To be honest, the on-screen couples I’ve rooted for the most haven’t been those in romance movies or shows. In my opinion, the best couples are those that pop up as a side plot, the ones we root for the entire series (slow burns, you could say). In honor of Valentine’s Day being just around the corner, here’s some of my favorite on-screen couples (and my controversial least favorite):
- Ron and Hermione – Harry Potter
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Kids these days aren’t gonna understand what it was like watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two in the movie theater when Ron and Hermione finally kissed. This was the slow burn of all slow burns that we had waited years for. I wholeheartedly reject anyone (including J.K. Rowling) who claims that Hermione should’ve ended up with Harry. That’s just way too cliche.
- Peter and MJ – Spider-Man
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This can be applicable to any Spider-Man adaptation, but I’m specifically referring to the Tom Holland and Zendaya version. I might be biased because Spider-Man is my favorite Marvel character, but I’ve always felt more invested in their relationship than any other in the franchise. I also just think Tom and Zendaya in real life are so adorable, so it makes watching the movies even better.
- Luke and Lorelai – Gilmore Girls
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Another one that we were all rooting for through several seasons. Personally, I can’t stand when a main character dates a sort of temporary character. I didn’t care for Max, I really didn’t like Jason, and don’t get me started on Christopher. Luke was great for Lorelai and such a good father figure to Rory.
- Hopper and Joyce- Stranger Things
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I rooted for them from the start. Joyce is tough and independent but being a struggling single mom, she needs support. After all they go through together throughout the seasons, her and Hopper just made sense. Of all the couples on the show, I was probably most invested in them (though for the record, I was really hoping Nancy would choose Steve).
And for the worst couple, drumroll…
- Rory and Jess- Gilmore Girls
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Yes, I know this is controversial. In general, I’m not a fan of Rory and I’m not a fan of Jess. He never wants to actually spend time with Rory (unless it’s to provoke Dean) and he’s just super rude and angsty all the time. Post-Dean, I feel like Rory was just going through her “bad-boy” phase. Overall, I felt no substance here. I definitely don’t like Dean either, but that’s not a hot-take amongst Gilmore Girls watchers.
My hours of streaming have culminated in this ranking. If you can’t tell by now, I’m very opinionated and I consume far too much media. I probably missed several on-screen couples, but for now, these are the best of the best (and lowest of the low).