I
am not a romantic person, if any of thing 'romantic' happened to me I
would run from the room screaming 'fire' and the whole till death do
us part thing actually has me breaking out in hives but I love watching it play out on television. I can't help it, when
I see two people in love on the screen in front of me I get all
giggly and my heart starts to flutter (something that often confuses
the people I am dating... “you seemed to like it when they did it
on TV”). Why am I telling you this incredibly pointless personal
story – it's simple I needed a lead in for this list and I am
totally narcissist so I just like talking about myself. So you know –
reasons, I like TV romance so I am going to inflict my love on you,
my lonely reader.
Anyway
to the list, which has some boundaries – I am talking about Epic
Romances, not perfect couples... this list is not based on how well
they work together, or even if they ended up together, is based on
the epicness of their journey. In the words of Logan on Veronica
Mars - “Spanning years and continents.
Lives ruined, bloodshed. Epic. But summer's almost here, and we won't
see each other at all. And then you leave town... and then it's
over.” The unfortunate thing about the nature of the “Epic
Romance” is that it usually involves a lot of pain for both the
pairing and those around them – therefore, if it came easy, it
ain't epic... also sweet, nice, romances are gone as well. I will
probably write a list of the 'best couples' soon but if you still
feel the need to yell at me then go a head, the caps lock button is
right there.
*Disclaimer, I am not trying to insight ship wars, this list is entirely personal opinion so please do not hunt me down and kill me because I ignored your favourite ship. You are welcome to add your own couples in the the comments though, in fact that would be good because clearly I don't know everything so I have probably forgotten someone very important.
Also
– I'm only 25 so all these couples are relatively recent... this is
just because of what I have been exposed to, sorry.
10. Ianto
Jones and Jack Harkness – Torchwood
Gareth
David-Lloyd and John Barrowman
I
hate to start on such a depressing note, but as I said above 'Epic
Romances' do not come easy, and most of the time they end in tears or
death or both. This one if no exception. When I found out that
Russell T. Davies was creating a Doctor Who spin off starring none
other than our favourite con-man Captain romance really wasn't the
first thing that came to mind. If I'm honest, I thought sex... I mean
Captain Jack is such a slut I just thought I would be seeing him hook
up with someone new ever week. Too be fair, Torchwood didn't really
disappoint on the sex thing but I was shocked when I found myself
rooting for him to live 'happily-ever-after' with the coffee boy.
Clearly Gwen was set up as a romantic interest (or at least URST
partner) in the early Torchwood episodes and even I'll admit there
was some tension there, which makes it all the more shocking when I
realised that all I wanted was for Jack to settle down with bit
player Ianto.
Jack
and Ianto's romance was never really centre stage, but that didn't
make it any less epic... I mean come on, in their first on screen
kiss Jack literally breaths life back into Ianto. Of course there are
plenty of traumatic moments, it is Torchwood after all, but there are
cute ones as well – like when Jack returns from his adventure with
the Doctor and finally asks Ianto out on a date. This couple was
clearly a fan favourite and that's saying something because Jack has
had quite a few romances in the short few years he's been on the
screen. Alas, a cruel and vengeful god, Davies chose to rip Ianto
from the mortal coil just as this romance was getting series... and
the way it was done, I don't think I will ever get over it (and I'm
not the only one – check out the memorial in Cardiff bay if you
don't believe me).
This
story has everything and 'Epic Romance' needs, sex, violence, love
and death... and no matter how long Jack lives I know he will never
forget the stiff, Welsh coffee boy that stole his heart.
9. Carrie
Bradshaw and Mr. Big – Sex
and the City
Sarah
Jessica Parker and Chris Noth
This
one doesn't have death, there's not really all that much violence
(unless you count a broken nose or an accidental slap) and unlike
most of the couples on the list these two actually get their
'happily-ever-after'. Yet this is still one of the most talked about
romances of the past 20 years which is pretty amazing considering we
didn't even know the guys name – I am of course ignoring the movies
that came after the series, they don't really count because they're
not originally on the small screen, a good thing because now we don't
have to talk about how crap they are.
Carrie
had a lot of romances over the years (a lot of one night stands as
well) but we pretty much new she was destined to be with the
charismatic Mr Big, even when she was with the perfect man aka Aidan.
I'm sure a few people will argue with me about the Aidan thing but
there was no way they were going to work, he was too way boring.
There is no way that he could compete with Mr Big – sure he's a
commitment-phobe and the whole moving to France, marrying a
twenty-something then cheating on her with Carrie wasn't the best
idea but it does make for a pretty epic romance.
I
was with this couple all the way from “abso-fucking-lutely” to
that beautiful night in Paris and there were so many ups and downs in
between to keep us talking and wishing and dreaming for the day when
these two relationship fuck-ups would finally admit they are meant to
be. It was just unlucky for all the poor people that got hurt along
the way... I'll just leave you with a moment of real love, when
Carrie finds out that Big is having heart surgery she can't help but
burst into tears, like a child, every time anyone mentions it. This
is despite the fact that the two have not officially dated in years,
she still loves him like it's an involuntary reaction... now that's
epic.
8. Max
Guevara and Logan Cale –
Dark Angel
Jessica
Alba and Michael Weatherly
I
don't know how many people remember this couple any more, I mean the
show's long gone and I haven't seen it replayed, at least not to the
extent that other Sci-Fi programs are. I don't know why, sure it's
dated a little and the acting isn't fantastic but it's got
interesting ideas and some fantastic characters (not to mention a
very young Jensen Ackles – hnnnng) so it is definitely worth a look
if you didn't catch it the first time round. One the things that
makes this program so worth while is the tragic love story between
Max and Logan. The tension in the first season is almost unbearable,
and after what happens in the second series it just makes me scream
at the TV even more because I want them to kiss so bad.
It's
a post-apocalyptic world, which means every girl for herself and this
is especially true for an escaped superhuman soldier... why would a
self serving, ghetto, girl like Max, whose just trying to make her
way in the world, fall for a playboy with a cause like Logan? Yet
somehow it works or at least it would if they would actually get
around to doing it, instead they flirt and they dance and they cook
for each other until it's too late. And I mean too late in the worst
way possible... first he thinks she's dead then when she comes back
she has a killer virus in her that is specifically engineered to his
DNA so that they can NEVER touch. It's like the worst punishment
ever, they admit how they feel about each other and they have to work
together for the good of the world (or some such noble cause) only
they can't ever be together, not really.
Despite
the introduction of the fan favourite, Alec (played by the ever sexy
Jensen Ackles) there is nothing that can get in-between the epic
romance of Max and Logan. Except the cancellation of the show, so
that we never really get to find out if that virus is taken care of
or if they finally get it on... I think there are some novels
somewhere but I haven't read them, so if anyone has and they want to
tell me the fate of these star-crossed lovers then comment away.
7. Buffy
Summers and Angel – Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Portrayed
by Sarah
Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz
This
was a hard one for me because I was always a little bit more partial
to funny/sarcastic and hopelessly romantic Spike but you can't deny
the epicness of the original vampire/teenage girl love story (again
not entirely true but it did spawn Twilight
and Vampire
Diaries).
Anyway, I know that I was firmly on the Bangel (Buffy/Angel)
bandwagon when it first aired and even if you don't ship it you can't
deny its epic nature.
It's
kind of poetic really, Buffy's sole purpose in life is to slay
vampires, it's in the name isn't it – Vampire Slayer... it would be
right that she would fall in love with the thing she was destined to
hate. It's like Romeo and Juliet with fangs. It's not as bad as it
seems through, because Angel is a special vampire – he's got soul.
Well he has a soul until he achieves a moment of pure happiness,
which is of course consummating his love with Buffy. Again with the
whole no sex thing, it's just excessively cruel. I get the whole
delayed gratification thing and we all know that Joss is a cruel and
vengeful god so I guess we should think ourselves lucky that they are
both still alive. But what kind of life is it without your soul mate... Early in their relationship they had some sweet moments and up until he lost the soul and became the most evil Vamp around, it was all going well.
I
guess I have a soft spot for this romance because it was one of the
first that really got me massively interested, and I think part of me
still hopes for a happily ever after... even after he went evil, then she killed him and Spike came along
and Angel moved to LA and hooked up with Cordy and then a human
Darla and had a baby, that grew up super fast in hell – oh and
Buffy died. Yeah, this relationship was never going to work... Damn
you Joss!
To be continued...
Well things were getting a bit long and I thought an epic romance would draw things out - never give them what they want otherwise why would they come back? So I am going to take a leaf out of all my favourite love stories and break this list apart.
So stay tuned for numbers 6 - 3 in my list of epic television romances (followed by the final 2 the day after that).
I hope you all enjoyed so far - feel free to speculate as to which couples will make it into the final 6 spots of this series.
