Shipper Wars: Favorite And Least Favorite TV Couples

[zxy556575]

Always and forever, I dislike when any group of mixed-sex sitcom friends start swapping partners. Yes, men and women are thrown together by work or circumstance, but that doesn't mean they eventually all have to sleep with each other! Let people be friends. It didn't work for Fleetwood Mac and it's awkward to watch on TV.

 

I agree with everyone about the suckage that was Joey and Rachel, but at least the writers left Joey and Phoebe in peace -- they're tied with Sheldon and Penny as my favorite platonic couple.

[amensisterfriend]

I've recently rediscovered my love for The Office's Jim and Pam, at least for the show's first 5 or so seasons. (And I almost never like anything about a show past its first 4-5 seasons anyway!) I'm one of those few fiction fans who's never liked the 'opposites attract' trope. Instead of constant battling, mutual annoyance and inability to get along coming across as "chemistry" for me, it just irritates me and makes the often very popular couple in question seem depressingly incompatible. (*cough* Gilmore Girls' Luke and Lorelai, I'm looking at you!) Not liking the constantly bickering opposites attract thing has meant there are very few TV couples I've "shipped." I'll never forget my delight in discovering that Jim and Pam (*gasp!*) actually LIKED each other, got along the majority of the time as friends and then when they became a couple, and shared those same wavelength, "I get you" commonalities that made me totally understand their connection rather than make me think about how quickly they'd be broken up in "real" life :)  I totally get that they're not for everyone, and I agree with those who feel they became a little boring and even smug, but at their best, this couple touches and delights me like no other. At least no other who's currently springing to mind :) 

[tribeca]

Favorites

Jim & Pam they were both so sweet.   Very lovable.  First time I remember getting invited to a facebook wedding party LOL 



Charming & Snow- married yet still madly in love with each other.

 

 

non-favorites

Andy & Erin  felt the show was trying to make them the next Jim & Pam.  Andy & Erin both had a mean streak in them so they could never really be Jim & Pam.  The worst to me was the way Andy broke off his engagement to someone who treated him good & seemed like a very nice women.

 

Hook & Emma- I dislike a lot about this couple.  For a while it seemed like the writers tried to make them Snowing 2.0.  Hated that! If they must be a couple let them have their own story

[braziliangirl]

Loved

 

Cappie/Casey - Greek

 

Hated (A LOT):

Dylan/Kelly

[Wiendish Fitch]

I also prefer couples who actually have things in common, and not just love each other, or lust after each other, but like each other. Yes, liking someone is just as important as loving them. I'll always cherish Overton and Synclaire from Living Single for just this reason. They had things in common, had similar personalities (Overton was a bit more grounded than Synclaire), and it was lovely watching their relationship grow and develop. I also loved Turk and Carla from Scrubs. They had their arguments and stuff, but the affection was always there, and they just worked as a couple. Same goes for Howard and Bernadette from The Big Bang Theory.

Edited October 12, 2014 by Wiendish Fitch

[Bruinsfan]

I'll be the one who disagrees.  In fact, I was reading through the thread just so I could post about how much I hated these two.  But then, I hated everything about Delenn and wouldn't mind Sheridan for myself, so yeah, not entirely objective on that score.

Heh, I hated the Sheridan/Delenn pairing for the opposite reason: loved her, thought of him as an entitled fratboy who was a dumbed-down pale shadow of the show's original lead.

 

My favorite couples were Carla & Turk on Scrubs, John Crichton & Aeryn Sun on Farscape, and the Chances on Raising Hope. The all-time worst in my opinion was the half-finished attempt at making Cordelia and Angel a romantic couple on Angel despite the absence of any romantic chemistry between characters or actors. (You know it's bad when you find yourself rooting for a pairing between a woman and the teenager she used to babysit that may well bring about the Apocalypse because it derails the former pairing.)

[amensisterfriend]

the Chances on Raising Hope.

 

I'm totally hating myself for forgetting the awesomeness that is Virginia and Burt! I'm not sure any other TV couple has ever so effectively shattered the myth that married couples can't have sizzling chemistry and a fabulously amusing, relatably flawed but loving dynamic. 

 

 

 

The all-time worst in my opinion was the half-finished attempt at making Cordelia and Angel a romantic couple on Angel despite the absence of any romantic chemistry between characters or actors.

 

Oh GOD. This. I swear that I'd completely repressed this "couple's" existence until now. 

 

As much as I like Firefly, I think the would-be couples on that show were terrible. Kaylee and Simon were forever embroiled in some tiresome miscommunication, had virtually nothing in common and, IMO, little to no chemistry. And Mal/Inara delighted me even less. On the bright side, Zoe/Wash are up there with Jim/Pam and Virginia/Burt on my list of special all-time favorites. 

 

Of TV's current prospective couples, I'm surprising myself by how much I'm enjoying and rooting for Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Jake and Amy, though I'm loving that they're building up such a solid friendship before the (seemingly inevitable) pairing. 

 

I can't stand Mindy and Chris on The Mindy Project, or at least couldn't back when I watched it, but that may well be because I don't especially like either as individual characters. As a couple, they remind me a little of what I disliked about Gilmore Girls' Luke and Lorelai: incompatible opposites who are constantly arguing and sparring in ways I find more exhausting than cute, far too different for me to even understand how and why they connect, low on chemistry and just rarely seeming to 'get' each other.  

 

Favorites

Jim & Pam they were both so sweet.   Very lovable.  First time I remember getting invited to a facebook wedding party LOL

 

As you can see from the above posts, I adore them as well....but now I'm just a tad offended that I wasn't invited to their wedding ;) 

Edited October 13, 2014 by amensisterfriend

[HappyPeppyPerson]

My favorite is Ann Marie and Don Hollinger from That Girl.  On Etsy I found a seller who makes jewelry using pictures from 70's TV icons and I asked her to make me an Ann/Don pin.  It gets compliments when I wear it, and I wear it a lot.  It's especially fun to wear it to weddings.

[cpcathy]

I thought I was the only one who couldn't stand Mindy and Danny on The Mindy Project. I like Minday Kaling a bunch, and the show only works on occasion for me, but I hate that these two are together. I don't think Chris Messina is making Danny as likable as fans think he is. I don't think they have any chemistry together whatsoever, no matter how cute their dialogue is.

[jazzygem]

Favorites:

Joey & Pacey, Dawson's Creek

Rory & Jess, Gilmore Girls

Lorelai & Christopher, Gilmore Girls

Mickey & Ian, Shameless

Leslie & Ben, Parks & Rec.

Jim & Pam, The Office

Alexis & Dex, Dynasty

Sun & Jin, Lost

Willow & Oz, BTVS

Shane & Carmen, the L Word

Carrie & Aiden, Sex & the City

 

 

Least Favorite;

 

Owen & Kristina, Grey's Anatomy

Callie & Arizona, Grey's Anatomy

Rory & Logan, Gilmore Girls

Leonard & Penny, The Big Bang Theory

Abby & Carter, ER

Ross & Rachel, Friends

Joey & Rachel, Friends

Carrie & Aleksandr, Sex & the City

[amensisterfriend]

Rory & Jess, Gilmore Girls

Lorelai & Christopher, Gilmore Girls

 

Wait, you mean I'm not the only person alive who thought Lorelai seemed far happier, more connected to and compatible with Christopher over Luke?! Can I beg for you to come visit the Gilmore Girls threads sometime? :) 
.

Jim & Pam, The Office

 

If we limited our favorites lists to just two couples or maybe even one, Jim and Pam would still be on it for me...especially if I repress the last few seasons!

 

Least favorite:

 

Rory & Logan, Gilmore Girls

 

Are you me?! 

[Cobalt Stargazer]

The all-time worst in my opinion was the half-finished attempt at making Cordelia and Angel a romantic couple on Angel despite the absence of any romantic chemistry between characters or actors. (You know it's bad when you find yourself rooting for a pairing between a woman and the teenager she used to babysit that may well bring about the Apocalypse because it derails the former pairing.)

 

To be (sort of) fair, Angel and Cordy could have worked, IMO. Hear me out. I could have dealt with the two of them falling for each other gradually, friends who turned into more. It was only when that kyerumption crap started getting slung around and "Destiny!" got dragged into it that I got annoyed. Angel had already done the Grand Passion thing, and while I hated Buffy and Angel because it brought out all of their worst qualities, I might have been able to live with a less fraught pairing. But the fact that Angel basically threw Connor in the trash again when the kid slept with Cordy made me wish he'd never come back from the bottom of the ocean.

[Portia]

I haven't seen this show in ages, but I always liked Bob & Emily Hartley on The Bob Newhart Show. They were very dry and funny with each, and they seemed to be friends as well as partners. They were a middle-aged couple without children (a rarity on TV, right?), so I had the sense that their relationship wasn't being held together artificially by children. I loved that Emily seemed smart and had a career she cared about; she wasn't just Bob's doting little wife.  

[Chrissytd]

Favorite:

Athena & Helo (BSG)

Seth & Summer

Least favorite:

Rory & Logan

Peyton & Lucas

Not a couple but a friendship:

Jen & Jack (Dawson's Creek)

[Rick Kitchen]

I LOATHE Kurt and Blaine together. The latter is whiny and needy to a frightening extent, and I find the relationship toxic.

 

Eh.  They're high school kids, I give them a pass.

 

Benjamin Sisko and Kira Nerys, anybody?  And/or Kira Nerys and Julian Bashir?  Maybe it's just that I was in love with Kira Nerys.

[caci]

Oh, I really liked Kira Nerys and Jullian Bashir.  They had great chemistry.  I was disappointed that they kept going with Kira and Odo, no romantic chemistry at all although I liked them as friends.  Kira and Sisko - they worked much better in their work relationship.  Still, I never cared for the woman Sisko  ended up with.   I can't even remember her name.  Kira may have been better in the long run.

[bmasters9]

Definitely on those pairs! And I loved how in the finale.. 

things were updated as to how Doug and Carol were doing. So sweet :).

 

Favorites:

 

Perry Mason and Della Street! They were my very first ship. Before I even knew what the heck it was :P. I just knew there was something special between these two (am now a shipper of them in the romantic sense ;) -- it's been fun finding all of the innuendo and moments between them). Grew up watching the tv movies and am now watching the series.

 

Didn't know that the both of them had been friends irl since the 40's either (Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale)... so it just was pretty cool. It only added to it imo. And they both seemed to have fun with teasing both sides of the fandom -- those who wanted Perry and Della to get together and those who didn't. Love the fact that they were able to keep things going on for so long... doubt anyone will be able to beat their record (17 seasons over a period of 36 years (iirc)) any time soon. 

 

One of my favorite clip of those two (Perry and Della) that I came across on Youtube... such chemistry :).

 

 

 

That's one of my favorites. Another one, of course, is Jonathan and Jennifer Hart from Hart to Hart. They're the big reason why I have enjoyed the first two seasons' worth of that, and why I'm very definitely looking forward to Shout!'s upcoming No. 3 release. 

[Wings]

Carrie & Aleksandr, Sex & the City.  They are the worst and number 1 for me.  I don't watch a lot of scripted shows so I don't have a lot to draw from. 

 

Mikhail Baryshnikov is a personal friend of SJP and that clearly clouded her vision on this being a reasonable plot line. 

[Anna Yolei]

Oh, I really liked Kira Nerys and Jullian Bashir. They had great chemistry.

I'm sure you're aware that the two actors were married IRL at one time and had a kid together? ;)

I always thought Nana Visitor had great chem with most of the cast, and in the couple of scenes that made sly references to their off-screen relationship (like the line Kira telks Doc Bashir after Keiko's bun is placed in her ovenc "You did this to me!" ) they were the rare RL couple that weren't completely repellent together on film.

[caci]

I'm sure you're aware that the two actors were married IRL at one time and had a kid together? ;)

I always thought Nana Visitor had great chem with most of the cast, and in the couple of scenes that made sly references to their off-screen relationship (like the line Kira telks Doc Bashir after Keiko's bun is placed in her ovenc "You did this to me!" ) they were the rare RL couple that weren't completely repellent together on film.

Yeah, I did know they were married in real life.  I was disappointed when they were divorced later.  Still, they were a great on the show.  I also remember the line "you did this to me".  I always wondered how many takes it took them to do that line without laughing.  I know I laughed at it.

[truthaboutluv]

I always felt poor Abby was always way too insecure for Luka.

 

 

Frankly I always thought Abby was too boring for anyone. The actress is clearly talented but there is something about her where it always seems like she just sucks every bit of joy and happiness out of every scene she's in.

 

The only couple I ever really cared about on ER was Doug and Carol.

 

 

Same. Their reunion when Julianna left the show was absolutely perfect. More so because it was completely unspoiled. 

 

Carrie and Aidan. Yuck. I preferred Carrie and Big (please don't throw gum at me).

 

 

I hated both. I never felt like Aiden ever really saw and accepted Carrie for who she was until the final end when they broke up (and I pretend that piece of shit movie never happened and he's still happily married to his wife and happy with his kids) and Carrie with Big was a series of her debasing herself to take any scrap he would give her, right up to banging him in his bed that he shared with his wife. I didn't see their ending as some super romantic end but rather a sad, pitiful "hey I guess if you hang around long enough eventually the guy might think you worthy of more than just sex and will marry you." Joy...

 

Elena and Damon from Vampire Diaries

 

 

I am torn on those two because thing is I really, really hate Elena and by that token want her nowhere near Stefan so I kind of don't care if she stays with Damon and it makes it easier to FF their scenes. That said their gross, toxic whiny-fest of a relationship sucks up a lot of screentime so it kind of inadvertently fucks up the whole show which is really annoying and depressing. 

 

Mickey & Ian (Shameless) - Great actors, great drama, great chemistry.

 

 

Love them. It's dark and unhealthy in many ways, like a lot of things on this show but both actors have done a bang up job of showing the progression from "nothing but sex" to "grudging friends with benefits" to being in love. Noel Fisher has been a revelation in that storyline. I foresee more heartache for them because well it's Shameless but I just love how when the show started it seemed like Fiona/Steve and Karen/Lip were going to be the popular, tragic couple that viewers would ship hardcore and somehow Ian and Mickey ended up outshining both IMO. Of course that's probably because Steve turned out to be a major douche and Karen a toxic sociopath but that's neither here nor there.

 

Pacey & Joey (Dawson's Creek) - I know it's an UO but the more I had to hear about their vaunted chemistry, and the more I just didn't see it, the more I resented them. I hate a lot of other couples for the same reason. Plus, I loathe triangles and am not a fan of friends swapping partners.

 

 

This exactly. I was so glad I mostly checked out of the show during S3, right around the time the Pacey/Joey relationship started so I missed the triangle that ate the show and all the shipping/fandom mess that came with it. Frankly I didn't ship Pacey/Joey or Joey/Dawson because like Elena on TVD, I hated Joey and thought she brought out the worse in any guy she was dating because she sucked that badly. I also really hated how the writers torpedoed Pacey/Andie to facilitate the Pacey/Joey pairing and later made it seem like Joey was the only person who EVER believed in Pacey, ever saw the good in him, etc. which was bullshit. 

 

One of my all time favorite teenage pairings is Seth and Summer (The O.C.). Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson were ridiculously adorable together and I appreciated Josh Schwartz ignoring the rabid shipping that wanted Summer to have a relationship with Ryan because "omg it would be so hot" and instead stayed true to Ryan and Seth's friendship and what Seth and Summer meant to each other. I also loved that they got their happy ending even if sadly Adam and Rachel were breaking up in real life at the time. Plus it helped ease my utter disappointment with the way That 70's Show screwed over the Jackie and Hyde fans like myself. I still have no words for that god awful series ending.

 

I liked Felicity/Ben  but would have been find with their not ending up together. Felicity and Ben were just unnecessarily ruined in my opinion when the writers seemed to get a boner for making Ben the most tortured and tragic character ever. I honestly didn't think Felicity should have ended up with either Ben or Noel. I also liked Rory/Jess and am fine with how the series ended because I like to believe Rory probably did somehow find her back to Jess. The reason I say that is because I liked that the show brought him back to show that he'd grown up and changed and was in a much better space than when they first dated. And Rory's not accepting Logan's proposal in my opinion was proof she clearly did not see her future being with him.

 

I think I have hated every single Shonda show relationship, especially the one that viewers are especially supposed to root for - that is, Derek/Meredith and Olivia/Fitz. The latter is especially gross, toxic and disturbing to me. I find Fitz to be a raging sexist, misogynist and asshole and no amount of heat and furniture banging sex scenes between Tony and Keri will convince me otherwise.

 

I LOATHE Kurt and Blaine together. The latter is whiny and needy to a frightening extent, and I find the relationship toxic.

 

 

I hate every pairing on Glee. Even the ones that weren't truly awful, still weren't great. And half of them, the actors barely had much chemistry. I truly believe that when it's all said and done, there will not be one pairing from Glee that people will look back on and say "that was an awesome pairing." They have moments but the overall picture is always shitty.

Edited October 24, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[ToxicUnicorn]

I hated both. I never felt like Aiden ever really saw and accepted Carrie for who she was

This made me think of the Emily Van Camp character on Revenge and the Aidan character.  Those two had no chemistry as a romantic pair and it was about then that I bailed.

 

Back in the beginning of Sisters and Brothers, I loved the chemistry between Emily Van Camp and David Annable.  

 

For the while that I watched Lie to Me, I thought the chemistry between Tim Roth (Lightman) and Kelli Williams (Foster) was off the charts.  I don't know if those two ever got together or not, but they were electric when they were in a scene together.

 

Did not know that Kira and Bashir were once married in real life.  I learned something today!

[Beezel]

• I just hated how it pushed Oz and Willow aside

   

  This was really the only Buffy ship I could get behind, save maybe Giles and Jenny. Also, I still feel bitter about how they decided to write out Oz's character.

• I know it's dysfunctional as all get out, but Violet and Tate from AHS. 

  ...because ghost romance! Also, yes, admittedly Tate was a psycho, but I do feel the show did a good job at least giving you some idea as to why he did the horrible things he did, and I do feel like he earnestly really loved and wanted to change for Vi. They had some amazingly cute and touching moments together. Of course, best intentions aside, Tate was  a destructive force who didn't deserve a easy happy ending,  so I was proud of Violet for walking away. Though admittedly,  and I'm  not  proud to admit it ,  part of me hopes they can work it out eventually.

   

• Taystee and Poussey (OitNB), though admittedly, they will likely remain just friends. At any rate, their relationship is beautiful and I just want more of it, regardless of what turn it takes. Though, if it is truly unrequited, I want Poussey to get a love interest next season (this also goes for Suzanne, who needs some loving already) 

• I am pretty into Emma and Hook (Once Upon a Time) and, believe me,  I was so *not* on board at any point in S2. In fact, I didn't really like Hook at the time either. It was a very gradual build-up for me throughout S3, but the end of the season I was, uh, hooked . I think they have great chemistry and I enjoy that Hook seems to genuinely value Emma, even the parts that some people (*cough* Snow *cough*) find troublesome to accept, like her magic. Now if only the writers could commit themselves to fleshing out the relationship instead of relying on rather contrived/repetitive angst, that would be lovely. 

• Andy and April (Parks and Rec.)  because they are adorable little weirdos that fit  so well together. 

Earlier ships: 

• early Sandy and Kirsten  (OC)
• Grace and Luke (Joan of Arcadia)
• early Adam and Joan could also qualify, though they really went off the rails by the 2nd season 
• Zoe and Walsh! (Firefly)
• Chris and Jal! (Skins
• Effy and Freddie (ditto)
• Nick and Lindsay (Freaks and Geeks)
• Kev and Veronica  (Shameless UK)
• David and Keith (Six Feet Under)

 

Least favorites:

• Buffy and anyone. And it wasn't necessarily all Buffy's fault. I thought regular recipe Angel was boring, Riley was insufferably boring in ways that made me  actually miss Angel, and, while I liked Spike earlier in the series, I hated their train wreck of a relationship more and more as it went on.
• I didn't hate them but I was always bored with Mal and Inara (Firefly).
• I think there are a lot of Skins ships that could qualify (like, nearly all of them from generation 3), but I have to say while they had a promising start, Emily and Naomi  and their misery in S4 was too much for me
  and by the time they got their happy ending, I was just completely over them as a couple

  . 

• Veronica and Duncan (Veronica Mars). 
  Soapy TV show or not, I just couldn't get around the fact that Duncan went a loooong time thinking Veronica was his sister and withholding the fact that he had drug-induced sex with her.  Something that, of course, was never brought up during their relationship in S2. Also, Veronica really had the blinders on hard  in ways that were nothing if not infuriating. I admit Veronica/Logan were dysfunctional too, but Veronica/Duncan will always take the cake, IMO.

• Bette and Tina (L Word). I literally had to fast-forward through most of their relationship. 
• And this makes it seem like I'm picking on lesbian couples, which isn't my intention, but I am so not into Alex and Piper (OitNB). I think they have their moments and I don't get the sense the show overly romanticizes their dynamic, but I also sort of really dislike Alex  and find her to be emotionally abusive and manipulative and think Piper is too good for her (though, admittedly, Piper is far from perfect herself). 

Edited November 20, 2014 by Beezel

[ToxicUnicorn]

I think the only gay or lesbian couple I have ever liked was Ross's ex-wife and her partner on Friends.  They, especially the partner, cracked me up.

[DkNNy79]

Favorites:

Buffy and Angel (BTVS):  vampire in love with a slayer.  OMG, the season 2 finale for me was one of the saddest moments in television.

Joey and Pacey (DC)

Jackie and Hyde (70's show): totally hated how the show destroyed this relationship and who they ended up with.

Carrie and Aiden (SATC)

Ned and Chuck (PD)

Brenda and Dylan (90210)

Brenda and Jax (GH)

Lucy and Alan-Michael (GL)

Zoe and Wade (HD)

 

Least Favorites:

Dawson and Joey

Buffy and Spike

Angel and Cordelia

Icahbod and Katrina

Sonny and Lilly

Donna and Eric (70s) - I don't understand what Donna saw in Eric.

 

I liked Ross and Rachel in the beginning, but by the end I didn't care anymore.

Edited November 28, 2014 by DkNNy79

[MyAimIsTrue]

Carrie and Aiden (SATC)

 

YES, much more so than Carrie and Big.

[nicepebbles]

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

- I love Eric/Tami for all the reasons already stated.

- I love Tim/Tyra. They have chemistry and understand each other. I always felt like they needed to get out of their own way. (I haven't seen all of S5 so no spoilers please.)

- I hate Tim/Lyla! For one, I thought the actress (blanking on her name) wasn't good as far as her acting. They had chemistry only because Taylor Kitsch has chemistry with everything. They only thing they had in common was Jason and Dillon. I never saw this true love. I felt like had Jason never gotten hurt they never would've gotten together. It was grief that drove them together. Hell if I know what kept them together.

- I love Matt/Julie. So adorable.

[ShadowHunter]

I hate Olivia and Fitz on Scandal. That relationship is a horror to me. They have chemistry and I was okay with them in Season1 but as time went on it got worse.

[amensisterfriend]

A couple more favorites: Edna and Irv on Everwood. Feel free to mock ;) And Bright/Hannah, despite it being the 'type' of couple (opposites attract, 'good' girl reforms 'bad' boy stud etc.) I normally dislike. (And the Andy/Harold frenemyship on Everwood, though that doesn't quite count!) I liked Amy/Ephram during the, like, 2-3 episodes of the series thet were actually happy, but generally there was just too much angst and melodrama there to keep me hooked. 

 

And I know it's already been said (and probably by me!), but Firefly's Zoe/Wash and Raising Hope's Burt/Virginia are awesome reminders that couples can be married and still have tons of connection, chemistry, and realistic yet not why-are-they-even-together?! conflicts.

[ShadowHunter]

With the shows being on break I went through Hulu and watched some old stuff again though when it comes to Felicity that may have been a mistake lol. Here I am again years later wondering to myself why did she pick Ben over Noel. I always felt Noel was 10x better then Ben.

 

Ben and Felicity were not terrible at first but as S3 and 4 went on to me they should have not ended up together.  I think in S4 Ben got his dad's sponsor pregnant. That should have really been the end of them.

[emjohnson03]

Oh I love doing these lists, I always end up missing someone because there's so many I have followed!

 

Faves:

 

-Jack and Elizabeth (When Calls the Heart) Great show on Hallmark. They are so adorable and just very cute.

-Doug and Carol (ER) Yeah, amazing.

-Emma and Will (Glee) They are the reason I started watching the show. 

-Sydney and Vaughn (Alias) Sexy couple. Sexy people. Just hot.

-Ross and Rachel (Friends) The Early years. Glad they ended up together but they were grating at times. It's just silly.

-Max and Liz (Roswell) Oh the early WB days. Loved that show. Then it got really weird.

-Daphne and Niles (Fraiser) Just a cute show but when they got together, it did lose some appeal.

-Matthew and Mary (Downton Abbey) This show was perfection for about 2 seasons. They did it so well. Loved every second of the romantic tension.

-Echo all the Friday Night Lights Couples. Perfect. Coach and Tammy was too perfect for words. 

-Derek and Meredith (Grey's Anatomy) I liked them in the early seasons but it's a little much now. Too much drama at times. But they were very good in the beginning.

-Sara and Michael (Prison Break) Good first season. I feel like I'm saying that alot!

-Jason and Liz (GH) This was the early 2000's. I always tuned in to see them develop and it never really happened long term but still enjoyed them and I know the 2 actors had alot of respect for each other and I think it showed. (May not be the most popular pairing, haha!)

-John and Pamela (Dallas) Loved them together. I know they kinda screwed them over and show is no longer, but I enjoyed them together and they were also very pretty.

-Jim and Pam  (The Office) Those took the chemistry off the charts. It was SOO well done. The first few seasons are just amazing.

-Joe and Helen (Wings) Such an underrated show. They had some very good moments. 

-Becky and Jesse (Full House) How I wish they got together in real life. Such a simple show but these two were so cute. Glad to know they are such good friends in real life.

-Kevin and Winnie (The Wonder Years) What a great pairing and really showed the progression of their relationship through the years. Should they have ended up together? Maybe but maybe it was better they didn't, because it was more realistic, even though I wished they did!

-Neal and Peter (White Collar) Not romantic but the best bromance. Loved everything about their relationship. Both of them really loved each other.

-Zach and Kelly (Saved by the Bell) Just too cute. 

-Dorthy/Rose/Blanche/Sophia (Golden Girls) What a great group of ladies and friends. They were so great together and they really loved each other and supported each other through it all. 

 

Not so good couples:

 

-Everyone else on Grey's (I can't get into one of these couples. They just don't seem to gel and they always have drama for silly reasons.)

-Pacey and Joey (Dawson's Creek) I know they were such a super couple but I don't really get it. Not that she should have been with Dawson but I thought Pacey was such an underachiever that it bothered me.

-Topenga and Cory (Boy Meets World) They were cute but I could never get into them. They were supposed to be young love and part of me feels that's the way it should have stayed. Them getting married didn't feel really right.

-Zach and Tori (Saved by the Bell) Were they a couple? Totally random.

-Jason and Sam (GH) Another supercouple but I never got behind it. Sam was so whiny and they put a damper in my Liz and Jason love

-Betty and Don (Mad Men) Talk about dysfunctional. That's part of the storyline but man were they horrible to each other. No love lost there for sure.

-Puck/whoever (Glee) He was just a mean guy. Didn't like him with anyone. I didn't think he was that amazing and didn't deserve to be with anyone.

 

 

 

I know there's more....but those are the ones that come to mind now.

Edited December 28, 2014 by emjohnson03

[Shannon L.]

Along with Jim and Pam from The Office, I also liked Michael and Holly.  They were perfect for each other. 

 

We're on the last season of Parks and Recreation on Netflix and I really like April and Andy together, which is odd for me because I typically can't stand those types of characters (and I'm still not crazy about April, but the character has shown some growth and she's grown on me a little bit).  Anyway, I like how they treat each other--especially April when Andy is about to do something stupid.  She doesn't get irritated or put him down, she just calmly puts her hand on his arm and shakes her head or something else like that.  I also like how she cheers him up when he's down.  They really seem to work well as a couple.  I also like Leslie and Ben and Leslie with all of her friends.  She's a bit overbearing, but she's so thoughtful when it comes to giving gifts or supporting them when they need it.

[MyAimIsTrue]

-Kevin and Winnie (The Wonder Years) What a great pairing and really showed the progression of their relationship through the years. Should they have ended up together? Maybe but maybe it was better they didn't, because it was more realistic, even though I wished they did!

 

Every time I hear the late Jimmy Ruffin's "What Becomes Of the Broken Hearted" I think of a scene in one of the early years of the show where a young Kevin and Winnie walked off together while that song was playing in the background, and it makes me smile.

[DollEyes]

 

I hate Olivia and Fitz on Scandal. That relationship is a horror to me.

 

  Me too. Time and time again, Fitz has put Olivia above his presidency (which he's never earned), his country, his marriage and even his children. Too many innocent people have suffered and/or died in the name of their so-called "love" for me to ever root for them.

[Snipsa]

Many of my favourite pairings (like Coach and Tami; Doug and Carol and Alison and Joe) have already been mentioned.

Some I haven't yet seen mentioned are: Archie and Claudia on ER. (Although we didn't see much of them, I loved what we could see)

Chief and Donna as well as Herrmann and Cindy on Chicago Fire. (See above)

Sam and Will - About a Boy (Still sad that their relationship didn't work out)

Mike and Frankie - The Middle

Some relationships I really can't/didn't get behind:

Carter and Abby on ER. (Absolute Hate - They brought out the worst in each other and turned the female in the relationship into a shrill shrew)

Luka and Sam on ER - See above.

Gabby and Matt on Chicago Fire - See above

Mike and Paige on Graceland - Never seen a possibly good relationship (with fair chemistry between the actors) be ruined by such complete character assassinations as happened in the second season. I agree with Aaron Tveit (Mike) as he said in an interview. There is no way their relationship can survive what happened in the last episode...

[amensisterfriend]

I'm kind of shocking myself with this pick for one of the best, but Park and Rec's April Ludgate and Andy Dwyer. The weird thing about me picking this one is that I usually hate April as an individual character for reasons I've ranted about elsewhere, and usually I have to at least semi-like both members of a pairing to enjoy them as a couple. But April and Andy genuinely make each other better people, have a lot of interesting and complementary differences without being annoyingly 'opposite' and incompatible (they actually have quite a few surprising things in common and generally like to do the same kind of stuff), they totally support each other and still show a lot of physical affection. And they're actually still funny and enjoy each other's company despite (gasp) being married, much like Burt and Virginia on Raising Hope.  

[proserpina65]

(And I've never liked Meredith and McDreamy either.)

 

I'm with you on this one.  Meredith is no great prize, but Derek is an unmitigated ass.  Nevermind that his behavior to her early in the first season was a textbook definition of sexual harassment, the dickhead was married and couldn't be bothered to tell her until his wife showed up.  And then he later had the nerve to practically call her a whore for sleeping with other men.  UGH!

[joelene]

Mulder and Scully, The X-Files (perfect partners)

Keith and David, Six Feet Under (real, complicated, ugly, beautiful)

Keller and Beecher, Oz (hot)

Donna and Karl, Pulling (hilarious pair of fuck-ups)

Adam and Alex, Rev. (true, sweet, messy)

Miles and Anna/Warren and Ferdy, This Life (most relationships on This Life come to think of it. It's one of the few shows were I've been truly invested in every romantic/sexual pairing even when they were terrible together, and not simply interested in where the story was going. Good god this show was brilliant and so real. Everyone should see it!)

Including non-romantic relationships, Patty Hewes and Ellen Parsons on Damages is one of my favorite relationships of any kind ever.

[Linderhill]

I'm not much of a shipper and get tremendously frustrated when too much emphasis is placed on romance when it eats up the show, especially those that really don't have anything to do with personal relationships.  Shows like procedurals, etc.  Some fans get so obsessed with them it drives me crazy.  One of my absolute favorite pairings is John Crichton and Aeryn Sun on Farscape.  A definite exception to the rule for me.  I've always hated Ross and Rachel on Friends, it just made no sense to me.  A previous poster hit it right on the head when they said that they brought the worst of themselves in each other.  Especially these two since Rachel really didn't have much of a great personality to begin with.  

 

I came to accept Mulder and Scully when I saw the last movie but I was so disappointed that they had to go there.  Why can't a man and woman simply work together as professionals with out romance thrown in.  

 

Grissom and Sara on CSI was a huge fail for me.  Ugh, just everything about it was wrong.  It wasn't cute, it wasn't romantic or sexy, just no.  No chemistry, nothing.  

 

I'm kind of wishy washy on the whole Jane/Lisbon thing on the Mentalist.  I'd rather they didn't go there but since they did, its being handled well.  

 

On NCIS, I never, ever bought into DiNozzo/Ziva.  First of all I hated the character of Ziva with the passion of a thousand suns and even the hint of a "relationship" even more.  The character almost took over the show with all of her angst and "ooo, look at me, I'm a bad-ass, ninja assassin and my daddie is using me, poor me" schtick.  It was one of those instances where you had to dumb down another character to build up another situations and I always think that's lazy writing.  

 

Doug and Carol on ER, yes, loved them and how the show handled it.  Especially that last episode of hers.

 

Back to Farscape, I like Chiana and D'Argo together.  They seemed to fit despite their self sabotage.

 

Hated Kelly with anyone on 90210 except maybe Steve.  I could never figure out what was so special about her that all the guys had to fall in love with her at some point.  He whiney voice drove me crazy and the character itself was an annoyance.  I did like Brenda and Dylan together.  I also thought that Brendan and Dylan would have made a great couple.

 

On Sons of Anarchy, I love Gemma and Clay together in those first couple of seasons.  You could tell they really loved each other and that there was nothing wrong with two mature people being together.  They did eventually crash and burn big time, but they were sweet with each other when they were simply a husband and wife without the despicableness of their characters in general.  (if that makes sense)  

 

I hated Buffy and Angel mainly because it was such a trope of the "forbidden love." (seriously, she's the vampire slayer and he's a vampire, do the math)  I did love Willow and Oz and thought the whole Wilow/Tara thing was Joss' overrated way of being edgy.  

 

I thought Mal and Inara were a snooze.  She's basically a hooker/courtesan.  He gets jealous, why? you know what her job is, right?

 

Just thought of another, on Justified, the best pairing on this show is Raylan and Boyd but that will never happen.  An unpopular pairing is Raylan and Winona but that's mostly because so many people dislike Winona.  She really didn't bother me any and knew exactly how to handle him.

 

And there's oh so many more that I've seen posted here that I agree with and disagree with.

 

eta: HoCaine, Horatio Caine of CSi: Miami with anyone. period.  ick, ick, ick.

Edited January 27, 2015 by Linderhill

[amensisterfriend]

Mindy and Danny on The Mindy Project has become a least favorite couple of mine. Instead of their differences being complementary, they just seem opposite to the point where they're woefully, depressingly incompatible to me. (Granted, I dislike 'opposites attract' couples more than most as a general rule anyway---hence my unpopular belief that Gilmore Girls' Lorelai and Luke were joyless and terribly ill suited!) The relationship tends to highlight their flaws---of which they both have MORE than enough---rather than bringing out their strengths. I just don't 'get' them or buy that they get each other. They rarely seem genuinely connected and happy to me. And now the show seems to be adding a baby to the mix?! No...just no. 

[Lady Calypso]

Mike and Paige on Graceland - Never seen a possibly good relationship (with fair chemistry between the actors) be ruined by such complete character assassinations as happened in the second season. I agree with Aaron Tveit (Mike) as he said in an interview. There is no way their relationship can survive what happened in the last episode...

 

 

Agreed with this wholeheartedly. I honestly don't know how the writers could even justify this pairing in the next season, so hopefully that idea is dead in the water. Nothing gets worse with that Paige did to Mike, no matter how angry she was with him. Once you get your love interest 

(temporarily) Killed by a crazy cop who said love interest had been hunting down all season

, you kind of kill the romance altogether. I loved their chemistry at the end of season 1 and the beginning of season 2, but they assassinated the characters horribly all season so....yeah, do not ever want together ever again. 

 

 

[ToxicUnicorn]

Just thought of another one (platonic): Harvey and Mike on Suits.  Their interaction feels real to me - and is very entertaining.

 

I tried scanning the thread, but couldn't see it: was it here that someone said they liked Patty and Ellen on Damages?  That's a relationship I would love to see discussed (somewhere).

[Chaos Theory]

I loved Willow and Tara on Buffy. Now it just looks "edgy" but back then it actually WAS edgy. There were very few long running and front running lesbian couples on television which is why Tara's death pissed people off so much. With time and distance you can see the story behind the death but back then you were looking at one of the few well written and multi season lesbian love stories on television.

Edited February 22, 2015 by Chaos Theory

[manbearpig]

I love that some people are mentioning Patty and Ellen from Damages. Their fucked up dynamic is everything. I loved seeing their relationship evolve over time. They had a fun mentor/mentee relationship initially, but it was great seeing Ellen try to take her down and then reluctantly get dragged back into Patty's orbit. Their friendship in season four was nice but odd, until that phone call where Ellen tells Patty not to fuck with her. I loved seeing them at opposing sides in season five. Honestly, the show didn't even pretend to care about the case of the year. That final season was all about Patty and Ellen taking each other on and it was amazing. That scene where they're stuck in the airport is insane.

 

I need to rewatch that show. Glenn Close and Rose Byrne need to work together again on another project.

Edited February 22, 2015 by manbearpig

[amensisterfriend]

I've only seen a handful of Leverage episodes across all five seasons (though I plan to watch it all the way through from the beginning), but I already feel comfortable nominating Parker and Hardison as one of my 'best.' Both are really well-defined characters individually with strengths and flaws (as opposed to one being reduced to the bland, generic 'significant other'), they have a wonderful blend of similarities and complementary differences,  they have so much genuine FUN together, they make each other feel good about themselves, they seem to deeply and genuinely 'get' each other even when they're facing a conflict, and they're both lovably nutty in highly amusing ways :)  

[GHScorpiosRule]

Because I've been binge-watching from the beginning....

 

Shawn Spencer and Gus "I'm not Bud!*" Burton from Psych.  They are the reason I continued to watch this show, and it was their friendship that kept me watching.

 

*standing joke on the show that several guest stars over the years kept calling him Buuud, from The Cosby Show.

[ToxicUnicorn]

I love that some people are mentioning Patty and Ellen from Damages. Their fucked up dynamic is everything. I loved seeing their relationship evolve over time.

<snip> ... I loved seeing them at opposing sides in season five. Honestly, the show didn't even pretend to care about the case of the year. That final season was all about Patty and Ellen taking each other on and it was amazing. That scene where they're stuck in the airport is insane.

 

Damages was fascinating.  I still don't understand a lot of it.  Season 1 was completely dark, twisty, and compelling - I wouldn't have been able to look away if I'd wanted to.  Tate Donovan was one of my favorites (I think that's an unpopular opinion), so I was in for his big story, although I didn't understand Ellen/Patty much at all in Season 2.  Then, in Seasons 3 and 4, I was completely lost about what was going on between Patty and Ellen.  That's why I'm curious to see their relationship discussed - the strongest explanation I could come up with was that their dynamic was probably very, very sick.  I just think there is something wrong with both of them, but they never went to couples' therapy to hash it out, so maybe I just am no good at reading between the lines.

 

By Season 5, their motives were much clearer again, so I understood that.  In conclusion, Seasons 1 and 5 I got.  Still worth watching the whole thing, but I don't think I've ever been so dense about watching characters before or since.

[joelene]

I didn't understand Ellen/Patty much at all in Season 2. Then, in Seasons 3 and 4, I was completely lost about what was going on between Patty and Ellen.

I'd reply in the Damages forum, but I see there isn't one, so look away if you don't want some spoilers! But I'm not gonna elaborate very much.

To simplify a bit, I think in season 2 Ellen worked with the FBI (I think that was the agency) to nail Patty to the wall, because, you know, what happened at Patty's penthouse. So she went "undercover" in cahoots with the FBI but had her own agenda to get Patty to confess to what she did to Ellen. Which she did at gunpoint there at the end. I don't remember what happened to the FBI investigation but obviously nothing came of it and Ellen parted ways with Patty (content with a personal confession, I guess?). In season three Ellen worked to prosecute the Tobin family and Patty for the victims of his... money hiding or whatever he did, I can't remember. So basically they both wanted to nail him/his family but Ellen, having been influenced by Patty's dirty tricks, ended up working more with Patty to get to Tobin rather than her prosecutor crew. So she was fired, I think? Season 4 I barely remember, but they ended up working together again toward a common goal, and Ellen seemed to have let go of Patty trying to kill her, but then Patty gone done did something really heinous again so they basically told each other to fuck off and parted ways again. Then season 5 happened which was a glorious final season.

From Patty's point of view, I think she truly came to see Ellen as, if not an equal, someone who could grow to become one and possibly step into her shoes. They did respect each other, at least until the last season. And even then I think Patty still respected Ellen.

Edited March 31, 2015 by joelene

[cynic]

I've only seen a handful of Leverage episodes across all five seasons (though I plan to watch it all the way through from the beginning), but I already feel comfortable nominating Parker and Hardison as one of my 'best.' Both are really well-defined characters individually with strengths and flaws (as opposed to one being reduced to the bland, generic 'significant other'), they have a wonderful blend of similarities and complementary differences, they have so much genuine FUN together, they make each other feel good about themselves, they seem to deeply and genuinely 'get' each other even when they're facing a conflict, and they're both lovably nutty in highly amusing ways :)

I loved Parker and Hardison! They were great for all the reasons you mentioned, but also because the show managed to build their relationship in a gradual, realistic way with minimal angst and in a manner that did not negatively impact the rest of the show. Maybe it was because they were a secondary couple. So many OTP's eat the show.

One pairing that I kinda rooted for in the beginning, but hated by the end was Peter and Olivia on Fringe. Originally, I thought their relationship might get the slow burn treatment with much of it happening in the periphery, especially since Olivia had just lost her fiance and was a pretty closed off personality in general. Plus, the show was very influenced by the X-Files, which kept their leads platonic for almost their entire run. But then the end of season two came and suddenly the show was all about Peter and Olivia's tortured love. By the time season five came around and ended up revolving around their marriage and child, I was done. I mean I understand the whole family theme the writers were trying to thread through the show, but I found it all so heavy handed and intrusive. Besides, I always thought the great love in that show was not Peter and Olivia, but Peter and Walter.

[DearEvette]

I am liking Lana and Archer together this season on Archer despite myself.  I was really sure I wouldn't, but the show is doing them justice.  They are still themselves but somehow they aren't awful together like I thought they would be.