Willravel

It's a very common tactic in a TV show or movie that we have two pain characters that have a very slowly building affection for one another, all along building angst and drama. The most blatant of them was Ross and Rachel on the sitcom Friends, but there have been myriad examples in film dating back to the beginning of the silver screen. Will they or won't they?!

This thread is here to post your favorite examples of this entertainment phenomena. I'll start with my favorites:

Josh and Donna, The West Wing. Josh Lyman was Deputy White House Chief of Staff in the Bartlet administration in the series The West Wing. He was neurotic, brilliant, and was always falling over himself in relationships. Alongside John was his assistant Donna Moss. Equally brilliant, she was given a chance by Josh when he was running a campaign before the series started. She stayed on with him as he started his job as Deputy Chief. Until a few seasons in, it wasn't apparent that they could be more than friends, but when it became obvious, as Donna was having a discussion with John's ex, the stage was set. What followed was Donna perpetually longing for Josh, and Josh seeming oblivious. This went on until Donna realized that she was dedicating her life to Josh and left to help VP Russell. This, I think shocked Josh into realizing what she meant to him, but it wasn't until the last election of the series that they finally made the move to romantic relationship. While initially, I was bothered by Donna's crush being more schoolgirl and her being a bit helpless, her becoming independent before they finally get together made the whole thing worth it.

Starbuck and Lee, Battlestar Galactica (reimagined). I'm not sure if it's just how awesome the show is, but the relationship between Lee and Starbuck, while obvious from the get go, has been more complex and far more engaging than most other examples of the Ross/Rachel thing. Starbuck is fractured a bit, and Lee has issues with being "too good", a perpetual boyscout. It changes the normal dynamic one might expect. Add to it the fact that we really don't know if they're going to end up together (they both married other people) and it becomes very dramatic. Even if they don't end up together, episodes like Unfinished Business will remain incredibly romantic and tragic. And aren't the best love stories tragedies?

Alright, let's see your favorites!

m0rpheus

Sam/Diane - Cheers (of course)
One of the things about this will they/wont they? is that they did and it still worked.

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jewels

Mulder and Scully - The X Files
Carrie and Big - Sex And The City

(TV show only, no movie spoilers, please ... )

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ratbastid

The classic case of this, of course was the show Moonlighting, which was awesome UNTIL the main characters hooked up, and then immediately jumped a big nasty shark. It was the sexual tension that made the show interesting, and dispelling it ruined everything.

stevie667

Tom Paris & Belana Torres in ST:VOY.

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sadistikdreams

Ross and Rachel - Scrubs.

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hearts, by d.a.

Moyaboy

Jack & Allison - Eureka

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fresnelly

Maggie and Joel - Northen Exposure

Niles and Daphne - Frasier

Kevin and Winnie - The Wonder Years

Judge Harry T. Stone and Christine Sullivan - Night Court

Superman and Lois Lane - Lois and Clark

Zach and Kelly - Saved By the Bell
Screech and Lisa - Saved By the Bell
Slater and Jessie - Saved By the Bell

Uncle Joey and Uncle Jessie - Full House

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dlish

whatshisname and whatshername mischa - The OC

i swear i only watched it cos the mrs did.

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MexicanOnABike

come on folks!! Pam & Jim on the Office.

JD and Elliot on Scrubs as #2.
-----Added 14/10/2008 at 08 : 56 : 04-----
this is awesome!

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Fremen

Good one!

Horatio Caine and his sunglasses - CSI: Miami
(He fucks with his glasses way too much.)
David Letterman and Bonnie Hunt/Martha Stewart : Late Show with David Letterman
(A lot of real chemistry, imo.)
Leonard and Penny (or Sheldon and Penny, or Sheldon and Leslie) : The Big Bang Theory
(This show is my new favorite sitcom, and I think all of these pair-ups would be funny as hell.
Though, the Leonard and Penny match has the most romance potential.)
Chuck Bartowski and Sarah Walker : Chuck
(I love the "bumbling nerd spy-wannabe being protected by the beautiful spy, while trying not to fall in love" gimmick)

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jewels

Ahem. Bruce Willis & Cybill Shepherd? In that case, uniting them was so wrong.

House & Cuddy?

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Bill O'Rights

The only reason that I watch CSI Miami is to see David Caruso's absolutely horrendous acting abilities. He makes the show a comedy with his over the top drama.

Greg and Marsha - The Brady Bunch.

What?

Oh...like you never thought that before.

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KellyC

Leonard and Penny - The Big Bang Theory

Will and Grace - Will and Grace....yeah I said it.

Jack and Karen - Will and Grace

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mixedsubstance

Don't you mean Friends? Ross & Rachel are from Friends.
Scrubs is JD and Elliot.

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Willravel

Dr. Ross and Nurse Rachel.

I wouldn't know that except it's on Comedy Central 23 hours a day.

MexicanOnABike

I'd like to add another: Robin and Ted from "how i met your mother".

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DonnieBoy

classic line from the show... scrubs is great! Courtney Cox from friends is supposed to be on this season fyi

I'd like to see Benson and Stabler in L&O SVU get it on...

sapiens

Lot's of good ones in your post. This one was the most striking. I was never convinced by Jessie's sham marriage with Becky. Good call!

dksuddeth

xena and gabrielle - xena, warrior princess
broots and miss parker - the pretender

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Willravel

Good memory. Remember the episode where Broots and Ms. Parker were in that hotel room and Mr. Raines popped by, signifying that it was a dream? Awkward.

dksuddeth

ROFL, i remember the first time I saw that episode. I had just tuned in to that very scene and was trying to pick my jaw up off the floor thinking WTF!?!?!?!?!

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"no amount of force can control a free man, a man whose mind is free. No, not the rack, not fission bombs, not anything. You cannot conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him."

Fremen

Hehe, it would've been a black widow-type encounter.
I think he'd've been ok with that.

Alton Brown and "W" - Good Eats
James Bond and Ms. Moneypenny - James Bond movies
(Willravel might disagree with that one)
Dr. Johnny Fever and Baily Quarters, Jennifer Marlowe and Andy Travis - WKRP in Cincinnati

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fresnelly

Holy shit! I have no idea what you're talking about but it reminded me of one of the 80's/90's classics: Tony and Angela on Who's The Boss?

Among many, there was an episode were they get stuck on some roadtrip and end up sharing a hotel room without enough clothes. They have to share Tony's pajamas so he gets the pants and she gets the top. I can' remember if they had to share the bed or not but this scenerio has always been a fantasy of mine.

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Poppinjay

Come on guys!

Enos and Daisy were the ultimate tease couple.

That's Dukes of Hazzard for you whippersnaps.

Also, Tattoo and Mr. Roark.

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Jove

Charlie and The Waitress from Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Destrox

Suprised,

Bones & Booth - Bones

Hodgins & Angela - Bones

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sapiens

Most of my favorite pairings come from older film comedies:

Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby
Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday
Clarke Gable and Claudette Colbert in It Happened One Night

Willravel

The thing is, if they did get together you wouldn't want them to break up because it's been nearly 50 years in the making. But then Bond woudln't be a man-whore anymore. It's tough.

SabrinaFair

I realize I'm a dollar short and a day (or month...) late, but I'm putting my $.02 in....

I'm going to second your nomination of Josh and Donna Of "The West Wing." I LOVE that nothing happens until she comes into her own and makes things happen for herself. I think Josh knows there's something there early in the series, but chooses not to deal with it, assuming she'll always be there. I don't think he's completely aware of the depth of his feelings, though, until she leaves. I love the arc of their relationship, and one of the few instances of sexual tension being resolved without the ever-dreaded jumping 'o the shark.

Gonna be honest, I have a total fictional-character-crush on Josh Lyman.

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fresnelly

Your post reminded me of Eric and Donna on That 70's Show.

I never watched That 80's Show.

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Willravel

Exactly!! There were these great little moments during the last election of the series between John and Donna, and the culmination the night before was fantastic.

And yes, I harbored a fictional-character-crush on Donna.

dksuddeth

showing my really nerdy side, but Wesley and Winifred on Angel and what a downer it was when Fred was killed.

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"no amount of force can control a free man, a man whose mind is free. No, not the rack, not fission bombs, not anything. You cannot conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him."

CinnamonGirl

Definitely.

And that's Joss for you... as soon as a couple's happy... BAM. Game over.

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Frosstbyte

Is it any consolation that had Angel not been canceled prematurely, a big part of season 6 was supposed to be Alleria having to come to grips with the fact that she hadn't consumed Fred quite as entirely as she thought she did? And, naturally, a long with Fred's consciousness returning in some form, a rekindled relationship between Alleria/Fred and Wesley.

When Alex found out they were canceling the show, he asked to be killed off in the finale.

CinnamonGirl

I'm not sure if that's a consolation, or even more reason to be mad it got cancelled... that would've been an awesome storyline!

Also, so as not to get TOO offtopic, Cordy and Angel had some great chemistry going in the third season that never really had a chance to take off. The season three finale when they were finally going to admit the way they felt about each other... and then the rest of the world intervened. The imagery is beautiful, though, with Angel sinking to the bottom of the ocean as Cordy's ascending up to... some heavenly dimension.

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"...for though she was ordinary, she possessed health, wit, courage, charm, and cheerfulness. But because she was not beautiful, no one ever seemed to notice these other qualities, which is so often the way of the world."


"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

Fremen

Chuck and Ned the Pie man - Pushing Daisies
They're in a worse predicament than Rogue and whoever her beau du jour are. (not up on current comics)

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Zeraph

Ok, I don't know why, but Farscape's John Crichton and Aeryn Sun really did it for me.

Leto

Jethro and Miss Jane Hatheway. Do I have to name the show?

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Willravel

And they named their boy D'Argo! *weeps*