‘I Would Happily Never Watch’: Smallville’s Kristin Kreuk Weighs In On The Will-They/Won’t-They Romance Trope For Her New Show

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'I Would Happily Never Watch': Smallville's Kristin Kreuk Weighs In On The Will-They/Won't-They Romance Trope For Her New Show

As a seasoned gamer of crime dramas and romantic mysteries, I must say that Kristin Kreuk‘s latest venture into small-town noir, “Murder in a Small Town,” has truly piqued my interest. Having been jaded by countless will-they/won’t-they romances, it is refreshing to witness a series that dives headfirst into the deep end of love and relationships without the unnecessary drawn-out suspense.

Kristin Kreuk has a history of romantic roles on television, having first gained fame as Lana Lang on Smallville in 2001 and later starring in Beauty and the Beast. In the 2024 TV lineup, she will share top billing with Rossif Sutherland in the series Murder in a Small Town, which debuted on Fox. The premiere episode made it clear that the love story between Cassandra (Kreuk) and Alberg (Sutherland), a new police chief, was a key element of the murder mystery. During an interview with TopMob, Kreuk expressed her reluctance to engage in another will-they/won’t-they romance.

In case you’re accustomed to crime dramas, you might anticipate that the series Murder in a Small Town would develop romantic tension between its leads. However, it surprisingly skipped the prolonged build-up often associated with the classic will-they/won’t-they dynamic. Instead, characters Cassandra and Alberg found themselves in a romance as early as the 90-minute series debut. If you’re interested, you can now stream the premiere using a Hulu subscription. I had a chance to chat with Kreuk and Sutherland, and Kreuk was open about her preference for this show’s unconventional approach.

I adore it! Frankly, I could forgo any more will-they/won’t-they dramas in the future [chuckles]. What makes our series unique is that they don’t work together to solve crimes; instead, their worlds intersect in an intriguing way. Unlike traditional will-they/won’t-they narratives, here the characters are initially teammates, but the dynamic shifts when they form a relationship. The ensuing push and pull and complications that arise from this relationship are captivating because their feelings for each other are evident from the beginning, and the challenges they face are very genuine.

The new show, titled “Murder in a Small Town,” isn’t simply shying away from the popular will-they/won’t-they dynamic; it’s also steering clear of the conventional trope where work keeps two colleagues romantically entangled. To clarify, while Cassandra played a crucial role in solving the case of the series opener, there are no restrictions preventing the town librarian and police chief from developing a romantic relationship. As Kristin Kreuk put it:

Cassandra finds it challenging not only on a moral level, but also personally, as her job as a police officer significantly impacts her life and even places her in harm’s way. I appreciate the depth this portrayal offers, moving beyond surface-level attraction and desire, and instead focusing more on love and human connection.

If the premiere didn’t already make it clear, Kristin Kreuk’s remarks further confirm that she is not reprising her role as Lana Lang and her latest series has no connection to a remake or continuation of “Smallville”. Rossif Sutherland, who initially had reservations about “Murder in a Small Town” before Kreuk joined the cast, also expressed his thoughts on the subject.

The question isn’t primarily about whether they’ll kiss or stay together romantically. It’s more about whether they can make their relationship work. How do these middle-aged individuals foster and sustain the connection, given their past imperfections, which has become a precious aspect of their lives? This is the essence of the will-they/won’t-they scenario. Will they find the space to accommodate each other in this relationship, allowing them to thrive, appreciate one another, cherish love, and aspire to grow old together?

Steering clear of “will they or won’t they” doesn’t guarantee a trouble-free journey for Cassandra and Alberg throughout the entire first season. However, unlike many debut series featuring two main characters, their challenges appear to deviate from the usual norms. Sutherland added:

That’s what I really wish for them. It is true love. It’s that idea of a soulmate. That they found each other, the absurdity of life – what a gift. And here they are. That’s the story of our show. In the midst of it all, people die, and I’m tasked to find out who killed them, but it’s a love story.

Watch as the love story unfolds between Kristin Kreuk and Rossif Sutherland’s characters in each new episode of “Murder in a Small Town” every Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on Fox, after the renewal announcement for the series. Note that the upcoming episode will air an hour earlier on Tuesday, October 1 at 8 p.m. ET due to the Vice Presidential debate. Don’t worry if you miss it; catch up with streaming episodes the next day on Hulu.

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2024-09-30 06:07