Crabtree's Ladies: Very Good Writing

Crabtree--proud of Nina Bloom

One of the more tiresome aspects of romances is the triangle. At the end of one manga, the mangaka writes, "I don't like romantic rival story lines." She goes on to explain how she fitted in a new character without making that character a rival. 

I agree! I detest the tension of a competitive ex-lover. 

I'm also not terribly fond of romances that rest on the premise that a couple can only break up because someone cheats. 

Crabtree from Murdoch Mysteries has had multiple girlfriends over the years. The impressive thing about these girlfriends is (1) with one understandable exception, they are consistent personality types: Crabtree likes brassy working women with lots of ideas! (2) the relationships are all fairly decent; they fail most often because of different long-term goals; (3) Crabtree remains friends with the women in the long-run. 

He and Dr. Emily Grace come the closest to breaking up over the third-party. But in truth, the issue is more lack of decent communication. And once the breakup occurs, neither of them can really go back. Later, regarding Lillian Moss's death, Crabtree is able to comfort Emily. 

The one relationship which, thankfully (well, aside from than the murder) didn't work out was his relationship with the mom who had an abusive husband. The relationship is believable--Crabtree is motivated by chivalry to reach out to a woman who is pretty obviously not his type. So the relationship is entirely organic while still being a mistake for the characters. 

Crabtree, of course, eventually marries the wonderful Effie Newsom, who is brassy and hardworking and right on his wavelength.