It's also surprisingly easy. It's amazing pop culture failed you for no damn good reason whatsoever. I learned this about a LOT of questionable tropes myself writing the saga. If you ever see a trope you hate (like a third character being introduced to add a love triangle to the main 'ship) and disgustedly say "I wish this weren't necessary," the dirty secret TV does NOT want you to find out is it's NOT necessary. Emotionally jerking around the viewer / reader is a conscious CHOICE, that is actually almost never relevant if you tell the story the way it SHOULD be told.

People adding that crap are not telling their stories honestly. They're padding them to get a few extra seasons and bank they don't actually need to satisfy the viewer / reader. And this is something I found out for myself and it was super eye-opening to learn for sure.