Twelve More Obscure Pairings
Oct. 17th, 2023 02:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
annavereIt was about a year ago that I made this list of obscure ships, and it's time for a second go round, as there are shows I've watched since, or pairings I had not considered before, and a couple which almost made the prior list and were tossed to keep it relatively short. My criteria remain exactly the same, running the AO3 numbers and drawing purely from speculative shows. This time I will be including my sole ardent crossover ship. The list is arranged from least to most obscure. Again, this is mostly me having fun and showering these couples with deserved affection while I wait for my current writer's block to ease. It seems that's an October thing with me.
In several cases it was impossible to find a good screenshot featuring both halves of the pairing, so I cobbled together a few dual portraits. They're better than nothing, but a long way from the artistry these couples deserve, so my apologies in advance.
Duncan MacLeod/Amanda Darrieux (Highlander)
Number of fics: 86 (currently tied with Tessa!)
I now have two successful pairings on my complete list, and this one is actually quite sweet!
I promised she'd make my next list, and here she is. I was too attached to Tessa to like her right away but Amanda does prove impossible to resist. Her relationship with MacLeod was complex and mature. I enjoy the genuine friendship between them, and the stability and laughter she brought to his increasingly dark and chaotic life, and how they had the full friends-with-benefits package without it ever being portrayed as somehow "less" than a committed relationship would be. One of my favorite arcs on the show is how their relationship evolved and deepened over the course of six years from 'The Lady and the Tiger' to 'Forgive Us Our Trespasses,' but what really fascinates me is the rocky early dynamic between them. Amanda the thief, Duncan the fall guy - but not so simple, because even as a green boy he knew Amanda had picked his pocket. His disapproval of her lifestyle rarely kept him from offering his assistance when she needed it, and for her part, Amanda drew a clear line between him and her ordinary marks. Their serious moments are a prized rarity among comic interludes, and I have questions surrounding almost every flashback between them. They lag a long way behind the juggernaut Duncan/Methos ship in numbers, but they have so much history to draw upon that this is really a shame.
Cassandra Railly/Theodore Deacon (12 Monkeys)
Number of fics: 26
A definite upside to living in hell.
Yes, technically Cole was the one to teach Cassie to shoot a gun, but the person most responsible for her survival in the apocalypse was Deacon. Deacon was an expert at training killers and it's safe to say he kind of broke Cassie over the course of eight months we never got more than the briefest flashback to. The changes they both underwent during this time skip were staggering. Cassie went from a morally conflicted doctor to an icy and embittered warrior, hyper focused on the mission. Meanwhile, Deacon went from enemy to ally, from leader of a kill squad to taking orders from a mad scientist, and from firm belief in the rights of the immune to slaughter those like Cassie to being completely head over heels for her. Canon never explored their dynamic properly, except for an all too brief prison escape sequence demonstrating their level of trust and shared skill at survival. Likewise, canon never gave them more than "just one night," but I love the ways they changed each other and how well they operated in the field and I lived for the moments of rough tenderness and comfort between them, and will always regret that there wasn't time for more.
James Cole/Jose Ramse (12 Monkeys)
Number of fics: 21
Cole and his complicated conscience.
Aside from a missing scene here or there, Cole/Ramse is a truly rare bird in this collection - a wholly satisfying pairing, beginning, middle and end. I am unlucky in my ships and while I can hardly call this "successful" given how it canonically ends in murder, paradoxically (sorry, couldn't resist) it truly is. These two betrayed and killed each other, ripped each other apart and yet the love remained even in the midst of their greatest desolation. They were each other's family to the last. Every pairing I've waxed poetic about in these lists has some flaw - either they end badly or else never start, or there's a gap in the narrative gnawing at me, or some unnecessary ugliness spoils the fun. Not so, Cole/Ramse. I'm not even salty they weren't canon because the subtext was so perfectly calibrated and text might well have ruined it. Given they won this fannish lottery, it's not surprising I have less to say about them. They don't invite speculation, only basking in the glorious chiaroscuro.
Paul Callan/Alva Keel (Miracles)
Number of fics: 11
Ghosthunting with style.
A delicate, cerebral pairing, found in the corners and interstices of a relentlessly case-of-the-week format, Paul/Alva is rarely foregrounded whilst being a constant presence across this short-lived show. Alva was a shadowy figure on introduction, and he had an excellent, subtle character progression as recruiting Paul changed him, grounded him and gave him connection, making him question and regret his bullheaded methods and secrecy. It got to the point where he needed Paul more than he needed answers. Paul meanwhile was beginning to drift in the opposite direction, with personal links to the threat of apocalypse making him increasingly ready to take risks. The fault lines were there but the earthquake never came as, with only thirteen episodes, it's all hints and supposition, mysteries without answers or sometimes even questions, and an underlying tension between the leads that never quite resolved into peace or war. Paul and Alva's relationship was nevertheless the glue holding the rest of it together. They rarely went anywhere without each other, sharing sweltering stakeouts and cheap motel rooms without hesitation, and even betrayed trust didn't break them apart. Put to the test, whether by a psychotic possessed Paul or by secrets in response to secrets, they still needed each other - very circumspectly but oh so consistently.
Brian Cullen/Duncan MacLeod (Highlander)
Number of fics: 3 (one of which I wrote)
Everything about this hurts, but my God, the chemistry...
I wrote slash for them. In a way, nothing else need be said. I can't get into why this is a big deal without getting into my personal life, which I strive to keep off of DW, but suffice to say that nothing in it is remotely conducive to this particular hobby. Anyway, once this pairing was suggested to me, it changed and deepened an exceptional episode, broke my heart in little pieces and then stomped on it. Every scene is devastating, even in the smallest ways. One example: The kickoff and driving conflict of 'Courage' is Brian's single-minded need to murder Richie. After Duncan tells him to leave Richie alone, that plot is dropped - except for one small scene drawing no attention to itself in which "higher than a kite" Brian does see Richie again... and doesn't do anything to him. He abides by Duncan's wishes even in the grip of total madness, a last hint at the honorable man he once must have been. Likewise, he's shown to be an accomplished stalker when he tracks down Richie, so I doubt it's a coincidence that he tracks Duncan on a date but only attacks after the date leaves. That's true friendship right there. Brian fights poorly, gives up quickly, asks to die - and Duncan refuses, sealing both their fates. It ends as it has to, with the most brutal fight scene of the show, with a kill in self-defense and a rough-whispered goodbye. Honestly, if I made a list of my most fucked up ships (note to self: do not do this), Brian/Duncan would be at the top.
Cassandra Railly/Jose Ramse (12 Monkeys)
Number of fics: 1
Such a bad idea, but so help me, I am here for every second of it.
It began with hatred and jealousy, turned into a guilt-fueled murder-suicide proposal, hit the road as a mutually aggressive death trip and finally culminated in a pair of murders. If I make that list (repeats note to self), Cassie/Ramse would be in the top five for sure. They shared so much in common, it's no wonder they could never stand each other. Both completely in love with Cole - and thoroughly convinced that Cole chose the other over them. Both of them parents who lost their sons before they ever had the chance to get to know them. Both of them so determined upon a path of vengeance that it corroded their every waking thought. It's criminal that their interactions all but ceased halfway through the show, especially since there were hints at what could have developed - Ramse's subtle protectiveness of her, their brief attendance of couples' counseling, and of course the redemptive moment when Cassie (of all people) was the one to figure out how to save Ramse. How I wish they'd had a final conversation after Ramse's return. Cole brought out the best in them, but Ramse and Cassie understood the grief and guilt and rage which motivated each other. The fact that the only fic which has ever been written about them is scorching hot hatesex pretty much sums up how unforgivingly raw this relationship is.
Hannah Jones/Emma Kirschner (12 Monkeys)
Number of fics: 1
Wow, these two really were mirror images.
The show itself shipped Hannah and Emma, what with montage overload and visuals completely reinterpreting the accompanying narration, and who am I to argue with such a brilliant show? Their meeting was fated (because of Cole, but everything was always about Cole, so that's not a slam). Hannah spent a year pretending to be someone else, and for someone raised in the tightknit community of the Daughters, that year must have been terribly lonely. Meeting Emma at a particularly low point, when all of her attempts at being a normal girl had come to nothing, gave her someone to protect and someone she didn't have to hide her true self from. As for Emma, she was a fascinating character whose arc was only just beginning. Much like Athan, she was raised in a loveless environment as a tool of the apocalypse, and yet still had the capacity of choosing to be good - without even parents to fight for her soul. All she ever had was Hannah, and she responded to her kindness with self-sacrificing concern. Her reward? Dying offscreen, all alone. Admittedly, that makes it really easy to work around her death, but it also sums up the half-life of this poor unloved child who never really had a chance - except with Hannah. Sigh.
Jeremiah/Theo Coleridge (Jeremiah)
Number of fics: 0
A boatload of shiptease that never went anywhere.
My original Jeremiah pairing of choice, who almost made my last list - and a rare case where the hard-edged murderous villain in the couple is a woman. Theo hit me like an electrical storm in 'The Long Road' and part of me will never get over the disappointment with just how quickly she was downsized (her second episode, for crying out loud) and brought into the fold. Jeremiah saved her life, yes, but there was always a snappish give and take between them, an edge at once spectacularly immature when they bickered and with a deeper understanding as they spoke the same uncompromising language. While both would have better long term luck with more pacific partners (like Kurdy and Erin), the very fact that they were the odd ones out in the Thunder Mountain group made it easy to believe in their communication skills. It made it all the more disappointing when their interactions entirely ceased early in season two, especially when Jeremiah's moral compass started to drift from true north. I always wanted more from them, and whether that was a reluctant partnership brought on by emergency or a clear-eyed post-series hookup or a swerving AU where Jeremiah failed to escape Clarefield and had to deal with Theo at her most distrusting, I'd be here for it all.
Evelyn Santos/Jason Herlock (Miracles)
Number of fics: 0
Jason Herlock would not cooperate with my efforts to screenshot him, so behold my sepia actor workaround.
I low-key spent the entire run of Miracles miffed at the total lack of shipping opportunities for Evie, considering the Paul/Alva bond was too intense for her to stand a chance and there was a total lack of external options until the eleventh hour appearance of Jason Herlock provided what had been missing. Here's a genuinely decent guy (I must be growing as a person) who torpedoed a successful career as a fraudulent psychic to use his genuine gift to help her locate her son. Being brand new to the paranormal, he'd need a friend going forward, and Evie would be well-suited to volunteer. Both had difficult pasts and took unconventional jobs in an effort to help others. Jason saw his gift as being able to find and bring forth hidden pain, and he figured out one of Alva's secret woes at lightning speed (dismissing it as statistics, but since the only other guy who zeroed in on Alva that way was a demonic entity, it's still impressive). Evie, though disguising it better, was really no less of a private person than Alva, avoiding close discussion of her ex or of her reasons for joining the SQ. Having someone she could trust with all of that stuff and who already made a stellar first impression would be wonderful. Really, the more I think of it, the more suitable they are - not to mention awfully pretty.
Erin/Liberty Kaufman (Jeremiah)
Number of fics: 0
There are so many ways this could end badly, I've lost count.
Of all the women on Jeremiah, it's possibly Erin and Libby who had the most in common, being hung up on brilliant but emotionally and (except on rare occasions for Libby) physically unavailable men. The dynamic between these two women has long been a point of fascination for me, but the shipping aspect crept up slowly and reluctantly. Libby spent her days in the Alliance playing a role and hating everyone who showered her with affection and trust. Erin was the acting head of security, who clearly enjoyed her company. Choosing to leverage their similarities would have been creepy as hell, because Libby operated by exploiting and carefully increasing the isolation of her target - and perpetually-background Erin was already badly overlooked. It would have been insanely risky, giving Erin a chance to figure out that Libby's not who she appears to be and turn the tables on their dynamic. Yet amidst this courting of total disaster, it might also have given Libby a chance to begin deriving a meaningful attachment to someone other than her cold-blooded handler, creating conflicted loyalty. Sims would eventually present a problem my brain shies from dealing with, but aside from that, it's a really interesting what if. To me, anyway.
Jim Valenti/Kathleen Topolsky (Roswell)
Number of fics: 0
Ain't that a kick in the head.
Amidst the cyclical romantic strife defining every single relationship on this wildly uneven show, there was momentarily a fantastic opportunity to provide a more sophisticated counterpoint via Sheriff Valenti, singleminded in his personal quest to prove that aliens are real, and Agent Topolsky, invading his turf and trying to beat him at his own investigation while pretending to be the harmless school guidance counselor. Once they finally crossed wires in the wild, Topolsky sought to avoid discovery by kicking him in the back of the head, but he only pretended to be stunned and later confronted her over drinks. They amicably threatened each other despite working toward the same goal. It was the perfect setup for a delightful, sparky relationship of trying to outmaneuver and occasionally being forced to work together - but her cover was blown by other means and she left town "without saying goodbye." On her way to being fridged, Kathleen resurfaced as a broken, terrified Cassandra figure, and their final meeting was everything I could have wanted for the pairing, rich with emotions of respect and uncertainty and regret - so of course she got recaptured by her psycho employers and brutally murdered (offscreen, though!). Now it's obvious that Julie Benz's departure was a boon for Angel, and I can't complain on that score, but I really am sad that fic never took up the challenge of bringing her back, as she richly deserved it.
Tara Maclay/Merlyn Temple (Buffy the Vampire Slayer/American Gothic)
Number of fics: 0
This would be so beautiful I really don't have words for it.
White witches of their respective canons. Symbols of purity, fundamentally incorruptible, yet most cruelly treated, mindraped, victimized, dead before their time. The crossover pairing of my heart. Tara being the only person in the Buffyverse I can picture going toe to toe with Lucas Buck and winning, she's the perfect candidate to both communicate with and save Merlyn. Merlyn's afterlife in Trinity was spent completely at sea, without the slightest hint of guidance from any who share her power (or for that matter any explanation of what her power actually is), meaning Tara would be the first kindred spirit she's ever met. Of course, symbols of goodness mean rather different things in these two canons, and Merlyn's goodness was harsh and often unyielding, forming an intriguing contrast with Tara's gentle and forgiving nature, but (and this is the important part) while Merlyn certainly crossed some significant lines in her battle with Lucas, she never actually took anyone's free will. This puts her way ahead of Willow in my estimation. Tara and Merlyn would meet and move forward as equals, returned from the dead to work wonders together and I want so much for that story to exist someday.
Conclusions: Checking out the patterns from last time to see what's changed, I can safely say not a lot. There's still a focus on moral and ethical disagreements across the board (Evie/Jason is an exception to this and probably every rule). I still gravitate to the same archetypes. My Libby quartet has seemingly left me with a permanent spy subterfuge kink, which is now a clearly visible pattern thanks to my Roswell "you know I know you know" ship. So that's new. The number of lighter het options has increased due to my appreciation for Amanda and the aforementioned Evie/Jason, but my perfect recipe remains on average murderously conflicted.
The big change is in the slash category, as I had only two of those on my last list and the total number is now five. 'Best friend with a death wish' is the overwhelming pattern here. Paul ready to end his life while Alva tries to talk him out of it, Brian pulling out all the stops to force Duncan to kill him, Cole trying over and over again to reach Ramse and never entirely managing it until he pulls Ramse out of time... Factor in Jeremiah/Kurdy, and it's an obvious pattern. The friendship part is very important to me. Considering how violent some of these stories are, there's got to be something at least attempting to apply some brakes now and then - even if the brakes fail catastrophically, some deeper attachment must remain. Otherwise it's just two guys trying to kill each other.
Meanwhile, the combined pattern of femslash on these lists is mostly of women recovering and moving on from the difficulties piled on by canon, free in the wind and unencumbered. When I think of characters who "deserved better" from canon, the list is overwhelmingly women, but I'm not sure that adequately explains it, because I've got the whole 'enemies to lovers' thing for het. I fear the unavoidable conclusion is simply that my subconscious associates angst with men. Not coincidentally, the most dramatic of these pairings (Tara/Merlyn and Erin/Libby) are the scenarios with favorite male characters still complicating the picture.
The rest is pretty much the same. Isolation, shattered psyches, kill counts, slow burns revolving around trust issues and the rebuilding of the self - I mean, why mess with a good thing?
In several cases it was impossible to find a good screenshot featuring both halves of the pairing, so I cobbled together a few dual portraits. They're better than nothing, but a long way from the artistry these couples deserve, so my apologies in advance.
Duncan MacLeod/Amanda Darrieux (Highlander)
Number of fics: 86 (currently tied with Tessa!)
I now have two successful pairings on my complete list, and this one is actually quite sweet!
I promised she'd make my next list, and here she is. I was too attached to Tessa to like her right away but Amanda does prove impossible to resist. Her relationship with MacLeod was complex and mature. I enjoy the genuine friendship between them, and the stability and laughter she brought to his increasingly dark and chaotic life, and how they had the full friends-with-benefits package without it ever being portrayed as somehow "less" than a committed relationship would be. One of my favorite arcs on the show is how their relationship evolved and deepened over the course of six years from 'The Lady and the Tiger' to 'Forgive Us Our Trespasses,' but what really fascinates me is the rocky early dynamic between them. Amanda the thief, Duncan the fall guy - but not so simple, because even as a green boy he knew Amanda had picked his pocket. His disapproval of her lifestyle rarely kept him from offering his assistance when she needed it, and for her part, Amanda drew a clear line between him and her ordinary marks. Their serious moments are a prized rarity among comic interludes, and I have questions surrounding almost every flashback between them. They lag a long way behind the juggernaut Duncan/Methos ship in numbers, but they have so much history to draw upon that this is really a shame.
Cassandra Railly/Theodore Deacon (12 Monkeys)
Number of fics: 26
A definite upside to living in hell.
Yes, technically Cole was the one to teach Cassie to shoot a gun, but the person most responsible for her survival in the apocalypse was Deacon. Deacon was an expert at training killers and it's safe to say he kind of broke Cassie over the course of eight months we never got more than the briefest flashback to. The changes they both underwent during this time skip were staggering. Cassie went from a morally conflicted doctor to an icy and embittered warrior, hyper focused on the mission. Meanwhile, Deacon went from enemy to ally, from leader of a kill squad to taking orders from a mad scientist, and from firm belief in the rights of the immune to slaughter those like Cassie to being completely head over heels for her. Canon never explored their dynamic properly, except for an all too brief prison escape sequence demonstrating their level of trust and shared skill at survival. Likewise, canon never gave them more than "just one night," but I love the ways they changed each other and how well they operated in the field and I lived for the moments of rough tenderness and comfort between them, and will always regret that there wasn't time for more.
James Cole/Jose Ramse (12 Monkeys)
Number of fics: 21
Cole and his complicated conscience.
Aside from a missing scene here or there, Cole/Ramse is a truly rare bird in this collection - a wholly satisfying pairing, beginning, middle and end. I am unlucky in my ships and while I can hardly call this "successful" given how it canonically ends in murder, paradoxically (sorry, couldn't resist) it truly is. These two betrayed and killed each other, ripped each other apart and yet the love remained even in the midst of their greatest desolation. They were each other's family to the last. Every pairing I've waxed poetic about in these lists has some flaw - either they end badly or else never start, or there's a gap in the narrative gnawing at me, or some unnecessary ugliness spoils the fun. Not so, Cole/Ramse. I'm not even salty they weren't canon because the subtext was so perfectly calibrated and text might well have ruined it. Given they won this fannish lottery, it's not surprising I have less to say about them. They don't invite speculation, only basking in the glorious chiaroscuro.
Paul Callan/Alva Keel (Miracles)
Number of fics: 11
Ghosthunting with style.
A delicate, cerebral pairing, found in the corners and interstices of a relentlessly case-of-the-week format, Paul/Alva is rarely foregrounded whilst being a constant presence across this short-lived show. Alva was a shadowy figure on introduction, and he had an excellent, subtle character progression as recruiting Paul changed him, grounded him and gave him connection, making him question and regret his bullheaded methods and secrecy. It got to the point where he needed Paul more than he needed answers. Paul meanwhile was beginning to drift in the opposite direction, with personal links to the threat of apocalypse making him increasingly ready to take risks. The fault lines were there but the earthquake never came as, with only thirteen episodes, it's all hints and supposition, mysteries without answers or sometimes even questions, and an underlying tension between the leads that never quite resolved into peace or war. Paul and Alva's relationship was nevertheless the glue holding the rest of it together. They rarely went anywhere without each other, sharing sweltering stakeouts and cheap motel rooms without hesitation, and even betrayed trust didn't break them apart. Put to the test, whether by a psychotic possessed Paul or by secrets in response to secrets, they still needed each other - very circumspectly but oh so consistently.
Brian Cullen/Duncan MacLeod (Highlander)
Number of fics: 3 (one of which I wrote)
Everything about this hurts, but my God, the chemistry...
I wrote slash for them. In a way, nothing else need be said. I can't get into why this is a big deal without getting into my personal life, which I strive to keep off of DW, but suffice to say that nothing in it is remotely conducive to this particular hobby. Anyway, once this pairing was suggested to me, it changed and deepened an exceptional episode, broke my heart in little pieces and then stomped on it. Every scene is devastating, even in the smallest ways. One example: The kickoff and driving conflict of 'Courage' is Brian's single-minded need to murder Richie. After Duncan tells him to leave Richie alone, that plot is dropped - except for one small scene drawing no attention to itself in which "higher than a kite" Brian does see Richie again... and doesn't do anything to him. He abides by Duncan's wishes even in the grip of total madness, a last hint at the honorable man he once must have been. Likewise, he's shown to be an accomplished stalker when he tracks down Richie, so I doubt it's a coincidence that he tracks Duncan on a date but only attacks after the date leaves. That's true friendship right there. Brian fights poorly, gives up quickly, asks to die - and Duncan refuses, sealing both their fates. It ends as it has to, with the most brutal fight scene of the show, with a kill in self-defense and a rough-whispered goodbye. Honestly, if I made a list of my most fucked up ships (note to self: do not do this), Brian/Duncan would be at the top.
Cassandra Railly/Jose Ramse (12 Monkeys)
Number of fics: 1
Such a bad idea, but so help me, I am here for every second of it.
It began with hatred and jealousy, turned into a guilt-fueled murder-suicide proposal, hit the road as a mutually aggressive death trip and finally culminated in a pair of murders. If I make that list (repeats note to self), Cassie/Ramse would be in the top five for sure. They shared so much in common, it's no wonder they could never stand each other. Both completely in love with Cole - and thoroughly convinced that Cole chose the other over them. Both of them parents who lost their sons before they ever had the chance to get to know them. Both of them so determined upon a path of vengeance that it corroded their every waking thought. It's criminal that their interactions all but ceased halfway through the show, especially since there were hints at what could have developed - Ramse's subtle protectiveness of her, their brief attendance of couples' counseling, and of course the redemptive moment when Cassie (of all people) was the one to figure out how to save Ramse. How I wish they'd had a final conversation after Ramse's return. Cole brought out the best in them, but Ramse and Cassie understood the grief and guilt and rage which motivated each other. The fact that the only fic which has ever been written about them is scorching hot hatesex pretty much sums up how unforgivingly raw this relationship is.
Hannah Jones/Emma Kirschner (12 Monkeys)
Number of fics: 1
Wow, these two really were mirror images.
The show itself shipped Hannah and Emma, what with montage overload and visuals completely reinterpreting the accompanying narration, and who am I to argue with such a brilliant show? Their meeting was fated (because of Cole, but everything was always about Cole, so that's not a slam). Hannah spent a year pretending to be someone else, and for someone raised in the tightknit community of the Daughters, that year must have been terribly lonely. Meeting Emma at a particularly low point, when all of her attempts at being a normal girl had come to nothing, gave her someone to protect and someone she didn't have to hide her true self from. As for Emma, she was a fascinating character whose arc was only just beginning. Much like Athan, she was raised in a loveless environment as a tool of the apocalypse, and yet still had the capacity of choosing to be good - without even parents to fight for her soul. All she ever had was Hannah, and she responded to her kindness with self-sacrificing concern. Her reward? Dying offscreen, all alone. Admittedly, that makes it really easy to work around her death, but it also sums up the half-life of this poor unloved child who never really had a chance - except with Hannah. Sigh.
Jeremiah/Theo Coleridge (Jeremiah)
Number of fics: 0
A boatload of shiptease that never went anywhere.
My original Jeremiah pairing of choice, who almost made my last list - and a rare case where the hard-edged murderous villain in the couple is a woman. Theo hit me like an electrical storm in 'The Long Road' and part of me will never get over the disappointment with just how quickly she was downsized (her second episode, for crying out loud) and brought into the fold. Jeremiah saved her life, yes, but there was always a snappish give and take between them, an edge at once spectacularly immature when they bickered and with a deeper understanding as they spoke the same uncompromising language. While both would have better long term luck with more pacific partners (like Kurdy and Erin), the very fact that they were the odd ones out in the Thunder Mountain group made it easy to believe in their communication skills. It made it all the more disappointing when their interactions entirely ceased early in season two, especially when Jeremiah's moral compass started to drift from true north. I always wanted more from them, and whether that was a reluctant partnership brought on by emergency or a clear-eyed post-series hookup or a swerving AU where Jeremiah failed to escape Clarefield and had to deal with Theo at her most distrusting, I'd be here for it all.
Evelyn Santos/Jason Herlock (Miracles)
Number of fics: 0
Jason Herlock would not cooperate with my efforts to screenshot him, so behold my sepia actor workaround.
I low-key spent the entire run of Miracles miffed at the total lack of shipping opportunities for Evie, considering the Paul/Alva bond was too intense for her to stand a chance and there was a total lack of external options until the eleventh hour appearance of Jason Herlock provided what had been missing. Here's a genuinely decent guy (I must be growing as a person) who torpedoed a successful career as a fraudulent psychic to use his genuine gift to help her locate her son. Being brand new to the paranormal, he'd need a friend going forward, and Evie would be well-suited to volunteer. Both had difficult pasts and took unconventional jobs in an effort to help others. Jason saw his gift as being able to find and bring forth hidden pain, and he figured out one of Alva's secret woes at lightning speed (dismissing it as statistics, but since the only other guy who zeroed in on Alva that way was a demonic entity, it's still impressive). Evie, though disguising it better, was really no less of a private person than Alva, avoiding close discussion of her ex or of her reasons for joining the SQ. Having someone she could trust with all of that stuff and who already made a stellar first impression would be wonderful. Really, the more I think of it, the more suitable they are - not to mention awfully pretty.
Erin/Liberty Kaufman (Jeremiah)
Number of fics: 0
There are so many ways this could end badly, I've lost count.
Of all the women on Jeremiah, it's possibly Erin and Libby who had the most in common, being hung up on brilliant but emotionally and (except on rare occasions for Libby) physically unavailable men. The dynamic between these two women has long been a point of fascination for me, but the shipping aspect crept up slowly and reluctantly. Libby spent her days in the Alliance playing a role and hating everyone who showered her with affection and trust. Erin was the acting head of security, who clearly enjoyed her company. Choosing to leverage their similarities would have been creepy as hell, because Libby operated by exploiting and carefully increasing the isolation of her target - and perpetually-background Erin was already badly overlooked. It would have been insanely risky, giving Erin a chance to figure out that Libby's not who she appears to be and turn the tables on their dynamic. Yet amidst this courting of total disaster, it might also have given Libby a chance to begin deriving a meaningful attachment to someone other than her cold-blooded handler, creating conflicted loyalty. Sims would eventually present a problem my brain shies from dealing with, but aside from that, it's a really interesting what if. To me, anyway.
Jim Valenti/Kathleen Topolsky (Roswell)
Number of fics: 0
Ain't that a kick in the head.
Amidst the cyclical romantic strife defining every single relationship on this wildly uneven show, there was momentarily a fantastic opportunity to provide a more sophisticated counterpoint via Sheriff Valenti, singleminded in his personal quest to prove that aliens are real, and Agent Topolsky, invading his turf and trying to beat him at his own investigation while pretending to be the harmless school guidance counselor. Once they finally crossed wires in the wild, Topolsky sought to avoid discovery by kicking him in the back of the head, but he only pretended to be stunned and later confronted her over drinks. They amicably threatened each other despite working toward the same goal. It was the perfect setup for a delightful, sparky relationship of trying to outmaneuver and occasionally being forced to work together - but her cover was blown by other means and she left town "without saying goodbye." On her way to being fridged, Kathleen resurfaced as a broken, terrified Cassandra figure, and their final meeting was everything I could have wanted for the pairing, rich with emotions of respect and uncertainty and regret - so of course she got recaptured by her psycho employers and brutally murdered (offscreen, though!). Now it's obvious that Julie Benz's departure was a boon for Angel, and I can't complain on that score, but I really am sad that fic never took up the challenge of bringing her back, as she richly deserved it.
Tara Maclay/Merlyn Temple (Buffy the Vampire Slayer/American Gothic)
Number of fics: 0
This would be so beautiful I really don't have words for it.
White witches of their respective canons. Symbols of purity, fundamentally incorruptible, yet most cruelly treated, mindraped, victimized, dead before their time. The crossover pairing of my heart. Tara being the only person in the Buffyverse I can picture going toe to toe with Lucas Buck and winning, she's the perfect candidate to both communicate with and save Merlyn. Merlyn's afterlife in Trinity was spent completely at sea, without the slightest hint of guidance from any who share her power (or for that matter any explanation of what her power actually is), meaning Tara would be the first kindred spirit she's ever met. Of course, symbols of goodness mean rather different things in these two canons, and Merlyn's goodness was harsh and often unyielding, forming an intriguing contrast with Tara's gentle and forgiving nature, but (and this is the important part) while Merlyn certainly crossed some significant lines in her battle with Lucas, she never actually took anyone's free will. This puts her way ahead of Willow in my estimation. Tara and Merlyn would meet and move forward as equals, returned from the dead to work wonders together and I want so much for that story to exist someday.
Conclusions: Checking out the patterns from last time to see what's changed, I can safely say not a lot. There's still a focus on moral and ethical disagreements across the board (Evie/Jason is an exception to this and probably every rule). I still gravitate to the same archetypes. My Libby quartet has seemingly left me with a permanent spy subterfuge kink, which is now a clearly visible pattern thanks to my Roswell "you know I know you know" ship. So that's new. The number of lighter het options has increased due to my appreciation for Amanda and the aforementioned Evie/Jason, but my perfect recipe remains on average murderously conflicted.
The big change is in the slash category, as I had only two of those on my last list and the total number is now five. 'Best friend with a death wish' is the overwhelming pattern here. Paul ready to end his life while Alva tries to talk him out of it, Brian pulling out all the stops to force Duncan to kill him, Cole trying over and over again to reach Ramse and never entirely managing it until he pulls Ramse out of time... Factor in Jeremiah/Kurdy, and it's an obvious pattern. The friendship part is very important to me. Considering how violent some of these stories are, there's got to be something at least attempting to apply some brakes now and then - even if the brakes fail catastrophically, some deeper attachment must remain. Otherwise it's just two guys trying to kill each other.
Meanwhile, the combined pattern of femslash on these lists is mostly of women recovering and moving on from the difficulties piled on by canon, free in the wind and unencumbered. When I think of characters who "deserved better" from canon, the list is overwhelmingly women, but I'm not sure that adequately explains it, because I've got the whole 'enemies to lovers' thing for het. I fear the unavoidable conclusion is simply that my subconscious associates angst with men. Not coincidentally, the most dramatic of these pairings (Tara/Merlyn and Erin/Libby) are the scenarios with favorite male characters still complicating the picture.
The rest is pretty much the same. Isolation, shattered psyches, kill counts, slow burns revolving around trust issues and the rebuilding of the self - I mean, why mess with a good thing?
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Date: 2023-10-19 01:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-10-19 02:45 am (UTC)I'll see if I can make a post of American Gothic pros and cons in the next few days, because while I do love the show, it does have some caveats that I wouldn't want anyone getting blindsided by. But Merlyn is fantastic.
Edited to add: I've had a long day/week and this comment cheered me immensely. It's so nice to hear from you.
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Date: 2023-10-21 01:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-10-21 04:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-02-12 08:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-02-13 01:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-02-14 04:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-02-14 02:25 pm (UTC)I don't even know how this thing go greenlit in the first place.
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Date: 2025-02-12 08:37 pm (UTC)And I watched 12 Monkeys intermittently because it was so confusing if you hadn't watched it straight through, because time travel narratives! Oh, the time travel narratives. I love them, and someday I may watch the show straight through, but yikes. I really liked Jennifer in that show? But wow. It was...complicated.
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Date: 2025-02-13 01:22 pm (UTC)I heartily recommend 12 Monkeys! It's definitely a show you need to invest in, straight through, but it so completely rewards the attention needed. I don't know why it's not better known - it even has an actual finale and everything.
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Date: 2025-02-14 04:35 am (UTC)Yeah, 12 Monkeys gets as weird, if not weirder than, Van Helsing, which I had originally ignored for looking like a Walking Dead Lite but by the end I was super invested. So many women! Doing so many complicated things! I'm a sucker for women in complicated relationships doing complicated plot things and driving the action. But 12 Monkeys is definitely on my someday list, because - so many women!
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Date: 2025-02-14 02:18 pm (UTC)Did I mention I have a long list of shows to watch?
The women in 12 Monkeys are amazing in many ways, and are filled with complexity. The show loves grappling with moral conundrums and monstrous heroism. It's like candy to me (candy that also hurts my brain, because time travel).