The love triangle is having a moment right now—particularly, the M-M-F love triangle, featuring two men and one woman. Of course, M-M-F love triangles aren’t new, but in 2026, they’re everywhere, and with a renewed optimism. For a minute, it seemed like the triangles we saw onscreen were less about fun, sexy “will they/won’t they” dynamics and more about the narrow choices for women and the limitations of modern men—but no more!
This year’s female protagonists are fully in control and free to weigh their options (and usually they’re good ones at that). Perhaps the prevalence of TV love triangles in 2026 is fueled by the growing popularity of sports romances (who doesn’t love some high-stakes competition?). Maybe it’s a response to women’s rights being dismantled in real time, making the fantasy of autonomy seem all the more escapist.
Or it’s possible that love triangles are everywhere because we’re simply burnt out from dating apps and situationships and crave clear choices and forthright suitors. Whatever the case, I’m here to rank the memorable TV love triangles of 2026, based on the believability of the dynamic, the desirability of the two options, and the satisfaction of the outcome. Let’s get into it, shall we?
But I simply can’t get on board with the East of Eden love triangle, as viewers see too little of Cathy and Charles’s connection to understand it and just enough of Cathy and Adam’s relationship to determine that they’re terrible for each other. File this one under: love triangles no one asked for. Sure, Kit and Lauren may have discovered some ~vibes~ during that tornado episode in season 1, but the budding romance still feels forced, especially considering how hard Lauren fought to be with Kit’s brother in the show’s first season.
And sadly, we’ll never get a resolution, since this show got axed by Netflix after season 2. But here’s the thing: Neither “Mr. Harvard” nor bad boy Cole seem all that well suited for Jackie, so I’m not exactly rooting for either.
Is it too late to get Alex back? From the start, it’s clear that Robert will serve to break up golden couple Thom and Susan—and when a love triangle’s conclusion feels like an inevitability, it ruins the fun. It feels like the device is only used to cast suspicion on Thom, whose behavior becomes increasingly erratic as a result of the betrayal.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
