I’ve been spending a lot of quality time with my good friends Netflix and Hulu lately. After the millionth person asked me, “Do you watch The Mindy Project?” I knew I needed to figure out what the hype was about once and for all. I watched both seasons in a weekend without neglecting my friends, my appetite, or my hygiene.
I am nothing if not determined.When I was done, I needed a similar show to get me through my funny-woman-with-intriguing-love-drama entertainment withdrawal, so I hopped onto the New Girl bandwagon. After falling in love with both shows, I realized I was hooked because I adored the relationships they each portray. In that spirit, here are five TV couples that are each inspiring to me in their own right.
Nick and Jess—New Girl
I know, I know, they broke up. Twist the knife, why don’t you? They’re incompatible in many ways (Nick has to be the definition of a man-child), but I’m not giving up hope yet. Since they were best friends before anything became romantic, they had such a solid foundation as a couple! Their bond was at the root of Nick orchestrating the most amazing surprise party ever for Jess, and Jess dressing up as Elvis at Nick’s dad’s funeral. That kind of love doesn’t just go away. It comes back from the dead. It’s basically zombie love.
Mindy and Danny—The Mindy Project
These two have the witty banter thing down, but I’m also into them for deeper reasons. Their real relationship glue is that they challenge each other to be better people. Danny is so scared of letting himself be vulnerable, and Mindy rightfully gets fed up.
Felicity and Ben—Felicity
OK, so Felicity’s decision to follow Ben, who she crushed on but barely knew, to college was a tad ill-advised. Then their on-again, off-again saga almost gave me whiplash. But in the end, they were just meant to be. The bottom line is that these two accepted each other’s flaws: Felicity overthought everything, and Ben was quite emotionally stunted for a lot of the show. They knew it was part of the total package, so they were willing to work it out.
Coach Taylor and Tami Taylor—Friday Night Lights
I would like to volunteer as tribute for the position of Sister Wife in this relationship. It’s a shame this show never gets enough credit. Thanks to its nuanced character development, watching it made me realize how important respect is in a relationship. Tami isn’t afraid to tell Coach her opinion on his mistakes precisely because she respects him so much. Coach is willing to make sacrifices in his career so Tami can fulfill her dreams. Honestly, I’m just distraught the characters of Friday Night Lights aren’t real (especially when it comes to Tim Riggins. Swoon).
Samantha Jones and Herself—Sex and the City
Samantha is the epitome of a man-eater, so she wouldn’t land on my list because of a relationship with one of her many men. Her love for herself though? Beyond admirable. Samantha wasn’t scared of bucking conventional norms to make herself happy. As she said when she devastated Smith with a breakup, “I love you, but I love me more.” Amen, sister.
Who are your TV couple idols? And if you’re dating someone, do any TV couples remind you of your relationship?