TOG: Origins

I've always felt bad for The Other Guy in romantic comedies. I'm not talking about your asshole Glenn Guglia types, who totally deserve a nice clout round the ear (or an airline beverage cart shoved into their elbow), but the ones who are perfectly reasonable, genial fellows with a single, defining flaw ("flaw") that automatically disqualifies them from being The One. See: Bill Pullman -- allergies; Greg Kinnear -- obsessed with typewriters; Kevin McKidd -- inability to share cake; Patrick Dempsey -- not from a Confederate state.

(I have watched a lot of romcoms in my life. I apologize for nothing.)

It was while watching said Dempsey wear the shoe on the other foot and McKidd hoard chocolate cake that it really struck me, though -- poor other guy. We're supposed to be stoked about Girl and Boy getting together at last but, man, what a bummer for the guy left behind. He hasn't done anything wrong, he loves the girl just as much and is even respectful enough to let her go with best wishes on his lips, but how in the world does he go on? Who helps him pick up the pieces?

I suppose, because he's such a decent human being, we can relax knowing that he'll someday find happiness too, but that doesn't make his heartbreak any less real. And just because the camera cuts away forever from him to the leads being deliriously happy with each other doesn't mean that's the end of his side of the story.

So I decided to write the rest of it, and that's how The Other Guy was born. :)