A Twilight TV Show Could Finally Do Justice to Bella and Edward’s Romance

Whether or not it’s a good idea to do so, there is a small-screen adaptation of the beloved and unreasonably criticized Twilight books in the works. Since the announcement, public opinion has been relatively mixed as to if it’s too soon for these characters to be gracing our screens once more when considering the films (which starred Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson as Bella Swan and Edward Cullen respectively) were released from 2008 to 2012. However, reboots are the name of the game in Hollywood these days, and there is a major opportunity to improve upon the shortcomings of the film series with a television adaptation.

One of the more glaring issues in the films is they opted to prioritize the plot over the characters, particularly after the first film. For many adaptations, this works just fine, as we have seen with Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. But, it’s different for Twilight, as the story is Bella and Edward’s love story. It’s not, as the films would suggest, the vampire and werewolf shenanigans that Bella finds herself mixed up in.

This fundamental change led to the exclusion of far too much of Bella and Edward’s crucial development, both as individuals and in their romance. In condensing the books for a feature script, which is a very difficult job to do indeed, moments that didn’t necessarily drive the plot forward but explained so much about the characters and their relationships were removed. This made a noticeable impression on every character, but obviously hurt the characters and romance that Twilight is centered around the most.

For example, the films—namely New Moon and beyond—essentially assassinate Edward Cullen as a character. Gone are his charm, self-deprecating humor, and wit. Instead, his self-loathing increases exponentially, and he becomes very aggressive in moments where it’s not necessary, his protective instinct and possessiveness over Bella exaggerated to a point that is unbearable for much of the story. In short, the Edward we see in the films is lacking nearly everything that draws the reader to the character in the books. (Gone, too, is Bella’s similar feeling of possessiveness over Edward, making their relationship even more imbalanced.)

This is a direct result of removing the “small” moments between Bella and Edward, like the many deep and relatively lighthearted conversations in the car, as those are essential to strengthen the characters. It’s why a major area of criticism surrounding the films has always been turning Bella and Edward into lifeless versions of their book counterparts. The films nearly strip them of their entire personalities. Neither character can blossom as they do in the books because we’re missing such vital insight into their identities and their relationship. As such, it’s difficult to understand why they are so hopelessly devoted to one another from the very beginning of their relationship. In turn, this takes away from the impact of and causes it to be difficult to understand some of the larger plot details, like in New Moon when Bella is committing dangerous acts to see a hallucination of him, and why Edward is ready to end it all with the Volturi’s assistance when he believes Bella to be dead.

In addition to the films omitting their “small and unimportant” times of genuine bonding (and some major ones like the fan-favorite blood typing scene), other moments between the two that are fairly relaxed and indicative of their special relationship are radically changed to provide more conflict, which then changes nearly everything about Bella and Edward’s relationship. Take the tension-filled reveal scene in the first film, for instance, where Bella and Edward march dramatically into the woods so she can finally confront him about being a vampire. This is absolutely nothing like the scene from the book where Bella’s suspicions are confirmed in a nonchalant conversation with Edward on their way home from Port Angeles. This alters how Bella feels about the revelation in the film versus how normal she finds it in the book, something that then builds until she becomes a vampire and feels like she was always fated to become one and be with Edward.

It also shifts their dynamic as human and vampire from the start, which is rarely more than just a hindrance to moving their relationship forward in the books. Instead, it amplifies the predator versus prey dynamic that is often seen in vampire media, making it yet another version of a tired story and completely overshadowing the way Bella and Edward almost instantly feel, with no explanation behind it, that they can be wholly themselves with one another.

Plus, with how the love triangle is played up in the films, excluding and changing vital moments between Bella and Edward does irreparable harm. It’s impossible to not love Bella and Edward’s romance in the books. Maybe that’s an overstatement, but it’s clear from the start that they are a perfect match. They fit together and complement one another perfectly, especially as the series goes on. Jacob never truly held a candle to Edward when it came to who Bella wanted to be with and who she loved more. In the films, that is not the case. Jacob and Bella’s relationship is depicted in a better light in the films (mostly), while Edward sucks the life out of practically every scene he is in with needless brooding and his obsessive need to protect her. (To be fair, he has the same obsessive need to protect her in the books as well, but it’s not his sole personality trait; it balances out with dazzling charisma.) He’s no fun to watch after the first outing in the series, and it becomes difficult to understand what exactly Bella sees in him when she’s sharing her warmest moments with Jacob.

When the Twilight Saga finally reaches the small screen, the powers that be need to remember that this is, first and foremost, Bella and Edward’s love story. That is the story Stephenie Meyer sought to tell, which the films lost sight of in the name of mythology and the ever-obnoxious and exaggerated love triangle. Bella finding herself in the middle of the supernatural world comes second. Thus, staying true to the books and understanding how critical the smaller moments are to telling this story is a must. They are needed to depict who the characters are at their core, and subsequently why the relationships play out as they do. They are, at times, even more important to the story than the vampires hunting Bella.

It’s understandable why some of this was lost in the films, but there’s much more time to play things out on television, which is why I’m not totally opposed to this Twilight reboot. The series has been unfairly hated and criticized for years, and it’s not like that will suddenly end as people online remain misogynistic and horrible, but there’s an opportunity here to do the story justice and change the minds of some naysayers. Also, as a fan of the series, it would be incredible to see accurate versions of these beloved characters come to life (some for the first time, some again). It’s just a shame that we won’t have the original cast around this time. Side note: Wouldn’t Stewart make a fantastic Renée?

Jay Snow is a freelance writer. He has published many places on the internet. For more of his thoughts on television and to see his other work (or to simply watch him gush again and again over his love for the original Charmed) follow him @snowyjay.

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