The art of ‘shipping in fandom can be quite a ride, not to mention it gets heated!
In some fandoms, depending on which characters you secretly or not so secretly root for, you can end up with a few battle scars.
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There are some couples who should not be together or we shouldn’t condone nor consider rooting for, but we do anyway. Other couples are controversial in the eyes of fandom. Some couples were never official couples at all but should have been.
Then there are those couples who for some inexplicable reason a series ripped apart, ruined, or refused to give us even though it made sense, but it didn’t stop us from ‘shipping any of them anyway.
Sharpen your pitchforks and get ready to judge away because here is a list of couples (in no particular order) we would happily go to hell ‘shipping. We’re not apologizing.
Don’t forget to hit the comments below with your own!
Michael and Maria – Roswell, New Mexico
Being a fan of this pairing when Malex is so popular is like tiptoeing through a minefield. Yeah, we know Michael and Alex are “cosmic.” No one is disputing that Malex has great chemistry, but you know what? So do Michael and Maria! The buildup to their romance was there from the beginning if you were paying attention. They have a fun rapport established over a decade, flirty banter, some subtle similarities, and they “get” one another.
Michael is the only character who consistently shows concern for Maria. He respects that she’s “her own savior,” but also knows she needs a shoulder to lean on sometimes. He’s protective of her. Maria makes him smile; he lights up around her. Their angst-free camaraderie is refreshing for the broody cowboy. Miluca, Marichael, Candy 2.0, whatever you choose to call them are pretty damn shippable, and Maria is a legitimate contender for Michael’s heart. Sorry, not sorry.
Beth and Rio – Good Girls
Beth and Rio are the ultimate good girl turned bad girl/ bad boy duo and everything about their relationship and the fact that we’ll go to the grave ‘shipping it is sinful. We’re talking, sign of the cross, burn in hell for the unspeakable things they do, pass the water to quench the thirst sinful. They’re. So. Hot. Together.
Beth has a husband and a brood of kids. Rio has a gang. She has betrayed him more than once, and he has threatened her often (side note: someone putting a gun to your throat should not be that sexy, dammit. See what we meant?) The finale (which I had a lot of feelings about) should have put the nail in the coffin (pardon the pun) on wanting these two together, but did it? Hell no!
Lucy and Flynn – Timeless
Lucy and Wyatt were the most popular pairing among clockblockers, and thanks to the well-earned series finale special, they were the endgame. None of that changes the fact that Lucy and Flynn had a far more intriguing relationship. Their journey from enemies, to allies, to confidants and friends was a highlight of the series.
They were vulnerable with one another and had a mutual understanding and connection that neither of them had with anyone else. Lucy eventually grew to see the best in Flynn and assisted in his redemption arc, and Flynn saw Lucy for who she really was without airs. We deserved more seasons of Timeless and more Garcy!
Eve and Villanelle – Killing Eve
Is Villanelle a sociopathic assassin? Yes. Do we still ‘ship her with Eve? Also, yes. This sapphic game of cat-and-mouse between Eve and Villanelle is too irresistible to not root for no matter how batsh!t crazy their relationship is. They’re OBSESSED with one another, and we’re obsessed with them. What’s some casual murder and maiming between future girlfriends? It’s how they show their love.
Desna and Roller – Claws
Desna and Roller literally tried to kill each other. We’re talking more than once. He cheated on her. She married someone shadier than him. He thought he fathered a child. They had many ups and downs in an often toxic relationship, but they work better together than they do apart. The loyalty and love the two of them have for one another is undeniable. They’re Palmetto’s very own Bonnie and Clyde.
Felicity and Noel – Felicity
It’s an unpopular opinion, but Felicity and Noel are the better relationship. Unfortunately, in the battle of the hot Scotts, Speedman’s Ben won out even though Ben was today’s equivalent of a f**kboy. Noel and Felicity were so soft and sweet together. They were two awkward individuals finding their footing in the world while also attempting to find love with a kindred spirit.
They weren’t bogged down by endless drama. Noel wasn’t self-absorbed; he encouraged her to follow her passion, and he was comforting and stable. They were friends and lovers, and their relationship felt equal. They wouldn’t let Noel and Felicity be great, but we’re ‘shipping it anyway.
Sherlock and Joan – Elementary
The showrunners have said they don’t intend to pair the two up romantically, and their relationship has been platonic and delightfully familial, but they’re practically a married couple as it is, why not make it official? They’re partners in every other aspect, and fans have ‘shipped variations of Sherlock and Watson for years. Why stop now?
Harvey and Jessica – Suits
Were we supposed to simply NOT see the heat between Jessica and Harvey? Sure, the series was building up to Harvey and Donna, but why did they give us an equally if not more compelling background story and relationship between Jessica and Harvey? She pulled him out of the mailroom, groomed him, and he became her protege, confidant, friend, and family.
He would and has gone to war for Jessica Pearson. They are masters of the flirty banter and sexual innuendo. They had their own special place on the rooftop. They’re so similar to one another it’s astonishing, and yet we’re supposed to believe they didn’t get drunk off of bourbon and banter and have unspeakably hot sexytimes in the office one night? Sure, whatever. No offense, Darvey fans, but Jarvey was HOT AF!
Elliot and Tyrell – Mr. Robot
Who says you can’t find deep connections while plotting anarchy? The sexual tension between Elliot and Tyrell was subtle but charged. Their scenes have always been magnetic whether it’s Elliot as himself or Mr. Robot.
And not only is Tyrell obsessed with Elliot but he has admitted to loving him. The erotic subtext is always there when they share the screen, and screw it, no matter how unhinged Tyrell is and how mentally ill Elliot is, the day the subtext officially becomes text some of us are going to rejoice.
Dennis and Davia – Good Trouble
Initially, it seemed as though these two could never get along. Davia was very judgy of Dennis, and he didn’t hesitate to call her out when he felt she needed it. But through Dennis’ secret battle with depression and suicide to which Davia is the only Coterie member privy of, and Davia’s bouts of insecurity and relationship with Jeff, the two have forged a deep, breathtaking, emotional bond that steals the show.
On the one hand, they’re housemates, and there’s an age difference, and they’re both in vulnerable places and need to focus on themselves. Oh, and he kinda slept with her mom once. On the other hand, their journey is mesmerizing, and they’re good with one another. Their platonic, antagonistic sibling vibe has evolved into something with sexual tension, and it’s intoxicating.
Ben and Saanvi – Manifest
Technically, Ben is married. Does that stop us from rooting for Benvi? Hell no! Grace is awful (awful enough to inspire a scathing editorial devoted to how terrible she is), and Ben deserves better. Ben deserves Saanvi.
They’re bonded by this unique experience only the other passengers of flight 828 can understand. The two of them make quite the successful team investigating what happened to him and the season’s many mysteries together. They’re both adorable nerds who look after and support one another. Their friendship and partnership is one of the highlights of the series, and we will go down with this ‘ship. Give us more Benvi next season!
Clarke and Finn – The 100
For one, Finn had a girlfriend but the whole time, he was in love with Clarke, which is a bit cringy. He was a cheater and a murderer, and even the show goes out of its way to pretend as though he wasn’t Clarke’s first love. It’s a controversial pairing within the series and within a Bellarke loving fandom, but we like what we like.
Derek and Braeden – Teen Wolf
Sterek may have been the pairing many fans wanted to see, but Braeden and Derek were a couple the show gave us, and it was by far one of the healthiest romantic relationships Derek had on the series. She’s the only girlfriend he had who didn’t abuse or violate him.
She stuck by his side during a few difficult transitions and finally taught him how to fight as a human. They saved each other and worked tirelessly to protect all the others. They were badass couple goals, and totally should have been canon during the final season. It’s unfortunate the show never brought her back.
Rumple and Belle – OUAT
Rumple had a lot of work to do to redeem himself from the beginning of the series to the end, and Belle deserved so much better for most of the show. He loved her, but he wasn’t the best for her, and he did some pretty awful things to her, but no matter how villainous Rumple became and what he did, it didn’t stop fans from wanting this ‘ship to sail, and by the end of the series, it did!
Luisa and Rose (Sin Rostro) – Jane the Virgin
Sure, depending on who you ask, it’s controversial to ‘ship Jane and Michael or Jane and Rafael for some reason or another, but neither of them has anything on the disastrous, twisted relationship that is Luisa and Rose. Rose was Luisa’s stepmother, and a criminal and the woman has a million different faces. And Luisa does some truly stupid things under Rose’s influence. It should be annoying, and it’s toxic as hell, but do we care? Nope!
Marcus and Saya – Deadly Class
They’re a killer couple. Literally. It wasn’t cool that Marcus cheated on his domestic violence surviving, bipolar girlfriend who was utterly devoted to him. However, Saya and Marcus were just so damn appealing from the moment they met; it was hard not to want something to happen between the two.
Veronica and Weevil – Veronica Mars
C’mon, you know the two of them would have made the best couple. So entertaining. Imagine the trouble they would have gotten into together? Two people on opposite sides of the track make for quality content, but Veronica’s fall from grace meant she had few allies around in Neptune, but she always had the resident leader of a motorcycle gang in her corner. Veronica and her head tilt, and Weevil and those Maybelline eyelashes had one of the best relationships of the entire series.
It’s something to be said about how much they trusted, respected, and how loyal they were to each other. Veronica could always call on Weevil when she was in a jam, and he protected and had her back, and Weevil could rely on Veronica to defend him whenever he was being railroaded by any number of the corrupt systems in their small-town. It’s a real shame the series wasn’t allowed to explore their relationship beyond platonic frenemies. Weever for life!
Archie and Betty – Riverdale
They’re just so cuuuute together! Barchie has everything you would want in a ‘ship. The girl/boy next door vibe. Friends-to-lovers. They balance each other out. They’re sweet, have great chemistry, and always find themselves orbiting around one another. Fandom seems to love Bughead and some are thrilled about another round of Varchie, but whether it’s hell or Riverdale itself (most days there isn’t a difference), we Barchie ‘shippers will happily go there before we let go of this relationship.
Max and Helen – New Amsterdam
Sharpwin is super controversial in the New Amsterdam fandom, enough to spark a post Dissecting Sharpwin and what it is ‘shippers are drawn to that prompts them to root for it so much (like the fact that they stare at each other like they hang the moon).
Not only is Max married, but he and his wife just had a baby. And no one is angling for an out of character infidelity plot, but are we supposed to pretend like the INSANE chemistry between Max and Helen doesn’t exist?! It jumps off the screen! In a matter of two months, Max and Helen became each other’s person. They’ve been there for each other at their absolute worst, including Helen being Max’s doctor during his fight with cancer.
No, we’re not rooting for Max to be a philanderer nor do we want Helen to be a homewrecker, but sorry, not freaking sorry, their chemistry is too good to ignore, and we’ll happily burn for this one.
Simon and Raphael – Shadowhunters
Shadowhunters had so many pairings to root for, it was hard to choose just one. But you know what? Saphael is a pairing of which we fans will never let go. Yes, Raphael is an asexual character who found happiness as a human and joined a monastery. Meanwhile, Simon found love with Izzy. However, those days of baby vampire Simon being mentored and taken care of by Raphael showed us how cute the two of them would be as a couple, and it was hard to let go of that idea when the narrative changed directions.
Mary and Marshall – In Plain Sight
The powers that be behind In Plain Sight did not want to make Mary and Marshall a romantic pairing, and they dashed our hopes for good during the series finale when Marshall married his perky fiancee Abigail and Mary kinda got back on track with her baby daddy, and Marshall who had been in love with Mary forever asked for a platonic breakup because he knew his feelings for Mary were so strong he would drop everything if she called.
Hello, that’s why they should have been together!! But if you ignore the finale like any self-respecting Marshall and Mary ‘shipper does, you can happily enjoy this couple in peace because even that finale won’t stop us from shipping the hell out of them, so there.
Shawn and Angela – Boy Meets World/ Girl Meets World
Shawn and Angela were one of the most iconic and groundbreaking young adult relationships in television history. It’s too bad BMW, GMW, and Michael Jacobs refused to let this pairing be great. We’ll just happily ignore every mind-numbingly stupid, insulting, and canonically inaccurate decision made to put the nail in the coffin of this ‘ship in Girl Meets World and choose to believe they lived happily ever after together as they belonged.
Contrary to what was said, Shawn and Angela were compatible as the more realistic, gripping foil to Topanga and Cory’s sweet, perfect relationship. They had real struggles, overcame obstacles together, were there during some of each’s other hardest battles. Yeah, we’ll never let this ‘ship go. Ever.
Bellamy and Clarke – The 100
Rest assured, Bellarke is still another The 100 ‘ship we’ll go down swinging for, so calm yourselves. Bellarke has to be the most platonically married couple on TV right now (see what we did there?). There’s love, hurt, betrayal, loyalty, and angst between these two. What more can you ask for?
While the writers and the actors and other powers that be behind the series are perfectly content keeping this pairing “platonic” while baiting the hell out of us, it’s OK for them all to be wrong about this. It happens, and it won’t stop us from going down in a fiery inferno with this ship.
Bradford and Chen – The Rookie
Bradford started off the season rough around the edges, and he was a total jerk, but his many layers were carefully peeled back as the season progressed, and Lucy was the one who experienced vulnerable, multifaceted Bradford in all of his glory.
He’s her T.O. and coming off of a complicated marriage with his opiate-addicted, former cop wife, and Lucy was involved with Nolan. They shouldn’t be together for so many reasons, but none of those reasons will stop us from falling deeper in love with the possibility of them becoming a couple.
Mina and AJ – The Resident
Mina and AJ are the best ‘ship on the series right now, because thanks to Nic, we never know what the hell is going on with CoNic. AJ and Mina are true partners in the OR. They’re like separate hands on the same body; they work as one, and it has spilled into their personal life too. They have developed a deep friendship, bared their souls to one another, and are more vulnerable with each other than they are with anyone else, which is a lot for two closed off characters who hide behind bravado.
AJ is Mina’s superior and mentor, so it would probably be unprofessional among other things if the two of them become a couple anytime soon. But their slow-burn has us on the edge of our seats anyway. No one at Chastain follows the rules, so why start now?
Sabrina and Nicholas Scratch – Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Sabrina and Harvey are the safe option. They’re the ones people probably are rooting for the most, but if we have to burn on our Sabrina and Nicholas ‘ship by ourselves, then so be it. He’s loyal to her, willing to put her feelings and well-being first, and even encourages the relationship between her and Harvey if it means her happiness. He had his orders, which he defied, and he literally went to hell for her. Are we supposed to not find that #BoyfriendGoals?
Riley and Evan – The Client List
Riley’s husband Kyle was utter trash and far from deserving of some sort of redemption arc. But her brother-in-law, Evan, was the perfect guy and always there to pick up the pieces and help. He was nothing but supportive and loving when it came to Riley. He treated her well for the entire series. Riley and Evan are the superior ‘ship. There really is no argument.
Magnum and Juliet – Magnum P.I.
Most of the fandom would prefer if these two stay platonic partners. You know the argument. “Why can’t they just be friends?” But guess what? You can be friends and still bang. There’s a whole phrase for it and everything. Yup. Give it to us, please, thank you, and not sorry.
Abbie and Ichabod – Sleepy Hollow
Sleepy Hollow may go down in history as making the most egregious errors on television, and Sleepyheads will never forget nor forgive. It’s difficult to argue what’s worse, the killing off of leading lady Abigail Mills or the show’s staunch refusal to make Ichabbie canon when everything suggested they should be.
Ichabod and Abbie’s fates were entwined. He showered her with prose and proclamations, damn near pledged his undying love and devotion to her every installment.
They lived together, were damn near as married as married could get, fought supernatural evil together, saved each other, and literally went to hell and back for one another. No matter what the writers or whomever else had in mind, we’ll be shipping Ichabbie for as long as we’ll be bitter about how this great show ran itself into the ground for no good reason; FOREVER!
Emily/Amanda and Aiden – Revenge
They were such a dynamic couple, and they kicked ass together. The only one more devoted to Emily was Nolan (and let’s be real, they would’ve been a fantastic ‘ship too), but for some reason, the show didn’t want the two of them to last. Why? The series may have ended with Emily and Daniel, but Emily and Aiden were better. Period.
Mary and Bash – Reign
Francis was OK and everything, but Mary and Bash were so good together! They had an instant connection. He was the person she turned to the most for multiple seasons. He was essentially her person, but the series spent too much time tearing the two of them apart and trying to convince us Francis was her true love. Nope. Mash forever!
Olivia and Jake – Scandal
For the most part, Gladiators were die-hard Olitz ‘shippers for most of the series, and that too was a controversial, forbidden, insane relationship. But despite Jake’s involvement with B613, his body count including fan-favorites, and the really twisted pseudo-sibling narrative Eli was pushing, Olivia and Jake were a great match.
They were built on mutual respect and a partnership. They saw the best and worst in each other. They saved each other and had some of the sexiest scenes on the series. There will be no apologies for wanting the pair to stand in the Sun together.
Tate and Violet – American Horror Story
Where do we begin with this one? While the show absolved Tate of his many sins (which included a mass shooting and raping Violet’s mom) by claiming Tate was but a vessel of the evil house and his actions were somehow not of his volition, it’s still pretty damn messed up.
Can a relationship get any more problematic and toxic than that? Yet, fans were ecstatic that the two found happiness and got their happy ending together. No way they should have overcome any of that or been so shippable, but they were, damn it all to hell, they were.
Phoebe and Cole – Charmed
In this case, Cole was an actual demon from hell, and his mission was to kill Phoebe and her sisters, but did we overlook all of that in favor of their sexual tension and the promise of love? Yes, yes we did. Their love story was messy and ended in tragedy, but we’ll go to the grave believing this pairing was the greatest, dammit.
Skye and Grant – Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD
Ward masqueraded as a friend and ally for a long time despite really being a member of Hydra, and he betrayed the team and betrayed Skye, who had fallen for him. He also tried to kill her friends and his teammates. But, I mean, they were a hot couple. What do you want from us here?
Mariana and Evan – Good Trouble
In this age of Me Too, where companies are finally making efforts to ensure employees are protected from sexual harassment, the power dynamic between Mariana and Evan could be viewed as controversial. He’s the CEO of the company, and she’s the latest hire battling sexism and racism at work constantly. Also, she has a really great boyfriend; Raj is the best, and they’re adorable together.
But Mariana and Evan scenes will always give you heart eyes. Their rapport is fascinating. Evan not only shows interest in Mariana (maybe romantically?), but he respects her ideas and what she has to offer, and Mariana seems to understand Evan better than anyone else at the company. Their chemistry is too good to ignore, so we won’t.
Jackson and Maggie – Grey’s Anatomy
It’s one of the most polarizing relationships on the series. Fandom loves to hate on Jaggie, whether it’s because of its inability to let go of Japril, its general disdain for Maggie for breathing, or squeamishness over them kinda but not really loosely being related through marriage.
But via their relationship, we have seen a different side to Jackson, and Maggie has learned how to navigate a serious relationship. They support each other; they do have chemistry, and the unfair vitriol only makes us ‘ship them more. Who doesn’t love a good spite ‘ship?!
Jack and Janet – Three’s Company
The whole idea of Three’s Company was that a straight man could live with two women without there being any hanky panky, even though Jack had to pretend to be gay most of the time. However, it made no sense at all that Jack and Janet never ended up together. They were best friends, and it was perfectly set up for them to become something more, but it never happened! It should have happened! This is a hill some of us are dying on, and that’s that.
Ryan and Marissa – The O.C.
*taps mic* Is this thing on? We will NEVER get over this couple not ending up together. It’s a travesty and an injustice. They were the glue that held the O.C together, and if you disagree, well, sorry, but you’re wrong. Hell, Heaven, whatever the heck else, nothing will stop us from shipping the hell out of this couple. Can’t stop, won’t stop.
Sookie and Eric – True Blood
If True Blood thought we would sit through seven seasons of buildup waiting for Eric and Sookie to be the endgame couple only to accept that Sookie would end up with some unknown human then they underestimated how much we loved Sookie and Eric.
There were so many issues with this pairing. The obvious vampire and human difference was a biggie, but also, Eric tortured her friends, killed people, preyed on Sookie, and wreaked havoc. But he also was one of the best characters on the series, was super protective of Sookie, and the heat between them was hotter than Bon Temps in August! Plus, that height difference was ADORBS!
Derek and Penelope – Criminal Minds
Given the controversial and shocking events of Criminal Minds Season 14 Episode 15, it makes even less sense that the series never pulled the trigger on Morgan and Garcia’s relationship being anything more than platonic. Their flirty banter is a staple of the series and one of many things that makes it so memorable.
Their relationship is one of the greatest of them all. They were freaking adorable together. They loved each other and said as much, and you damn near died over how lighthearted, cute, and pure they were on a show filled with darkness. Apparently, it was never in the cards to pair the two of them up, but we don’t care. #Morcia
Felicity and Ray – Arrow
Kindly direct those arrows elsewhere, Olicity lovers. We’re not taking this back. Felicity and Ray had a special spark. But more than anything else, they were truly compatible with one another. They were similar in all the best ways. Their relationship was easy, lighthearted, and nerdy. They made sense together. Nice guys finish last, we know, but they shouldn’t have to.
Ginny and Mike – Pitch
There’s something about Bawson that’s irresistible. For every fan out there saying “why can’t they just be friends,” there are those of us who wanted the romantic portion of their relationship to take off. There was an age difference. He was her idol and crush, and they’re not only teammates but share the special bond between a pitcher and catcher. Ginny already had too much at stake as the first female pro-baseball player on an all-male team. The optics would be a nightmare, mainly for her, but we want what we want. And what we wanted was Bawson and another freaking season of Pitch!
Emma and Regina – OUAT
Regina and Robin and Emma and Hook were cool and everything, but it always felt like the real love story of this series was between Emma and Regina. They went from each other’s arch-nemesis to allies, to friends, to family. They were Henry’s moms, and they earned every bit of their close bond. Some of the tension between them always had a sexual edge to it, and as a result, it sparked a plethora of diehard SwanQueen fans.
Ben and Riley – Baby Daddy
Why do the women on this list keep choosing the wrong brother? Nothing was wrong with the primary couple or them getting their happily ever after, but Riley should have chosen Ben. No ifs, and’s, or buts about it. The series went in another direction, but some of us will happily sit in our bubble of denial and keep thinking about how adorable Ben and Riley were together.
Caroline and Klaus – The Vampire Diaries
The wonderful world of The Vampire Diaries had us overlooking and excusing some of everything while shipping. Was there even one healthy relationship on the series? Probably not. Klaus was a psychotic mass murderer who literally killed Caroline’s boyfriend, some of her friends, terrorized and harassed, and so much more. But they also forged a mesmerizing connection and had some of the best chemistry on both TVD and The Originals. We’re going down with this one, guys.
Jace and Maia – Shadowhunters
It took a long time for Clary to become remotely endearing as a character let alone her and Jace being cute as a couple. Do you know who was always endearing and had some electric chemistry with Jace? Maia. They hated each other, but the opposite of hatred is lust. Their back alley romp behind her bar was one of the hottest scenes of the series, so forgive ‘shippers for enjoying the hell out of it and wishing there was more!
Street and Chris – S.W.A.T.
They’re teammates, and Street is more often than not a hot mess and a pain in the ass, and Chris is now part of a thruple with a married couple, but you will have to rip this ‘ship from our hands.
Annalise and Tegan – HTGAWM
They just barely reached a point where they became friends after starting their relationship off with a boatload of distrust. They work together, plot together, and have to put a lot of their trust in one another. It seems as though the show was angling for Annalise and Emmett, and that came with its own issues, but Annalise and Tegan are where it’s at.
Annalise needs new blood now that things have cooled with Nate for some time, and Eve is nowhere to be found. These two women are sexy, hot, and powerful. They’re partners in crime, so they may as well be partners in life, and we’re standing by that.
Liv and Ravi – iZombie
It’s evident that Ravi and Peyton and Liv and Major are the endgame couples, and both of those couples are cute in their own way. Nevertheless, Ravi has been on this zombie journey with Liv since the beginning. They’re like a packaged deal. The bond between the best friends and colleagues is irresistible, and we would have happily exchanged the other two ‘ships for the geeky tall and small duo that is Ravioli.
Joey and Rachel – F.R.I.E.N.D.S
Why exactly did Rachel choose Ross again when Joey was right there? It was an unexpected and controversial pairing, but once it shifted into one that was non-platonic, it made perfect sense. Joey was kind, supportive, and caring.
He respected Rachel and didn’t treat her poorly. He was willing to do anything for her, including helping her take care of her baby with Ross if need be. He was devoted to her, and she was able to be herself, pursue her dreams, and achieve goals without someone’s constant judgment. They belonged together.
Ralph Angel and Darla – Queen Sugar
Ralph Angel and Darla have gone through hell apart and while together. It doesn’t seem as though anything has let up for either of them. Darla’s addiction affected their relationship, as well as the truth about their son’s paternity, and a nasty custody battle.
Despite everything they have gone through, how ugly their relationship became, and the fact that they are both in new relationships, there’s still some of us holding out hope that they’ll find their way back to each other. Toxicity aside, they’re an endearing couple. Period.
Emily and Aaron – Designated Survivor
Aaron is now the VP, and Emily is running the campaign. He has a complicated relationship with his new on-again now off-again girlfriend Isabel who also works in the White House, and at the end of Designated Survivor Season 3 Episode 10 his life was about to get more complicated, and Emily is still recovering from personal issues in her life.
They should not be anywhere near each other in a romantic fashion, but their chemistry is smoking hot, and after the series finally acknowledged the heat between the two of them from the first season, it’s evident they need to be together, however messy it makes things.
Maya and Jack – Station 19
In most cases, it’s frowned upon to sleep with your best friend’s ex, but Andy is the worst and Maya and Jack have better chemistry. It’s as simple as that. It caused a rift in the friendship between the two women at first, but they eventually worked through it, and Maya/Jack is the better pairing. It is what it is.
Buck and Eddie – 9-1-1
First of all, look at them. Second of all, look again. These two firefighters are so hot they could start a fire themselves, especially when they’re together. Are their scenes supposed to read as romantic? Because sometimes they do, which is why it didn’t take long for some of us to fall in love with the pairing, even if there is zero indication they’ll be anything beyond buddies and colleagues. At least the show indulges us sometimes.
Benson and Stabler – Law & Order: SVU
Stabler was the first of many men who lowkey developed feelings for Olivia Benson and the show never chose to act on them. You either hated the idea of them being romantic, or you loved it. Their feelings for each other interfered with them being able to function as they should have as partners, but they were the best partners of primetime TV.
Stabler was married, with multiple kids, and of course, it’s frowned upon to date your partner, but that didn’t stop us from wanting the two of them together, nor did it make it hurt any less when he left her without saying goodbye, and they haven’t spoken to each other since. It was a cruel ending, but in no way dissuaded us from standing firm in our feelings about this ‘ship.
Elijah and Gia – The Originals
Elijah and Hayley were the endgame couple the show was angling for and many fans wanted, but Elijah and Gia were so much better together. It seemed as though Gia understood Elijah in a way no one else ever did, and he took to her in a similar vein. For once, it was a relationship where Elijah had a shoulder to lean on, and it was mutually beneficial and equal in that regard. Not even Gia’s untimely end will stop us from ‘shipping them.
Buffy and Spike – Buffy the Vampire Slayer
For most of their relationship, Buffy and Spike were the definition of toxic. Spike was soulless for a bit, which led him to do unspeakable things to Buffy. One of which was attempting to rape her. He worked toward redeeming himself, although his motivations were far from altruistic. Nevertheless, they had the best chemistry and supernatural shows tend to skew your moral ethics more than usual, so we’re not going to allow Spike’s otherwise grotesque actions keep us from enjoying the heck out of this couple.
Brandon and Callie – The Fosters
Brallie fans will never let this pairing go no matter what. They’re soulmates in the truest form of the term. The downside is they also happen to be siblings. Once Callie’s adoption became official, any shot of the two of them rekindling their romance was shot to hell. It didn’t stop them from having some confusing moments, including the days leading up to Brandon’s wedding. Their chemistry will always be there, and as a result, ‘shippers will always want to ship it.
Danny and Lacey – Twisted
The romantic entanglements on Twisted were … twisted. After a season of Danny not returning Jo’s unrequited love because he saw her as a sister and their relationship as platonic, he suddenly decided in the final season that everything he claimed he felt about Lacey was how he now felt about Jo. But by then, we were invested in Dacey. The abrupt switch in the narrative was bullcrap, and the Dacey ‘ship is the only one that mattered. That’s just a fact.
Lucifer and Chloe – Lucifer
In this case, we will personally go to hell ourselves and drag Lucifer out of it if only to have him and Chloe end up together the way they and we deserve! He’s the actual devil; we probably shouldn’t want this sinfully good relationship to flourish, but we do. No apologies.
Andy and Sullivan – Station 19
Sullivan is Andy’s superior, and they work together in the same house. They also had a rocky start to their relationship, and Sullivan doesn’t seem to be in the best of places and is still mourning the loss of his late wife. The sexual tension between them finally came to a head and then fizzled out to Andy’s shock, but we still need this to happen!
Kara and Mon El – Supergirl
Mon-El received a mixed reaction by fans with some positively loathing the guy and others loving him and his relationship with Kara. It’s definitely one of the series’ most controversial and polarizing relationships. Mon-El was far from perfect and neither was his relationship with Kara, to be honest. They had a tragic ending, and we’re in our feelings about it. Listen, we’re just Karamel ‘shippers, standing in front of Supergirl fanatics, asking them to let us live.
Jason and Aria – Pretty Little Liars
Do you know how hard it is loving Jason and Aria in the Pretty Little Liars fandom when most of the fandom were diehard Ezra and Aria ‘shippers?! Incredibly freaking hard! But we like what we like, and we make no apologies for it. They were cute and flirty, and just so appealing.
Penelope and Schneider – One Day At A Time
Can two people who love the opposite gender be just friends? Absolutely. But who says your best friend and your lover can’t be one and the same? All the best romantic relationships start off as friends or at least have friendship as a stepping stone to something more. Penelope and Schneider are each other’s person. They don’t hide that they’re attracted to each other. They’re too cute together and always go back to each other even with significant others, so we’re going to die on this ‘ship. Leave us be!
Sam and Ruby – Supernatural
Ruby was an actual demon and Sam was a demon hunter, for starters, and they both spent a significant amount of time in hell, so it is a hell ‘ship. However, their chemistry was sizzling, like, all the freaking time. She was cunning, manipulative and deceitful. She was the reason Sam became addicted to Demon blood. Their relationship was so wrong, but if loving it is wrong, we don’t want to be right.
Dylan and Brenda – 90210
Dylan McKay will forever be an iconic character who stole all our hearts and so was the man who played him. The relationship between Dylan and Brenda was complicated. They had a Romeo and Juliet vibe that had her parents trying to keep them apart. Dylan even cheated on Brenda, with her best friend, and he battled some addiction issues often. Nothing either of them could ever do could make us stop ‘shipping them though. Nothing.
Nadia and Guzman – Elite
Guzman is an asshole. There is no getting around that. And he’s selfish, and a jerk, but for some reason, he’s so much more likable when he and Nadia are together. She brings out the best in him, and he makes her smile and brings out the fiery side in her. They come from different social standings, economic backgrounds, religions, and races, and it causes serious tension. But they’re too good together for any of us to stop ‘shipping it.
Teresa and James – Queen of the South
On paper, Teresa and James should not be nearly as intriguing as they are. Teresa was violated and tormented under Camila’s reign, and James was still a part of that because of his deep loyalty and commitment to Camila. However, he also protected Teresa from Camila.
Almost everything James has ever done for most of the series was rooted in him being protective of Teresa including leaving her. The cartel game is messy, bloody, and complicated, and their relationship has always felt doomed, but it will never stop us from ‘shipping them nor impatiently awaiting his return.
Fig and Caputo – Orange is the New Black
Nothing about this pairing should work. They’re both awful in many ways and pathetic in others, but they also have this bizarre chemistry that just works. It’s shocking how endearing of a couple they are even though they’re hot messes and so very wrong in all the best ways. Did we anticipate enjoying this pairing? No, but are we committed to it? Yup!
House and Cuddy – House
When you think about how awful House treated Cuddy most of the time, and how much of a nag Cuddy was to House, you’d wonder why people rooted for this pairing so much. It wasn’t the most healthy of relationships, but it was an entertaining one, with complicated feelings, and you would have to pry Huddy from our cold, dead fingers!
Teddy and Tom – Grey’s Anatomy
Tom treats Teddy like an absolute queen, and she still treated him like crap when she once again gets distracted by Owen. Frankly, Tom deserves better than Teddy, but he loves her, and they made such a great, healthy couple. Pending she makes it up to Tom, we’re still aboard this ‘ship. Owen and Teddy had their chance time and again. We’re over it.
Carrie and Quinn – Homeland
Their relationship was beyond complicated, and messy, and dark. It’s the nature of the game given their job descriptions, but in a way, they were perfect for one another. It sucks it came to an end the way that it did, but we’re still here, and we’re still ‘shipping them. Screw canon!
