I think my problem with them partnering off with partners other than themselves, is that I hate stories where SOs are kept in the dark. I think partnerships, of the domestic as well as spy kind haha, ought to be actual partnerships. That means knowing about UNCLE beyond the glossed-over headlines. Otherwise, to me, it's just a device. Add one spy, one baby-maker, two point five children, and stir. Characterizations may vary. Adjust for altitude. Unless, of course, the unequal division of intelligence (and I'm speaking here of spy stuff, although unfortunately sometimes both occur in writing of wives) is intentional and thought provoking... and now I sort of want to write a fic from the POV of a wife kept in the dark... Oops plot bunny!
Narratively, especially for fic where the rules are so different from traditional fiction, this is sometimes problematic, as it requires the audience to spend a lot of time with characters they are not predisposed to love. It can, and has, been done to great effect, but it takes a lot of work, and a lot of trust in the reader, too.
no subject
Unless, of course, the unequal division of intelligence (and I'm speaking here of spy stuff, although unfortunately sometimes both occur in writing of wives) is intentional and thought provoking... and now I sort of want to write a fic from the POV of a wife kept in the dark... Oops plot bunny!
Narratively, especially for fic where the rules are so different from traditional fiction, this is sometimes problematic, as it requires the audience to spend a lot of time with characters they are not predisposed to love. It can, and has, been done to great effect, but it takes a lot of work, and a lot of trust in the reader, too.