's World the Doctor's half-human clone, aka "Handy", after Handy whispers in Rose's ear what the Doctor would not - presumed by many fans to be "I love you". Handy also offers to spend his one, human life with Rose, saying that he will age and die as she does ("I could spend it with you, if you'd like"). The Doctor and Rose then part ways, presumably forever.
*** Done for legitimate characterisation by River Song. In ''Forest of the Dead'', she sacrifices herself to prevent the deaths of thousands of other people and stabilize the Library's mainframe computer]]. Despite this, we see her past self go on many adventures with the Doctor, his companions, and eventually marry the Doctor (the Eleventh). Much later, a 'data ghost' of her from after her death gets to say goodbye to him properly. She still dies to preserve the status quo, but thanks to the MayflyDecemberRomance factor that was fairly inevitable and their relationship is meaningful to both characters nevertheless.
*** Christine de Souza in "Planet of the Dead", a ClassyCatBurglar who (as both she and the Doctor constantly announce to the audience) would be a perfect partner for Ten. Notable in that she doesn't actually die - they part amicably and she gets a flying London bus out of the deal.

** Whilst the Doctor was mostly immune in the original series with a couple of exceptions, this happened to an awful lot of companions.

*** Jamie gets a love interest, Samantha, in "The Faceless Ones", but says goodbye to her at the end of the episode. This was not actually the original intention - the producer had offered the actress playing the part the opportunity to stay on as a companion, but the actress declined. Attentive viewers may notice that Samantha spends an unusually long time establishing her backstory and personality quirks for a ''Doctor Who'' side character for this reason.

*** Ace is full-on CartwrightCurse, with anyone she so much as smiles at dying in the last episode (even [[LesYay a female cheetah]] isn't immune). The [[Literature/DoctorWhoNewAdventures New Adventures]] ran with this ''a lot''.
** In "The Aztecs", the First Doctor has a fling with, and gets an AccidentalEngagement to, an Aztec healer named Cameca. They are seen through much of the serial cuddling or holding hands and both Ian and Barbara tease him affectionately about his fiancée ("you old rogue!"). The Doctor is clearly even conflicted about whether he needs to move on immediately at all, until Barbara's meddling puts them all in danger. Cameca admits she knew that the invention he was working on (the wheel) would take her from him, and she gives him a ring as a gift, which he attempts to discard but [[TearJerker can't bring himself to]].
*** Fridge logic suggests that the Doctor felt so badly about this that it took him ten regenerations to be willing to flirt again - much less go any further.
** ''TheSarahJaneAdventures'' gives us Peter Dalton.