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selenakWhat are the five love stories that you love the most, in canon or fan sources (fanfic, vids, other)?
Trickier question than you'd think because I usually am more invested in non-romantic relationships than in romantic ones. However, there are exceptions, though they tend not to be the main story in the narrative they're in.
So:
1) Xander and Cordelia in Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Even all those years later, Xander/Cordy is still my favourite romantic relationship for either character in the entirety of both BTVS and AtS canon, and their story, from beginning to end, is one I loved watching and love rewatching. Each stage of their relationship, from hostility and sparring to sexual attraction to deepening emotional ties made sense. (Acting-wise, an argument can be made that this was also the only relationship where Charisma Carpenter looked as if she was comfortable during the make-out scenes.) I spent the second half of season 3 hoping they'd get together again, but what we got instead, in retrospect, worked really well as a graceful end. Not just Xander discovering Cordelia's secret by accident and keeping quiet about it but the fact he used his saved money to buy her the dress for the Prom and never told her about it, and the fact the show didn't use that as an easy fix. (I'm looking at you, Disharmony). We never found out whether or not Cordelia figured out whom the dress had come from, but that wasn't necessary; in fact, an open acknowledgement would have spoiled it, because Xander hadn't bought her the dress to get back into her good graces. He did it because he wanted to make her happy. And their short exchange "you look gorgeous" - "Duh!" at the Prom was the perfect ending note an a funny, tender, sad and always captivating teenage romance.
2) Arvin Sloane and Emily Sloane in Alias. I love the Spyrents, too, of course, and Sydney (though not so much her beau), but the "couple" scenes that always make me misty-eyed, sniffling, what have you, are between the middle-aged villain and his wife. Basically every scene between them is gold, but to explain why this couple got to me so much, I'll try to mention just a few: Arvin and Emily in the hospital in s1 when she just had her chemo therapy and they both think she's dying from cancer, and the tenderness and desperation between them. That silent short scene in The Getaway in season 2, with the big reveal that Emily is alive, and we see Sloane walking towards her, the overwhelming joy and relief on their faces (and simultanously the fact we know Sloane just murdered someone and Emily sacrificed her finger to achieve this; you never forget just what Sloane is, no matter how much he loves his wife and she loves him). The flashback hospital scene from In Dreams, where Arvin has to tell Emily their baby died, and, crucially for their future and Sloane's development, her pain is so searing that this one time, she shuts him out, and later asks him never to speak the name of their stillborn daughter again. The big one: their confrontation in Truth Takes Time, which starts with Emily, who now has seen Sloane is still evil-overlording instead of quitting as he promised, having made a deal with the CIA via Sydney to capture him, and you see how hard this is for her. Then he makes it even harder by apologizing and telling her how much he loves her, and Emily shows him she's wired, with that gesture simultanously revealing her betrayal and reminding him of his. Sloane briefly closes his eyes. At this point, if you're watching for the first time, you probably think he's going to curse her, try to kill her, or something like that. But no. He looks at her again, and asks her to come with him. And she does. And the most horrible thing is, if she hadn't, if they hadn't loved each other so much that this was possible, that moment of mutual forgiveness and faith based on thirty years of marriage, despite all - then Emily wouldn't have died, because she gets shot just a few minutes later in Sloane's place. In five years of Alias, I never cried except during those scenes between the Sloanes in that episode. They still kill me.
3) Duncan and Amanda in Highlander: The Series. The irony here is that these two work so well as a couple for me precisely because they aren't actually lovers in the traditional tv show sense. They have sex when one of them isn't otherwise tied, but Amanda is never Duncan's love interest, nor is it ever implied she's the great love of his life (tm) or even among the top three in that list. This means they don't have your traditional getting-to-know you/-break-up stories, either. She's one of his friends, and though it takes them a couple of centuries to verbalize this, they do love each other dearly. They just couldn't stand actually living with each other for a longer period. Trying to describe Duncan and Amanda, I sometimes use "Batman and Catwoman if Bruce Wayne had a sense of humour" as a short hand. He dissapproves of her stealing, but he's always there if she needs him; she isn't above tricking him and conning him and letting him take the fall for her, but would die for him if that was needed. They make each other laugh, they have great chemistry, and the scene that perhaps sums them up is the one from the season 3 finale: Duncan and Amanda on the Eiffel Tower, in a situation where their world might end soon (or not), and she dares him to jump. (It's okay, they're Immortals.) No, says Duncan: "Let's dance." And they actually do that, dance tango on the grey steelbars of the Eiffel Tower. (Naturally, I always assumed that scene was shot in the studio. Imagine my surprise when I saw the outtakes at a convention and thus found out they really had Elizabeth Gracen and Adrian Paul do that up on the Eiffel Tower, albeit of course with safety nets etc.) It's a crazy, exhilarating moment and typical for the kind of thing they can make each other do, and then amidst the laughter, Duncan suddenly says "I want you to know..." and stops. "I know," she replies. "You love me. You always have." And that unexpectedly serious and tender moment, too, is true for this particular couple-that-isn't-really-a-couple.
4) David and Keith in Six Feet Under. One of the many great things about them: their relationship is treated on equal terms with the het relationships on the show, screen-time wise, and there is no "special episode" for them. (Though David coming to terms with his homosexuality is his season 1 arc, but his relationship with Keith, which breaks up after about a third of the season and is not restored in the finale - that's something for the second season - , is just one aspect of this.) David once jokes that he inherited the doormat problem from his mother and Keith inherited the temper control problem from Keith's father, but jokes aside, they do fit well together. Neither is the saint in that relationship. (If Keith comes across as the ideal boyfriend in s1, it's because David at that point doesn't really know him that well and idealizes him; starting with s2, we learn about Keith's own issues and less than ideal sides.) Both have to adjust in order for it to work out, but work out it does, and when the show ends, it leaves them in a good place. (They also spoiled me for same-sex relationships on tv; the rarity of two attractive men kissing won't do it, I want emotional depth as well.) The best summary of them is still contained in the dialogue between David's brother Nate and his own lover, Brenda, after David just came out to Nate by taking Keith's hand in front of him. Quoth Nate: "I think David is gay!" Comments Brenda: "I think David is lucky. Did you see that guy?"
5) Angel and Darla in Angel: The Series. Now Angel and Darla are a couple that went out of their way to avoid the word "love", and rather emphasized how that wasn't what was between them. (Which, btw, is why fanfic in which they say "I love you" does not work for me.) And yet their story is among other things an epic romance in its twisted, dark glory. (It's also one of the better arguments against the notion that Angel and his soulless self, Angelus, are two different people, because if that were the case, Angel's entire behaviour towards Darla would make no sense; if he's another person, he never had a relationship with her.) They are one of those Edward Albee couples who know each other just a little too well, know just how to hurt each other, are obsessed with each other, and yet can surprise each other because even after two hundred and fifty years, the years of Angel's life, there are ways in which they don't understand each other at all. From Darla siring Angel to the moment her hand holding his fell into dust during her fourth and final death while their son gained life, it was a relationship I found absolutely fascinating. And, you know: "No matter how good a boy you are, God doesn't want you. But I still do."
Trickier question than you'd think because I usually am more invested in non-romantic relationships than in romantic ones. However, there are exceptions, though they tend not to be the main story in the narrative they're in.
So:
1) Xander and Cordelia in Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Even all those years later, Xander/Cordy is still my favourite romantic relationship for either character in the entirety of both BTVS and AtS canon, and their story, from beginning to end, is one I loved watching and love rewatching. Each stage of their relationship, from hostility and sparring to sexual attraction to deepening emotional ties made sense. (Acting-wise, an argument can be made that this was also the only relationship where Charisma Carpenter looked as if she was comfortable during the make-out scenes.) I spent the second half of season 3 hoping they'd get together again, but what we got instead, in retrospect, worked really well as a graceful end. Not just Xander discovering Cordelia's secret by accident and keeping quiet about it but the fact he used his saved money to buy her the dress for the Prom and never told her about it, and the fact the show didn't use that as an easy fix. (I'm looking at you, Disharmony). We never found out whether or not Cordelia figured out whom the dress had come from, but that wasn't necessary; in fact, an open acknowledgement would have spoiled it, because Xander hadn't bought her the dress to get back into her good graces. He did it because he wanted to make her happy. And their short exchange "you look gorgeous" - "Duh!" at the Prom was the perfect ending note an a funny, tender, sad and always captivating teenage romance.
2) Arvin Sloane and Emily Sloane in Alias. I love the Spyrents, too, of course, and Sydney (though not so much her beau), but the "couple" scenes that always make me misty-eyed, sniffling, what have you, are between the middle-aged villain and his wife. Basically every scene between them is gold, but to explain why this couple got to me so much, I'll try to mention just a few: Arvin and Emily in the hospital in s1 when she just had her chemo therapy and they both think she's dying from cancer, and the tenderness and desperation between them. That silent short scene in The Getaway in season 2, with the big reveal that Emily is alive, and we see Sloane walking towards her, the overwhelming joy and relief on their faces (and simultanously the fact we know Sloane just murdered someone and Emily sacrificed her finger to achieve this; you never forget just what Sloane is, no matter how much he loves his wife and she loves him). The flashback hospital scene from In Dreams, where Arvin has to tell Emily their baby died, and, crucially for their future and Sloane's development, her pain is so searing that this one time, she shuts him out, and later asks him never to speak the name of their stillborn daughter again. The big one: their confrontation in Truth Takes Time, which starts with Emily, who now has seen Sloane is still evil-overlording instead of quitting as he promised, having made a deal with the CIA via Sydney to capture him, and you see how hard this is for her. Then he makes it even harder by apologizing and telling her how much he loves her, and Emily shows him she's wired, with that gesture simultanously revealing her betrayal and reminding him of his. Sloane briefly closes his eyes. At this point, if you're watching for the first time, you probably think he's going to curse her, try to kill her, or something like that. But no. He looks at her again, and asks her to come with him. And she does. And the most horrible thing is, if she hadn't, if they hadn't loved each other so much that this was possible, that moment of mutual forgiveness and faith based on thirty years of marriage, despite all - then Emily wouldn't have died, because she gets shot just a few minutes later in Sloane's place. In five years of Alias, I never cried except during those scenes between the Sloanes in that episode. They still kill me.
3) Duncan and Amanda in Highlander: The Series. The irony here is that these two work so well as a couple for me precisely because they aren't actually lovers in the traditional tv show sense. They have sex when one of them isn't otherwise tied, but Amanda is never Duncan's love interest, nor is it ever implied she's the great love of his life (tm) or even among the top three in that list. This means they don't have your traditional getting-to-know you/-break-up stories, either. She's one of his friends, and though it takes them a couple of centuries to verbalize this, they do love each other dearly. They just couldn't stand actually living with each other for a longer period. Trying to describe Duncan and Amanda, I sometimes use "Batman and Catwoman if Bruce Wayne had a sense of humour" as a short hand. He dissapproves of her stealing, but he's always there if she needs him; she isn't above tricking him and conning him and letting him take the fall for her, but would die for him if that was needed. They make each other laugh, they have great chemistry, and the scene that perhaps sums them up is the one from the season 3 finale: Duncan and Amanda on the Eiffel Tower, in a situation where their world might end soon (or not), and she dares him to jump. (It's okay, they're Immortals.) No, says Duncan: "Let's dance." And they actually do that, dance tango on the grey steelbars of the Eiffel Tower. (Naturally, I always assumed that scene was shot in the studio. Imagine my surprise when I saw the outtakes at a convention and thus found out they really had Elizabeth Gracen and Adrian Paul do that up on the Eiffel Tower, albeit of course with safety nets etc.) It's a crazy, exhilarating moment and typical for the kind of thing they can make each other do, and then amidst the laughter, Duncan suddenly says "I want you to know..." and stops. "I know," she replies. "You love me. You always have." And that unexpectedly serious and tender moment, too, is true for this particular couple-that-isn't-really-a-couple.
4) David and Keith in Six Feet Under. One of the many great things about them: their relationship is treated on equal terms with the het relationships on the show, screen-time wise, and there is no "special episode" for them. (Though David coming to terms with his homosexuality is his season 1 arc, but his relationship with Keith, which breaks up after about a third of the season and is not restored in the finale - that's something for the second season - , is just one aspect of this.) David once jokes that he inherited the doormat problem from his mother and Keith inherited the temper control problem from Keith's father, but jokes aside, they do fit well together. Neither is the saint in that relationship. (If Keith comes across as the ideal boyfriend in s1, it's because David at that point doesn't really know him that well and idealizes him; starting with s2, we learn about Keith's own issues and less than ideal sides.) Both have to adjust in order for it to work out, but work out it does, and when the show ends, it leaves them in a good place. (They also spoiled me for same-sex relationships on tv; the rarity of two attractive men kissing won't do it, I want emotional depth as well.) The best summary of them is still contained in the dialogue between David's brother Nate and his own lover, Brenda, after David just came out to Nate by taking Keith's hand in front of him. Quoth Nate: "I think David is gay!" Comments Brenda: "I think David is lucky. Did you see that guy?"
5) Angel and Darla in Angel: The Series. Now Angel and Darla are a couple that went out of their way to avoid the word "love", and rather emphasized how that wasn't what was between them. (Which, btw, is why fanfic in which they say "I love you" does not work for me.) And yet their story is among other things an epic romance in its twisted, dark glory. (It's also one of the better arguments against the notion that Angel and his soulless self, Angelus, are two different people, because if that were the case, Angel's entire behaviour towards Darla would make no sense; if he's another person, he never had a relationship with her.) They are one of those Edward Albee couples who know each other just a little too well, know just how to hurt each other, are obsessed with each other, and yet can surprise each other because even after two hundred and fifty years, the years of Angel's life, there are ways in which they don't understand each other at all. From Darla siring Angel to the moment her hand holding his fell into dust during her fourth and final death while their son gained life, it was a relationship I found absolutely fascinating. And, you know: "No matter how good a boy you are, God doesn't want you. But I still do."
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no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 03:47 pm (UTC)While I agree with you about Xander's motivations, we did get open acknowledgment: the other shop assistant tells her that he paid for it, and she mouths "Thank you" to him at the prom.
I love Xander/Cordy and Angel/Darla, too.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 06:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 03:48 pm (UTC)Arvin never got over Emily, all the years after that (in show time). I can see him trapped for eternity, still missing her. That is just heartbreaking to think about; I hope he went mad and hallucinated her at least.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 06:54 pm (UTC)You know, when I rewatch In Dreams, this is one more thing that makes me cry - when he asks Nadia to leave him there, in the scenario with Emily and an alive Jacqueline his mind came up with, and he tells Nadia "I once was a good man, but now I'm a monster; there is no room for me in your world. You should leave me here". And Nadia asks him to come back a second time, sealing both their fates, and he does...
no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 09:52 pm (UTC)And oh, gosh, yes. In Dreams gets me too, especially in retrospect because of everything that happens later.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 04:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 06:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 11:11 pm (UTC)It's even got Harry Jones in it!
no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 04:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 06:46 pm (UTC)Re: coming out scene: I also remain fond of Willow-coming-out-to-Buffy in "New Moon Rising", because to me that both felt emotionally realistic and was a clever parallel to the earlier scene with Riley responding to the werewolf scenario, but yes: David coming out is the best ever.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 05:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 06:42 pm (UTC)Oh, that's an excellent definition! Because the others had phases where one of them was good for the other, but not both at the same time, or not for the long term, and with David and Keith, that was definitely the case. *hearts them*
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Date: 2008-02-16 05:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 06:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 06:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 06:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 07:05 pm (UTC)I loved the way Xander/Cordy ended but I still wanted more--I would have loved for Xander to show up on Angel, or for Cordy to show up on Buffy and have them rekindle something. And I did spend the second half of S3 BtVS wanting them to reconcile. My favorite moment of "The Prom" (well, tied with Buffy's adorable insistence that her friends get a perfect prom moment) is their little meeting with Cordy in her new dress.
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Date: 2008-02-16 08:09 pm (UTC)Flash-forwards in the SFU finale: oh yes, me too. And yet, what better way to end this particular show?
no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 08:09 pm (UTC)Flash-forwards in the SFU finale: oh yes, me too. And yet, what better way to end this particular show?
no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 07:59 pm (UTC)Their scene in the hospital when she tells him to leave gets me every time.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 08:13 pm (UTC)And thank you. That remains one of my favourites among my stories, too, and it was impossible to give the pov during the core scene of the actual service to anyone but Xander!
no subject
Date: 2008-02-16 10:12 pm (UTC)