Sorry Team Gale, Peeta Wins 'Mockingjay, Part 2'

If you're a fan of Peeta Mallark, then prepare to brace yourself. The final movie of The Hunger Games franchise has Peeta all over it. And if you ever questioned your allegiance to him, then you will certainly change your mind because Mockingjay, Part 2 is the most Team Peeta movie yet. It's Peeta all day, every day. Sure, the end of Mockingjay Part 1 left him a little cuckoo for Coco Puffs, but Part 2 changes all of that.

There hasn't been a polarizing debate like Team Peeta vs. Team Gale, since Team Edward vs. Team Jacob in the Twilight days. If you want to go even further back, a divide like this is comparable to Team Noel vs. Team Ben from Felicity. I have always been Team Peeta and never thought twice about being Team Gale. I have been very vocal about my opinion from the very beginning and after seeing Mockingjay, Part 2, I am proud of my choice. The movie is basically telling you to love Peeta and forget about Gale. And if you don't love him by the end of the movie, then I don't know what to tell you.

During the movie, Peeta is in a state of rehabilitation because he has been brainwashed by the Capitol. He also wants to kill Katniss. I know that sounds bad, but, give him a break. He's been through a lot and he is not in his right mind. That being said, his rehabilitation is a major plot point in the movie. It's what drives Katniss to make a change. In a sense, he is the damsel in distress and he raises the stakes. He gives the story even more meaning. Without him, there is no Katniss wouldn't be as determined. On the flipside of that, without Katniss, Peeta wouldn't want to become un-brainwashed.

So I know what you may be thinking: "If he is crazy, then why should I be Team Peeta and not Team Gale?" Plain and simple: he just is. He has a point of view throughout the entire Hunger Games story. If Suzanne Collins were to write a new set of Hunger Games books from Peeta's perspective and Hollywood adapted them into movies, it would be just as interesting as Katniss's experience. If a series of books and movies were made about Gale that would be mind numbingly boring. It would just be him staring blankly out a window pining for Katniss.

I know I am bashing Gale, but as a member of Team Peeta, I can't help but trash talk. I'm sure Gale is a nice guy, but he is a distraction to Katniss, while Peeta is her focus. In Mockingjay, Part 2, we essentially get to see them rebuild their relationship and fall in love with Peeta all over again. He may be a little crazy in the beginning when he tries to kill Katniss, but I'll just look at that as brainwashed, misguided passion — and passion is very important in a relationship. The more difficulties Peeta has, the more you want to see him get well and be with Katniss. You're rooting for him throughout the entire movie — as you should.

One more thing about Gale (I swear, this is the last jab at him) — he may have been part of the team that helped dispatch that attack in the Capitol that killed Prim. So that doesn't sit well with Katniss. After he admits his involvement, he is definitely out of the picture. Bye Felicia.

Peeta steals the show at the end of the movie when he and Katniss are playing a game of "real or not real". He asks Katniss, "You love me? Real or not real?" She looks at him and without hesitation says, "Real."

Team Peeta FTW.

Images: Lionsgate/Murray Close; Giphy (2)