Top 10 Television Ships

#1

Luke and Lorelai

Played by Lauren Graham and Scott Patterson

            I believe that they were my second OTP ever.  One of the few will they/won’t they couples that didn’t wreck the show once they got together.  In fact, the show got better once they finally got together in season 5.  Luke was in love with Lorelai from the start but Lorelai just couldn’t see what was right in front of her.  Luke was such a gruff guy but you could always see his soft spot for Lorelai.  They were great friends before anything else and their banter was always a highlight on the show.  They would each show a little jealousy when the other was involved with someone else but they never tried to sabotage each other’s happiness.  It was so clear how they perfectly complemented each other.  Outwardly, Luke would grumble about Lorelai’s craziness but secretly he loved her for everything she was.  Luke needed someone to let him enjoy life and indulge his own quirky side and Lorelai needed someone who would support her no matter what.  They were partners through and through.  Even when Lorelai married Christopher, it was clear that her heart was always with Luke.  I’m thrilled that they ended up together; anything else would have been unacceptable. 

Best Episode to Watch: Raincoats and Recipes.  Ah, their first kiss and it was perfect.

Top 10 Television Ships

#2

Mark/Callie

Played by Eric Dane and Sara Ramirez

Oh, these two drive me crazy.  I’ve been shipping them since Callie was married to George.  That’s a long time for me to hang on to a ship.  I don’t hold out any hope that they’ll ever really be together, but I have adored watching them get closer and closer to the best friends they are today.  Callie Torres is one of my favorite television characters of all time.  I am captivated whenever she’s onscreen.  I’ve watched her suffer season after season and through it all Mark is the only person in her life who has never abandoned her or let her down (that includes her own father, by the way).  Mark and Callie’s relationship started from scratch and the evolution has been wonderful.  They know they can lean on each other no matter what.  They have meaningful and dramatic scenes but they also have light and funny scenes.  Dane and Ramirez have so much chemistry that the very idea of putting them with other people is just crazy talk.  But, sadly Shonda is quite fluent in crazy talk.  Now, Callie is pregnant with Mark’s baby and I’m holding out hope that this baby will survive.  I’d like Arizona to go away, but as that won’t be happening at least I can tell myself that Mark and Callie will always be tied to each other, not only because of their love for each other but because of the child they will soon share.  That’s going to be one beautiful baby.  Plus, Ramirez makes Dane a better actor.  The best time to watch Mark is when he’s with Callie.  I’m very nervous about where their current storyline is headed, but I’m trying to be optimistic.

Best episode to watch:  I like you so much better when you’re naked.  (I think this episode perfectly shows their intimacy, their love, and their humor.) 

Top 10 Television Ships

#4

Brian/Justin

Played by: Gale Harold and Randy Harrison

            I normally do not like pairings where a sweet, naïve person melts the cold heart of the other.  It’s all a bit Beauty and the Beast.  But, these two are the exception.  I couldn’t help but be moved at their story.  Out of everyone in the entire world, Justin Taylor was the one to win Brian’s heart.  In all five seasons, Brian never fell in love with anyone else.  It wasn’t even close.  Yes, he loved Michael and he loved Lindsay, but Justin was different.  He forced Brian to believe in love and to trust someone else to be there for him and care for him.  He showed him that there was more to life than one night stands.  In return, Brian helped Justin grow up.  He gave him the confidence to fight for what he wanted and he taught him to be independent.  It took Brian five years to say ‘I love you’ but it didn’t matter because he didn’t have to say it.  Anyone could see it long before he said it.  They had a bittersweet ending but no matter what, they’ll never stop loving each other.

Episode to watch: They didn’t have episode names, but I’d go for the episode right after they get back together in season three, if only for the commentary by the other characters.

Top 10 Television Ships

#5

Murdock/Amy

Played by: Dwight Schultz and Melinda Culea

            This is another one that I have no excuse for.  They were never together, nor was it ever really teased.  But, I love them together.  I love them together because Amy, the only female in the cast, bonded the most with him, the goofy guy.  She didn’t latch onto Face, the hot one, or Hannibal, the fearless leader.  Nope, this brilliant woman liked to hang out with King of Crazy.  She had good taste.  Murdock was very flirty with her and she was always amused by his antics.  She wasn’t on the show very long and even when she was, she didn’t get much screen time, but she got to team up with Murdock a lot because they were the only two of the group who weren’t fugitives.  I feel like Murdock respected her and took her seriously in a way that the others never did.  The others kind of talked down to her (though, that probably has more to do with the actors, than the characters).  Murdock didn’t treat her like she was an idiot and Amy didn’t treat him like he was weird.  They both accepted each other for who they were and they formed a close relationship despite being complete opposites.

Episode to watch: One More Time (basically, they spend nearly every second of their screen time together).

Top 10 Television Ships

#6

Kevin/Scotty

Played by: Matthew Rhys and Luke Macfarlane

            It’s too bad Brothers and Sisters is such a bad show because Kevin and Scotty is one of the most engaging couples on television.  If the whole show was about them, I would be happy.  Unfortunately, all those other awful characters exist and I have to suffer through them and their crappy storylines to get to some good K/S stories.  The show has followed this relationship from the beginning, from their rocky start to their journey to fatherhood.  I believe the producers even called Scotty Kevin’s ‘Mr. Big.’  I think that says it all.  Kevin had other boyfriends, but he just couldn’t stay away from Scotty.  They have not had an easy time of it.  Kevin can be neurotic and unintentionally cold and neglectful.  Scotty can be self righteous and holier than thou.  Never the less, they are always willing to give each other another chance because being apart hurts more than whatever it is the other has done.  This one of my few current ships that is still sailing and more than any other, I want them to make it to the end.  I just wish they were on a better show.  Like a spin off.

Episode to watch: Prior Commitments (Their wedding and the first gay wedding on primetime television between two regular cast members)

Top 10 Television Ships

#8

Willow/Tara

Played by: Alyson Hannigan and Amber Benson

            Willow and Tara’s relationship was the first exposure I had to a same sex couple on television.  I can vividly remember watching my first episode of Buffy and slowly realizing that Willow and Tara were together. I don’t think or talk about this pairing too much because in the Buffyverse it all comes down to Buffy/Angel vs. Buffy/Spike and I have my loyalties in that debate but every time I go back to the show I am reminded of how loving Willow and Tara were and how much I counted on them just being together.  I enjoyed Willow’s other relationships but Tara was my favorite.  Tara is one of the most genuine characters I’ve ever seen and Willow is one of Joss Whedon’s most well developed characters.  I loved the way that magic was used as a metaphor throughout their whole relationship and I think the way they initially found their way to each other was beautifully done.  When Willow lost Tara, the pain was palpable.  Her death was incredibly shocking and Willow going off the deep end after it happened just showed how much Willow loved her and dark!Willow is my favorite arc of the series because of it.  Willow and Tara were everything.  They were sweet, they fought, they deceived each other, they let each other down, they helped each other up, but through it all they never stopped loving each other.  Even after Tara died, Willow never forgot.

Episode to watch: Two to Go (Okay, Tara’s already dead in this one, but Willow gives the most heartbreaking speech about her)

Top 10 Television Ships

#9

Mulder/Scully

Played By: David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson

            If I’m being honest, my love of their relationship is about the only reason I got into this show.  Don’t get me wrong, it was a great show, but it got a little tedious at times.  This pairing is the definition of a slow burn.  They took forever to get together, but unlike most ‘will they/won’t they’ couples, they didn’t have silly, contrived obstacles in their way.  One didn’t pine away as the other remained oblivious.  They were just two people who respected and loved each other very much.  I think this pairing is so popular because it is atypical.  Compared to the sophomoric couples on TV today (House/Cuddy for example) Mulder and Scully are just refreshingly mature and subtle.  They were fundamentally different but they truly complemented each other.  There was no doubt that these two were made for each other and they got the point across without beating us over the head with it.  We need more pairings like this on television.

Best Episode to watch:  I’m partial to the first movie, actually.