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| - The Romantic Comedy is ending, and the Alpha Couple has finally hooked up. But what's this? It seems there's a Beta Couple in the wings! During the closing musical number/reception dance two characters who may or may not have interacted prior to this point are getting down and dirty, or even just looking at each suggestively as to imply they'll start dating. This is essentially adding a cherry to the top of this Happy Ending, saying that after all the struggling and misunderstandings, the alpha couple's success has helped create love even between different people, implying they at least start dating and might even marry. It also serves as an abbreviated form of Cleaning Up Romantic Loose Ends, so that the viewer can walk away happy knowing that the Romantic Runner-Up fiancé isn't left out in the cold but rather hooked up with the maid of honor who thought she'd never walk the aisle. A thorny use of this trope comes when Gay friends of the main couple are implied to hook up this way. It might be to avoid the "dilemma" of showing on-screen gay couples which could alienate audiences, but implies they'll both hook up just because they're gay. See also Sexual Karma and Maybe Ever After, where the implied hookup may involve main characters or characters who do have a Romance Arc of sorts, and Pair the Spares, where the romantic rivals of the main plot hook up with each other. May be followed up on in a Distant Finale. Examples of Hooked Up Afterwards include:
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