Shipper Wars: Favorite And Least Favorite TV Couples

[DrSpaceman]

On ‎8‎/‎7‎/‎2018 at 9:21 AM, MissAlmond said:

I have no idea where this belongs and this is as close as it gets.  LOL

For some reason, I have the theme to Flambards stuck in my mind.  Flambards was a British TV series  A&E would later air in the 80's.  The theme song rattling in my brain reminded me how much I hated the female lead, Christina, marrying her cousin William because cousins marrying cousins have a high "ick" factor for me.   I didn't care that William died and when his brother, Mark, came back on the scene, I held my breath Christina wouldn't up my ick factor by marrying her now brother-in-law/cousin.  Thankfully, Christina ended up with Dick.  However, years later the author of Flambards decided she made a mistake and wrote a new book where Christina and Dick broke up and made Christina and Mark a couple.  I renounce that book!  Thankfully TV didn't follow her lead and a sequel was never made.  Thank you for letting me get that off my chest.  Now if only that blasted theme song would take leave of my brain.  

I too think marrying cousins is icky and gross. 

But it is way more common, and way more legal, even in the US, than most would think. 

https://gizmodo.com/the-science-of-marrying-your-cousin-1522745684

Not all from this article, but for example :

10% of all marriages worldwide are still between first cousins, though this is mostly in muslim countries now

Many states do not ban first cousin marriage. 

The practice only started falling out of favor in the mid to late 19th century.  Prior to that, it was common everywhere

In 19th century marriages in the US, the husband -wife were on average either 2nd or 3rd cousins

The risk of genetic defects in kids is not as great as one would think.  Its about double the risk of an unrelated couple for first cousins, by the time you get to 3rd cousins its about that of the general population

And I know......"Man on website knows way too much about consanguineous marriage".  I forget why I went down this rabbit hole awhile back and read all this, but I found it interesting.  And no, I am not married to my cousin

 

In terms of my favorite "couples", On Friends the best couple was actually Joey and Chandler.  I know, not sexual, but they were still my favorite.  The series of episodes where Joey moves out because he is a big soap star and then finally moves back in are some of the best.  The end when he shows up and starts telling Chandler why he moved back makes me kind of tear up. 

Phil and Claire on Modern Family I always liked. 

Burt and Virginia on Raising Hope.  They were great. 

Again non-sexual :  Leslie and Ron on Parks and Rec and Liz and Jack on 30 Rock.

Least favorite :  Penny and Leonard on Big Bang.  Never found them believable. 

[DrSpaceman]

Also dislike :  Piper and Alex, OITNB.  Again, not believable to me. 

[ratgirlagogo]

8 hours ago, DrSpaceman said:

Burt and Virginia on Raising Hope.  They were great. 

Agree.  I feel mean saying it but the weak link of that show was the actor who played Jimmy.   Everybody else was great, but yes I agree that Martha Plimpton and Garrett Dillahunt were perfection.  I wish the show had focused more on them from the beginning.  It would have been a better show and I honestly think it would have been more popular.

[Maharincess]

Burt and Virginia were such a great couple. I LOVED everything about them, I loved everything about the show too. I still watch it all the time. 

Edited August 16, 2018 by Maharincess
Love and live are not the same.

[catlover79]

Ann Romano and Dwayne Schneider of One Day at a Time. Thankfully, not only did the show never go there, they never even hinted at it (even though it was obvious he had a crush on her). 

[ratgirlagogo]

Beany and Cecil.

ETA: since the thread I posted in has now been merged into another thread kind of without explanation, I meant that I was relieved that Beany and Cecil were never a couple.

Edited June 21, 2019 by ratgirlagogo

[Apathy]

Since the last time I posted in this thread Young Justice has been uncancelled, and so far the only new couples I really like are Dick Grayson/Barbara Gordon, Beast Boy/Queen Perdita, and Kaldur/Wyynde. I still hate Superboy/Miss Martian.

And I can't believe no one's mentioned Nadja and Laszlo from What We Do in the Shadows yet, a love that will literally never die. I don't remember who said it, but someone described them as being akin to Gomez and Morticia Addams if they got a little bored and bickered now and again from being married for over 300 years, but are nonetheless still deeply in love and devoted to each other with as wild a sex life as ever. Laszlo in particular has an artistic passion for Nadja and will kill her reincarnated lover in every lifetime just for making her upset.

Last but not least, because it's finally TV canon after 27 years...Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy from Harley Quinn.

[BlackberryJam]

Oh...there is a thread for this? YAY.

Game of Thrones: Jaime x Brienne >>>>>>>>> Jaime x Cersei. 

Haven: Duke x Audrey >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Nathan x Audrey.

[partofme]

My 2 favorite couples

I saw this show for the first time ever during quarantine and they are now one of my all-time favorite couples: Robbie Lewis & Laura Hobson from Lewis

Also Chandler & Monica from Friends

[anna0852]

One of my current favorites:

Nick & Jess on New Girl

The first time he kissed her.... yowza!!!

Edited June 30, 2020 by anna0852

[DearEvette]

Oooh, the last time I think I did a couples list was in 2014.  So time for an update:

 

Favorite Couples:

Jake and Amy - Brooklyn 99

Holt and Kevin - Brooklyn 99

Beth and Randall - This is Us

Bobby and Athena: 9-1-1

Judd and Grace: 9-1-1:Lonestar

Barry and Iris: The Flash

 

Couples with potential to be good:

Issa and Nathan - Insecure

Dennis and Davia - Good Trouble

 

Least Favorite Couples:

Shaun and Lea - The Good Doctor

Maya and Carina - Station 19

Mariana and Raj - Good Trouble

Zoey and Luca - Grown-ish

Evan and Luly - Council of Dads

 

Non-romantic (non) couples:

Kelli and Ahmad - Insecure

Jake and Boyle - Brooklyn 99

Buck and Eddie - 9-1-1

Steve and Robin - Stranger Things

 

My ship that sunk like the Titanic:

Claire and Melendez - Good Doctor

 

 

 

[truthaboutluv]

I found as I got older, my least favorite ships always seemed to be those that were really popular. Probably one of my most unpopular opinions is Pacey/Joey. No, it's not because I wanted Joey with Dawson because in truth, I just didn't like Joey at all. No, the core of my bitterness was always how the writers had to completely crap on Pacey/Andie, which they spent an entire season beautifully building up, to facilitate the Pacey/Joey pairing. And for the rest of my years, I've had to read and hear about the so-called awesomeness and perfection that supposedly was Pacey/Joey. Whatever. 

Other least favorites that were popular - Damon/Elena and Chuck/Blair. The "love story" of two douchebag rapists/attempted rapists and the pathetic twats who kept staying with them.  Girl power! Oh but they were "so hot". Yeah, whatever. 

[Danny Franks]

4 hours ago, anna0852 said:

One of my current favorites:

Nick & Jess on New Girl

The first time he kissed her.... yowza!!!

They were fun... except for when the writers decided they needed Drama! in the relationship. The character archetypes of chaotic, slovenly slacker and super organised go-getter were there from the beginning, but the writers really played heavily on them to sow division in the relationship. 

Jake Johnson has great chemistry with everyone, though. I really, really liked his four-episode relationship with Lizzy Caplan, and wish she'd stuck around for a lot longer.

1 hour ago, DearEvette said:

Jake and Amy - Brooklyn 99

 

These two are all the proof anyone should need that good writers shouldn't be scared of putting their couples together. Jake and Amy have had a relationship that progressed wonderfully and realistically, without the need for drama and angst. The writing has subverted all those tropes to great effect and just used them to show the viewers how right Jake and Amy are for one another.

I really like Maeve and Otis from Sex Education. I didn't think I would, didn't think I'd ever believe that Maeve would be into Otis, but the actors absolutely sold it, and the writing for them is great, except for the really obvious 'we can't have them get together yet' delaying tactics.

 

[Mabinogia]

2 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

These two are all the proof anyone should need that good writers shouldn't be scared of putting their couples together. Jake and Amy have had a relationship that progressed wonderfully and realistically, without the need for drama and angst. The writing has subverted all those tropes to great effect and just used them to show the viewers how right Jake and Amy are for one another.

I love that the show didn't try to draw out the "will they won't they" but let them be a couple, and they are adorable together. I am not bored by them. I don't need any obstacles or misunderstandings to make me root for them. I just love them. I love them together. Great couple. I also adore Holt and Kevin.

I usually don't like the shows chosen couples. For me shipping is almost entirely a gut reaction to the two actors/characters chemistry. B99 is one of the very rare shows in which I love the couples the show wants me to love. 

[Annber03]

10 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

For me shipping is almost entirely a gut reaction to the two actors/characters chemistry.

Same. Sometimes I like the canon couples, or the ones the show intends to be canon, other times I like the non-canon ones. I don't need my ships to become canon. I just consider it a nice bonus if it happens :). 

Niles/Daphne from "Frasier" is an example of a canon couple I do love. I'll always have a fondness for those two, I've shipped them since I was a teenager :D. Plus, I really like that after they got together on the show, they stayed together, and they worked through all the issues and ups and downs that came their way as a couple. I appreciate that the show allowed them an opportunity to address some of the insecurities they each had, it's not often you see shows do that once a couple gets together. 

Other canon couples I like:

-Norma/Romero on "Bates Motel". Yes, I knew how their story would end, but they had great chemistry, they understood and accepted each other's struggles and darker sides, and they were the sort that I felt could've made it had they gotten out of White Pine Bay and away from Norman and all the other craziness. 

-Dick/Mary and Sally/Don from "3rd Rock". Mary and Don knew how to handle and put up with Dick and Sally's respective craziness :p. 

-Chuck Noblet and Geoffrey Jellineck on "Strangers with Candy"-I think they're the only ones who could stand to put up with the other :p.

-Annalise/Tegan and Connor/Oliver from "How to Get Away with Murder". With Annalise/Tegan, I just like that Annalise found someone who could give her the kind of peace and happiness she longed for, and with Connor/Oliver, yeah, their relationship is messy in a lot of ways, but again, they've been through so much and I think they understand each other in ways others never will. 

As for non-canon pairings I like...

-To continue with my HTGAWM thoughts, had Annalise not wound up with Tegan, I would've been fine with her and Bonnie getting together. 

-Shaun/Claire from "The Good Doctor". I think they have the best and deepest connection of all the characters, and they have a lot in common, and know how to communicate with and get through to each other when others can't. 

-Kristen/David or Kristen/Ben on "Evil', I'd be good with either one happening (mind, I don't think Kristen/Ben is anywhere near as likely to happen, but still). I like the intellectual connection David and Kristen have, with them being able to have deep, meaningful conversations about religion and their respective beliefs and so forth, and I feel there's more they can connect over with their world travels and whatnot as well. And with Ben/Kristen, I love the bond he's managed to forge with Kristen and her family, and they have a fun, teasing sort of banter that's really cute. Plus, they're on the same page with their beliefs. 

I'll also continue to defend my appreciation for Reid/JJ. I like the "what could've been" element of their relationship. But "Criminal Minds" is one of those shows where my multi-shipping self has a field day, because there's lots of pairings, both canon and non-canon, that I like from there. 

I'm sure there's others I'm forgetting at this time, but yeah, there's a glimpse into my tastes. As for least favorite ships, there's very few that I outright just don't care for. Most of the ones I don't ship I'm generally just more, "Eh...*Shrugs*" about instead. 

[DearEvette]

14 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

love that the show didn't try to draw out the "will they won't they" but let them be a couple, and they are adorable together. I am not bored by them. I don't need any obstacles or misunderstandings to make me root for them. I just love them. I love them together. Great couple. I also adore Holt and Kevin.

Jake and Amy are a template for exactly how to write a couple who start out platonically and end up in a romantic relationship in a show that isn't about romantic relationships and not have that relationship cannibalize the show or hurt the characters.  They are still exactly the same people they were before they got together, they act the same toward other people and each other as they always have except now they kiss occasionally as well.  It is really not that hard

[Bastet]

I tend to find romantic relationships that develop over the course of a series annoying distractions from the relationships and storylines I care about, because I hate the way such relationships are generally written on TV, especially how women are written in them.  So the couples I like are usually ones who are already a couple of when the series begins.

A few I've liked that happened along the way:

- Laura and Bill, Battlestar Galactica (my hands-down favorite)
- Bonnie and Adam, Mom
- Emma and Mark, Playing House

And I've even liked some shows entirely predicated on will they or won't they.  I loved the first three seasons of Moonlighting, but didn't want Maddie and David to become a couple (friends with benefits, maybe).  With Remington Steele, though, I did - Laura and Steele having a future was believable.

[Mabinogia]

11 hours ago, Annber03 said:

Niles/Daphne from "Frasier" is an example of a canon couple I do love. I'll always have a fondness for those two, I've shipped them since I was a teenager :D. Plus, I really like that after they got together on the show, they stayed together, and they worked through all the issues and ups and downs that came their way as a couple. I appreciate that the show allowed them an opportunity to address some of the insecurities they each had, it's not often you see shows do that once a couple gets together. 

I did love Niles and Daphne and was so happy when the show got them together and didn't screw it up. I feel a show like Frasier was smartly written enough that they didn't need to keep them apart. It also helps that they weren't the lead. I think shows tend to be more willing to take a chance on supporting character relationships just doing their thing but are a lot more hands on when it's the lead in a relationship and usually, the more the writers try to write the relationship the worse it gets, at least for me. 

 

11 hours ago, Annber03 said:

Norma/Romero on "Bates Motel". Yes, I knew how their story would end, but they had great chemistry, they understood and accepted each other's struggles and darker sides, and they were the sort that I felt could've made it had they gotten out of White Pine Bay and away from Norman and all the other craziness. 

ok, that's another one I loved (you have very good couples taste lol) and it broke my heart, but the show being what it was, we all knew they weren't going to ride off into the sunset. And yet, I begged Norma to just grab that man and get the hell out of dodge (or WPB in this case). I wanted it to happen all while knowing it never would. That's good writing and some amazing chemistry. 

3 hours ago, DearEvette said:

Jake and Amy are a template for exactly how to write a couple who start out platonically and end up in a romantic relationship in a show that isn't about romantic relationships and not have that relationship cannibalize the show or hurt the characters.  They are still exactly the same people they were before they got together, they act the same toward other people and each other as they always have except now they kiss occasionally as well.  It is really not that hard

I want to "heart" this a million times!!!!!!

My all time favorite tv couple ever and forever are Gomez and Morticia Addams. Everything about them was perfect. They were deeply, passionately in love (in the 60s, a time when most tv couples slept in separate beds and barely touched lips when they kissed), they had fun together, fencing, dancing, playing in the play room (*wink wink*), and always wanted the best for the other. 

My favorite movie couple of all time is Nick and Nora Charles, the king and queen of witty banter. Hart to Hart was based on the Thin Man movies (where Nick and Nora are from) so I quite liked them as well but they lacked that 1930s NYC socialite and gumshoe charm. Still, a solid couple. 

[Annber03]

6 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

I did love Niles and Daphne and was so happy when the show got them together and didn't screw it up. I feel a show like Frasier was smartly written enough that they didn't need to keep them apart. It also helps that they weren't the lead. I think shows tend to be more willing to take a chance on supporting character relationships just doing their thing but are a lot more hands on when it's the lead in a relationship and usually, the more the writers try to write the relationship the worse it gets, at least for me. 

I think that's a good point about it being easier to do a romance with supporting characters. And if a show is an ensemble, that helps, too-lots more characters to focus on, so that if a couple of them do get together, their story isn't the only one being focused on. Developing a romance between a show where two characters are the main leads can be done well, but yeah, it's also very tricky. We've got lots of examples of where it can go wrong, too. 

And yeah, I also agree that the writing for "Frasier" helped as well-the characters were older and more settled and mature, so their view on relationships is going to naturally be different from a show centering on people in, say, their twenties still dating around and figuring stuff out (not to say that can't be an interesting story to tell, too, of course, as it can). 

Quote

ok, that's another one I loved (you have very good couples taste lol) and it broke my heart, but the show being what it was, we all knew they weren't going to ride off into the sunset. And yet, I begged Norma to just grab that man and get the hell out of dodge (or WPB in this case). I wanted it to happen all while knowing it never would. That's good writing and some amazing chemistry. 

Thanks :)! Yeah, that was one of the great things about "Bates Motel"-you knew how the story would end and yet you still kept hoping things might turn out differently this time. Tragic romances can be very difficult to get right, but man, are they powerful when they do happen. 

Quote

My all time favorite tv couple ever and forever are Gomez and Morticia Addams. Everything about them was perfect. They were deeply, passionately in love (in the 60s, a time when most tv couples slept in separate beds and barely touched lips when they kissed), they had fun together, fencing, dancing, playing in the play room (*wink wink*), and always wanted the best for the other. 

Also a good call :D. It is funny how some couples from the more restrictive days have more chemistry than some of the current couples who don't have those kinds of restrictions do :p. 

[Mabinogia]

19 hours ago, Annber03 said:

Tragic romances can be very difficult to get right, but man, are they powerful when they do happen. 

A well done tragic romance is a thing of beauty. Norma and Romero were that for me. We knew they were doomed. We knew he should have probably run as far from her as humanly possible. But we also couldn't help but root for them and wish things could have gone differently. I know Norma Bates was a screwed up mess and that she caused a lot of the problems in her life, but damn if I didn't love that character to death. 

I think they worked so well because 1) they were played by two amazing actors who truly seemed to enjoy working together and 2) because Romero knew she was a screwed up mess, knew he should probably walk away, but also just loved her. And she loved him and she loved the idea of a life with him and she wanted that life but she was just too screwed up and it destroyed her. 

They never felt like a typical "will they/won't they" couple with annoying obstacles thrown at them to keep them apart. They were a couple doomed from the start but who struggled to fight the inevitable and lost. God, I really did love that couple. (if you couldn't tell)

[Annber03]

Norma was great. I loved her, too. She was funny, scary, vulnerable, smart... Vera Farmiga was superb in making her such a complex character.

19 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

I think they worked so well because 1) they were played by two amazing actors who truly seemed to enjoy working together and 2) because Romero knew she was a screwed up mess, knew he should probably walk away, but also just loved her.

When he asked where they were going after she just unloads about her past. Just...<3. Your post said it all.

I remember reading about the cast having fun and joking with each other on Twitter and whatnot, too :D. I've been pretty lucky in that the actors who are part of my favorite ships have gotten on well off the set, too. Sure, there's plenty of actors who couldn't stand each other yet still managed to portray a convincing relationship on screen, and of course it's not a requirement that you have to like and befriend everyone you work with, either. But it obviously does make things nicer when the actors do get on well. I always feel bad for fans of a pairing when the actors let their dislike of each other bleed into their interactions, and it has a negative effect on the characters and their romance and so on, too. 

[ShortyMac]

Penelope/Max from One Day at a Time. Chemistry for days. Love them together.

[Scarlett45]

On 6/30/2020 at 2:36 PM, truthaboutluv said:

I found as I got older, my least favorite ships always seemed to be those that were really popular. Probably one of my most unpopular opinions is Pacey/Joey. No, it's not because I wanted Joey with Dawson because in truth, I just didn't like Joey at all. No, the core of my bitterness was always how the writers had to completely crap on Pacey/Andie, which they spent an entire season beautifully building up, to facilitate the Pacey/Joey pairing. And for the rest of my years, I've had to read and hear about the so-called awesomeness and perfection that supposedly was Pacey/Joey. Whatever. 

Other least favorites that were popular - Damon/Elena and Chuck/Blair. The "love story" of two douchebag rapists/attempted rapists and the pathetic twats who kept staying with them.  Girl power! Oh but they were "so hot". Yeah, whatever. 

Ditto to all of this. I didn’t mind Joey but I really couldn’t stand Pacey. Dawson was annoying but he did shit. 
 

Could never ever accept Damon/Elena & Chuck/Blair. IMO the true relationships of those shows were Stefan/Damon & Blair/Serena. 

[scarynikki12]

37 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

IMO the true relationships of those shows were Stefan/Damon & Blair/Serena. 

For me, I ship both Stefan and Damon with a guillotine. Totally agree on Blair/Serena and one of Gossip Girl's many travesties was sidelining that friendship in favor of the shitty boyfriends.

Once I hit my thirties I started moving away from romantic shipping and into platonic shipping. There are a few reasons, incluing my real life history of making poor romantic choices and great friendship choices, the stories that have come out in recent years about how various actresses have been pressured into doing love scenes they weren't comfortable with, and the simple fact that platonic relationships tend to be better written than romantic ones. For every Jake/Amy (who I agree are Relationship Goals) we have about a hundred couples like Ross and Rachel. I've lost count how many times I've chatted with people after a show ends and someone will inevitably say "they totally broke up five minutes after the finale". That's not the reaction people should have about these couples when the story is over.

So here are some of my favorite friendships:

Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sophia

Lorelai Gilmore and Lane Kim

Lucy and Ethel

Sara Lance and Oliver Queen

Kara Thrace and Helo

Kara Danvers and Kate Kane

Leonard Snart and Mick Rory

Jessica Fletcher and Seth Hazlett

Nikita and Alex

Peggy Carter and Jarvis

[KWalkerInc]

On 6/30/2020 at 1:19 PM, Danny Franks said:

On 6/30/2020 at 9:02 AM, anna0852 said:

One of my current favorites:

Nick & Jess on New Girl

The first time he kissed her.... yowza!!!

They were fun... except for when the writers decided they needed Drama! in the relationship. The character archetypes of chaotic, slovenly slacker and super organised go-getter were there from the beginning, but the writers really played heavily on them to sow division in the relationship. 

What I hated the most about the episode with their break-up (and there were a lot of things) was all that "I miss my friend" crap as the justification for the break-up, that they would then stop fighting.  I thought they fought a lot more when they were just friends, including an episode late in season 1 that included a screaming match where they wound up shaking their butts at each other.  (I can't remember why they were so mad, though I think it was because Jess was telling him how stupid he was to reunite with Caroline.)  It was clear that the writers just broke them up because they didn't feel like writing them as a couple anymore, not for any actual thought-out storyline decisions, so after reading comments from the showrunners about how they just wanted everyone to be a bunch of wacky single friends (a complete reversal of a few months earlier), I decided I didn't feel like watching for several years.  I had been burned in the past continuing to watch shows that both broke up couples I liked and (usually before that) stopped being as funny as they had, so I took it out on NG.

I haven't seen nearly every episode of The Parkers, but Nikki and Professor Oglevee were definitely a couple that I didn't like.  The people in charge clearly thought their ending with the two getting married was something everyone wanted, but that was not the reaction I saw at all from forums at the time it aired.  It had been nice to see Nikki, who seemed like a nice, smart woman aside from her stalking of the professor (not a small problem), finally come to her senses, move on and find someone who truly appreciated her.  Although it was understandable that Professor Oglevee was frightened by her constant strong advances, he seemed like a conceited jerk toward most people most of the time, so I didn't get why she was so into him.  Once in a while, they would throw in something as a hint that he "loved" her, but I didn't buy that it was more than physical; and he would usually turn to her when he was at a low point, then reject her.  The finale had two major problems:  it rewarded her for her stalking and ignored that the main reason he didn't completely reject her advances over the years was because he delighted in being cruel to her (i.e. he's a jerk).  And they were supposed to be a happily ever after?  That was definitely a "didn't last five minutes after the finale" couple--I even mentioned that to someone on a forum at the time to cheer them up.

[ParadoxLost]

9 hours ago, KWalkerInc said:

What I hated the most about the episode with their break-up (and there were a lot of things) was all that "I miss my friend" crap as the justification for the break-up, that they would then stop fighting.  I thought they fought a lot more when they were just friends, including an episode late in season 1 that included a screaming match where they wound up shaking their butts at each other.  (I can't remember why they were so mad, though I think it was because Jess was telling him how stupid he was to reunite with Caroline.)  It was clear that the writers just broke them up because they didn't feel like writing them as a couple anymore, not for any actual thought-out storyline decisions, so after reading comments from the showrunners about how they just wanted everyone to be a bunch of wacky single friends (a complete reversal of a few months earlier), I decided I didn't feel like watching for several years.  I had been burned in the past continuing to watch shows that both broke up couples I liked and (usually before that) stopped being as funny as they had, so I took it out on NG.

New Girl made the same mistake as How I Met Your Mother. They got Nick and Jess together and then broke them up and then proceeded to convince me that maybe yes it was better for them to not be together and the ship should be abandoned.  And then they reunited them.

I was never all that invested in Jess and Nick reuniting again but at least they somehow avoided the outrage at how Robin and Ted got back together in the end.

[Mabinogia]

15 hours ago, scarynikki12 said:

Jessica Fletcher and Seth Hazlett

Awe, I loved Jessica and Seth as friends. You could tell they were close and had known each other a long time. 

I would say platonically I adore Leslie Knope and Ann Perkins from Parks and Rec and I loved Leslie and Ron Swanson's friendship as well. I also thought the romance of Leslie and Ben Wyatt was well done. 

Love the Golden Girls Quartet

Eleanor and Michael and Michael and Janet on The Good Place. 

I loved JD and Turk on Scrubs and Shawn and Gus on Psych. 

Pierce and BJ on MASH

Sherlock and Watson on Sherlock

I can list a lot more friendships I liked than romantic relationships I liked. Looks like I'm more of a platonic gal. 

[AstaCharles]

Ditto on Jessica and Seth from Murder She Wrote.  

I will always have a soft spot for Jeannie and Major Nelson  (grew up watching I Dream of Jeannie  reruns).

Phryne and Jack from Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. It was so nice to discover a series with a somewhat satisfying "happy ending" that I was cool with.

Edited July 3, 2020 by AstaCharles

[KWalkerInc]

14 hours ago, ParadoxLost said:

They got Nick and Jess together and then broke them up and then proceeded to convince me that maybe yes it was better for them to not be together and the ship should be abandoned. 

That's what happens often when writers decide, "We don't want to write this couple together anymore.  Let's just throw them back together in the finale so that their fans won't be mad."  Then they literally got back together for the last two seconds of what would have been the finale (it was already filmed) if the network hadn't agreed to another 7 episodes.  I was okay because I hadn't watched between the break-up and when they got back together.  I actually think their intention after the break-up was to leave them apart permanently, but then they started having Jess pine for Nick a couple years later.  Maybe they thought this would correct their continuing ratings decline.

[Danny Franks]

On 7/3/2020 at 10:38 AM, KWalkerInc said:

What I hated the most about the episode with their break-up (and there were a lot of things) was all that "I miss my friend" crap as the justification for the break-up, that they would then stop fighting.  I thought they fought a lot more when they were just friends, including an episode late in season 1 that included a screaming match where they wound up shaking their butts at each other.  (I can't remember why they were so mad, though I think it was because Jess was telling him how stupid he was to reunite with Caroline.)  It was clear that the writers just broke them up because they didn't feel like writing them as a couple anymore, not for any actual thought-out storyline decisions, so after reading comments from the showrunners about how they just wanted everyone to be a bunch of wacky single friends (a complete reversal of a few months earlier), I decided I didn't feel like watching for several years.  I had been burned in the past continuing to watch shows that both broke up couples I liked and (usually before that) stopped being as funny as they had, so I took it out on NG.

Yeah, the break up was absurd. They just decided they... had to for some reason. Their relationship was going fine, they were in love but there was this neurotic, obsessive navel-gazing that they might not have anything else in common, so obviously the relationship was doomed. It was silly, and so clearly put in just because the writers wanted to break them up.

Season 3 actually killed my interest in the show for a long time too, simply because the writers made Nick a certified idiot just to inject drama into his relationship with Jess. I only went back and watched seasons 4 to 7 last year, and did enjoy them. But I wish they'd given Nick another love interest, rather than Regan. Megan Fox's deadpan reactions to the craziness of the loft were good, and some of the lines they wrote for her were amazing ("I honestly believe you're the result of a man/dog body swap") but she never sold the attraction to Nick that Regan was supposed to have.

It's strange, because Schmidt/Cece was actually well written and, despite having more drama than Jess/Nick (arranged marriages, wedding aborted, cheating and discovery) it ran much more smoothly because the writers just let it happen. Same with Winston and Aly, who I really enjoyed in the latter seasons.

I feel like we were watching a writing team grow up, with New Girl - they started off being completely incapable of writing good relationships, and relied on guest stars completely changing character from one episode to the next to explain breakups, then they got scared when they were asked to write serious relationships. But finally they got over it and realised it's not quite that frightening, or that difficult.

[Blergh]

Cory Matthews and Topanga Lawrence Matthews managed to be one of my fave couples via Boy Meets World and LEAST favorite couples on its sequel Girl Meets World. How?

On BMW, the viewers watched them go from being somewhat adversarial preteens to then becoming friendly, then  enthralled with each other to going steady, then breaking up over Cory's flirtation with an infatuated girl (Lauren), then[ after a great deal of angst and atonement on his part], reconciling and getting engaged to Topanga breaking it off due to news of her own parents' split causing her to lose faith that her union with Cory could last, then regaining that faith and the two of them getting married. All along Topanga is well aware of Cory's faults and not shy about calling them out (and he is not shy about calling out HER faults) yet they each embrace said faults as they are getting ready to make the most of their union. Then with the series's end, Topanga gets offered a lucrative post in New York and Cory initially openly balks at the idea of leaving Philadelphia with his family and friends but then decides that their love will more than compensate for adjusting to a new city and life so their bond ends on a hopeful note.  

 

Alas, that note had long since soured by GMW. In that show, Topanga seems perpetually annoyed by Cory's faults and seems to only tolerate him as  someone to help watch their kids for free with little if any indication of residual affection. At least one time she even locks him out of their apartment during an argument and he winds up sneaking in their mutual residence via one of the kids' but doesn't confront her for having done this much less press charges.  Also, despite having supposedly forgiven him for his pre-engagement flirtation with Lauren and having gotten engaged then married then having borne children by him, even the vaguest mention of Lauren seems to set her off as though Cory is about to instantly run off and cheat with Lauren despite his not having had any contact with Lauren since his and Topanga's breakup all those years ago.  Yes, even though Cory has been entirely supportive of her career and appears to have been a completely faithful spouse. Lest anyone thinks I believe the fault in their dysfunction is totally Topanga's, I'd like to mention how Cory wasn't above attempting to sabotage Topanga via belittling her stances  in front of their child when Topanga FINALLY attempts to call Riley out for having blown off helping maintain the bakery ( a good portion of the family livelihood) for playing vid games. Oh, but Topanga makes no secret of her contempt for   her spouse via the series finale when she contemplates uprooting their whole family to pursue a London job and she asks for opinions re the possible impending move from 'the people I love' and invites her in-laws and adult longtime friends to weigh in but doesn't bother to even ASK Cory's POV (her spouse and co-parent) yet Cory rather than making any objections to this possible  move or even attempting to voice any opinion about it (contrary to their New York move when newly married)  is incredibly passive and just says he thinks she'll decide 'whatever is best for their family'. Of course, she doesn't give him any credit (much less thanks) for his being supportive of her that time or it seems any time. Yes, I am well aware that Cory had zillions of faults that seemed magnified by GMW's time but he wasn't without any good points. Would any viewers think it was healthy or funny if Cory was the one who seemed perpetually annoyed with Topanga, irrationally currently   jealous of the existence of a pre-engagement flirtation, willing to lock her out of their residence during an argument and not considering her among the people he loved much less even to have  bothered to ask her opinion when contemplating a big move involving their whole family  despite her having been a completely supportive and faithful spouse?     Of course, the big irony is that way back when they were adversial preteens, Topanga predicted that Cory would be   totally dictatorial and intolerant of any dissenting viewpoints as a spouse yet that's EXACTLY what SHE became!  

 

Lastly,  it needs to be said that Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel were co-producers of this latter series so it's not as though they were performers completely helpless to the writers' whims re having their characters and the characters' bond getting totally trashed (and they don't seem to have expressed laments since the series' end that this happened). 

Edited July 12, 2020 by Blergh

[roamyn]

Ooh, fun😄!

Favorite:

Starsky & Hutch

McDanno Hawaii 5-0 2010

Jamie & Brienne GoT

Sam & Gillie GoT

Percy & LaSalle NCIS LA

Chloe & Lucifer Lucifer

Linda & Amenadiel Lucifer

Nick & Ellie NCIS

Jamie & Claire Outlander

Donna & Chief Boden Chicago Fire

House & Wilson 

FEZ & Jackie That 70s Show

Bernadette & Howard TBBT

Kate & Jack LOST

 

Least Favorite:

McGarrett & Catherine Hawaii 5-0 2010

Tony & Ziva NCIS

Penny & Leonard TBBT

Gabby & Casey Chicago Fire

Shannon & Sayid LOST

Jackie & Hyde That 70s Show

 

 

[anna0852]

Jackie and Kelso on That 70's Show. Simply because Mila and Ashton are adorable. 

[Mabinogia]

I have been watching The Addams Family pretty much constantly on Pluto the past few days. Not only are Gomez and Morticia written as deeply, passionately in love, the actors, Carolyn Jones and John Astin have some of the most amazing chemistry ever. I think a huge part of it is their eye contact. Now that I'm rewatching eps nearly daily I've been paying more attention to the little things. There are so many moments where they just gaze into each others eyes and it makes me all squishy inside. If any man ever looked at me the way Gomez looks at Morticia I think I would actually swoon.

They are also, the characters, completely supportive of one another. It is nice to see in a sitcom. Usually sitcom spouses have the dumb, goofball husband (which Gomez would qualify as) and the exasperated, annoyed wife (which is NOT Morticia. She thinks her Bubula (no idea how to spell that) is the most clever man ever and he thinks she is talented in everything she does.

They really are the perfect couple. 

[ABay]

French, Tish.

Gomez was one of the best TV husbands ever.

Edited July 15, 2020 by ABay

[anna0852]

I totally forgot. Amongst my favorites: 

Burt and Virginia along with Jimmy and Sabrina on Raising Hope

[Apathy]

On 7/15/2020 at 9:16 PM, anna0852 said:

I totally forgot. Amongst my favorites: 

Burt and Virginia along with Jimmy and Sabrina on Raising Hope

Total agreement with everyone here on Burt and Virginia! Jimmy and Sabrina on the other hand was one of those ships I didn't really like until they got together, after that they were a lot more fun to watch.

Speaking of Greg Garcia shows, how could I forget Joy and Darnell on My Name is Earl? Another example of a couple you might not think would work in the long term from how they started, but then really really do.

[Dr.OO7]

Even though they never got together, Matt and Alesha from Law & Order UK. It really says something for their chemistry and how much Matt could convey with a look (Jamie Bamber is incredible at non-verbal acting) that fanfic writers could pick up on it--there'a a series that's been running for a DECADE that has them as the blissfully married parents of two.

I'm sure I'm going to get blasted for this, but I don't care--ER's Doug and Carol.

And an unusual choice, but Danny and Linda of Blue Bloods. How unbelievably refreshing to have a TV drama with a genuinely happily married couple. And on a cop show, no less, where dysfunctional marriages and/or divorce are the norm. 

[Zella]

43 minutes ago, Camille said:

And an unusual choice, but Danny and Linda of Blue Bloods. How unbelievably refreshing to have a TV drama with a genuinely happily married couple. And on a cop show, no less, where dysfunctional marriages and/or divorce are the norm. 

I really liked Linda, but I thought Danny was just an absolute asshole. 

[Ambrosefolly]

How funny that brothers Fred and Ben Savage were both halves of the tv teen couples that ended up defining the late 80s & 90s? If I have to pick a couple, I think Kevin/Winnie win out over Cory/Topanga, not because I don't believe a childhood love can't eventually marry, because while not common, I know a few couple that started dating in their early teens that are married now, but because Cory/Topanga eventually came across so emotionally co-dependent once they got to high school, only rivaled with Shawn & Cory. I think because Wonder Years was always more  "prestige" than Boy meets World, the show picked an ending for Kevin & Winnie that I believe was completely appropriate and resonated more with the audience, even if didn't service shippers.

Edited August 22, 2020 by Ambrosefolly

[Blergh]

20 hours ago, Ambrosefolly said:

How funny that brothers Fred and Ben Savage were both halves of the tv teen couples that ended up defining the late 80s & 90s? If I have to pick a couple, I think Kevin/Winnie win out over Cory/Topanga, not because I don't believe a childhood love can't eventually marry, because while not common, I know a few couple that started dating in their early teens that are married now, but because Cory/Topanga eventually came across so emotionally co-dependent once they got to high school, only rivaled with Shawn & Cory. I think because Wonder Years was always more  "prestige" than Boy meets World, the show picked an ending for Kevin & Winnie that I believe was completely appropriate and resonated more with the audience, even if didn't service shippers.

Interesting points!

Yes, and, even though these were two very different shows, they do ironically provide the viewers with the philosophical POV of which fate would be better:

1. Wonder Years with Kevin and Winnie ultimately drifting apart but him forever thereafter being wistful about the bond they had had.

2. Boy Meets World with Cory and Topanga achieving the goal of getting married and seeming to embrace each other's flaws yet by the time of Girl Meets World with him still attracted to her and trying to stay on her good side- and her seemingly perpetually annoyed with him and considering him someone to tolerate solely to have someone else watch their kids for free but having virtually zero affection remaining for him. 

I somewhat think it would be better to have broken up but still be able to wistfully recall the bond than to stay together and have  truly nothing to look forward to with the other person but just endure the barbs and disdain because. ..why. 

[Mabinogia]

46 minutes ago, Blergh said:

I somewhat think it would be better to have broken up but still be able to wistfully recall the bond than to stay together and have  truly nothing to look forward to with the other person but just endure the barbs and disdain because. ..why. 

I agree. Since both relationships started when they were still children, still figuring out who they were and what they wanted to do with their lives, I find Kevin's fond remembrances of his first love more appealing than Cory and Topanga seemingly trapped in their childhood relationship, which didn't seem to grow along with them. 

There is nothing wrong with a first love, especially if it starts in middle school/high school being just that, a first (of more than one) love. Television tends to forget that many people end up dating more than one person in their lives. Your first love doesn't have to be "the one". 

Thinking about how crappy Girl Meets World ended up being, maybe it would have been more interesting to see Cory and Topanga as divorced parents struggling to balance their separate lives and their bratty child's needs. Also, maybe Riley's horrible self involvement would have been more understandable if she came from a split home. It's hard on a kid juggling two lives, the weekday life with one parent and the weekend life with the other. 

I liked Cory and Topanga back on Boy Meets World, but I was never so invested that I needed them to end up together. 

[Blergh]

What was weird/annoying was that on GMW not only did virtually all the characters drink the Kool Aid and pretend Riley was so wonderful and perfect but, even as late as Shawn's wedding to Katy, it was pitched that   Cory and Topanga's dysfunctional, spiteful bond was supposed to have been the ideal one for others to aspire to! 

Yep, not unlike when the late Senator Ted Kennedy in a softball documentary for his mother Rose's 100th Birthday, gushed that the marriage between the late Joseph Kennedy and former Rose Fitzgerald had been  ' a marriage made in heaven' (rather than just diplomatically state  the facts that the two were married 55 years before Joseph's death and had had nine children together). If THAT (with Mr. Kennedy's flagrant adulteries and Mrs. Kennedy's  resulting passive-aggressive sniping) was what the late Senator considered 'heaven', I'd hate to imagine what he'd have considered a union made in the other place! 

If nothing else, Shawn proved smarter to not marry the first girl he was attracted to and waited until he was independent and self-sufficient before he actually wed Katy. 

I think it might have helped had there been some acknowledgement that Cory and Topanga's marriage by some character (e.g. Mr. Feeny, Mr. Turner, Alan, Amy, Shawn, Katy,etc)  was NOT ideal  but no one seemed to want to broach that subject. More importantly, that they needed to either see if it was possible to improve how they related to each other (even if that meant counseling or therapy)  or  ending it because  keeping things 'as was'  in their unpleasant, dysfunctional state wasn't doing either of them or their offspring any favors. 

Edited August 24, 2020 by Blergh

[VCRTracking]

Now that Agents of SHIELD is over I look at how it produced my favorite ships of the 2010s. FitzSimmons of course. Who knew at the beginning two cute scientists meant to be comic relief would produce so much romantic angst? Then the team mom and dad of May and Coulson(aka "Philinda"), Bobbi and Hunter (the MCU's answer to Mr and Mrs Smith), Mack and Yo-Yo, and in the end Daisy and Sousa.

[roamyn]

I’ve just started watching Supernatural , and WTF?!!!  Fans ship Sam & Dean?  Seriously?  They’re brothers!  That’s just such a different level of ick. 

[Katy M]

7 minutes ago, roamyn said:

I’ve just started watching Supernatural , and WTF?!!!  Fans ship Sam & Dean?  Seriously?  They’re brothers!  That’s just such a different level of ick. 

It's icky, but no ickier than a lot of other things.

[Blergh]

11 minutes ago, roamyn said:

I’ve just started watching Supernatural , and WTF?!!!  Fans ship Sam & Dean?  Seriously?  They’re brothers!  That’s just such a different level of ick. 

TOTALLY agree! And just because something's not 'as icky' doesn't make it UNicky!EYUCKKKK!!!!!!

[Oreo2234]

Supergirl is a show that has struggled with romances and its writing for them has only gotten worse. Though Melissa Benoist did have chemistry with Chris Wood the writing for Kara/Mon-el made them less root able then they should have been. The Kara/William romance already feels like it could be her worst pairing. Kara honestly seems like she barely gives a damn about any romance with him most of the time. 

Alex and Kelly are also really bad together. It just feels like its there because the writers are obligated to give Alex a love interest. There's no chemistry and its so blandly written. 

Edited August 29, 2020 by Oreo2234

[Annber03]

12 hours ago, roamyn said:

I’ve just started watching Supernatural , and WTF?!!!  Fans ship Sam & Dean?  Seriously?  They’re brothers!  That’s just such a different level of ick. 

Oh, just wait'll you hear about the people who ship the actors themselves. And I don't just mean ship them in a "occasionally might write a fic about them or enjoy how fun they are together in interviews and such" sort of way, I mean full on tinhatting, "they're totally secret lovers for real" sort of way. I'm not even in the "Supernatural" fandom, nor have I seen the show, but it's so big, and its fandom has bled over into and interacted with other fandoms, so I've heard a whole lot of stories over the years as a result. It's like any other fandom-most people are chill, but there's always some interesting pockets along the way :p. 

As for shipping Dean/Sam, from what I've heard, the main reason people do that is just because they don't seem to have a lot in the way of steady significant others on the show, and since they're the two main characters and the fans find the characters/actors hot....inevitable shipping as a result. It's really just that simple. 

[Katy M]

15 hours ago, Annber03 said:

Oh, just wait'll you hear about the people who ship the actors themselves. And I don't just mean ship them in a "occasionally might write a fic about them or enjoy how fun they are together in interviews and such" sort of way, I mean full on tinhatting, "they're totally secret lovers for real" sort of way. I'm not even in the "Supernatural" fandom, nor have I seen the show, but it's so big, and its fandom has bled over into and interacted with other fandoms, so I've heard a whole lot of stories over the years as a result. It's like any other fandom-most people are chill, but there's always some interesting pockets along the way :p. 

It's really so awful and ridiculous as their actual wives are attacked and belittled over it, keeping the real lovers apart.  People need to get a life.