I think psycho love stories are cute. Before you call the police, let me explain. Several shows and movies display fictional love stories between two mentally unwell people. Maybe their hobbies include murder or just destruction. These are the Harley Quinns and Jokers of the world. The couples who create magic and mayhem. This has been a very niche genre that often brings me joy. Deli Boys, available with a Hulu subscription, recently did a psycho love story.
In Season 2, Lucky (Poorna Jagannathan) begins a new relationship with shady casino owner Max Sugar (Fred Armisen). Their attraction quickly blooms into a full romance. Both are crazy, ruthless people, so it’s an electric romance. The TV world needs more romances like Lucky and Sugar.
Warning: Deli Boy spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.
Psychos Falling In Love Makes It Seem Like Everyone Has a Soulmate
In the real world, you should probably not engage in a toxic romance. It will leave psychological scars and likely mimic a breakup story movie. Your heart and soul will get crushed. However, toxic romances are not just enjoyable but encouraged in fiction. It’s a very popular genre. I am not a fan of dark romance books, but I am a fan of movies and TV shows where two crazy people find each other and make it work.
I was a Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Spike (James Marsters) fan, but I adored Drusilla (Juliet Landau) and Spike when they were initially introduced. He adored her. They were both insane, but it worked. They seemed destined to be together because she found him one day and transformed him from a weak man into a cool vampire. They were my first taste of psychotic characters finding love.
Psychotic characters are supposed to be void of love and beyond redemption. However, these couples somehow seem destined. Lucky and Sugar have a similar vibe because they’re both committing to lives of crime. They don’t need much, but end up needing and wanting each other. The hopeless romantic in me loves the idea that even psychotic people need love and can make it work.
Deli Boys Reminds Me Of How Funny Most Of These Serial Killer Love Stories Are
There are far too few of the best romantic comedies about psychotic love stories. They can be funny too. Imagine cutting up a body while arguing with someone for not taking out the trash? Love in general is kind of a funny thing, but add the aspect of someone being clinically insane on the topic of it? That’s just comedy.
Mr. Right is a quirky romantic comedy where an assassin falls in love. It’s one of Anna Kendrick’s most fun movies. Her character seems normal, but eventually becomes fine with her partner’s profession. She has some psycho in her as well. There definitely aren’t enough romantic movies that explore the idea of two characters who are a little (or a lot) crazy trying to make a relationship work.
We don’t support serial killers or psychos in real life, but fiction has the opportunity to explore dark topics in fun ways. Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver is a part of The Ruinous Love Trilogy. It’s a popular BookTok series. The first book, at least, explores two serial killers finding love.
The book has a lot of comedy and is more proof that this genre can be popular and funny if done well. I didn’t love Butcher & Blackbird, but I really enjoyed its concept.
Watching Lucky and Sugar deal with their relationship issues (like going to therapy), but threatening the therapist, is comedy gold.
It’s Kind Of Sweet Seeing Someone So Crazy Be Vulnerable
Sometimes the villain gets the girl. Often, movies and shows focus on villains with singular goals: Destroy the hero or the world. However, occasionally, especially on TV shows, the bad guy falls in love. I was not a full Reylo shipper, but I did understand the appeal of Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Kylo Ren’s (Adam Driver) potential romance. The sort of romance inspired a lot of successful fan fiction because it spoke to the idea that someone can be saved by love.
Kylo left the dark side because of Rey’s influence. She inspired him to be a better person and allowed him to be vulnerable when he was set on being evil. Rey and Kylo don’t exactly fit the idea of two psychos falling in love, because only one is in this pairing, but it showcases the idea that a dark character can be vulnerable with the person he loves.
There are many examples of two psychos falling in love, from couples in The Vampire Diaries to romances in books such as The Cruel Prince. Crazy love can also have psychotic characters show sweet sides. We see Lucky become vulnerable with Sugar. He also does some sweet things for her throughout their relationship, even if some of them are criminal.
The Chemistry is Really What Carries These Stories, Deli Boy Proves This
Fred Armisen has had a ton of great performances, and I have seen many of them. I never thought Fred Armisen was hot, but I did while watching him as Sugar on Deli Boys. There was just something hot about his evilness as this character. Poorna Jagannathan and Armisen are hot together. Similar to her character on Never Have I Ever, Jagannathan’s Lucky proves that women over 50 can still be sexy and find love.
Armisen and Jagannathan have insane amounts of chemistry, which helps sell this criminal couple as a romance. You want them together and to do bad things. I think that goes to the heart of the appeal of two bad guys getting together. They’re hot together. Obviously, this isn’t always the case, but when it works, it really works. Lucky and Sugar really work as these toxic criminals who find love, even if only briefly.
Deli Boys Had An Element Of Uncertainty About Betrayal; The Danger Aspect Of Two Killers Falling In Love Adds To The Appeal
One of my favorite examples of two psychos falling in love is Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti) and Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) from You. They were perfect for each other. However, Joe ends up killing Love during the You Season 3 finale. Even though they should have been able to work it out, it ends in tragedy and betrayal.
As much as psychos want to live normal, happy lives, at the end of the day, they’re drawn to darkness. Love and Quinn could only end with one of them dead. Lucky and Sugar should have been a powerful crime couple. This was not their fate.
Sugar betrayed and manipulated Lucky. Our girl deserved better in the end. She got revenge, but had to suffer a broken heart. If you’re going to love a madman (or woman), you need to expect that it could come with a major heartbreak, one that may end in tragedy or unforgivable behavior.
