TV Show Meme! Day 21!

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I had a very excellent birthday, y'all! One of the things I did was spend a few hours before bedtime copyediting. Perhaps that seems strange to you, but if so I suppose you have never seen the beauty in a page with marked up em-dashes. I find marking up a manuscript for typesetting exceedingly satisfying. And now I get to go back through and make lists! Words that are hyphenated! Words that are used in a non-standard way! Words that are not English! Character names and nicknames! It is like my birthday is extended a few days, and also I'm getting paid!

(Hey, I don't make fun of the things that make you happy.)

Day 21 - Favorite ship

I assume this is a fannish 'ship -- meaning relationship -- and not my favorite boat. Obviously my favorite television boat is the Enterprise -- NCC1701-E. (HOLLA.)

I don't have a favorite tv relationship. I know, I know, I am super difficult about everything all the time. I also don't have a "one true pairing" -- you'll never find me in what fandom has affectionately nicknamed "ship wars," fighting about whether it should be Ron and Hermione or Hermione and Harry or Harry and Ron at the end of all things. (FTLOG, people, just have a threesome! It's not that hard!)

But I do enjoy some TV pairings. The intense D/s relationship between Peter and Neal on White Collar; the great, deep friendship between Cagney and Lacey on Cagney & Lacey; the antagonism and disappointment of Toby and the President on The West Wing; the seething hatred of Anna and Sydney on Alias; the suspense and neediness of Michael and Nikita on La Femme Nikita; the exasperated tolerance of Adam and Jamie on Mythbusters...

My least favorite pairing -- possibly of all time -- is Buffy and Angel. I know, I know, blasphemy. (I also hate Bella/Edward! I'm the worst!!) I find vampire/human relationships pretty creepy in general, actually. I am also not a big fan of relationships that have severe power imbalances built in -- teacher/student, boss/employee, mentor/mentee, doctor/patient, most popular/geekiest nerd, guard/prisoner, owner/slave... I find it very squicky and uncomfortable.

I'm not saying these relationships should never happen (or be role played!) in real life or in fiction, but for me it is a careful negotiation between a creepster taking advantage and two people genuinely desiring each other and finding an equal place to meet, and most writers -- of television shows, books, whatever -- don't have the time and/or skill and/or deft touch to write it in a way that I'm comfortable with.

(Hey, I've totally done most popular/geekiest nerd in real life. Guess which one was me!)



Other days...
Day 01 - A show that should have never been canceled
Day 02 - A show that you wish more people were watching
Day 03 - Your favorite new show (aired this TV season)
Day 04 - Your favorite show ever
Day 05 - A show you hate
Day 06 - Favorite episode of your favorite TV show
Day 07 - Least favorite episode of your favorite TV show
Day 08 - A show everyone should watch
Day 09 - Best scene ever
Day 10 - A show you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Day 11 - A show that disappointed you
Day 12 - An episode you’ve watched more than 5 times
Day 13 - Favorite childhood show
Day 14 - Favorite male character
Day 15 - Favorite female character
Day 16 - Your guilty pleasure show
Day 17 - Favorite mini series
Day 18 - Favorite title sequence
Day 19 - Best TV show cast
Day 20 - Favorite kiss
Day 21 - Favorite ship
Day 22 - Favorite series finale
Day 23 - Most annoying character
Day 24 - Best quote
Day 25 - A show you plan on watching (old or new)
Day 26 - OMG WTF? Season finale
Day 27 - Best pilot episode
Day 28 - First TV show obsession
Day 29 - Current TV show obsession
Day 30 - Saddest character death