Taylor Swift has a new album, One Direction fever is back, and, in the most 2010s twist of all, we’re all arguing over who is the better boyfriend between two fictional guys. Team Edward or Team Jacob? Team Gale or Team Peeta? Now, in light of Challengers premiering in theaters, the debate tearing apart the internet is: Team Art or Team Patrick?
Art (Mike Faist) and Patrick (Josh O’Connor) are two racket-wielding love interests to tennis superstar Tashi (Zendaya) in Luca Guadagnino’s hot new movie. In the film, Tashi bounces between the two studs—not all that dissimilar to a fuzzy green ball—over the course of their young careers. What the internet can’t seem to agree on is who, at the end, Tashi should spend the rest of her life with.
(Warning: Slight spoilers for Challengers to follow.)
Tashi begins the story without either guy; then, following a successful junior US Open, she ends up with both of the boys. When Art and Patrick invite Tashi to their hotel room, she (shockingly) makes an appearance, kisses both of them, makes them kiss each other, and then dips. Whoever amongst the two of them wins the singles match tomorrow, Tashi promises, will win her phone number.
Patrick wins, kicking off his flirtatious relationship—or perhaps it’s more of a situationship, since Patrick teases that he’s sleeping around—with Tashi as she and Art attend Stanford and Patrick tries to go pro. Not long after, Tashi breaks things off with Patrick because he’s a little bit too mean to her. Art and Tashi grow closer and closer, eventually beginning their own relationship. They get married. They have a kid. Tashi, who suffered a career-ending injury during college, becomes Art’s tennis coach.
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Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist
©MGM/Courtesy Everett Collection
But Tashi can’t keep her eyes off of Patrick, who re-enters her life here and there at various tennis tournaments around the country. Although Tashi finds stability—and success—with Art, she has undeniable chemistry with Patrick. Who should she choose?
Everyone on the internet has a different opinion. On one hand, Art is a reliable partner for Tashi. When Tashi leaves Art’s side to see Patrick for a midnight rendez-vous, she returns to find Art is sleeping in their daughter’s tiny bed. Is that not the sweetest thing you’ve ever heard? Plus…we’re looking at Mike Faist.
But Patrick’s connection with Tashi is so electric, it nearly zaps out of the screen and into the audience’s nervous system. One smirk out of Patrick leaves Tashi visually unsettled, rocking her to her core. They have some sort of cosmic connection, something remarkable and rare. Art may be stable, but Tashi shouldn’t settle. Plus…we’re looking at Josh O’Connor.
You can see, now, why the internet has erupted in such discourse over these two men. It’s impossible to choose which one is better for Tashi! You’ll also find folks in the middle who think Tashi should pick neither of them, or throuple truthers, who hope that all three of them join in harmony as a trio, once and for all.
But, as Tashi says, tennis is a relationship. You can play with two people or four people, but it’s a little tricky to play with three. Someone needs to go.
And I’m picking Tashi.
©MGM/Courtesy Everett Collection
Really, we needn’t be arguing Team Art versus Team Patrick. It should be Team Art and Team Patrick. Did the churro scene teach us nothing? They belong together—fire and ice! Art and Patrick have the same effusive chemistry that Patrick shares with Tashi; plus, they’ve been dedicated to each other their entire lives, so there’s the reliability Art offers.
©MGM/Courtesy Everett Collection
Tashi will find someone else. When it comes to Team Art and Team Patrick, we should all just be on both sides. Really, that’s what Tashi—who made them make out in the first place—would want, anyhow.
