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 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.
The Ugly: Love is an
Artifact of Death, bringing doom and pain to all who encounter it.
The Complicated: Love is an embodiment of the
Rule of Drama, making life unnecessarily complicated.
