In Coven of the Tides , three sirens—Lena, Sam, and Wren—are bound by a blood ritual that forces them to share emotions. If one falls in love, all three feel the heartbeat. The romantic storyline kicks off when Lena falls for a human marine biologist. But instead of jealousy, Sam (the pragmatic one) realizes she is attracted to Wren (the wild card) for the first time.
The climax isn't a catfight. It is a quiet scene on a fire escape where all three admit they are in love with a different version of each other. The resolution? A fluid polycule that endures through graduation. It is messy, utopian, and deeply human. Science fiction and fantasy have long used triads as a narrative shortcut for power. Three witches, three fates, three muses. But recent shows have made the romantic aspect literal.
This occurs when the story is written from a male gaze. Suddenly, the three girls exist only to kiss each other for the benefit of a male protagonist. There is no emotional interiority. They are props. three girls having sex
This is the idea that polyamorous or triad relationships must end in disaster. One girl leaves crying. Two girls pair off, excluding the third. The moral is "three is a crowd." While drama is necessary, the automatic tragedy is a tired trope that discourages real-life exploration.
The show brilliantly depicts three girls having relationships that defy monogamous logic. When Lena kisses the biologist, Wren feels a phantom joy; when Sam finally confesses her love to Wren during a storm, Lena weeps with relief from across the island. The "love triangle" becomes a "love ecosystem." The villain is not another woman—it is the outside world that insists they must choose one partner, one heart, one path. We are living in an era of relationship anarchy . Young women, in particular, are rejecting the escalator of traditional romance (date -> exclusive -> marry -> house). They are asking: Why can't I have a deep emotional partnership with my ex? Why can't my best friend be a co-parent? Why can't I love two people in different ways without ranking them? In Coven of the Tides , three sirens—Lena,
The romantic storyline begins innocently. Maya and Chloe have been "best friends who sometimes hold hands after wine" for two years. Enter Priya, who is assigned to their quad. Priya doesn't play games. She asks Maya out directly. For six episodes, the audience watches Maya fall for Priya’s intensity while Chloe watches from the sidelines, realizing her "friendship" was actually a slow-burn romance she was too scared to name.
As we move further into a future where relationships are defined by the people inside them, not by society’s blueprints, we will see more stories about three girls having relationships and romantic storylines. We will see them in YA fantasies, in realistic contemporary novels, in prestige television, and in the quiet corners of the internet where fans write their own endings. But instead of jealousy, Sam (the pragmatic one)
One commenter writes: "I was 22, living with my two best friends. We fell into a triad by accident—during COVID lockdown. We didn't have a word for it. Then I read 'The Scorched Quad' and realized we weren't broken. We were just geometric."