"To All The Boys I Loved Before" has been out for less than a month and it has taken the world by storm. Following the trials and tribunes of a fake-turned-real relationship between two high school students, the movie has been extremely popular (and the inspiration behind a popular meme).
The breakout star of the movie, Noah Centineo, plays fake-boyfriend Peter Kavinsky, the school's resident cool guy and jock. He's a good-looking guy, is mostly sweet and ends up being a good boyfriend.
But that's it.
You would think by the reviews of him that he was an earth-shatteringly incredible man, but I hate to tell you, Peter K was really only OK. The following is my evidence speaking to his aggressive averageness.
1. He was dating a really mean girl
You know the trope! Super nice guy dates really mean girl because she's ~popular~ but he's so nice! He stood by while she was wearing UGGS and allowed her to insult LJ's combat boots. Guys who date mean girls because they're hot aren't #goals.
2. And the entire premise of the movie happened because he wanted her back
So this supposedly standard-shattering dude gets out of the relationship with Judgey Gen and is willing to completely fake a relationship, potentially hurting LJ, her family and himself to get her back? YEAH REAL NICE.
3. He let Gen take LJ's special scrunchie and NEVER gets it back!
It doesn't matter if he hadn't quite fallen for LJ yet. He made her take it off, promised to keep it safe, let his ex-witch of a GF take it, never told her he lost it AND never got it back. You don't just let other people take the stuff you promised to hold onto, okay? If you're going to "find your own Peter Kavinsky" you better keep your hair products away from him.
4. He was super shady after she said they were "just pretending"
When they were at the restaurant, she said she didn't have to worry about anything because they were "just pretending". He looked visibly upset and left shortly after. Excuse me, sir? This was your idea?
5. She wanted to break it off, but he wouldn't let her
She told him that she was done: Her mission was accomplished. She no longer had to worry about her sister's boyfriend. But the ski trip was SO close, so he convinced her they had to keep going.
6. He lied to her when everyone cheered on the bus
He knew what their cheering meant, but he told her that's just what happens with couples. He also decided to take a nap on her shoulder instead of, you know, tell her that he went to his ex's room the night before. (I mean, if it was REALLY to end it with Gen, wouldn't he have been excited to tell her?)
7. Moving a popcorn bowl is a weak reason to love someone
In one of the most talked about moments of the film, during a movie-night pillow fight with his fake girlfriend and her sister who is getting attached to him, Peter (well, actually Noah, as it was unscripted), moves the bowl of popcorn to the ground so it doesn't get knocked over. Now, I'm not saying that we don't LOVE a man conscientious about potential messes, but preventing a popcorn spill doesn't automatically make someone husband material.
8. He only wrote her notes to make Gen jealous... Because he wouldn't do it for her
I'm not suggesting Gen deserved any notes, unless all they said was "your shoe game isn't good enough to insult the shoes of others", but it is unfair to cite his little notes to LJ as #goals material when he admitted he only did it because Gen was upset he didn't do it for her. Sure, they were sweet, but again... Raise your standards just a little bit.
9. He was sitting in the bleachers with Gen but was upset with LJ for being seen with another guy
Sure, you sitting on the bleachers alone with your ex-girlfriend (whose love you are vying for) is okay, but LJ speaking with her older sister's ex-boyfriend and good friend in the hallway at school is going to foil your plan? Somebody is a little hypocritical!
10. Sorry, but just being nice and cute isn't enough
Look, Peter Kavinsky isn't a piece of sh*t. He was kind to Lara Jean, he got along with her family, he made an effort to defend her honor, and he drove all the way across town for that yogurt. He's a nice dude and a good first high school boyfriend. But that's it. It ends there.
Peter Kavinsky isn't shattering standards or showing young girls the type of relationship they need to demand. He's just an average dude. A good-looking, nice, average boyfriend. But honestly, if you're going to set your highest standards on a TV character, you can probably do a lot better.
