On Valentine’s Day weekend, Netflix released a People We Meet on Vacation deleted scene, giving us the perfect dose of Poppy Wright and Alex Nilsen from the books. Then, NetflixFilm on Instagram released a still with another scene from the Norway Vacation that clearly shows the progression of how Alex stayed with Poppy while she was sick. Both these scenes are integral in the book, so maybe we can all beg Netflix for some sort of director’s cut because these need to be in the final cut.
At the same time, may this be a plea for future adaptations that, when it comes to romance, book readers (and members of the general audience) want to see everything. Not a single reader is going to complain about a longer movie if we get all the scenes we want to see because they matter to the overarching story and for the character development. As someone who’ll happily sit through a three-hour epic like Oppenheimer, I can guarantee that romance fans will do the same for book-to-screen adaptations.
I’ve written about the Norway Vacation before, and there I’ve already mentioned why the scene is so impactful in showcasing how Poppy and Alex fall in love, but as a fan of the hurt/comfort trope, the People We Meet on Vacation deleted scene should’ve been included in the adaptation for a myriad of reasons. Netflix ultimately should’ve kept both these scenes in the story because they’re so integral to who Alex is, which could’ve helped a lot more casual viewers understand his character better. The gratitude that Poppy also shows him in the flashback is also a reminder of her loneliness and why she relies so much on him. It’s the one scene where she wears no armor, and the vulnerability could’ve given us a lot more insight into her fears about committing to a relationship.
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In the deleted wedding scene, we also get two distinct parallels that prove why Poppy and Alex are so good together. We know that Poppy hates running because she comments on it, then later proves how it’s different with Alex in the end, but only book readers really know that Alex hates PDA until Poppy mentions it in the deleted scene. He not only hates PDA, but he specifically doesn’t like holding hands, so the fact that he allows himself to be more free with Poppy gives us a small but meaningful moment that shows us exactly why she’s his person and why everything’s different with her. (We also see this in the New Orleans vacation, but still, this beat matters where direct words are concerned.)
It’s also worth mentioning that he’s the one who reaches out for her hand, showing us just how eager he is to show everyone that she’s his. That they’re finally together. That after all this time, they’ve made it. The fact that the shot goes out of its way to focus on their hands is enormously telling, and it’s so significant to call back to the fact that this time, Poppy isn’t asking him to do anything. It’s all Alex—wanting to have her in all the ways he can.
With time constraints, it’s easy to understand that every crucial book scene won’t make it into an adaptation, but both of these are crucial when it comes to exploring who Poppy and Alex are as individuals and why their dynamic differs from any other person they date. In the same way that the Norway Vacation shows us exactly how much they adore each other without realizing it, this brief scene emphasizes how happy, free, and fully in love they finally are. And sure, they briefly break up after the wedding until Poppy’s decision to run after him in the end, but it’s still tremendous in how much it shows us. It still touches on their relationship beautifully. Plus, let’s be so fully honest here: why would anyone say no to watching two pretty people have ample screentime? I would’ve happily sat through the two of them making the most mundane decisions together without complaint. And that’s the beauty in romance novels. Readers want the details.
Lastly, the fact that both People We Meet on Vacation deleted scenes showcase character growth is also a huge reminder that vulnerability and quiet moments of sincerity are uniquely significant in romance. They’re the moments where we get to know the characters most intimately, and it’s why we’re here. The good, the bad, and the ugly—we want to see it all. We want every minute, no matter how trivial it might seem, because it’s in these simple beats where so much of the humanity shines.
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Have you watched the People We Meet on Vacation deleted scene yet? How do you feel about it? Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Netflix