The Nice Girls Reveal…Our OTPs

It’s February and romance is in the air! We previously revealed our First TV Crushes, and now we’re coming clean about another TV obsession: our OTPs! (Nerd alert: OTP = One True Pairing, or a couple one ‘ships above all others no matter what actually happens on screen.)

Rueben’s OTPs

I was obsessed with Tom and Sloan (Adam Storke and Debra Messing) on the short-lived ABC series Prey, to the point that I read countless fan fiction and wrote some of my own, too. I was elected “President” of the fan group at one point in time while we attempted to rescue the show. Then there was Dr. Mike and Sully on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. I collected a bunch of memorabilia on the show and all of the DVD sets. Then it was Mick and Beth on Moonlight. I got extremely involved in the fan movement that tried to save the show [Melissa’s Note: The Moonlight fandom is where we met!], and have been the “head” of the SoCal Freshies (the Southern California Moonlight fans) for the past 10 years.  Now it’s, of course, Jamie and Claire on Outlander. I think I live, eat and breathe Outlander ever since the show debuted.

Leah’s OTP

Andy McNally & Sam Swarek (Missy Peregrym/Ben Bass) on Rookie Blue. Sam Swarek has this confident, but not cocky attitude that perfectly complimented Andy McNally’s sometimes unsure, but always wanting to be better attitude. Together they were swoon worthy. It doesn’t hurt that neither of them are hard to look at. Rookie Blue aired for 6 seasons and now ION replays the series. Two episodes a week, over and over and over. I’ve seen every episode multiple times. I genuinely get excited on Tuesday when I know that both episodes are now on my DVR. I watch them, even though I know all of the words to every episode. I never looked up fan fiction on them but I do watch the fan made You Tube videos that are out there. It’s an obsession I am okay with.

Cara’s OTPs

I’ve had a couple TV couples that I loved, but none too obsessively. Kevin and Winnie from The Wonder Years are probably the first that I can recall. Kevin’s hope and heartbreak were so real for me. Dwayne and Whitley from A Different World are another couple that I agonized over. I felt genuinely happy when Jim and Pam got together on The Office, and the engagement and wedding episodes were amazing. My favorite couple is Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt from Parks & Rec. They’re both so ridiculous, yet perfect for each other.

Melissa’s OTPs

My OTPs tend to be more of the literary variety (Fremione forever! I knew Sam & Sookie were soulmates!), so I had to think pretty hard about this one. I was rooting for Chuck Bartowski and Sarah Walker (Chuck) from the beginning and firmly believe they had a happy ending. I was also super into Buffy and Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). That was not the healthiest of relationships, but it was hottttt. I will confess to seeking out some Spuffy fanfic, although it tends to get a little too squicky for my taste. Speaking of unhealthy relationships, Veronica Mars and Logan Echolls still rank as one of my all time OTPs. I sure hope those crazy kids can figure it out this time around!

Karen’s OTPs

Lee & Amanda from Scarecrow & Mrs. King (before internet, but I still have VHS tapes)
Dave & Addy from Moonlighting (again, before internet. Yelling about them to my co-workers?)
Chuck & Sarah from Chuck (Fanfic, Message Boards, Podcasting about them)
Rick Castle & Kate Beckett from Castle (Fanfic, Message Boards, STARTING a podcast)
Aeryn Sun & John Crichton from Farscape (Message Boards, Podcasting)

Lexie’s OTPs

My OTPs tend to crash and burn and become my NOTPs whenever they get together in canon (Matthew/Mary from Downton Abbey, Chuck/Sarah from Chuck, Oliver/Felicity from Arrow). So now I stick with rarepairs! One of my OTPs has one person canonically married to the hero and the other is dead! More and more I’ve grown to realize: relationships becoming canon is the WORST. TV writers seem incapable of writing good romantic relationships. The exception to this rule is Jake/Amy from Brooklyn Nine Nine. The reason for that, I think, is that they make each other better people. And unlike most other het couples on TV, they actually genuinely seem to enjoy each other as people? Like, straights get together on TV and I just wonder, do you even like each other? Forget love, can you even have a single conversation about your interests and find what the other person is saying enjoyable/fascinating? Lookin’ at you, Chuck and Sarah. [Melissa’s Note: Lexie and I have been fighting over Chuck/Sarah for years.]

Your turn! Who are your TV OTPs? Or, taking a cue from Lexie, who are your NOTPs?