With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, I figured I’d compile a list of some of my favorite on-screen couples. Pretty typical stuff, but some of them might surprise you. Take a look at them below.
1. Lois and Clark (Smallville)
“Look, sometimes you gotta tuck your feelings away until it’s the right time, like stuffing dollars into a piggy bank for a bike you can’t afford. Maybe when you finally crack open that piggy bank, you’ll find that all this time you haven’t been saving for a bike… you’ve really been saving for a Harley.” – Lois Lane
I think one of the most annoying aspects of Smallville, the TV series that followed Clark Kent (Superman) during his teen years and eventually young adulthood, is that the dude spends seven seasons pining for the same girl. Not only is this boring because we don’t see him with a whole lot of other girls, but also because this girl, Lana Lang, is a pretty flat character. Lana is perfect – she’s beautiful, smart, good at heart… She’s basically everything Clark Kent could ever want. Now, as we all know, Clark belongs with the sassy Lois Lane. Lois was introduced in season four of Smallville as the cousin of Clark’s spunky best friend, Chloe Sullivan, a character that doesn’t exist in the comics. This definitely is not the only time the story breaks from original Superman mythology. Lois comes as a breath of fresh air from Lana. She and Clark often argue and the relationship between the two is comical, seeing as Lois isn’t afraid to say what’s on her mind and can be a bit of a mess. By time Lana exits the show around the eighth season (yes, people! Eight seasons) you’re happy that Clark and Lois are finally given the space to truly develop a relationship. While Tom Welling’s not the best actor, I’ll go as far as to say Erica Durance has probably been the best actress to portray Lois. By time the series finale rolls out, it becomes obvious that these two definitely belong together.
2. Monica and Chandler (Friends)
“I wondered if I would ever find my prince, my soul mate. Then three years ago, at another wedding I turned to a friend for comfort. And instead, I found everything that I’d ever been looking for my whole life. And now… here we are… with our future before us… and I only want to spend it with you, my prince, my soul mate, my friend.” – Monica Geller
Can we forget about Ross and Rachel for just a second? Yeah, Ross and Rachel were cool, but their whole get together, then break up, then get together again, then break up, then have a baby together, then start briefly – and awkwardly – seeing each others’ friends before finally ending up together thing is a tad too complicated. Their relationship was pushed so far to the front of Friends that it’s become iconic, but people often forget about the relationship between Monica and Chandler, what I would argue is the heart of the show. The two weren’t supposed to end up together, but I think we can all thank the Friends writers that they did. They initially kept their relationship a secret, but when everyone else find out, they were happy to hear. Why are Monica and Chandler so great together? Because they have a normal, not super complicated relationship, and they really, really love each other. Chandler is able to get over his fear of commitment and Monica is able to, at times, get over her OCD to make the relationship work. Their lives aren’t as complicated as Ross and Rachel’s, but that’s what makes their relationship so awesome.
3. Ron and Hermione (Harry Potter)
“When are you going to get it into your head? We’re in this together!” – Hermione Granger
So yes, I very well know that I just wrote a post commenting on how ridiculous these shipping wars are getting between Potter fans in light of author J.K. Rowling’s recent comment that she regrets pairing Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley together. But that won’t stop me from commenting on how much I love these two together. And unlike Harry/Hermione fans, this thing actually happened. It had been hinted at as early as perhaps Prisoner of Azkaban. We see Ron get jealous that Hermione went to the Yule Ball with Viktor Krum in Goblet of Fire and then we see Hermione jealous of Ron’s relationship with Lavender Brown in Half-Blood Prince. And the two finally, finally get together in Deathly Hallows. It was a long time coming, but it was definitely something fans could see since the beginning. Ron, often just second best, snags the girl of everyone’s dreams. It’s your basic story of two friends growing up and falling in love.
4. Diane and Lloyd (Say Anything)
“What I really want to do with my life – what I want to do for a living – is I want to be with your daughter. I’m good at it.” – Lloyd Dobler
Lloyd Dobler is the type of guy who desperately pursues what he wants… and that thing just so happens to be high school valedictorian Diane Court. Like a lot of well-known on-screen couples, Lloyd and Diane come from two different worlds. Diane is very motivated and has secured a scholarship to attend a university in England in the fall after her high school graduation. Meanwhile, Lloyd is just a kid who doesn’t have a lot of ambition. But he’s known for a while that he has a thing for Diane. When he finally gets the chance to ask her out, she’s extremely hesitant at first, but she starts to fall in love with him. Even though her father very much disapproves, she ends up taking a chance and placing her full trust in him. Say Anything is a simple and sweet love story about two adolescents finding unlikely love with each other the summer after graduation. But sometimes that’s all you need. Oh, and a scene with John Cusack, as Lloyd, holding up a boombox outside of Diane’s window while Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” plays.
5. Henry and Lucy (50 First Dates)
“Good morning. Lucy! Lucy! Hey, hey, hey. Okay, I know this is hard for you to understand right now, but we are actually seeing each other.” – Henry Roth
I’m just as surprised as you are to see an Adam Sandler character make this list. This is one of the few Adam Sandler movies that I enjoy. After getting into a car accident, Lucy has short term memory loss. Every day she wakes up believing that it’s her father’s birthday and her family goes along with it. Every night she goes to sleep, her memories of the day leave her mind and she starts over fresh every morning. Henry meets her in a local diner and, after learning about this, pursues her romantically. I think the best part about Henry and Lucy’s story is that they try incredibly hard to work through obstacles to be with each other.
6. Willow and Oz/Willow and Tara (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
“You have the sweetest smile I’ve ever seen.” – Daniel ‘Oz’ Osbourne
“I am, you know – yours.” – Tara Maclay
So this is hard. Very hard for me actually. I used to think I was strictly a Willow and Oz fan. I mean, they’re pretty cute together. Willow locks up Oz during full moons and watches over him. As a fan of the earlier Buffy seasons, I used to think I had my mind made up that I liked those two together better. Oz, although stoic and quiet in nature, has a way with words when he decides to speak. With Willow’s dorkiness and Oz’s soft-spoken musician nature, they seem like they belong together. Maybe I just like Oz because he’s really skinny and short (reminding me a bit of myself). I think Oz and Willow have a relationship that very much screams high school and perhaps college, but as Willow grows, so does her love life. After Oz leaves in season four, Willow meets Tara, a fellow witch and the two fall in love. Not only do I love Tara as a person, as I feel that she’s basically the moral compass of the show and is able to be a beacon of light for Willow, but I also have to give the show mad props for successfully portraying a lesbian relationship in a time where it wasn’t nearly as accepted as it would be today. I often wonder if Willow would have remained with Oz if Seth Green had decided not to leave the show, but he got a pretty good replacement. Both characters are awesome in their own ways.
7. Veronica and Logan (Veronica Mars)
“I thought our story was epic, you know, you and me. Spanning years and continents. Bloodshed. Lives ruined. Epic.” – Logan Echolls
Oh gosh. You know, I will fight to death to argue that Veronica Mars is a strong enough character on her own. That she’s simply put: badass. She doesn’t need to be worrying about men in her life. But when it comes down to it, her relationship with bad boy Logan Echolls is, simply put… epic. I don’t think anyone would have put these two together after watching say, the first few episodes of Veronica Mars. Logan comes off as a jackass who the audience should hate. It isn’t until the abusive relationship Logan has with his father is revealed that we start to feel for him. Veronica starts to see the soft side of Logan when she helps him try to track down his mother after her supposed suicide. Throughout VM‘s three year run, there have been some pretty epic moments between these two. Like their first kiss – sudden and unpredicted – outside a trashy motel. Or when it’s revealed to all of Logan’s friends that he’s dating Veronica and he tells them off about it as his “birthday” party ( “You have a problem with Veronica, leave. Actually, if you have a problem with Veronica, you’re pretty much dead to me.”). Or maybe when Logan gave his “epic” speech to Veronica at their senior prom. Or when he came to rescue her from a killer on the night of graduation. Despite a lackluster portrayal of their relationship in VM‘s final season, the two are definitely a good pairing.
8. Eric and Donna (That ’70s Show)
“I can’t count on much in this crazy world, but I can always count on you.” – Eric Foreman
Once again, these two were pretty much meant to be. The story of a nerdy teenager falling in love with the girl next door. Because if Donna is anything, she’s definitely the girl-next-door type. Like most else, there are some breakups here and there. There are some rough patches – like Eric leaving during the last season of the show. But these two know they belong together.
9. Josh and Nora (Being Human)
“I do love to watch you squirm. It’s as though you’re an artist and awkward is your medium.” – Nora Sergeant
Josh and Nora are by far the best werewolf couple on TV. So what if they might be the only werewolf couple on TV right now? I’ve always loved Nora as a character ever since she was introduced in season one of the US version of Being Human. It makes me so incredibly happy to see her promoted to a main role on the show. In season one, Josh struggled to keep the fact that he’s a werewolf a secret from Nora. In season two, after being scratched by Josh, Nora becomes a werwolf herself. There’s a brief point where she leaves him to go traveling with a psycho pure-bred werewolf, but she comes back like all good girlfriends do. They’re two werewolves just trying to live a normal life even though normal is far from what you’d describe them. Josh is very awkward – something I suppose I identify myself with – and Nora is more straightforward about things. This makes their relationship interesting to watch.
10. Samantha and Jake (Sixteen Candles)
“Make a wish.” – Jake Ryan / “It already came true.” – Samantha Baker
So Sam and Jake are your typical on-screen couple that don’t seem to have a lot in common. They don’t spend a lot of time together, so who even knows if they’d make a good couple? That being said, Jake Ryan is still a dreamy senior boy and Samantha Baker is still a 16-year-old girl looking for a good guy – preferrably one that that’s not a geek freshman (we’re looking at you, Anthony Michael Hall). The story between these two isn’t very realistic at all. We don’t even know if they have any chemistry or if they have much in common. They sort of just seem to fall together. But sometimes that kind of thing works, in movies anyway. I think we all secretly wish we could kiss our dream date over a birthday cake made out of cardboard on the day after our sixteenth birthday while The Thompson Twins’ “If You Were Here” plays softly in the background.
11. Charlie and Sam (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)
“We accept the love we think we deserve.” – Charlie
Sam is a girl who’s made the wrong choices for years now and is finally trying to get her life together. Charlie is a slightly troubled boy just starting out in life. Sam convinces Charlie that he shouldn’t have feelings for her, as she’s a senior and he’s a freshman. So he is desperately in love with her, but just doesn’t do anything about it. Perks is by far one of my favorite movies. I think we can all identify at least in part with Sam and Charlie, and that’s what makes their story so great. By time Sam is actually able to articulate his feelings for Sam and the two end up together, we realize that they have much more in common than we were led to believe. They both have some pretty messed up pasts, but they’re always there for each other. Charlie to help Sam pick up the pieces of her life and Sam to help Charlie know that he matters.
12. Homer and Marge (The Simpsons)
“Marge, from the moment I met you, I’ve never wanted to be with anyone else. I have nothing to offer you except my love. Will you marry me?” – Homer Simpson
You think with this show being on air for over twenty years, you’d get sick of this couple. But you never really do. Their marriage is far from perfect. They don’t have great control over their kids. Homer isn’t the most thoughtful husband and he spends a lot of nights down at Moe’s drinking. They’ve had their fair share of ups and downs. But when it comes down to it, they love each other deeply.
13. Nick and Jess (New Girl)
“I’m only attracted to guys who are afraid of success and think someone famous stole their idea.” – Jessica Day
This couple has been deemed the new “Ross and Rachel.” Their relationship’s been hinted at since season one. And now, in its third season, New Girl has finally paired these two together. I haven’t been keeping up with the show lately, so I’m unaware of any possible drama going on between Nick and Jess, but I hope it’s few and far between. Nick is an awkward, unmotivated individual who doesn’t know how to take care of himself. Jess is an overbearing, quirky woman who’s trying to change him. They started out as roommates before slowly moving into a romantic relationship. You’ll probably find hilarious quotes from them on tumblr. I honestly wish these two the best and hope they don’t fall into a Ross and Rachel trap.
14. Bobby and Rogue (X-Men)
“Bobby is gifted. You should see what he can do.” – Rgoue
So this might just be because I’m a Shawn Ashmore fan and I take delight in Iceman having at least somewhat of a prominent role in the X-Men film series. And despite people’s hatred for Rogue’s character in the movies, Ana Paquin does a pretty decent job. These two have a pretty sad story, seeing as Rogue can’t touch Bobby without hurting him. Which kind of makes kissing or being intimate impossible. But they have a certain likability about them. Bobby takes an interest in Rogue right from the get-go, and sorry Ellen Page, but these two have a little better chemistry than Bobby has with Kitty. And can we just forget that X3 ever happened? It seems kind of like Bryan Singer is going down that route with Days of Future Past. Fans have been a little upset to learn that all of Rogue’s scenes in the film have been cut from the movie, but there’s still hope that we’ll end up seeing some of her in there. I’m just hoping we get to see Bobby and Rogue together.
15. Cassidy and Mac (Veronica Mars)
“What are you doing?” – Mac / “Um, you know, just standing here, wondering what I’ve done to make you ashamed of me. It’s the age thing, isn’t it? You know me and my full blush of youth, and you and your…advancing years.” – Cassidy / ” I’m standing in the middle of the hallway holding your hand, dorkwad. You don’t really want to go to that thing?” – Mac / “Well, yeah, I’d like to be asked.” – Cassidy / “Fine, you wanna go to the big dance, Cassidy?” – Mac
Okay, okay, so maybe one of these two actually turns out to be a dangerous psychopath, but during the time of their relationship, they were awesome. For me, they kind of blow Logan and Veronica out of the water. They were together for a short time and even they had their fair share of problems, but the two of them are pretty much adorkable. Cassidy “Beaver” Casablancas is a more soft-spoken, less girl-crazy kid compared to his older brother Dick. Cindy “Mac” Mackenzie is a big time computer nerd who’s not a big fan of social interaction. The two just seem perfect together. Mac’s relationships with Bronson and Max in season three really don’t measure up to what she had with Cassidy at all. He stands up to Dick for her a few times. She seems to be the only one he really truly has feelings for. And for how messed up Cassidy is, that’s saying something.
The Medium 