Amidst Gen Z nostalgia, we all circle back to one of the biggest pieces of media to emerge during the young adult fan culture of the 2010s. No, I'm not talking about Maze Runner or The Hunger Games; I'm talking about one of the most awkward portrayals of dark romance: the Twilight Franchise.

For more context, I was a huge nerd (I still am), but when I was younger, it was intense to say the least. I was into all the major fandoms at the time, including Supernatural, Sherlock Holmes, Harry Potter, and Divergent, among others. I was so chronically online (preferably on Tumblr) that if a person asked me about the Superwholock phenomenon and the Onceler, that same person would never see the light of day.

Aside from all those fandoms, the one I was most obsessed with was, hands down, Twilight. From the books to the movies, that whole franchise took over my life the moment I read the first book in 6th grade.

I'm not alone, though; everyone and their mom has heard of the infamous franchise, regardless of whether they were a nerd or not. I was very fortunate enough to find people to talk about this uncanny obsession with, knowing I wasn't alone, and some of my best memories were writing fanfiction, having debates about who was the better guy for Bella, and rewatching all the movies at sleepovers.

That's when I decided to do something. I was on Netflix, looking for something to watch, when I came across the iconic poster of the first movie. Being bored out of my mind, I pressed the play button. As I mentioned, I fell into this rabbit hole at a young age, but I was certainly not prepared for the utter buffoonery I witnessed upon rewatching it as a more mature teenager.

Hot Take: Bella Swan was the Worst Written Main Character

I know I'm going out on a limb here, but hear me out. We all know the infamous face of the franchise, Bella Swan. Bella is one of the worst-written characters I've seen. Well, also, I think it's the consensus that a lot of old 2010s media from our childhood had some very questionable writing, specifically the treatment of their female characters.

When I first saw the movie, I was immediately drawn to Bella's character. She liked reading a lot, she's a hopeless romantic, but never admitted it, and she was considered pretty tame. On paper, you could actually say that she was relatable for a lot of teenagers who felt unheard during the time. Notice the way I said on paper, I literally only mean that, when you finally understand the movie and analyze all of Bella's mannerisms, everything comes back like whiplash, and then I suddenly remember why I never liked her as the main character.

Image Credit: GIPHY

Bella Swan is the ultimate poster child for emotional understatement. In the movie, she drifts into Forks like she's been sentenced to life in a foggy prison, only to fall for a glittery vampire with all the enthusiasm of someone choosing between mild or medium salsa. Her defining personality traits seem to be excessive blinking and a talent for standing perfectly still while chaos unfolds around her. Truly, when it comes to main character energy, Bella's rocking a whole lot of main character... inertia.

Additionally, one thing I will never forget is her Olympic-level mood swings. One moment she's telling Edward he's dangerous, and five seconds later she's swooning over him like she's never seen a rhinestone before. Her idea of romance is Edward being a stalker, and every meaningful conversation sounds like two philosophy majors trying to outdo each other, with her monotone delivery and inability to run for her life like a normal person. Bella turns what should be a high-stakes vampire drama into one long angsty sigh.

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Edward Is a Walking Red Flag

Oh, Edward Cullen--the brooding vampire heartthrob who somehow makes stalking look romantic and emotional unavailability seem like a personality trait. Let's start with the basics: that man sneaks into Bella's room to watch her sleep right before they even start dating. News flash, that's not cute, Edward.

Not to mention, he constantly reminds Bella about how dangerous he is, yet never lets her make an informed decision about being with him. Like, if you're so destructive, then don't be with her, buddy.

A long time ago, I was Team Edward for a long time when I read the first book, but after this rewatch, it made me reassess my sanity. I had to ask myself, "What made this man so attractive? How can anyone find this man attractive?"

I feel like if I ever named any more things that make this man a walking red flag, you, my dear reader, will be reading this section forever. Seriously, if we are still trying to justify this man's actions to this day than we were back in 2008, then it's time to question our standards a bit.

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Sometimes the Dark Vampire Bad Boy Trope Doesn't Work

After some pondering, I came to the obvious conclusion that something about the cold, mysterious bad boy trope is a staple in YA Fiction. Bonus points if the male lead is a vampire, just to add some dramatic flair, and Twilight was a steaming franchise that helped categorize this character archetype.

I have to admit, though, the use of this trope can be used in a variety of ways, and I've narrowed it down to two types of ways: if it's written with nuance or it's just straight up predictable.

Image Credit: GIPHY

Being written in a nuanced way can resonate the feeling of not belonging, wrestling with inner darkness, and craving connectivity while also fearing rejection, which I can say are common teen experiences. Especially if the "bad boy" character is a vampire becomes a symbol of emotional isolation that also longs to be understood. In Twilight, if our resident vampire, Edward, were written that less glorifies his broody behavior and more on his growth, redemption, etc, the trope can reflect his character more imaginatively.

No surprise that the Vampire Bad Boy is a seriously overused trope. Before I fell into the Twilight fandom, I dabbled a lot in the world of fanfiction. And no matter what fandom the story was from, the most common trope that I would see is the bad boy who is secretly a vampire.

The trope has been recycled so much that it struggles to surprise readers anymore. Many of these stories lead to cliches like immortality angst, forbidden love, the "I'm dangerous, stay away" line, all of this dilute the originality and makes the characters feel flat or formulaic.

3 Things That Aged Poorly

1. The Visual Effects

Remember Edward's sparkly skin reveal? What was supposed to be ethereal came off more like a generous helping of body glitter under a floodlight. Combined with the super-speed and tree-climbing CGI, these moments feel clunky and unconvincing by today's standards, especially in an era of seamless visual wizardry.

2. The Melodramatic Score and Needle Drops

While some fans have nostalgic love for the soundtrack (Paramore's track still slaps to this day), the heavy-handed scoring during intense scenes tends to push emotion into overwrought territory. It's not that the music itself is bad; it's how it tells you how to feel every second, which modern audiences find a bit on-the-nose.

3. The Vampire Aesthetic

The pale makeup, the awkwardly colored contacts, the constipated facial expression--all meant to scream "mysterious supernatural, but now lean more toward "Twilight cosplay at a 2008 Hot Topic." The attempt to blend high school with gothic romance gives off a campy vibe today, and not always in a fun way.

Verdict: Rewatching Twilight as a Teen is a FEVER DREAM

I know I just spent this whole article dragging on this iconic franchise, but these are just some of the things that stuck out to me after rewatching it after so long. No doubt, this series will always have a special place in my heart, no matter how problematic it is, but the cons outweigh the pros for me. I still have many people telling me of how much they're obsessed with the series, and that's completely okay; everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

I remember being caught in the crossfire of the fandom chaos on Tumblr, the endless debates of Team Edward or Team Jacob, the disaster that was the last book and the last movie (that's another topic for another day). All of these events revolved around one fandom: this series. In general, there is so much that could be done differently, especially when it comes to this franchise's messy plotline.