happy valentines day

Well, apparently I only write in this blog about once or twice a year. That's a little embarrassing.

My excuse? Well let's see. . . . marriage, graduating college, moving twice, making and taking care of a human child. It's a good thing this blog isn't really about my day to day life because I would have A LOT to catch up on.

Today, being Valentines Day, I feel inspired to write something particularly festive. I've seen a few posts about the worst TV couples. I would like to do the opposite and say what my favorite couples are, whether it's TV or movies or what ever. WARNING: THERE ARE SPOILERS.

1. Buffy and Angel- When I think of fantastic couples, my mind first goes to Joss Whedon couples. In the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy and Angel were the first main couple to develop. I think I was incredibly excited about this couple because it was a human/vampire relationship that wasn't Bella and Edward! For that was the only human/vampire relationship I was familiar with at the time. The intensity and passion between them isn't forced or insincere. As a viewer, I really felt as if their love that could last for eternity was forced to conform to the frustrating imperfections of the world they lived in. They broke my heart.... several times.

2. Luke and Lorelai- This couple from Gilmore Girls was well established within the first few episodes, and yet they didn't officially get together until the show was already dead. That being the case, it doesn't stop us from enjoying their time together before they actually.... you know, get together. They are an interesting couple because even though they seem to be polar opposites, they actually have one important thing in common: they both refuse to conform to normal society. The difference is they go about avoiding social norms in completely different ways. And they complement each other very well. Luke's gruff, abrupt demeanor calms down Lorelai's nonsensical soliloquies. 

3. Sawyer and Juliet- Oh my goodness. Words cannot express how much I love this pairing. Just when I thought the only purpose for Sawyer was to complete the Jack-Kate-Sawyer love triangle, he gets with Juliet. I think my favorite thing about this couple, and about any couple really, is that they helped each other evolve into better characters. Sawyer went from a smart aleck, immature, ex con-man to such a manly man. And Juliet was able to find happiness in the midst of her sucky life being stuck on the stupid island with creepy, crushing Ben. Ew.

4. Willow and Oz- My next Joss Whedon couple is the aspiring witch and the rock star werewolf from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Their relationship begins in the previous Halloween episode when Oz randomly sees Willow throughout the episode. And every time he sees her during the strangest moments, he wonders to himself, clearly interested in her, "Who is that girl?"This couple is great because we all love Willow to death. And it's awesome to see someone as awesome as Oz realize and appreciate Willow's awesomeness. They are incredibly cute, because, duh, Willow is adorable. And even though Oz is quiet, we can tell how much he loves her. His solemn, rocker attitude perfectly fits with the quirky, puppy dog-like Willow.

5. Willow and Tara- Speaking of Willow.... As she explores the deeper, darker sides of her magical self, she couldn't have picked anyone better to accompany her on the journey. You see both of them sink into a secret world all their own, almost as though they didn't have a choice. They met and fell for each other, hard. And we also see Willow become the assertive one in the relationship while Tara is the quiet, gentle, apprehensive one. It suits Willow well as she experiments with darker magic. Tara tries so hard to keep her grounded.

6. Monica and Chandler- It's only natural that we shift to my favorite TV show ever, Friends. And my favorite couple on my favorite show is Monica and Chandler. Who doesn't love the good friends that decided to become more? Monica needed him when she was feeling low, and he didn't mind being needed by her. That's how relationships with depth really begin. This couple may be my favorite couple of all television because they feel so normal. They both have quirks. Quirks that often drive the other person crazy. But they don't care because they love each other and work hard to make their relationship work. One of my favorite parts is when Chandler asks if Monica believes in soul mates. She replies she doesn't. She says something like love happens because two people really care for each other and work hard to make the other person happy. That is just such a mature outlook, especially for a sitcom. 

7. Jo and Laurie- this couple from Little Women is tragic because they don't actually get together! But they are wonderful together. They both don't have desires to conform to tight corset society and would much rather play games in the snow or dance together in an empty ballroom. But for some bizarre reason, Jo decides to shatter Laurie's heart and get together with that old German freak! Yes, I'm bitter. 

8. Jack and Sally- I am including animated couples too. It's all fiction after all. It is my belief that when Jack stumbles into Christmastown, the feeling that appeals to him so much is love. Love is something he was missing in the town of Halloween. Because he wasn't able to identify the feeling of love, the best he could do was to just copy everything he saw in Christmastown. He didn't realize that what he yearned for was Sally, and the love they could share together. Sally knew all along that they needed to be together. But you know, guys are slow, and always make the girl wait.

9. Christian and Satine- Ain't nothin' better than a tragic love story. And since I can't stand Romeo and Juliet, I chose the couple in Moulin Rouge. It's wonderfully tragic because the moment Satine finally experiences the love that makes you feel safe, beautiful, and treasured like a princess, she goes and dies! They carry the same intensity as Buffy and Angel do, in that their love is just too good for the world they live in, so their relationship ends in heartbreak. This love is so tender because Christian is just beaming with an eager innocence that is a breath of fresh air to the jaded prostitute. 

10. Forest and Jenny- Forest Gump just happens to be one of my favorite movies ever. My favorite thing about it is that despite all the outrageous, historically significant, amazing things Forest did, he only really wanted to be with Jenny. And poor Jenny was too damaged to realize that the hole she was trying to fill had always been there with open arms. My favorite moment is when Jenny asks him, "Why are you so good to me?" he replies simply, "Because you're my girl." Their love story tells the common tale that happens way too often in reality: when one loves another, but the other isn't ready for love.

11. Henry and Lucy- It's almost a fact that Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore have excellent chemistry. Like Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan and Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. But they just seem especially delightful together in 50 First Dates. Henry decides to go on a serious journey of jumping through all sorts of hoops daily in order to have the lighthearted, happy go lucky Lucy fall in love with him. It reminds us that we should work hard everyday to remind our love how much we do love them.

12. Kathleen Kelly and Joe Fox- I have to say both their first and last names. I just do. This is the classic Benedick/Beatrice couple where for most of the story they hate each other's guts. They are both so charming and playful, it's a wonder they don't realize they're perfect for each other until the end. 

13. Edward and Kim- This is my second, and perhaps my favorite Tim Burton couple. I love this couple because Kim is the only character that sees Edward for who he really is and doesn't hesitate to love him despite his frightful appearance, very much a Beauty and the Beast love story. And it's so heartbreaking to see that Edward wants nothing more than to just be able to touch her, but can't.

And this concludes my favorite fictional couples ever. I'll probably see you in a year or so.