Rafe and Hope - Yea or Nay?

[KathyLu]

I stole some posts about this couple from another thread to start us off.

Am I the only one here who doesn't mind Rafe and Hope together?

I like both characters individually but after the way they've been written the past few months, I do not like them together. Covering up murder is not a prelude to romance in my book. Plus I don't like it when the show tries to hard to force things on us. The most popular storylines have come about naturally without having to be forced.

I also don't like the fact that Rafe has been dumbed down to be with Hope and they are trying to portray Hope as younger than she is.

I too, like Rafe and Hope together. Bo even asked Rafe to take care of/look out for Hope when Bo was no longer there. And...maybe it's just me, but I do think Rafe and Hope have some good chemistry going on.

Not only do I not mind them, I like them together!

I really don't care about Hope and Rafe, I just hate the forced triangle for no reason. I don't love nor hate them and I'm all for Rafe getting good story. Unfortunately he's not been given good material with Hope in my opinion.

I like them together too.

Me three, red and lori, I also like Rafe and Hope together.

You are not alone! I think they are just fine. I do appreciate that the writers are taking their time and not immediately forcing them together. And I REALLY hope that Rafe is not going to once again get his heart broken.

I don't understand why some posters are calling this a "forced" relationship. If you don't like it, does that mean it's forced? After all, "forced" is a subjective word in this instance. Heather, I agree with your post about Rafe's being dumbed down, and that Hope is not acting her age; however, that is done all the time on soaps, and it doesn't bother me. My only reservation about a Hope/Rafe relationship is that, if Peter Reckel (ex-Bo Brady), decides to grace us with his presence again, TPTB (who don't always make the best decisions) will have Bo ride in on his white horse (for the millionth time), and Rafe will get the poopy end of the stick the way Aiden did. I like Rafe too much for that to happen.

I keep telling those of us that like Rafe and Hope that our numbers are not as low as some would prefer to think. It's nice to see people speaking up. And no I'm not happy with the current dumbed down "triangle" either.

I think Jnta is correct about the number of fans who do like Hope & Rafe together being more than some would think. I see at times, just a few who don't like the couple together, but are very vocal, make comment after comment, (not here) mentioning their hatred as often as they can, indicating they are speaking for "everyone", saying "we all" constantly.....and it really is not fair.

 

[ronnie78]

I can't stand them together. I honestly think the problem is Rafe. No chemistry with Hope. Rafe hasn't had chemistry with anyone for a while. The writers made him lame pining after Hope like that. I can't deal with that. He used to be written really well. Not anymore.

 

[TheWriter]

I voted yes, I like them and I hope they last.

 

[Sparkster]

I voted NO. I like each character individually but do not see any sizzle together as a couple. Plus, like Heather, I'd like to see Rafe have the opportunity to become a father and that's not likely to happen in a relationship with a 50-something woman with grown children and a grandchild.

It also doesn't help that it's been the Hope and Rafe show since New Years (not to mention a very Hope-centric show for nearly a year now). It's just too much.

 

[katmouse]

I had to vote no. I'm still upset what happened to Hope and Aiden when he changed
last year.

 

[Soaphead]

Yes, Bo even liked him lol. I wish I could find a "Rafe". Age wouldn't matter to him. (If I were older than him) Heck, I'd take a Rafe the same age or older than me.

 

[Mtnmom]

I voted yes. Why? Bo gave his 'permission' before he passed, but, that still can't make Rafe and Hope a couple-meaning, Rafe needs to get on his mom's case and tell her to butt out and then he needs a dish full of peppers to get him "in the mood".

As for Hope, it's go or get off, ya know, lady? If you don't want a decent guy, then take thee to the nunnery !

 

[Jen67]

Definitely no, for a lot of the reasons already stated by Heather and Sparkster. I like both Rafe and Hope individually, just not as a couple. Also, killing a man and framing another one for the murder is not a prelude to romance. Hope needs some time alone with her kids and some counseling to deal with her grief after losing Bo and killing Stefano. Rafe needs someone closer to him in age as he has always wanted a family, not two grown stepchildren and one stepgrandchild, and one of the stepchildren nearly his own age.

 

[guilty pleasure]

If there was a "meh" option, that's what I would choose. Hope and Rafe don't really do anything for me, and I still hold hope that they will somehow redeem Aiden for Hope. At this point, I think that hope is futile, but I'm a stubborn woman. So yeah - I like Hope, and I like Rafe, but together, they are just "meh" for me.

 

[redsquirrel]

I voted "YES".

So far there is a tie with 8 votes for pro and con. That is a lot different than "we all" hate them together.

 

[Just Samantha]

I love Rafe, I like Hope, but I don't like them together as a couple.

I'd rather see Rafe with Nicole.

 

[sportzgirl916]

I am with the no group. I loved when they were good friends and little Ciara would talk baseball with Rafe, but I am just not feeling it between these two. It feels too forced, almost like the writers decided Rafe needed a love interest and decided the only one available was Hope.

 

[65days]

I voted yes, for the moment. I want Aiden gone. Perhaps when he is out of the picture, then both Rafe and Hope can find someone else, but for now, I'm okay with them together.

 

[MissDiLlY]

I voted nay. Bo liking Rafe for Hope does not help matters.

 

[Heather4CU]

I voted No for all the reasons already stated. I also don't like the idea of Hope and Sami dating the same person. That just seems wrong. If they are going the sharing route, I'd rather see Rafe and Belle over Rafe and Hope. This is of course assuming Belle and Shawn don't work out because that would be my first choice always.

There is so much opportunity for Rafe with Nicole, Blanca or maybe even Chloe if we can't have Brady/Chloe but these writers seem hell bent on forcing pairing between their favorite characters, regardless of chemistry. Deimos is another one that seems to be favored for some reason as he has had 3 love interests in less than 6 months, all of which have been meh for me.

 

[DrBakerFan]

I'm with those who voted against Rafe-Hope because of the inherent flaws in their relationship. I also voted against them because there just seems something unrootable about a murderer having a romantic relationship with the man who helped cover up her crime. This was compounded by their knowingly railroading Andre for the killing. Sure, Andre is beyond sleazy, but police officers are not supposed to arrest and charge a person whom they know is not guilty of the crime. All this makes Rafe-Hope unpalatable as a couple. Both Rafe and Hope need some time to be cleansed of the taint of their criminal activities before embarking on relationships with somebody new.

 

[JasonDíSpeech]

If there was a "meh" option, that's what I would choose.

Ditto. I would have preferred to vote "neutral" or some similar option. I don't like them, I don't not like them. I don't like that the focus is so squarely on them, or that Rafe's character has been dumbed down, or that the show ignores the age difference. I don't like the needless reintroduction of Aiden as grist for this couple. I don't like Mami and Blanca, who could be interesting in their own right, used to prop the couple (by opposing it). Etc.

I have accepted that this is the show's go-to relationship, and don't mind it.

 

[KathyLu]

Both Rafe and Hope need some time to be cleansed of the taint of their criminal activities before embarking on relationships with somebody new.

If that were the criteria for relationships in Salem, there wouldn't be any relationships. As many of us have stated, Bo Brady was a criminal, along with Hope, and people still root for them.

 

[DrBakerFan]

Agree. If a spotless past was required for a romance, most Salemites would be as kissless as poor Roman. What I was referring to was a "rootable" relationship. The writers seem to want viewers to accept accessory Rafe and murderer Hope as a sort of second coming of Romeo and Juliet, but it just doesn't wash. As for Bo, he certainly was a criminal. My first post on this board back in 2011 was to start a threat called "Bo Brady Is a Criminal," which was the result of everyone in Salem (except the DiMeras) acting like Bo was some sort of hero when he was really a bigger criminal than some of the crooks he claimed to be chasing.

 

[Poirot]

And therein lies the rub. Roman knows exactly what happened to Stefano, and refused to arrest Hope, etc. Now why is that? I suppose if Stefano had been shot while attempting to kill Hope then it would not have been murder, would it. And if Stefano killed himself?? Same thing. And yet that is exactly what happened. Stefano said several times he was tired of it all, and so he goaded Hope. It is why he was laughing so hard at the end. He wanted to die, but his final victory against the Bradys was he made one of them do it, (figuring they would be punished).

I couldn't care less that Stefano's life ended. He deserved the electric chair or gas chamber too many times in the past for all his crimes.

However, what I did not like was the coverup. It was not necessary. Heck, Hope could have wiggled out of the whole thing, in fact, if she ended up in a trial, she probably would have been found not guilty. Justifiable cause? By reason of temporary insanity?

Heck, I would rather Rafe hustle her out of there, then let Andre eventually find the body, and try to prove it was Hope (remember, she used a gun that was not hers, and no one knew she had)

So, I suppose now I sound really awful, but actually, the question here is do you like Rafe & Hope AS A COUPLE? And while I wish it was phrased differently, and there was a 3rd option. (I like both characters, both actors, but ....) as I have had to think about this a lot. I thought at first I was going to say yes....but the more I thought about it...NO.

Rafe I like a lot, I really did like him with Sami, the only one of her many loves that worked as far as I was concerned.