History PlayingWith / RomanticFalseLead

* '''Straight''': Bob is in love with Alice, but Alice already has a boyfriend, Charles. Charles is from the outset not as suitable a match for Alice, but Alice is hesitant to leave Charles for Bob, providing drama. Inevitably she does choose Bob, or something happens to Charles.

** [[PreviouslyOverlookedParamour Caroline turns out to be Alex's true love, whose eligibility he had previously not considered]].

* '''Inverted''': Charles, a minor character, is constantly trying to come between Alice and Bob, a HappilyMarried couple, because he sees himself as being a better match for Alice than Bob is.

Go to RomanticFalseLead.

* '''Straight''': Bob is in love with Alice, but Alice already has a boyfriend, Paul. Paul is from the outset not as suitable a match for Alice, but Alice is hesitant to leave Paul for Bob, providing drama. Inevitably she does choose Bob, or something happens to Paul.

** Bob is in love with Alice, but Alice is married to Paul, an abusive, violent drunk. It is clear that Bob is a better match for her than Paul, but Alice refuses to leave Paul.
** Alice and Paul are comically mismatched to a degree where it is patently obvious that their relationship is doomed to failure.
* '''Downplayed''': Bob and Paul are both suitable for Alice, and Alice has only a slight preference for Bob, so it isn't clear from the start that Alice will end up with Bob, unless [[AllThereInTheManual you already know that]] AliceAndBob are the OfficialCouple.

** Alice and Paul were an item long before Bob entered the picture, and despite her feelings for Bob Alice feels that she cannot simply end her relationship with Paul so suddenly after all they've been through together.
** Paul, like Bob, is a decent man and a reasonably good match for Alice, and she does care for him.
** Alice doesn't really want to be with Paul in the first place, but her friends and family have sort of thrown the couple together and are pressuring her to remain with him.
* '''Inverted''': Paul, a minor character, is constantly trying to come between Alice and Bob, a HappilyMarried couple, because he sees himself as being a better match for Alice than Bob is.

** Alice comes to realize that Paul is actually the better man, not Bob; she stays with Paul.
** Alice rejects both Bob and Paul.
** Since Alice wants to be with Bob but can't bring herself to leave Paul, [[MarryThemAll they make an odd compromise and decide to form a threesome.]]

** After making this decision, Alice realizes that Paul has been keeping things from her that change the way she looks at him; she ends up with Bob after all.
** Paul [[DerailingLoveInterests suddenly reveals a nasty side]] that convinces Alice to dump him for Bob.
** (Following the threesome example) But Paul is jealous that Alice gives Bob more affection than she shows him, and decides he wants out.
* '''Parodied''': Paul is a licensed "couple disturber".

** Alice sees Bob and Paul as equals, so there's no telling who she'll end up with, and no supplementary material that mentions AliceAndBob as the OfficialCouple.

* '''Lampshaded''': "It's like Paul just exists to get in between me and Alice!"
* '''Invoked''': Paul intentionally hooks up with Alice because he knows that Bob is secretly in love with her and wants to spite him.

* '''Defied''': Because EveryoneCanSeeIt between Alice and Bob, Paul decides not to involve himself with Alice.
* '''Discussed''': "Geez, I was sure that Bob and Alice were going to hook up before Paul showed up." "They may yet; I'm not sure how much longer Alice is going to put up with Paul's jerkiness. Plus, I hear he's been seeing Justine on the side."

** Alice is an immensely poor judge of character to stay for so long with Paul, a man who is so obviously a poor match for her; so much so that it's questionable that Bob is not in fact better off without her.
** Paul is a decent man, and in trying to break up his and Alice's relationship for his own selfish desires Bob is actually the lesser man.
** Paul is a decent man, but Alice just doesn't feel it with him. However, Paul is still in love with Alice, so, when Alice breaks it off with Paul to be with Bob, Paul becomes a broken man, and never finds true happiness ever again.

** Alice is well aware that Paul is a terrible match for her, but feels hamstrung by her own feelings of loyalty, guilt and the pressures of others.
** Bob realizes that Paul is a decent man and, not wishing to ruin his and Alice's happiness, withdraws from the contest for her heart [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy to ensure her happiness]]. It is this act of nobility that convinces Alice that she would be happiest with Bob after all.
* '''Played For Laughs''': Paul is a gloriously stupid himbo who's so in love with himself that he barely notices Alice's existence. When Alice finally gets sick of him and dumps him for Bob, he's heartbroken... until he sees a gorgeous blonde walks past and immediately hits on her.

** Paul swears revenge on Alice and Bob after his rejection and begins to stalk them with violence in mind.
** Paul really loved Alice, and he becomes genuinely devastated and depressed after the break-up.

Go to RomanticFalseLead

** Paul really loved Alica, and is so heartbroken over Alice dumping him that he tries to commit suicide.

%%* '''Implied''': ???
%%* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': ???

* '''Played For Drama''': Paul swears revenge on Alice and Bob after his rejection and begins to stalk them with violence in mind.

** But Paul is jealous that Alice gives Bob more affection than she shows him, and decides he wants out.

* '''Downplayed''': Bob and Paul are both suitable for Alice, and Alice has only a slight preference for Bob, so it isn't clear from the start that Alice will end up with Bob.

** Alice sees Bob and Paul as equals, so there's no telling who she'll end up with, unless [[AllThereInTheManual you already know that]] AliceAndBob are the OfficialCouple.

* '''Exaggerated''': Bob is in love with Alice, but Alice is married to Paul, an abusive, violent drunk. It is clear that Bob is a better match for her than Paul, but Alice refuses to leave Paul.

* '''Inverted''': Paul, a minor character, is constantly trying to come between Alice and Bob, a happily married couple, because he sees himself as being a better match for Alice than Bob is.

* '''Parodied''': Alice and Paul are comically mismatched to a degree where it is patently obvious that their relationship is doomed to failure.

* '''Averted''': There's no LoveTriangle; just Bob and Alice.

* '''Discussed''': "Geez, I was sure that Bob and Alice were going to hook up before Paul showed up." "They may yet; I'm not sure how much longer Alice is going to put up with Paul's jerkiness. Plus, I hear he's been seeing Justine on the side...:

* '''Downplayed''': ???

* '''Justified''': Alice and Paul were an item long before Bob entered the picture, and despite her feelings for Bob Alice feels that she cannot simply end her relationship with Paul so suddenly after all they've been through together.

* '''Subverted''': Alice comes to realize that Paul is actually the better man, not Bob; she stays with Paul.

* '''Doubly Subverted''': After making this decision, Alice realizes that Paul has been keeping things from her that change the way she looks at him; she ends up with Bob after all.

* '''Deconstructed''': Alice is an immensely poor judge of character to stay for so long with Paul, a man who is so obviously a poor match for her; so much so that it's questionable that Bob is not in fact better off without her.
** Paul is a decent man, and in trying to break up his and Alice's relationship for his own selfish desires Bob is actually the lesser man.
** Paul is a decent man, but Alice just doesn't feel it with him. However, Paul is still in love with Alice, so, when Alice breaks it off with Paul to be with Bob, Paul becomes a broken man, and never finds true happiness ever again.
* '''Reconstructed''': Alice is well aware that Paul is a terrible match for her, but feels hamstrung by her own feelings of loyalty, guilt and the pressures of others.
** Bob realizes that Paul is a decent man and, not wishing to ruin his and Alice's happiness, withdraws from the contest for her heart [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy to ensure her happiness]]. It is this act of nobility that convinces Alice that she would be happiest with Bob after all.

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* '''Straight''': Bob is in love with Alice, but Alice already has a boyfriend, Paul. Paul is from the outset not as suitable a match for Alice, but Alice is hesitant to leave Paul for Bob. Inevitably she does so, or something happens to Paul.

* '''Straight''': Bob is in love with Alice, but Alice already has a boyfriend, Paul. Paul is from the outset not as suitable a match for Alice, but Alice is hesitant to leave Paul for Bob.