30 Day Ship Meme - The Pairing with the Most Chemistry
I'm not sure if I have a 'the most chemistry' pairing. I mean, sure there were times I'd find that I'd been holding my breath during some of Buffy and Angel's scenes. My brain's blanking on who had that kind of crackling chemistry or possibly more via other TV shows or movies.
So my brain started moving a different direction. True chemistry in a pairing is when it happens and clearly it isn't the writer's intention. Sure, I think shows look for that certain pop between two actors that they intend to cast as an eventual romantic pair. So is it really all that surprising that Buffy/Angel can still suck the breath from me? Yes and no. But the real magic of chemistry is when it shows up unexpected. (I know a lot of people feel that way about Spike/Buffy. Though I'm more in the camp that Marsters has the ability to have chemistry with anything with a pulse. *g*)
Examples for me of truly unexpected chemistry include Willow and Riley at the start of season 4. Even though I didn't get to see those eps until after I knew Riley was in the show as Buffy's love interest and Willow would have Tara, watching the two of them interact at the bookstore, or even at the frat party where Willow's morning Oz' leaving and trying to give Riley hints on how to catch Buffy's attention, I find the two of them to have a chemistry that Buffy and Riley never quite managed. IIRC when I once mentioned this, others not only agreed,b but said the show runners noticed as well and made a point to minimize the scenes between Riley and Willow.
The first season of Bones is another example. It was perfectly clear from ep one that the canon 'ship was Booth/Brennan. However I felt that the real chemistry was between Booth and Angela. I rather wonder if that's why season 2 involved a romance between Angela and Hodges. If show runners saw what I saw, or if it was just a natural progression to build in a B Plot couple. Regardless, it worked in the sense that Angela and Hodges were so fun and had a neat chemistry of their own that I stopped rooting for Booth/Angela.
As an honorable mention, I'll add Sierra/Victor from Dollhouse. I put it in the honorable mention category, as it's clear the show always intended them as a couple. But what I don't think Joss et al. expected was this B Plot couple to completely eclipse the A Plot couple, which I think Echo/Ballard was supposed to be, but that got a bit train-wrecky in execution, which didn't help it either.
Day 01 - Current Favorite Ship
Day 02 - What was your very first ship?
Day 03 - A pairing that needs to happen now?
Day 04 - The pairing with the most chemistry?
Day 05 - The pairing with the least chemistry?
Day 06 - The best kiss?
Day 07 - The most heartbreaking scene?
Day 08 - The pairing with the most baggage?
Day 09 - The most believable relationship?
Day 10 - Why aren’t these two married in real life?
Day 11 - What is your dream pairing?
Day 12 - Who had the best wedding?
Day 13 - What is your favorite television pairing?
Day 14 - What is your favorite book pairing?
Day 15 - What is your favorite real life pairing?
Day 16 - What is the absolute worst pairing?
Day 17 - A pairing you thought would never work out, but did?
Day 18 - What is the cutest pairing?
Day 19 - A pairing you’ve rooted for since the beginning?
Day 20 - The ‘can’t stand the sexual tension anymore’ pairing?
Day 21 - A pairing you like and no one else understands why?
Day 22 - A pairing you hate and no one else understands why?
Day 23 - A crazy love triangle/quadrilateral that worked out great?
Day 24 - A crazy love triangle/quadrilateral that worked out badly?
Day 25 - A pairing that was/would-be adorable, but could never work out?
Day 26 - A pairing that you hated and ended up loving?
Day 27 - A pairing that you loved and ended up hating?
Day 28 - A pairing that you will never understand?
Day 29 - What ship had the best proposal?
Day 30 - Your favorite ship forever and ever and ever!
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So my brain started moving a different direction. True chemistry in a pairing is when it happens and clearly it isn't the writer's intention. Sure, I think shows look for that certain pop between two actors that they intend to cast as an eventual romantic pair. So is it really all that surprising that Buffy/Angel can still suck the breath from me? Yes and no. But the real magic of chemistry is when it shows up unexpected. (I know a lot of people feel that way about Spike/Buffy. Though I'm more in the camp that Marsters has the ability to have chemistry with anything with a pulse. *g*)
Examples for me of truly unexpected chemistry include Willow and Riley at the start of season 4. Even though I didn't get to see those eps until after I knew Riley was in the show as Buffy's love interest and Willow would have Tara, watching the two of them interact at the bookstore, or even at the frat party where Willow's morning Oz' leaving and trying to give Riley hints on how to catch Buffy's attention, I find the two of them to have a chemistry that Buffy and Riley never quite managed. IIRC when I once mentioned this, others not only agreed,b but said the show runners noticed as well and made a point to minimize the scenes between Riley and Willow.
The first season of Bones is another example. It was perfectly clear from ep one that the canon 'ship was Booth/Brennan. However I felt that the real chemistry was between Booth and Angela. I rather wonder if that's why season 2 involved a romance between Angela and Hodges. If show runners saw what I saw, or if it was just a natural progression to build in a B Plot couple. Regardless, it worked in the sense that Angela and Hodges were so fun and had a neat chemistry of their own that I stopped rooting for Booth/Angela.
As an honorable mention, I'll add Sierra/Victor from Dollhouse. I put it in the honorable mention category, as it's clear the show always intended them as a couple. But what I don't think Joss et al. expected was this B Plot couple to completely eclipse the A Plot couple, which I think Echo/Ballard was supposed to be, but that got a bit train-wrecky in execution, which didn't help it either.
Day 01 - Current Favorite Ship
Day 02 - What was your very first ship?
Day 03 - A pairing that needs to happen now?
Day 04 - The pairing with the most chemistry?
Day 05 - The pairing with the least chemistry?
Day 06 - The best kiss?
Day 07 - The most heartbreaking scene?
Day 08 - The pairing with the most baggage?
Day 09 - The most believable relationship?
Day 10 - Why aren’t these two married in real life?
Day 11 - What is your dream pairing?
Day 12 - Who had the best wedding?
Day 13 - What is your favorite television pairing?
Day 14 - What is your favorite book pairing?
Day 15 - What is your favorite real life pairing?
Day 16 - What is the absolute worst pairing?
Day 17 - A pairing you thought would never work out, but did?
Day 18 - What is the cutest pairing?
Day 19 - A pairing you’ve rooted for since the beginning?
Day 20 - The ‘can’t stand the sexual tension anymore’ pairing?
Day 21 - A pairing you like and no one else understands why?
Day 22 - A pairing you hate and no one else understands why?
Day 23 - A crazy love triangle/quadrilateral that worked out great?
Day 24 - A crazy love triangle/quadrilateral that worked out badly?
Day 25 - A pairing that was/would-be adorable, but could never work out?
Day 26 - A pairing that you hated and ended up loving?
Day 27 - A pairing that you loved and ended up hating?
Day 28 - A pairing that you will never understand?
Day 29 - What ship had the best proposal?
Day 30 - Your favorite ship forever and ever and ever!
This entry was originally posted to Dreamwidth. View comments (
) | Reply