What If We Get Married

What If We Get Married is a 2016 reality television show aired by TLC. Pioneering a unique premise that explores relationships, matrimony, and love, the show takes the viewers deep into the lives of couples who, friends for long, decide to take a leap into romantic intimacy. This innovative idea twirls around the question - "What if two best friends decide to marry each other?" Guided by this question, these individuals venture into a reality driven exploration of romantic partnership, bypassing the traditional trajectory of dating to engagement.

The show focuses on two couples, Amy and Mike, and Rebecca and Carlos. Amy and Mike have been best friends since childhood, sharing an easy and fluid relationship. Meanwhile, Rebecca and Carlos are colleagues turned best friends for six years. These two pairs, having stuck to the territorial confines of platonic relationship until now, aim to shift gears and investigate if their deep friendships can mutate into successful marriages. The twist is that they commit to matrimony directly without the buffer of dating or a pre-marital courtship period. With the ceremony they start their daring exploration of crossing boundaries from friendship to marriage, transforming their perfect camaraderie into hopefully perfect matrimonies.

What If We Get Married plays a significant role in examining societal constructs and personal beliefs around marriage. It challenges traditional paths that a couple usually follows which includes dating, engagement, and then marriage. Instead, it ironically flips the script, introducing the idea of marrying your closest friend, and skipping the usual formalities that define a romantic relationship and precede a wedding. The show positions marriage as not just a ceremony marking the beginning of a romantic relationship but also a true test of compatibility and deciphering whether the partners can survive each other's company for life.

One striking element of the show is its emotional intensity that permeates through the journey each couple undertakes. As they navigate through unprecedented territories combining friendship with romance, viewers get an insight into their dilemmas, inner conflicts, trivial fights, unexpected discoveries, and struggles of transitioning from friends to life partners. The objective to retain the essence of their friendship while building a romantic relationship adds an additional layer of delicate balancing to their journey. Thriving on such realities produces a riveting drama, which makes the show engaging, and at times, heart-tugging.

The couples on the show also receive guidance from relationship experts who help them navigate the complexities they face. This professional guidance aids in the couple's journey, providing valuable feedback and perspectives, enabling couples to grow further into their new relationship.

Moreover, the viewer sees not just the couple's journey but also the reaction of their families, friends, and society to their unique step. The cultural shock, disapproval, acceptance, and joy that emanate from their immediate social circles further intensify the show's plot, setting up an engaging concoction of emotions and events.

What If We Get Married can be considered an audacious social experiment that intertwines the fabrics of friendship and romantic partnership. It is all the more traumatic since a negative outcome risks not just losing a partner but a best friend. The show officials have taken an attempt to modify the path of societal norms and identify the elasticity of a couple’s comfort zones.

In conclusion, What If We Get Married, through its unique concept, steps beyond the line of conventional reality shows. By posing and seeking answers to the intriguing question of compatibility between best friends when married, the show performs a deep dive into the essence of relationships. It emerges not only as a series exploring the complexities of love and friendship but also a vérité study that challenges societal norms and questions the established conventions of marriage.