My Favorite TV Couples [Archive]

Mara

10-23-2009, 02:37 PM

A list made purely of boredom because it's dead at work today and I'm sick and want to cheer myself up.

I like romance. (In theory.) I like that in television, relationships can be grown over the course of years instead of hours, and I occasionally become extremely invested in the outcome of certain couples.

After sketching out my list, I divided the couples I'm invested with into three catagories that apparently appeal to me:

The Chase: couples that the primary dynamic is one where they are never quite together, or only together briefly until they break up. This can be used as a cheap trick to keep people watching the show, because it's the easiest sort of romance to write. When it's done well, though, it's very exciting. Often in this catagory, one person in the couple is more invested (the chaser) and one is more squirrely (the chased.)

Happy Together: rarely seen in television, which is unfortunate because it is one of my favorites. I like couples who love each other, are good for each other, and devoted. These couples do sometimes meet, court, fight, break-up, etc. but for the majority of time that they know each other, they are together and happy. Several of the couples on this list are married for the entire duration of the show.

Bad for Each Other: They may be together, or not, but they really shouldn't be. This is all going to end badly. For these couples, we're not entertained by romance so much as the train wreck that will inevitably follow. My smallest category, but has some good ones: it takes a couple of really intriguing characters to keep me interested when I know I shouldn't be.

EDIT: Naturally, there are SPOILERS. I'll try to keep them minor, but there may be a couple "Oh, THEY got together????" moments.

Mara

10-23-2009, 02:45 PM

Just a note-- these are romantic couples. I thought of doing non-sexual couples (Phil and Lem! Dan and Casey! Sam and Dean!) but perhaps another time.

Also to note: a good couple doesn't make a show good, and many great shows have no real couples I'm rooting for (see: Mad Men.) Still, we'll probably be sticking to shows I enjoyed well enough to watch consistently.

Kurosawa Fan

10-23-2009, 02:56 PM

*crosses fingers for Coach & Mrs. Taylor*

Mara

10-23-2009, 03:02 PM

The Chase: Josh and Donna, The West Wing

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/josh_donna.jpg

Josh Lyman: I'm just sayin' if you were in an accident, I wouldn't stop for a beer.
Donna Moss: If you were in an accident, I wouldn't stop for red lights.

Good example of banter: (Writers, take note!)

[Donna and Josh are discussing what should be done with the budget surplus]
Donna Moss: What's wrong with me getting my money back?
Josh Lyman: You won't spend it right.
Donna Moss: What do you mean?
Josh Lyman: Let's say your cut of the surplus is $700. I want to take your money, combine it with everybody else's money and use it to pay down the debt and further endow Social Security. What do you want to do with it?
Donna Moss: Buy a DVD player.
Josh Lyman: See?
Donna Moss: But my $700 is helping employ the people who manufacture and sell DVD players, not to mention the people who manufacture and sell DVDs. It's the natural evolution of a market economy.
Josh Lyman: The problem is the DVD player you buy might be made in Japan.
Donna Moss: I'll buy an American one.
Josh Lyman: We don't trust you.
Donna Moss: Why not?
Josh Lyman: We're Democrats.
Donna Moss: I want my money back.
Josh Lyman: You shouldn't have voted for us.

One good example that you have an interesting couple going is when, quite by accident, a bit player becomes a regular. Janel Maloney, as Donna, was supposed to be just another assistant in the White House, answering the phone of Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman, but they had such amazing chemistry and repartee that she ended up becoming a regular cast member and an audience favorite. She also served an important function dramatically, since she didn't have a background in politics, and Josh's conversations with her were used to smarten up the audience on complicated political issues (see spoilered conversation, above.)

If Josh had simply been "the smart one" and Donna "the dumb one," though, it wouldn't have worked. Instead, with all his book smarts, Josh relies very heavily on Donna to guide him through every day interactions. (A favorite moment is when the President finds out that Josh and Toby got stranded by accident in Indiana: "300 IQ points between them-- they can't find their way home. I swear to God, if Donna wasn't there, they'd have to buy a house.")

The smoldering attraction between them is so obvious that the other characters rarely even bother mentioning it. Of course Josh is jealous that Donna is seeing someone, and is trying to sabotage the relationship. That's what they do. They love each other so much that the romance is sometimes almost an afterthought-- if they weren't sexually attracted, they would still be incredibly close friends.

Look at this:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/DMpEJ9HAPqfn5r7zk9KXHLljo1_400 .jpg

Awwwwww. We love them together.

lovejuice

10-23-2009, 03:13 PM

i love this thread already.

Mara

10-23-2009, 03:19 PM

The Chase: Admiral William Adama and President Laura Roslin, Battlestar Galactica

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/BSGAR005.jpg

Roslin: Is this really it, Bill? Is this how we're gonna spend all the rest of our days? Hmm? Maybe we should just enjoy this.
Adama: I am.
Roslin: No, no, I mean enjoy being here on this planet as long as it lasts. I mean, maybe the Cylons come back, maybe they don't, but for now, right now... We've got a break.

How long did we wait for these two to figure it out? Do you remember during the writer's strike that (possibly photoshopped) picture circling the internet of a striker carrying a sign that asked, "Will Adama and Roslin ever hook up?"

Individually, I think these are two of the best characters ever written for television. They are courageous, flawed, ordinary people put into an extraordinary situation. That's why we wanted them together.

Kurosawa Fan

10-23-2009, 03:19 PM

Ooooo. Great start.

EDIT: Josh and Donna, that is. Not a fan of BSG.

[ETM]

10-23-2009, 03:27 PM

Not a fan of BSG.

Even so, it's hard to argue with Adama+Roslin=one of the best TV couples in every possible way.

Kurosawa Fan

10-23-2009, 03:33 PM

;212919']Even so, it's hard to argue with Adama+Roslin=one of the best TV couples in every possible way.

They weren't a couple when I was watching.

[ETM]

10-23-2009, 03:35 PM

They weren't a couple when I was watching.

Ah, that's right, you quit.

Kurosawa Fan

10-23-2009, 03:42 PM

;212921']Ah, that's right, you quit.

Yep. Half of the first season was all I could take.

Raiders

10-23-2009, 04:28 PM

More talk about the couples, less KF = fail.

MadMan

10-23-2009, 04:28 PM

Great thread idea, even though I've never seen BSG or The West Wing. I should probably get on that, although the couple of times I've watched TWW I found some of the elements to be a bit naive/too liberal for my tastes. Maybe I'll give it another shot.

Raiders

10-23-2009, 04:34 PM

I'm already hoping Mara is a "Mad About You" fan so Paul and Jamie can make the second group.

amberlita

10-23-2009, 04:35 PM

Yay for Josh and Donna!! :pritch: Man I love that show. Josh Lyman's one of my top 5 favorite TV characters ever.

Did anyone else kind of want (or atleast expect) Josh and CJ to get together? They had some amazing chemistry too. Take a look. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RAkUAdatFI)

Sycophant

10-23-2009, 04:38 PM

I'm already hoping Mara is a "Mad About You" fan so Paul and Jamie can make the second group.

For reals!

Mara

10-23-2009, 04:47 PM

;212919']Even so, it's hard to argue with Adama+Roslin=one of the best TV couples in every possible way.

The scene with the picture/dialogue I used is, in my opinion, the epitome of "elegiac."

And, unfortunately, I've only seen a handful of Mad About You episodes. Feel free to make them an entry yourselves!

number8

10-23-2009, 05:11 PM

You're 2 for 0.

KF is 0 for... Well, he's just a zero.

Kurosawa Fan

10-23-2009, 05:15 PM

You're 2 for 0.

KF is 0 for... Well, he's just a zero.

I'm at least a one! I was all for The West Wing!

Plus, I'm halfway through Book Three and a certain future couple would make my list. That means I'm a ten. Just admit it 8.

Mara

10-23-2009, 05:25 PM

The Chase: Tim and Dawn, The Office

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/office_tim_dawn.jpg

Tim Canterbury: The people you work with are people you were just throw together with. You know, you don't know them, it wasn't your choice, and yet you spend more time with them then you do your friends or your family. But probably all you've got in common is the fact that you walk around on the same bit of carpet for 8 hours a day. And so, obviously, when someone comes in who you... you have a connection with... yeah. And Dawn was a ray of sunshine in my life and it meant a lot. But, if I'm really being honest I never really thought it would have a happy ending. I don't know what a happy ending is.

The scenario may be the same-- the salesman pines for the receptionist-- but the dynamic in the UK Office is entirely different from the one in the US. Tim is a sad sack, shlumpy, unconfident, and picked-on. He is also genuine, kind, funny, and clever. He adores Dawn but he doesn't really register with her-- he's only ever partially in her eyesight.

Despite the last moment of the last episode, the story of Tim and Dawn is one of longing and loss.

number8

10-23-2009, 05:36 PM

Tim and Dawn is fantastic. I love their resolution in the Christmas special. I doubt Jim and Pam have the same resonance.

Mara

10-23-2009, 05:36 PM

The Chase: Ned and Chuck, Pushing Daisies

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/normal_ned_chuck_season1_02.jp g

Charlotte 'Chuck' Charles: I can't even hug you? What if you need a hug? A hug can turn your day around.
Ned: I'm not a fan of the hug.
Charlotte 'Chuck' Charles: Then you haven't been hugged properly. It's like an emotional Heimlich. Someone puts their arms around you and they give you a squeeze and all your fear and anxiety come shooting out of your mouth in a big wet wad and you can breath again.
Ned: That's fine for someone else to do if I'm choking on something other than emotion, but you can't touch me.
Charlotte 'Chuck' Charles: So a kiss is out of the question?
Ned: I've lost my train of thought.

Pushing Daisies attempted, somewhat successfully, to create a chase situation that could never really be resolved. Ned and Chuck are completely into each other-- twitterpated, even-- but if they ever touch skin against skin, Chuck will die. Unresolveable!

Except, in the second season, they sort of did resolve it, and the relationship lost a lot of the punch. That's okay, because secondary characters like Olive and Emerson more than picked up the plot-slack, but it never matching the dizzingly romantic dance of the first season.

Spaceman Spiff

10-23-2009, 05:51 PM

More talk about the couples, less KF = fail.

Kurosawa Fail?

Mara

10-23-2009, 05:51 PM

The Chase: Luke and Lorelei, Gilmore Girls

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/Serie_701.jpg

Lorelai: I was just trying to remember the first time we met. It must have been at Luke's, right?
Luke: It was at Luke's, it was at lunch, it was a very busy day. The place was packed. And this person...
Lorelai: Oh, is it me? Is it me?
Luke: This person comes tearing into the place, in a caffeine frenzy...
Lorelai: Ooh, it's me!
Luke: I'm with a customer, she interrupts me, wild-eyed, begging for coffee. So I tell her to wait her turn. Then she starts following me around, talking a mile a minute, saying God knows what. Finally I turn to her, and tell her she's being annoying. Sit down, shut up, and I'll get to her when I get to her.
Lorelai: You know, I bet she took that very well, 'cause she sounds just delightful.

Okay, yes, so I finally watched Gilmore Girls. My friends kept bugging me, and I tore through it pretty quickly, but even so... I still have mixed feelings. It's sort of aw-sweet-eek-too-sweet. But, I have to admit: I am totally into Luke. I am inappropriately into Luke. He's sort of secretly hot, with his dumpy clothes and those horrible hats.

In fact, if there's any taint on my feelings about this relationship, it's how one-sided it is. Luke pines after Lorelei for-- seriously-- eight years before they get into it. She genuinely loves him, but he's always the one who is catering to her and fixing her problems and bending over backwards for her quirky whims. Still, he adores her, and it's hard not to root for them.

Mara

10-23-2009, 05:52 PM

Kurosawa Fail?

Aright, enough KF bashing, or I'll have to add a "Mike & Val Forever" entry to remind everyone how cool they are.

Kurosawa Fan

10-23-2009, 05:57 PM

Aright, enough KF bashing, or I'll have to add a "Mike & Val Forever" entry to remind everyone how cool they are.

*stands behind Mara*

YEAH!

Mara

10-23-2009, 05:57 PM

A person in the next entry is married, in real life, to a person who shows up on this list TWICE.

Riddle me that.

Sycophant

10-23-2009, 06:05 PM

That we get both endings with Tim & Dawn is a beautiful thing.

Mara

10-23-2009, 06:08 PM

The Chase: Wesley and Fred, Angel

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/winifred_wesley540x300-thumb-540xau.jpg

Fred: I walk with heroes. Think about that.

It's not a secret that I'm not a huge fan of Angel, the series, or Angel, the character. Both are pretty solidly mediocre. And it's certainly my least favorite Whedon show.

But the best part of the spin-off is the new character of Fred (Winifred) Burkle, the socially awkward physics student who gets sucked into a world of supernatural crime-fighting. And the second best thing is the evolution of Wesley, who in Buffy was a snooty, cowardly little fuddy-duddy, and in Angel he gets... well... hot.

And he pined and pined for her, and I wanted them to get together so badly, and DAMN YOU JOSS! DAMN YOU STRAIGHT TO HELL!

I didn't mean it. I forgive you. Can we still be friends? Please try to save Dollhouse.

Mara

10-23-2009, 06:23 PM

The Chase: Danny and Jordan, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/113danny-jordan.jpg

Danny Tripp: Can I talk to you a second? I've been married twice before, and am a recovering cocaine addict, and I know that's no woman's dream of a man, or of a father; nonetheless, I believe I'm falling in love with you. If you want to run, I understand, but you'd better get a head start 'cause I'm coming for you Jordan. [pause] You should go ahead and chew that sandwich.

Bradley Whitford does "pining" very well. And I understand that the show had such a short run that the chase doesn't actually last all that long, but oh! What a chase it was!

There's something sort of astonishing about Danny Tripp. He is, like Jordan, a troubled and damaged person. But unlike the stereotypical commitment-phobic man-child that are a dime a dozen on television, he not only shows no reluctance to commit to Jordan, but he wants to help raise the other man's baby that she's gestating. I also think it's cute that he falls in love with a woman who is hugely pregnant.

The last episodes, in the hospital, when he realizes he might not only lose Jordan but also the baby because, since he is not the father, he has no legal right to her... so heartbreaking.

Mara

10-23-2009, 06:44 PM

SPECIAL BONUS!
Transition Couple: The Chase to Happy Together: Jim and Pam, The Office

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/office_jam2.jpg

Jim: A lot of people told me I was crazy to wait this long for a date with a girl who I worked with, but I think, even then I knew, I was waiting for my wife.

Tricky, tricky, tricky! How do you completely change the dynamic of a relationship that people have been obsessing about for years? Because, for a very long time, this was a story of the chase. It went both ways: Jim obsessed with Pam while she was with the unlikeable Roy; Pam grieved when she watched Jim with the very likeable Karen.

And then they got together, and... then what? If this was Friends, or Scrubs, they would break up again, and chase again, and get together again, and so on. But if we really believe that these two are perfect for each other, why would that happen?

So the tone of the relationship changed completely, and I know people who HATE that. I love it. I think Pam and Jim as a committed, loving couple are just as interesting and funny, and far more touching, than Jim and Pam and star-crossed lovers.

Mara

10-23-2009, 06:57 PM

Happy Together: Zoe and Wash, Firefly

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/shindig076.jpg

[Scenario: Zoe is trying to ransom back her husband, Wash, and her captain, Mal. The kidnapper, Niska, is trying to mess with her.]
Niska: I think this is not enough. Not enough for two. But sufficient, perhaps, for one. Ah, you now hav...
Zoë: [points at Wash] Him.
[beat]
Zoë: I'm sorry, you were going to ask me to choose, right? Do you wanna finish?

Taciturn, tough Zoe and goofy, sweet Wash. We love them. WE LOVE THEM. Zoe is rarely openly affectionate, but small moments reveal how deeply she needs and loves her husband. Wash, on the other hand, is much more transparent and adoring with her.

They have realistic and understandable problems and disagreements (the scene where they argue about someday having children is very sad) but we really believe that these two will always be together.

number8

10-23-2009, 07:01 PM

Danny and Jordan... Sigh.

I want to personally visit every single TV watcher who did not help make Studio 60 a hit... and strangle them with a pantyhose.

Mara

10-23-2009, 07:13 PM

Happy Together: Jeremy and Natalie, Sports Night

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/sncap2.jpg
(Sorry for the poor picture-- I couldn't find any good ones.)

Natalie Hurley: Of my entire roster of boyfriends - and it is, believe me, quite the lengthy list - you are my least favorite.
Jeremy Goodwin: Hey, I'm just happy to be on the team.

Okay, they are a tiny bit off-and-on, but for the most part, they were on, and they were adorable. Wealthy, Protestant, Midwestern Natalie (with, can we agree, the best name ever?) is a perfect foil for nerdy, Jewish, New Yorker Jeremy. When they squabble, the reason we care is because we know how badly they want to be together and happy.

Also, they're cute in exactly the same way. They'd have super cute kids.

Mara

10-23-2009, 07:14 PM

I want to personally visit every single TV watcher who did not help make Studio 60 a hit... and strangle them with a pantyhose.

:lol:

This is really sweet, by 8 standards.

Mara

10-23-2009, 07:30 PM

Happy Together: Lily and Marshal, How I Met Your Mother

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/15_yourmom_lgl.jpg

Instead of dialogue, I strongly recommend you watch this (http://www.cbs.com/primetime/how_i_met_your_mother/video/?pid=XIEqoc7MeBOQfaheDvJIC8mWS H4mcpvn&vs=Default&play=true) clip, which shows the elaborate way Marshall has to excuse his unfaithful fantasies.

Jason Segal is cute as a freaking button, and Alyson Hannigan gives him a run for his money, and together, they are just adorable. Both sort of nerdy and sweet, they found each other in college and nobody's ever really doubted that they were meant to be together.

(And yes, this is the first entry with Alyson Hannigan, who is married to Alexis Denisoff, who was Wesley a few entries back.)

Mara

10-23-2009, 07:45 PM

Happy Together: Eric & Tami Taylor, Friday Night Lights

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/taylors.jpg

Coach Taylor: I have no idea what's gonna happen tomorrow, babe.
Tami: Well, you're gonna win. Or you're gonna lose. Either way the sun's gonna come up the next morning.

Also known as Coach and Mrs. Coach, which I find amusing.

What a great couple. They are astonishingly realistic in their interactions and choices. Although imperfect individuals, we know that they are perfect for each other, and show a united front to the town and their children that takes courage and fortitute.

They are also really, really good parents. Tami's conversation with her daughter after she becomes sexually active was one of the most heartbreakingly loving things I've ever seen on television.

Everyone who watches the show loves them, and it's not just because of Connie Britton's hair.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/0000041258_20070706171429.jpg

Ooooh, shiny.

And if you don't watch it-- hey, give it a shot. I really enjoyed it, and I still haven't figured out the concept of downs. ANYONE WOULD LIKE IT.

Mara

10-23-2009, 07:59 PM

Happy Together: Xander and Anya, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/MV5BMjEzMTIzNDUyMV5BMl5BanBnXk FtZTY.jpg

Xander: I've gotta say something, 'cause I don't think I've made it clear. I'm in love with you. Powerfully, painfully in love. The things you do, the way you think, the way you move... I get excited every time I'm about to see you. You make me feel like I've never felt before in my life. Like a man. I just thought you might wanna know.

--AND--

Anya: Okay. For the last time. I, Anya, want to marry you, Xander, because I love you and I'll always love you. And before I knew you, I was like a completely different person. Not even a person, really. And I had seen what love could do to people, and it was hurt and sadness. Alone was better. And then, suddenly there was you, and... you knew me. You saw me, and it was this... thing. You make me feel safe and warm. So, I get it now. I finally get love, Xander. I really do.

--AND--

ANDREW: This is gonna be bad, isn't it?
ANYA: Yeah.
ANDREW: So, how come you're here? I mean, you could just go, right?
ANYA: Yeah. I did before.
ANDREW: Before what?
ANYA: There was this other apocalypse this one time. And I took off. But this time...
ANDREW: What's different?
ANYA: Well, I was kinda new to being around humans before. And now I've seen a lot more, gotten to know people, seen what they're capable of and I realize now that they're just so... amazingly... screwed up! I mean, so really, really screwed up in a monumental fashion!
ANDREW: Oh.
ANYA: They have no purpose that unites them so they drift around, blundering through life until they die. Which they know is coming and yet every single one of them is surprised when it happens to them. They're incapable of thinking beyond what they want at that moment. They kill each other, which is clearly insane, but here's the thing. When it's something real, they fight. I mean, they're lame morons to keep fighting. But they do. They... They never quit. And so I guess I'll fight too.
ANDREW: That was kinda beautiful. You love humans.
ANYA: No I don't.
ANDREW: Yes, you do. You luuuuve them.
ANYA: Stop it. I don't love them and I'll kill you if you tell anybody.

--AND--

Xander: So, did you see?
Andrew: I-I was scared. I'm sorry.
Xander: Did you see what happened? I mean, was she...
Andrew: She was incredible. She died saving my life.
Xander: That's my girl. Always doin' the stupid thing.

It's hard to explain why I'm so invested in Xander and Anya. There's something attractive about how unlikely it is. Anya is the creature least likely to fall in love-- she's a former demon who specifically preys on unfaithful men. So, it makes sense that when she's learning how to be human, she would rely on Xander, who is the most human person on the entire show.

Good old Xander. No special skills, no superpowers, but he always ran into the fight anyway. He taught Anya how to be a real person, leading to one of the more astonishing transformations of character in the show.

No, I will never EVER forgive him for leaving her at the altar. You suck, Xander.

Mara

10-23-2009, 08:14 PM

Happy Together: President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet and Dr. Abigail Bartlet

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/adorable.jpg

BARTLET: Hey.
ABBEY: Hi.
BARTLET: Welcome back.
ABBEY: How come I just found out about this?
BARTLET: How was the flight?
ABBEY: Jed... How come I just found out about this?
BARTLET: When Leo talked to you on the plane, he thought you already knew.
ABBEY: You think I’m saying this is Leo’s fault? I’m asking how come you didn’t tell me last week?
BARTLET: And I’m saying, we still do this. We’re husband and wife and parents, and before we launch into palace intrigue, we do, "Welcome back. How was the flight?"

The weight of the world is on these two, and their marriage gets put through the wringer more than once during the course of the series. There is argument and strain and enough grudges to end lesser couples, but you never doubt that these two will come around and reconcile.

Or that they should.

Abbey is continually fighting to try and keep politics and politicians out of the (both literal and figurative) marriage chamber. Sometimes it almost works.

Kurosawa Fan

10-23-2009, 08:24 PM

Happy Together: Eric & Tami Taylor, Friday Night Lights

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/taylors.jpg

And if you don't watch it-- hey, give it a shot. I really enjoyed it, and I still haven't figured out the concept of downs. ANYONE WOULD LIKE IT.

Awesome choice. And this is really true. My wife absolutely detests football and she's totally hooked. Patton Oswalt hates sports and he thinks it's the best thing on television (I have the podcast to prove it). This show is for everyone, not just sports fans.

Mara

10-23-2009, 08:28 PM

Happy Together: Willow and Tara, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/55497_1_9.jpg

WILLOW: Can she go home now?
DOCTOR: Unfortunately, no. Hospital policy dictates we keep her for the night.
WILLOW: But does she have to? I-I can take care of her at home.
DOCTOR: She your sister?
WILLOW: She's my everything.

Easily the most stable and sustainable relationship shown in the entire series (although, yes, there were rocky patches), Willow and Tara were deeply devoted. (Also, interesting fact: clocking in at two and a half seasons, this is the longest-running lesbian relationship ever on network television.)

Willow is a smart, lovely girl who blossoms from a self-concious nerd in the first season to a very confident, powerful woman in the last season, and Tara was a huge part of that.

As when Kennedy asks Willow when she first knew she liked women:

WILLOW: Three years ago. That's when I knew. And it wasn't women, it was woman. Just one.

[ETM]

10-23-2009, 08:38 PM

*bumps "Buffy" towards the top of the "Must See" list*

Mara

10-23-2009, 08:44 PM

;212974']*bumps "Buffy" towards the top of the "Must See" list*

...

Was that seriously all it took?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/026.jpg

Nigel: I need to know a little bit more about the Slayer, and about the both of you. Your relationship, whatever you can tell me.
Tara: O-o-our relationship?
Willow: We're friends.
Tara: Good friends.
Willow: Girlfriends, actually.
Tara: Yes, we're girlfriends.
Willow: We're in love. W-we're lovers. We're lesbian, gay-type lovers.

Mara

10-23-2009, 08:45 PM

The next entry is-- note-- in direct counterpoint to the previous. Because, yes, we're moving into Bad Together.

[ETM]

10-23-2009, 08:52 PM

...

Was that seriously all it took?

I had no idea. I even tried my best to avoid reading too much of your paper while designing the pages, to stay as much in the dark as possible.

I'm a man, I can't resist beautiful lesbians. And after seeing how horribly written the couple in FlashForward were, I'm intrigued in the Whedon take on the subject.

Mara

10-23-2009, 08:52 PM

Bad Together: Buffy and Spike, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/springjpwk20-1.jpg

Buffy: I'm using you. I can't love you. I'm just being weak, and selfish --
Spike: -- really not complaining here --
Buffy: -- and it's killing me. I have to be strong about this. I'm sorry.

Guess what's a bad idea? Falling in love with a souless, blood-sucking, murderous, petty criminal vampire. Don't let Twilight fool you! It's a terrible, terrible idea!

It's a particularly bad idea if your destiny is to be a vampire slayer. Ignore the black trench coat and the hair, Buffy. Especially the hair. It's nothing but trouble.

number8

10-23-2009, 09:10 PM

I stumbled across a YouTube clip once that showed them banging standing up and fully clothed, behind a dumpster or something like that. It looked gross.

Mara

10-23-2009, 10:24 PM

I stumbled across a YouTube clip once that showed them banging standing up and fully clothed, behind a dumpster or something like that. It looked gross.

I actually hated that entire episode. But most of the time, they were pretty hot.

EDIT WITH MORE INFO:
The whole experience with Spike was supposed to be degrading to Buffy and is symbolic of an overall decline in her life. She feels unhappy, displaced, and out of control. That is symbolized by an increasingly nasty sort of sex with Spike-- dirty, unromantic, and dead-eyed. That was just before she finally ended it with him and started getting her life back on track. So I understand how it made sense plot-wise, but the whole thing made me want to take a shower.

Mara

10-23-2009, 10:46 PM

Bad Together: Jack and Ianto, Torchwood

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/2nDw092J6o3ixruahGIEytJ4o1_500-300x.jpg

Ianto: A thousand years' time, you won't remember me.
Jack: Yes, I will.

Guess what's a bad idea? Falling in love with a man who will live forever, unaging, without you... and who is also a total man-whore who will, as Tosh succinctly puts it, "shag anything if it's gorgeous enough."

See, Jack is the coolest character on the show. I get that.

But Ianto is my favorite character. I love him. I want him to be happy. So, it kills me to see him get so deeply involved with someone who will never feel quite the same way about him.

Mara

10-23-2009, 10:59 PM

Bad Together: George Michael and Maeby, Arrested Development

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/000002_sm.jpg

Narrator: George Michael was getting ready for school when he came across a box of love letters he’d written, but never sent, to his cousin Maeby. One letter, titled “If you weren’t my cousin,” was particularly incriminating.

Guess what's a bad idea? Falling for your cousin.

Seriously.

Also, and this isn't brought up as much because of the whole glaring cousin issue, but Maeby is a terrible influence on George Michael.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/ArrestedDevelopment.jpg

Still, the two of them are so flipping charming. It's a conundrum.

Mara

10-23-2009, 11:01 PM

Last entry coming up, and then feel free to add your own! Make sure to specify what category they're in.

Mara

10-23-2009, 11:07 PM

Bad Together: Hoyt and Jessica, True Blood

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/large_trueblood_jessica_hoyt.j pg

Hoyt Fortenberry: This might sound kind of funny, but I was just sitting there thinking, "How come you don't ever meet a nice girl, Hoyt?" And then you just walked right in.

Guess what's a bad idea? FALLING IN LOVE WITH A SOULESS, BLOOD-SUCKING, MURDEROUS VAMPIRE! WHY IS THIS SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND?

Now, they're both awesome characters. Hoyt is awesome in an aw-shucks, sweet, put-upon kind of way. Jessica is awesome in more of an oh-crap-what-next kind of way. I mean, I really can't see what he sees in her.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/maragirl/true-blood-jessica-hamby.jpg

Well... okay... maybe I can a little. But this is going to end badly, Hoyt Fortenberry, you mark my words.

ledfloyd

10-23-2009, 11:25 PM

yay for all the buffy couples, friday night lights, and george michael and maeby.

Mara

10-23-2009, 11:28 PM

yay for all the buffy couples

Note the Buffy couples that didn't make the list:

Buffy and Angel: not bad, but kinda dull when he's in good guy mode
Buffy and Riley: HATED THEM TOGETHER
Willow and Oz: I really liked them together, but it's totally overshadowed by her later relationship with Tara

Three couples from Buffy, one from Firefly, one from Angel. Geez, Whedon, good job with all the couples.

number8

10-23-2009, 11:31 PM

WTF, Mara. Matt and Harriet, hello?

Mara

10-23-2009, 11:33 PM

WTF, Mara. Matt and Harriet, hello?

BAD FOR EACH OTHER. No joke. And although I liked them fairly well together, I didn't love them together. I thought Danny and Matt had ten times the chemistry of Matt and Harriet.

Dead & Messed Up

10-23-2009, 11:47 PM

http://www.proprofs.com/polls/upload/yuiupload/563428726.jpg

I'd put this one under the The Chase / Bad Together, because them being together resulted in I Want to Believe.

Mara

10-23-2009, 11:54 PM

Some people argue that Xander's reaction here was a touch unrealistic and subdued (ostensibly because Whedon didn't want to spend the last bit of the episode in tragedy land) and while I like the line, a part of me see theirs point.

I think it reads worse than it sounds. His delivery is heartbreaking.

And as for "subdued"

I think emotionally, Xander and the rest had prepared for all of them to die. There was no suprise at the end, just math. How many? Whom?

ledfloyd

10-24-2009, 12:02 AM

Three couples from Buffy, one from Firefly, one from Angel. Geez, Whedon, good job with all the couples.
he writes women unbelievably well. which are usually the weak link in television relationships.

number8

10-24-2009, 12:04 AM

BAD FOR EACH OTHER. No joke.

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGE.

[ETM]

10-24-2009, 12:12 AM

he writes women unbelievably well. which are usually the weak link in television relationships.

It's probably also his weak link with broader television audiences as well. I've just read a comment on "his head-scratching brand of feminism" in an article regarding Dollhouse.

Mara

10-24-2009, 01:05 AM

After re-reading my list, I'm thinking that maybe I should have included Jin and Sun. I've not always been 100% behind them, but they've had some extraordinary moments.

Mara

10-24-2009, 01:18 AM

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGE.

You're really going to argue that they're good for each other?

This (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aniVtz2tME) is a great moment of television, but what it demonstrates is the inevitable disconnect of the relationship. They are never going to be okay. Both of them care too much for things that are too different.

Mara

10-24-2009, 01:21 AM

Also, not to overload you with niggling comments, but I'm curious about why you aren't behind Betty and Don.

Because the moment I cheered the hardest in the entire course of the show was when

Betty kicked him out. I shouted, "FINALLY. THANK HEAVEN."

That said, I am extremely interested in both of them as individual people, and I am curious to see where things go.

Mysterious Dude

10-24-2009, 01:58 AM

I found Danny in Studio 60 to be exceptionally creepy and stalker-ish.

I nominate Frasier's Niles and Daphne. My favorite scene between them (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WY9GcoaYfo) (skip ahead to 6:25).

Mara

10-24-2009, 02:29 PM

I nominate Frasier's Niles and Daphne. My favorite scene between them (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WY9GcoaYfo) (skip ahead to 6:25).

Good choice! I would actually put this as a couple that kind of fizzled once the chase was over, but they kept it up for years. Niles is a terrific character.

Lucky

10-24-2009, 04:44 PM

The Tara years were the only times I actually looked forward to seeing Willow onscreen. I know I'm completely alone in this, but she can be a bit annoying. I'm also a Buffy/Angel fan over Buffy/Spike (I refuse to use the awful Brangelina-type nicknames). And I'd add Giles/Jenny.

I've racked my brain for 5 minutes and can't come up with a single other addition. I considered Veronica/Logan but decided against it.

Mara

10-24-2009, 05:35 PM

The Tara years were the only times I actually looked forward to seeing Willow onscreen. I know I'm completely alone in this, but she can be a bit annoying.

Er, yes, sorry, you are. She might be my single favorite character from the show. I'm almost sure.

And I'd add Giles/Jenny.

Happy couples sure don't come to a good end in Whedonverse, do they?

I know I included 2 from West Wing, but now I'm thinking about Danny and CJ. They had some mad chemistry.

amberlita

10-24-2009, 05:38 PM

I would have said these two, for The Chase...

http://www.fotolode.com/images/amberlita/michaelnikita1800.jpg

Mara

10-24-2009, 07:24 PM

I would have said these two, for The Chase...

You hold a very special place in my heart for being the only other person I know who likes this show. For reals.

That said, although I totally enjoy the relationship from Nikita's perspective, I just don't much care for Michael. He's so wishy-washy about the whole thing. The only reason that I care whether or not they are together is because I want Nikita to be happy.

Also, side note, this was a recent conversation with a friend.

ME: Are you watching True Blood? It's kind of awesome, but pretty trashy. Actually, it's probably the trashiest show I've ever watched.
HER: Trashier than La Femme Nikita?
ME: Yes.
HER: You lie.

[ETM]

10-24-2009, 07:37 PM

You hold a very special place in my heart for being the only other person I know who likes this show. For reals.

I have seen pretty much all of the episodes. I really enjoyed most of it, but could never buy into the Nikita/Michael ship because, simply put, Roy Dupuis is about the most wooden actor of all times, making Keanu appear downright Oscar-worthy. I've hated all the arrogant pricks he ever played ever since he was Ovila in Les Filles de Caleb...

Mara

10-24-2009, 08:01 PM

Hey, Amber, ETM's seen that Canadian guy in other stuff. And he watches our show!

I have never, ever seen Dupuis in other stuff.

Yeah, he only has one facial expression, and he has a way of talking without actually moving his mouth that I find fascinating. It worked better than it might in other roles because Michael is so secretive and brooding. Petra was expressive enough to carry the couple on her own. She's actually quite talented, and I'm annoyed that she has disappeared.

Alberta Watson's career, on the other hand, really took off after the show.

[ETM]

10-24-2009, 08:29 PM

It's Peta, like the animal rights nutcases.

And yeah, she's been in "LXG" and Superman, and some TV trash, it seems. I guess she's almost 40 now and isn't young enough for the industry. Or she doesn't need to work, who knows?

amberlita

10-25-2009, 01:10 AM

Yay Nikita talk! :pritch:

Heh, Roy Dupuis did have a slightly annoying way of "acting" but he was a bit more emotional in Season 1. I feel like the general trend of the show though was for everybody in Section to be robbed of their emotion and all became stony-faced and robotic-like. Watch the first couple seasons compared to the last couple. This is especially prominent in Nikita and Madeline. Not sure if this was intentional or if all the actors just got tired of playing their parts.

I'm pissed Peta Wilson didn't get a career out of this. At the height of this show I was convinced she was the sexiest woman on earth. I still have a bazillion avatars of her that I used on RT and Axis.

[ETM]

10-25-2009, 01:28 AM

Douglas Fargo from Eureka has always reminded me of Birkoff:
http://z.about.com/d/scifi/1/0/R/F/-/-/EURE_fargo_400x400.jpg
http://www.flashmission.com/imgs/officialbirk.jpg

They happen to have similar jobs on the shows, too.

Acapelli

10-25-2009, 06:22 PM

Danny and Jordan... Sigh.

I want to personally visit every single TV watcher who did not help make Studio 60 a hit... and strangle them with a pantyhose.
it was pretty awful, and i was onboard at the start

Mara

10-26-2009, 01:10 PM

That is a fair point, as they are seasoned veterans when it comes to near-death experiences and apocalypses (you know, that makes me think of something -- they were a very brave and noble bunch, but beyond Buffy, I'm surprised that the show didn't extensively deal with the kind of mental trauma that would naturally go hand in hand with being put in such situations again and again and again).

But even so, it was Anya. I mean, she and Xander were been broken up by then, but it wasn't like they were empty automatons on a mission. They were still people. Something more than wistful stoicism from Xander might have seemed a touch more realistic. They usually got the reactions right elsewhere -- i.e., Buffy and Willow bawling after their significant others bit the bullet (or sword).

I actually went ahead and rewatched Chosen this weekend because I was trying to remember how a couple details worked out. And I cried when Xander said that. And I figure, if they can address the death in a three-second conversation in a way that makes me cry, that's good enough for me.

I understand what you're saying, though. I think as an audience we have to assume that he's still in shock and the grief will come later.

chrisnu

10-26-2009, 02:01 PM

http://www.proprofs.com/polls/upload/yuiupload/563428726.jpg

I'd put this one under the The Chase / Bad Together, because them being together resulted in I Want to Believe.
And it resulted in the last Two Seasons From Hell.

But the few episodes at the end of the seventh season, when they were together, were sweet. "Je Souhaite" is one of my favorite episodes.

Another in The Chase category:

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a204/mellee93/northern_exposure.jpg

Joel and Maggie, Northern Exposure

Mara

10-26-2009, 02:04 PM

Joel and Maggie, Northern Exposure

Aw, I love them.

But that picture freaks me out.

chrisnu

10-26-2009, 03:52 PM

Yeah, I just couldn't find any better ones.

Mara

10-26-2009, 04:03 PM

Yeah, I just couldn't find any better ones.

Hmm. Yes. Pictures appear to be scarce.

By the way, Maggie was on the last season of Friday Night Lights and she still looks amazing.

number8

10-26-2009, 05:43 PM

Yeah, I wonder if the comics address it.

You know, I've been curious about that. So, like, do most Buffy fans read Season 8 & 9? I'm guessing you guys don't.

Mara

10-26-2009, 05:52 PM

You know, I've been curious about that. So, like, do most Buffy fans read Season 8 & 9? I'm guessing you guys don't.

I read the first one. It was pretty cool. I'm interested in the rest, but not enough to actively seek them out. I think I have them wishlisted at bookmooch.

The first comic made a MAJOR continuity goof, which was embarassing. Whedon is usally very careful about that.

Lucky

10-27-2009, 12:05 AM

The first comic made a MAJOR continuity goof, which was embarassing. Whedon is usally very careful about that.

Now you have me curious...

number8

10-27-2009, 03:24 AM

Pretty sure there is only a Season 8 comic and I haven't read it yet.

Yeah, I misremembered. They announced a Season 9 already, but they just haven't finished with Season 8 yet.

thefourthwall

10-29-2009, 01:39 AM

Okay, I'm slightly late to the party, but I must react...

The Chase: Luke and Lorelei, Gilmore Girls

Absolutely, I didn't really care for him at first, but he was just so darn constant in his love that I couldn't resist.

The Chase: Wesley and Fred, Angel
DAMN YOU JOSS! DAMN YOU STRAIGHT TO HELL!

YES. There are days that Wesley is my favorite Whedonverse male; he's quite possibly the most complex one in the show. And he never gets to be happy. Breaks my heart.

Happy Together: Lily and Marshal, How I Met Your Mother

I aspire to be like them.

Happy Together: Xander and Anya, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Like Luke, I didn't really care for her, but she one me over and made me believe that there could be someone better for Xander than Willow.

Happy Together: Willow and Tara, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Oh noes! I disagree. Willow and Oz should have made the cut. For some reason I never really like Tara...

Bad Together: Buffy and Spike, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

I'd say there was the potential for transition into Happy Together for them in some ways

the fact that he went and earned a soul so that he could be a proper man for her. Even in his demonic state he recognized that his near-rape of her was wrong and he need to change.

That earns him some major points in my book and is just one more reason why he's superior to Angel.

I would have said these two, for The Chase...

http://www.fotolode.com/images/amberlita/michaelnikita1800.jpg

Nice! I had to secretly watch that late at night, lest my parents try to watch with me, so I never got to see the entirety of them--just teasing bits here and there.

I'll have to think on my own nominations for this category--great thread Mara!

Mara

10-29-2009, 01:46 AM

Nice! I had to secretly watch that late at night, lest my parents try to watch with me, so I never got to see the entirety of them--just teasing bits here and there.

That's how I had to watch it, too! It was far to salacious to watch with my parents around, and sneaking television time required some ingenuity. I still got quite a bit of it, but I didn't see it entirely until I rented the DVDs in college.

Mara

10-29-2009, 12:56 PM

On a completely unrelated search, I came across two other lists of best couples, with some surprising overlap:

IGN: http://tv.ign.com/articles/764/764349p1.html

#10: Cliff & Clair
Series: The Cosby Show: Excellent choice, didn't think of it

#9: Buster & Lucille Two
Series: Arrested Development: HAHAHAHAHA

#8: Jeremy & Natalie
Series: Sports Night: Yes.

#7: Wash & Zoe
Series: Firefly: Yes again. I like this list.

#6: Mulder & Scully
Series: The X-Files

#5: Jim & Pam
Series: The Office

#4: Ross & Rachel
Series: Friends: Bleh. So played out and obvious.

#3: Maddie & David
Series: Moonlighting: Haven't seen.

#2: Buffy & Angel
Series: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

#1: Sam & Diane
Series: Cheers: Never understood the fascination.

AOL TV: http://insidetv.aol.com/2008/02/11/best-tv-couples/

20. Meredith and Derek
Grey's Anatomy: Bleh. Selfish, whiny people.

19. Brenda and Dylan
'Beverly Hills, 90210'

18. Morticia and Gomez
'The Addams Family': Ha! Awesome.

17. Joey and Pacey
'Dawson's Creek'

16. Jim and Pam
'The Office'

15. Kevin and Winnie
'The Wonder Years'

14. Bobby and Pam
'Dallas'

13. Angela and Jordan
'My So-Called Life'

12. Homer and Marge
'The Simpsons'

11. Doug and Carol
'ER'

10. Veronica and Logan
'Veronica Mars': I've only seen season one, and I'm interested, but not sure how hard I should be rooting for them.

9. Cliff and Claire
'The Cosby Show'

8. Rob and Laura
'The Dick Van Dyke Show'

7. Ross and Rachel
'Friends': Oh, come on.

6. Furillo and Joyce
'Hill Street Blues'

5. Buffy and Angel
'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'

4. Lucy and Ricky
'I Love Lucy'

3. Carrie and Big
'Sex and the City': BLEH.

2. David and Maddie
'Moonlighting'

1. Sam and Diane
'Cheers'