by Kathryn Graham
Ah, February 14th, that special day each year when our thoughts turn to Aphrodite, Eros, and Love. And, for me, the loving couples of television that have influenced me over the years. Here are my Top 5, with appreciation to everyone who played a part in the creation of their legends!
1. Xena: Warrior Princess – Xena & Gabrielle
In a time of ancient gods, subtext, and censorship, there was Xena & Gabrielle. Never an official couple, these two were ‘soulmates’ who reincarnated with each other time and time again, and then got married when Xena was reincarnated as a man in the present day. Pfft. (They ‘corrected’ this in later seasons? Kind of?)
There’s also gems like this:
That’s Gabrielle giving Xena some water, by the way. Mmhm.
Why do I love ‘em? Xena turned me gay. (Okay, that’s not true, but it’s fun to say). The bond between these two is unbreakable, lasts through the ages, and they both kick ass. What more could you want, except, you know, actual confirmation of their relationship.
2. The 100 – Clarke & Lexa
These two powerful leaders fell in love as they tried to corral their respective idiots into some kind of peaceful alliance.
Then they friggin’ killed Lexa in the worst way, and I couldn’t watch the show anymore.
They’re still one of my favorites, though, and there’s a part of me that’s glad they made this catastrophically bad decision. I did sit there for weeks wondering if the world would ever change, but…
Then we got ClexaCon: a whole convention named after them dedicated to queer women on and behind the screen. LGBTQ Friends Deserve Better. A huge donation to the Trevor Project. I even got a few friends out of the deal, so…
Why do I love ‘em? This is still a beautifully crafted and acted love story with two awesome characters. Too bad it crapped out at the end. Womp womp.
3. Supergirl – Alex & Maggie
Alex was my favorite from the start, and once she was revealed to be a lesbian, I knew she’d always hold a special place in my heart. Her process of discovering herself was well done and heart-warming, and I can’t get over how adorkable Alex can be in romance.
Plus, despite some slip-ups, the people who work on this show actually listen to queer fans. Example: Typically, after a death (or in this case a breakup), we don’t see the character we’re still watching give more than a couple figs about it.
Not Alex Danvers. They let Alex grieve the end of her relationship for so long that even I want her to move on. Bonus? It proves that Alex loves deeply. So give her a new girl! She deserves to be happy.
Why do I love ‘em? They’re delightful. This is objective fact. Can we, maybe… nail down these actresses (like Floriana Lima) earlier so they stick around?
4. Wynonna Earp – Waverly & Nicole
These two are the reason I started watching Wynonna Earp. When The 100 shot everyone down, Wynonna Earp was there to hand out bulletproof vests. Turns out I love the titular character, Wynonna, and the quirky humor. Came for the lesbians, stayed for the revenant slayin’. And the lesbians.
If Supergirl’s folks are aware of their fanbase, Wynonna Earp is next level. Their showrunner, Emily Andras, wholeheartedly supports queer rep. She’s pretty much a member of the family. What else did we expect from one of the showrunners of Lost Girl?
Why do I love ‘em? They’re both huge dorks, and very sweet together. Their couple portmanteau is “Wayhaught”, but I usually find them “way-cute”.
5. Legend of Korra – Korra & Asami
Although the couple didn’t feature into the show itself, they were heavily implied by the last image of the finale and later confirmed by the creators. And, unlike J.K. Rowling’s declarations of Dumbledore’s sexuality, the comic book continuation of Legend of Korra: Turf Wars does depict them as a couple.
Because they had to fly under the radar at Nickelodeon, a bunch of whiners complained about how the couple ‘came out of nowhere’. Now that I think about it, this is actually another point in Korra & Asami’s favor. I love watching morons weep.
Why do I love ‘em? Genius inventor/entrepreneur? Check. The friggin’ Avatar? Check. They’re a power couple, and they rock. Kudos to Korra for stepping up in the animation arena as best they could.
Whether you’re queer or ‘living an alternate lifestyle’, on your own, coupled up, or trupled up, Happy Valentine’s Day, friends!
Kathryn Graham is a TVWriter™ Contributing Editor, People’s Pilot Winner, and a Fine Writer Of All Things. Learn more about Kate HERE
