I’ll say it up front: When I commit to a TV show, I commit. This usually means getting far more emotionally attached than I ever expected. That being said, I also tend to get deeply invested in certain character relationships. These are couples that I think should’ve definitely ended up together.
Serena and Nate – Gossip Girl
Yeah, yeah, we all knew Serena and Dan were endgame (except for maybe during that weird period of Dair…), but can we have a serious conversation about Serena and Nate? While they have always had each other’s backs, they also had a sort of lightness and fun that Serena’s relationship with Dan somewhat lacked. Even though Serena and Nate got off to a rocky start (hooking up while he was still dating Blair), it was long forgotten as the years passed in the Upper East Side. In my ideal GG ending, it would’ve been Nate that Serena married in that gorgeous gown.
Barney and Robin – How I Met Your Mother
Maybe this is another controversial couple, but I stand by it. My favorite thing about this couple was that they just somehow, in spite of all their peculiar habits, managed to get along just right. Robin was the first woman to whom Barney was truly willing to commit, and I feel like their relationship was robbed. His grand gestures were undermined by Ted’s over-the-top ones. Let us not forget the moment in the episode “Tick Tick Tick” where you can see how truly devastated Barney was by Robin’s rejectment.
Joey and Phoebe – Friends
I loved Mike, please don’t get me wrong. Remember when Paul Rudd came and spoke at UF? I relished in his stories about Friends — however, I think there definitely should’ve been something that happened between Phoebe and Joey. Their humor just matches, and it seemed as though the two of them always shared an unbreakable sort of bond.
Dinozzo and Ziva – NCIS
This comes from being unable to avoid this show at home (I’m looking at you, Mom). If you’re a fan, you probably ship Dinozzo and Ziva. The reruns on USA Network are endless, so I’ve had plenty of time to (reluctantly) observe their interactions, and they’ve had a love/hate relationship for a long time. Now that Michael Weatherly is leaving the show just as did Cote de Pablo did a while ago, it’s a hard to realize that their “what if” relationship will never be.
Rory and Jess – Gilmore Girls
Let me preface this by saying I could literally write an entire paper about their relationship, but I will do my best to condense things. I’d probably let you get away with saying Logan was a better boyfriend or Dean treated her like a princess — yeah, that much is true. But Rory and Jess were a true, soulmate-level match. Rory believed in Jess and encouraged him to do more in life, which is how he ended up writing a book. And when Rory was a little lost, he was the one that gave her the push she needed to return to Yale. Their relationship was admittedly rocky in the earlier seasons, but by the time we see Jess last in season six, he’s matured into someone that Rory could be with long term. Also… have you seen the way they look at each other?
Let us not forget: “Ernest only has lovely things to say about you.”
While most of these couples have lost their potential for a relationship, I’m still holding out for Rory and Jess. The upcoming Gilmore Girls Revival has me keeping my fingers crossed.
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