Would Saint Valentine find this a worthy tribute?
Valentines Day is a day that used to fill me with dread and annoyance. Now I try to remain apathetic to it but there's always something in the back of my head nagging at me. Yesterday, as the hohum doldrums set in I thought about this LJ I have, a public forum to voice my frustrations as a single girl with many issues about this day. But then I realized going on about some guy I crushed on in high school and some other guy who I had a weird bothering kind of "relationship" with would be, well, personal.
Then I remembered that in addition to my crappy luck in love, I had crappy luck in picking TV ships. Many TV couples I wanted in a relationship either never got together or were pulled apart with little to no chance of reconciliation. In honor of Valentines Day and the lousiness it infects me with (and others, I'm sure), I've decided to do a rant/list of TV couples who were doomed thanks to shoddy writing and sad circumstances.
This list would've been longer had I included animated television and some films. I may have to save that for a future post.
CSI - Sara Sidle and Greg Sanders
This is the first pairing on my list because it led me to join my first forum (an all CSI board) and they inspired me to make my first fanfics, fanart, and even a fanvideo or two. This is a case of an unrequited crush on the guy's part. Sara began the show as a crime scene analyst brought in to replace a new hire who died within the first two episodes (oh the drama!) Sara also served as the primary love interest for the main star, bug enthusiast Gil Grissom. When I first watched CSI, I was totally on board with Grissom and Sara (known around the interwebs as "GSR"). Then, as the seasons went on and Grissom kept an interested Sara at arm's length, I grew tired of his stubbornness and got drawn to the quirky, flirty, crazy-haired lab tech named Greg Sanders. Slowly but surely he matured. He wanted to be a Crime Scene Investigator (CSI) despite the dangers and when he started being mentored by Sara I figured I'd be a multi-shipper (Sara ending up with either Grissom or Greg.) As you can tell, the multi-shipping kinda waned and though I can appreciate her with Nick (a fellow CSI) and have even considered her with Warrick (yes, another CSI), eventually I realized I most liked her with Greg, the guy who pined for Sara and grew to respect her way past his "flirt with the cute new girl" phase. Of course, it was about one season later that the writers decided the sporadic "will they/won't they" aspect of GSR should be solved in the most shocking, out of the blue way. Hey CSI Powers That Be, thanks sooo much for sticking Sara and Grissom together with no build-up, sloppy ret-conning, much jerking around and *after* ruining Grissom's character for me. *insert eye roll here*
(BTW, I stopped watching after Sara left the show and naturally Grissom departed soon after. But then Sara came back recently so I've started watching sporadically again. I just try to ignore the fact that Sara and Grissom are married.)
CSI Miami - Calleigh Duquesne and Ryan Wolfe
This particular pairing appealed to me at first because there were a surprising amount of similarities between these two and the Vegas ship of Greg and Sara. Both women are a few years older then their guys, both initially took the guys "under their wing" so to speak, and both got paired up on a lot of cases in the beginning (replete with lots of coyness and flirting). I actually made a little fanart comparing a few scenes they shared in their earlier years - I should post it next time. Also, while Sara was brought in to replace a dead colleague in the beginning of the series, Ryan was brought in to replace a murdered investigator a good deal later in the series (season 3, I believe). Unfortunately this pairing also shared the similarity that the women end up with men who dated other women and didn't seem to return their affections until way later in the game. As the crazier and more soapish version of the three CSIs, I gave this show up easily and never looked back, especially after they've ruined Ryan's character multiple times, turned a bubbly southern Calleigh into a cold robot shell of her former self and pretty much erased the nice camaraderie that was their friendship. (Geez, at least with my Vegas ship, Greg and Sara are still friends and joke around.)
Ugly Betty - Betty Suarez and Henry Grubstick
A recent heartbreak of mine. These two were so nerdy adorably perfect together but their only mistake was trying to be happy in a dramedy with roots in a telenovela (soap opera). That and the crappiest writing of pretty much all these ships. I posted a little rant on here a year or so back so I won't get too long into this. Many viewers familiar with the original Spanish soap opera it was based on expected Betty, a "plain", smart young woman to end up with her rich womanizing boss. But Henry was just too freakin' amazing. He was no nerdy, sweetheart stepping stone from the loser Walter to the sleek Daniel; he would become Betty's first love. Unfortunately kissing misunderstandings, loser boyfriend conflict, former girlfriends returning, a pregnancy, a double job relocation, a new love interest, and a sudden proposal... well it's no wonder Betty thought the universe was conspiring to keep them from being together. Despite it all, no one can deny that when they weren't dealing with the soapish drama, Betty and Henry were truly a sweet, fun, and most importantly happy couple to watch. Even though Betty chose herself in the series finale, I like to think she ends up with Henry somewhere down the road in fanfic land.
Harper's Island - Henry Dunn and Abby Mills
This should amuse those who know of the previous entry. Not only is another Henry on my list, he's played by the same actor. Yes, the same guy who played a dorky, bespectacled accountant named Henry in 'Ugly Betty' joins this miniseries as a handsome groom-to-be named Henry. Now, I can't get into this without giving a few twists and turns away; particularly who the killer of Harper's Island turns out to be. So, spoiler alert if you haven't seen this cool miniseries!
... <¡Spoiler Space!> ...
The fact that this hot Henry was played by one my favorite actors from 'Ugly Betty' already made me an automatic fan. The bravery and kindness he showed in the series just made me love him more and I vowed to keep him a favorite even if they tried to make him evil and crazy! ...And then it was revealed he was the killer. And I did still like him. Especially when they explained the whole wedding was an elaborate ruse to get his childhood friend and crush Abby to come back to their childhood home and be with her like they promised when they were young. He could've probably gone about wooing her in a less insane way but I'll be damned if I don't feel my heart break when he tells her he loves and she screams that she doesn't return the sentiment (being imprisoned and nearly scared to death tends to not win a girl over, Henry.) In the end, Abby got back together with her adolescent sweetheart, escapes the wretched island, and poor Henry is no more. I did like Abby and her boyfriend but I still felt for Henry and I kind of liked the possibility of Henry and Abby in some alternate universe where he doesn't get psycho after finding out his dad is a serial killer.
The X-Files - Dana Scully and John Doggett
To those who watched the show (whether the original TV airings back in the 90s or recently on DVD like I did), I know that the main team and very heart of the X-Files is Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. It's safe to say Mulder and Scully have become pop culture icons of sorts and they are The Main Ship (some say the term "shipping" came from this show, as there were "relationshippers" who wanted Mulder and Scully to get together and "noromos" who wanted no romance between these platonic partners.) Hunting paranormal creatures and trying to uncover a government alien cover-up or something can bring even the most opposite of people closer together and of course I shipped them. Then as the seasons wore on, I kind of became a Scully-sympathizer. Sure, I loved Mulder, but the guy could be seriously clueless and later on in the series he sometimes crossed into sarcastic jackass territory. I could get into specifics and do an entire separate post on just these two but that's not what this is about; this is about Agent Doggett, who was introduced way late into the game (the last two seasons) and was pretty much meant to "replace" Mulder. For all intents and purposes I should've hated him but he had two things going for him: 1) He was played by the amazing Robert Patrick (who is best known for playing the T-1000, aka one of my first crushes when I was young), and 2) He was actually an honest, hardworking guy who wanted to find an abducted Mulder and make Scully happy - despite the fact that he ends up falling for Scully himself. And it's unrequited. Oh ye gods. If there's anything that gets to me, it's an unrequited love, especially if it's a guy crushing on a girl (I have several doomed pairings that fall under this, not just live action TV). The writers, feeling the wrath of angry shipper fangirls seven years in the making breathing down their necks, decided to reel Doggett back in and pair him up with a new agent in town without establishing much chemistry or real interest. At least I got to enjoy Mulder and Scully cuddle in the series finale *but* I have since pretty much disowned the second movie. Any good feelings I had for M&S were flushed down the proverbial toilet after that ick (again, it's best left to another post.) As of now, I've decided to multi-ship Scully; she and Mulder were at their best in the first six or seven years but after that I really like her with Doggett. (FYI, this is working much better than my CSI attempt at multi-shipping... so far.)
Supernatural - Sam Winchester and Sarah Blake
The only ship on this list involving a series regular and a one-episode guest star. How cruel. Much like 'The X-Files' this involves two people of very opposing personalities hunting the paranormal and supernatural (geddit?) Unlike The X-Files, the two people chasing the demons and trying to save the world are brothers so there's no Mulder and Scully flirty sexiness going on. Though that doesn't stop fangirls from shipping the Winchester brothers, Sam and Dean. This is the last time I underestimate the power of slash. (Though I must admit I'm very fond of their devotion and love for each other. They are my literal example of a bromance.) So, anyway, Sam's college sweetie and presumably true love (Jessica) gets killed by a demon and now it's vengeance seeking time. The first girl that Sam gets close to after Jessica's death happens to be Sarah, daughter of an art gallery guy. What I like about her is that she's got equal parts intelligence, sweetness, demureness, and moxie. She's self-assured without being pushy. Every girl after that who gets her claws into Sam is just... awful. Or slutty. Or both. Don't take my word for it, here's a general list: some she-demons, a catty werewolf, some slutty doctor, a bunch of anonymous one-night stands, and an actual hooker (the last one being when he had no soul, if there's any consolation to be had). BTW, I refuse to believe that werewolf chick was the first woman Sam loved since Jessica's death. All that crying he and his brother did plus that other comment in some other episode; just no. Sarah came before werewolf chick and I'm just glad wolfette is dead. Actually, just about every girlfriend Sam ever had ended up with the woman dying or being evil. Or both. Every one... except for Sarah, damn it! Bring her back, writers! There's still tiiiiime!
How I Met Your Mother - Ted Mosby and Victoria
What's worse than a series regular dating a guest star you like? A regular dating a guest star you like, that has no chance of ending up together because of the stupid show's premise. The title 'How I Met Your Mother' is pretty much self explanatory. The show is like 'The Wonder Years' in how everything that goes on in the show's episodes is a sort of prolonged flashback being narrated by the protagonist, Ted, to his kids. As of now we still don't know who the mother of Ted's children is. What we do know is that it's not Victoria. Sweet, funny, beautiful baker extraordinaire, Victoria. Who has no last name to drive the point home that despite her being pretty much perfect for Ted, she is not destined to be "The Mother". (Weird that despite her appearing in at least five episodes, she has no last name.) What really sucks is that she was tossed aside to make room for the Robin and Ted romance (which admittedly I kind of liked in it's own right) despite the fact that we KNOW Robin is not the mother from the get-go! In episode 1 we're told she ends up being an aunt to Ted's future kids but we still get a good two seasons of Romantic!Ted trying to win over a stubborn Robin, even going so far as to almost cheat on Victoria. I just wish they hadn't written her out in such a way that she won't get a chance to come back even if it's just to remind Ted of what he could've had.
Special mention (No picture for these two, sorry!):
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Willow Rosenberg and Xander Harris
I've been watching this show in syndication for about a month (I'm midway through the second season) because it's right up there with 'The X-Files' in terms of awesome 90s/early 2000s sci-fi TV. (Hope to get to 'Xena', 'Twin Peaks', and 'Charmed' sometime in the future.) After the initial association of Willow to Lily of 'How I Met Your Mother' wound down (both were/are played by the same actress) I found myself sympathizing with the shy, nerdy wallflower and her crush on that dorky, clueless Xander. Despite my aversion to spoilers, I decided to skim the Buffy wiki and I found that not only does Willow eventually get over him and dates a werewolf (I've seen him, he's Seth Green! Coolness!) she actually switches sides in college and makes LGBT history. Now all I have to do is await Xander's separation from that snobby Cordelia (anyone is better than her, even an apparent vengeance demon; thanks Wikipedia!)
Then I remembered that in addition to my crappy luck in love, I had crappy luck in picking TV ships. Many TV couples I wanted in a relationship either never got together or were pulled apart with little to no chance of reconciliation. In honor of Valentines Day and the lousiness it infects me with (and others, I'm sure), I've decided to do a rant/list of TV couples who were doomed thanks to shoddy writing and sad circumstances.
This list would've been longer had I included animated television and some films. I may have to save that for a future post.
CSI - Sara Sidle and Greg Sanders
This is the first pairing on my list because it led me to join my first forum (an all CSI board) and they inspired me to make my first fanfics, fanart, and even a fanvideo or two. This is a case of an unrequited crush on the guy's part. Sara began the show as a crime scene analyst brought in to replace a new hire who died within the first two episodes (oh the drama!) Sara also served as the primary love interest for the main star, bug enthusiast Gil Grissom. When I first watched CSI, I was totally on board with Grissom and Sara (known around the interwebs as "GSR"). Then, as the seasons went on and Grissom kept an interested Sara at arm's length, I grew tired of his stubbornness and got drawn to the quirky, flirty, crazy-haired lab tech named Greg Sanders. Slowly but surely he matured. He wanted to be a Crime Scene Investigator (CSI) despite the dangers and when he started being mentored by Sara I figured I'd be a multi-shipper (Sara ending up with either Grissom or Greg.) As you can tell, the multi-shipping kinda waned and though I can appreciate her with Nick (a fellow CSI) and have even considered her with Warrick (yes, another CSI), eventually I realized I most liked her with Greg, the guy who pined for Sara and grew to respect her way past his "flirt with the cute new girl" phase. Of course, it was about one season later that the writers decided the sporadic "will they/won't they" aspect of GSR should be solved in the most shocking, out of the blue way. Hey CSI Powers That Be, thanks sooo much for sticking Sara and Grissom together with no build-up, sloppy ret-conning, much jerking around and *after* ruining Grissom's character for me. *insert eye roll here*
(BTW, I stopped watching after Sara left the show and naturally Grissom departed soon after. But then Sara came back recently so I've started watching sporadically again. I just try to ignore the fact that Sara and Grissom are married.)
CSI Miami - Calleigh Duquesne and Ryan Wolfe
This particular pairing appealed to me at first because there were a surprising amount of similarities between these two and the Vegas ship of Greg and Sara. Both women are a few years older then their guys, both initially took the guys "under their wing" so to speak, and both got paired up on a lot of cases in the beginning (replete with lots of coyness and flirting). I actually made a little fanart comparing a few scenes they shared in their earlier years - I should post it next time. Also, while Sara was brought in to replace a dead colleague in the beginning of the series, Ryan was brought in to replace a murdered investigator a good deal later in the series (season 3, I believe). Unfortunately this pairing also shared the similarity that the women end up with men who dated other women and didn't seem to return their affections until way later in the game. As the crazier and more soapish version of the three CSIs, I gave this show up easily and never looked back, especially after they've ruined Ryan's character multiple times, turned a bubbly southern Calleigh into a cold robot shell of her former self and pretty much erased the nice camaraderie that was their friendship. (Geez, at least with my Vegas ship, Greg and Sara are still friends and joke around.)
Ugly Betty - Betty Suarez and Henry Grubstick
A recent heartbreak of mine. These two were so nerdy adorably perfect together but their only mistake was trying to be happy in a dramedy with roots in a telenovela (soap opera). That and the crappiest writing of pretty much all these ships. I posted a little rant on here a year or so back so I won't get too long into this. Many viewers familiar with the original Spanish soap opera it was based on expected Betty, a "plain", smart young woman to end up with her rich womanizing boss. But Henry was just too freakin' amazing. He was no nerdy, sweetheart stepping stone from the loser Walter to the sleek Daniel; he would become Betty's first love. Unfortunately kissing misunderstandings, loser boyfriend conflict, former girlfriends returning, a pregnancy, a double job relocation, a new love interest, and a sudden proposal... well it's no wonder Betty thought the universe was conspiring to keep them from being together. Despite it all, no one can deny that when they weren't dealing with the soapish drama, Betty and Henry were truly a sweet, fun, and most importantly happy couple to watch. Even though Betty chose herself in the series finale, I like to think she ends up with Henry somewhere down the road in fanfic land.
Harper's Island - Henry Dunn and Abby Mills
This should amuse those who know of the previous entry. Not only is another Henry on my list, he's played by the same actor. Yes, the same guy who played a dorky, bespectacled accountant named Henry in 'Ugly Betty' joins this miniseries as a handsome groom-to-be named Henry. Now, I can't get into this without giving a few twists and turns away; particularly who the killer of Harper's Island turns out to be. So, spoiler alert if you haven't seen this cool miniseries!
... <¡Spoiler Space!> ...
The fact that this hot Henry was played by one my favorite actors from 'Ugly Betty' already made me an automatic fan. The bravery and kindness he showed in the series just made me love him more and I vowed to keep him a favorite even if they tried to make him evil and crazy! ...And then it was revealed he was the killer. And I did still like him. Especially when they explained the whole wedding was an elaborate ruse to get his childhood friend and crush Abby to come back to their childhood home and be with her like they promised when they were young. He could've probably gone about wooing her in a less insane way but I'll be damned if I don't feel my heart break when he tells her he loves and she screams that she doesn't return the sentiment (being imprisoned and nearly scared to death tends to not win a girl over, Henry.) In the end, Abby got back together with her adolescent sweetheart, escapes the wretched island, and poor Henry is no more. I did like Abby and her boyfriend but I still felt for Henry and I kind of liked the possibility of Henry and Abby in some alternate universe where he doesn't get psycho after finding out his dad is a serial killer.
The X-Files - Dana Scully and John Doggett
To those who watched the show (whether the original TV airings back in the 90s or recently on DVD like I did), I know that the main team and very heart of the X-Files is Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. It's safe to say Mulder and Scully have become pop culture icons of sorts and they are The Main Ship (some say the term "shipping" came from this show, as there were "relationshippers" who wanted Mulder and Scully to get together and "noromos" who wanted no romance between these platonic partners.) Hunting paranormal creatures and trying to uncover a government alien cover-up or something can bring even the most opposite of people closer together and of course I shipped them. Then as the seasons wore on, I kind of became a Scully-sympathizer. Sure, I loved Mulder, but the guy could be seriously clueless and later on in the series he sometimes crossed into sarcastic jackass territory. I could get into specifics and do an entire separate post on just these two but that's not what this is about; this is about Agent Doggett, who was introduced way late into the game (the last two seasons) and was pretty much meant to "replace" Mulder. For all intents and purposes I should've hated him but he had two things going for him: 1) He was played by the amazing Robert Patrick (who is best known for playing the T-1000, aka one of my first crushes when I was young), and 2) He was actually an honest, hardworking guy who wanted to find an abducted Mulder and make Scully happy - despite the fact that he ends up falling for Scully himself. And it's unrequited. Oh ye gods. If there's anything that gets to me, it's an unrequited love, especially if it's a guy crushing on a girl (I have several doomed pairings that fall under this, not just live action TV). The writers, feeling the wrath of angry shipper fangirls seven years in the making breathing down their necks, decided to reel Doggett back in and pair him up with a new agent in town without establishing much chemistry or real interest. At least I got to enjoy Mulder and Scully cuddle in the series finale *but* I have since pretty much disowned the second movie. Any good feelings I had for M&S were flushed down the proverbial toilet after that ick (again, it's best left to another post.) As of now, I've decided to multi-ship Scully; she and Mulder were at their best in the first six or seven years but after that I really like her with Doggett. (FYI, this is working much better than my CSI attempt at multi-shipping... so far.)
Supernatural - Sam Winchester and Sarah Blake
The only ship on this list involving a series regular and a one-episode guest star. How cruel. Much like 'The X-Files' this involves two people of very opposing personalities hunting the paranormal and supernatural (geddit?) Unlike The X-Files, the two people chasing the demons and trying to save the world are brothers so there's no Mulder and Scully flirty sexiness going on. Though that doesn't stop fangirls from shipping the Winchester brothers, Sam and Dean. This is the last time I underestimate the power of slash. (Though I must admit I'm very fond of their devotion and love for each other. They are my literal example of a bromance.) So, anyway, Sam's college sweetie and presumably true love (Jessica) gets killed by a demon and now it's vengeance seeking time. The first girl that Sam gets close to after Jessica's death happens to be Sarah, daughter of an art gallery guy. What I like about her is that she's got equal parts intelligence, sweetness, demureness, and moxie. She's self-assured without being pushy. Every girl after that who gets her claws into Sam is just... awful. Or slutty. Or both. Don't take my word for it, here's a general list: some she-demons, a catty werewolf, some slutty doctor, a bunch of anonymous one-night stands, and an actual hooker (the last one being when he had no soul, if there's any consolation to be had). BTW, I refuse to believe that werewolf chick was the first woman Sam loved since Jessica's death. All that crying he and his brother did plus that other comment in some other episode; just no. Sarah came before werewolf chick and I'm just glad wolfette is dead. Actually, just about every girlfriend Sam ever had ended up with the woman dying or being evil. Or both. Every one... except for Sarah, damn it! Bring her back, writers! There's still tiiiiime!
How I Met Your Mother - Ted Mosby and Victoria
What's worse than a series regular dating a guest star you like? A regular dating a guest star you like, that has no chance of ending up together because of the stupid show's premise. The title 'How I Met Your Mother' is pretty much self explanatory. The show is like 'The Wonder Years' in how everything that goes on in the show's episodes is a sort of prolonged flashback being narrated by the protagonist, Ted, to his kids. As of now we still don't know who the mother of Ted's children is. What we do know is that it's not Victoria. Sweet, funny, beautiful baker extraordinaire, Victoria. Who has no last name to drive the point home that despite her being pretty much perfect for Ted, she is not destined to be "The Mother". (Weird that despite her appearing in at least five episodes, she has no last name.) What really sucks is that she was tossed aside to make room for the Robin and Ted romance (which admittedly I kind of liked in it's own right) despite the fact that we KNOW Robin is not the mother from the get-go! In episode 1 we're told she ends up being an aunt to Ted's future kids but we still get a good two seasons of Romantic!Ted trying to win over a stubborn Robin, even going so far as to almost cheat on Victoria. I just wish they hadn't written her out in such a way that she won't get a chance to come back even if it's just to remind Ted of what he could've had.
Special mention (No picture for these two, sorry!):
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Willow Rosenberg and Xander Harris
I've been watching this show in syndication for about a month (I'm midway through the second season) because it's right up there with 'The X-Files' in terms of awesome 90s/early 2000s sci-fi TV. (Hope to get to 'Xena', 'Twin Peaks', and 'Charmed' sometime in the future.) After the initial association of Willow to Lily of 'How I Met Your Mother' wound down (both were/are played by the same actress) I found myself sympathizing with the shy, nerdy wallflower and her crush on that dorky, clueless Xander. Despite my aversion to spoilers, I decided to skim the Buffy wiki and I found that not only does Willow eventually get over him and dates a werewolf (I've seen him, he's Seth Green! Coolness!) she actually switches sides in college and makes LGBT history. Now all I have to do is await Xander's separation from that snobby Cordelia (anyone is better than her, even an apparent vengeance demon; thanks Wikipedia!)