it would be a cold day in hell before i, a lesbian, start becoming a staunch defender of a hetship on twitter dot com

I think the writers know what they’re doing. I think they always have. I used to ship Mlvn but it wasn’t even my top ship. And that’s because they chose not to build it up much. They SEPARATED them, but in not making it any sort of slow-burn, there wasn’t much payoff. My number one was actually always Jancy. Now, I’m rooting more for them going their separate ways amicably and being single - but it’s funny how that works, because if that happens and everything else I wish for and somewhat expect:

Mlvn, who had one season of buildup, will have on person end with someone else

Jancy, who had one and a half seasons of buildup, will end single.

Jopper, who had 3 and a half seasons of buildup, will end together.

Even Lumax are an interesting exception because while, like Mlvn, they had one season of buildup, and even some s3 issues in the background, the entirety of season 4 was spent on renewed buildup for their relationship - emotional separation, not physical, that they had to bridge. Physical is simpler conflict because you know that once they’re together again, it’ll all be fine. Emotion keeps you more on the edge of their seat always waiting for what next they’re gonna say and do. It keeps the power with the characters and their choices. They had one season of buildup but they renewed it arguably making it two to renew the fans intrigue with it. Mlvn had one season and left it there. Issues or separation aside, by then, they were together. Even when they weren’t technically in season 2, it was clear that there would be nothing stopping them once the physical distance was closed. Their buildup was over and now it was onto their relationship.

But Jancy got a season and a half, clear, from the get-go. And they might be endgame or not but with that amount of time built up, either checks out against it.

Lumax looks to be endgame and they got one season buildup, one season casual, then another season of buildup as the people they had become. Pause everything - that is so beautiful. They are different people now so they get different buildup. They revamped it to say that the new people they are are compatible AS WELL rather than trying to argue that they still are the people who were then too.

But I think that’s what they’ve done with Mlvn. They gave them one season of buildup and no more since then. I even think it’s a bit silly how people call Mike’s speech a “love confession” because confession is usually used to describe those types of speeches with people confessing that they have romantic feelings at all not saying ily after dating for a year. 

Unlike the others, they had very short buildup to minimize the payoff and thereby minimize the attachment and the damage to audiences of separating them. And unlike Lumax, who also had one season of buildup, they aren’t falling in love of all over again as they change and grow as people together, they’re trying to hold on to the people they were when they did the first time out of fear that growing up will mean growing apart. They’re holding on too tightly and that’s what’s straining them.

And that’s okay. They can break up and it can be what’s best for them because, the combination of short buildup and having now been together for almost the entire time makes it feel unearned because it’s so disproportionate. I think they know that. So a five season show had a couple with two season buildup. good. and a couple with four season buildup. very good. and a couple with two separate seasons full of buildup, neither short buildup at the very beginning. smart. and a couple with one season of buildup at the very beginning. that works...for a couple of seasons. Then it becomes what you were attached to for only 1/4-1/5 of the show 6 to (as of next season) 8 years ago.

People like buildup. We had Byler buildup this year. We had Jopper buildup this year. We had Lumax buildup this year. We had Jancy four years ago so we’ll see where they go. But even with that being long ago, it’s different because it really wouldn’t matter that it’s been 6 years if 6 years ago you got a 4 year payoff, you know? But it wasn’t. Even within the timeline, these people had had a relationship before the buildup for 7 years for Byler, Jopper had history but truly it was 3.5 years for them, Jancy were friends for just over a year, Lumax had a week but their love was self-awarely framed as immature because of it, getting a revamp after they had known each other for 1.5 years, but Mlvn knew each other for a week before the payoff. It just feels different.

And they did well at that. Because this way, the romance was unearned which makes it easier to let go of, but because the romance was SO early it puts them in a unique situation of having an un-paid off friendship buildup over the past 6, soon to be 8, years! Yes!!! Hell, they even planted seeds for it similarly to the ships! Everyone else were framed as friends then became romantic eventually as the payoff (or quickly then backtracked and became closer friends before becoming romantic again, which, again, I LOVE), but they were always framed romantically by everyone around them with Mike saying he wanted to teach her about friendship but that is still what we truly have yet to see. And I can’t wait for it.

5 season platonic lovers to friends slow burn, you will always be famous.