"My first instinct when a show throws in an unexpected pregnancy or a surprise secret child is to roll my eyes. It feels like a cheap attempt to inject drama into the plot - and if the shock value of the pregnancy is the only thing holding the story together, it usually falls flat once the baby comes. But every once in a while, that "I'm pregnant" scene ends up being a genuinely great addition to the story..."
"Much like Lane Kim from Gilmore Girls, the writers took a young, ambitious woman and handed her a mediocre guy, surprise kids, and a motherhood storyline. And sure, plenty of young moms want to be young moms (which is great), but with Haley (and Lane), it felt less like character growth and more like the writers shrugging and saying, "Well, what else are we gonna do with her?""
Surprise pregnancies and secret children are common TV shortcuts that often serve only as shock value and fail to sustain compelling stories once the baby arrives. Occasionally a pregnancy plot adds meaningful emotional stakes or an endearing new character, but more often it undermines established character potential. Examples include Haley's storyline, which reduced an ambitious young woman to motherhood tied to an unremarkable partner, and Jean's chaotic arc involving Jakob and a nonfather that elicited pity rather than growth. Repeated or contrived pregnancies, such as a second unexpected pregnancy for Kirsten, can feel like grasping for drama rather than organic development.
Read at BuzzFeed
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