So basically there's two ways to start off:
1. Girl dates (or dated) jerk, meant for nice guy. Examples: Jam, and Chuck and Sarah. Tried to get it going with Simone and Peter, but that just SUUUUuuuucked.
2. Girl dates nice guy, but meant for jerk who's actually a nice guy. Example: Buffy and Spike, Rory and Jess, most recently LoVe Boat (term coined courtesy of TWoP), and pretty much any Asian pop drama out there.
My personal favorite is choice number 2 (if done well - I dislike Asian Dramas). Unfortunately reality really sucks and most often the jerk always remains a jerk. No amazing transformation from asshole to whipped puppy just because he finds a girl he likes. Choice number 1 is more representative of true reality where all the single guys whine about why all the girls go for the assholes. Personal aside: as obnoxious as jerk behavior is, a fullgrown man PMSing is inifinitely worse.
Next phase in the all-encompassing lurve are the obstacles, usually consisting of (but not exclusive to):
1. Secondary love interest.
2. The ex.
3. Pregnancy.
4. Car accident/killer on the loose.
Which amazingly, the writers maintain for an extensive period of time before any resolution arrives. The long wait unfortunately means either: (1)by the time the two end up together, we're stuck with a lingering sense they actually might not last due to all the trauma they had to endure, (2) the actor portraying one of the characters leaves the show because there's only so much mooning one can take; or (3) the show gets cancelled without any resolution or a cheap tacked-on make out scene at the last second. Anyway, these things end up not being too great for my emotional well-being or my issues dealing with frustration, but I just can't help but get sucked in nonetheless.
Oh supercouples, what you do to me. Personal thanks to Ashley for getting me started again. Logan did think you were hot:
