The problem with main characters is that there’s so much pressure placed on them to be likable. 

Sometimes the added pressure works in a character's favor, but other times, the extra attention turns what could have been an admirable lead into one that either falls flat or appears too overdeveloped. 

That's rarely the case with sidekicks as they are quite literally created with the intention of propping up said main character

Now, that isn't to say the role of a sidekick is easy; their job is especially difficult as they bear a handful of responsibilities. They’re known as supporting and secondary characters that assist the main character, break the ice in tense situations using comedic relief, give advice, and clean up messes. 

They also have the ability to raise the stakes of a show without outshining the lead. 

Except here’s the thing — many of the sidekicks listed here do just that. 

Actors who portray sidekicks have the ability to play with a role and make it their own often leading to a character that resonates with audiences in more significant ways than the main character. 

More often than not, the secondary characters become much more than just "sidekicks."

Gone are the days when they weren't supposed to have a life outside of the protagonist’s plot. Now, they take on lives of their own with backstories, flaws, conflicts, and successes.

They are so vital to the success of a show, in fact, that there’s a whole award show category dedicated to “supporting actors.”

The truth is, without the sidekick, the main character — no matter how great — is incomplete.

And every true TV fan knows that main characters are only as great as the sidekicks that they surround themselves with. 

We’re taking a look at some memorable sidekicks who have etched their way into our hearts and inevitably, and sometimes unintentionally, elevated the show to greater heights. 

There are so many different types of sidekicks, but one of the most common ones is the brains behind the operation. 

These sidekicks act as a foil by being filling a void left behind by the main character and possessing characteristics that the lead lacks. 

One of my personal favorite sidekicks and admittedly, the one that inspired this piece, is Susie on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. 

There would be no Mrs. Maisel without Susie Meyerson (Alex Borstein).

She helped discover Midge’s talent, she held her hand throughout the whole process, she groomed her from dinky club act to main stage performer, she vouched for her and stuck her neck out for her, and she continues to champion her in a male-dominated industry.

Their friendship and partnership carries the series, and while Midge may be the talent, she likely wouldn’t have gotten this far without the perseverance of her manager. 

Revenge’s Nolan (Gabriel Mann) completes Emily Thorne/Amanda Clarke and is the reason why her intricate revenge plot never fell apart.

Emily/ Amanda wouldn’t have been able to accomplish half of what she did without his hacker expertise.

Nolan was eager and willing to help, he had no problem breaking the rules, and he did whatever Emily/Amanda wanted without question. And when he did ask questions, she trusted him enough to tell him the truth.

Nolan promised Emily/Amanda’s father that he would protect her no matter what, and not once did he stray from that promise. 

Their bond was unbreakable; Nolan would risk his life for that girl in a heartbeat. 

Sidekicks are oftentimes loyal to a fault because of the friendships that they’ve built up with the lead. 

Another example is Peter Quinn (Rupert Friend) on Homeland, who remained loyal and true to Carrie until the very end.

In cliche terms, he was quite literally her “ride or die.” He was equally as compelling, and some would say, far more likable than Carrie as he radiated a quiet, stoic, strong presence.

There are times where sidekicks may be responsible for choices that put the main character on the right path.

This happens with Evan Lawson (Paulo Costanzo) from Royal Pains. Without Evan, the lead character, Hank, wouldn't have become a concierge doctor in the Hamptons. He is directly responsible for helping kickstart the business and finding the clients. 

Many sidekicks complete and even complement the main character while also carving their own path.  

Mo (Alex Newell) from Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist is Zoey’s neighbor and a fan-favorite that, dare I say, is liked more than Zoey at times. 

On the surface, the gender nonconforming sidekick is witty and fun and gives magical advice, but the character's strengths lie in the moments when the series embraces deeper issues of faith and sexuality. 

Not all sidekicks take themselves seriously. One of the most common secondary characters is the jokester that provides comedic relief with witty one-liners and zingers.

However, even a “funny” sidekick can steal the spotlight if done right.

Niles (Daniel Davis) from The Nanny was a butler who worked for the Sheffield family, but he’s revered for his snarky (and sometimes borderline cruel) comments towards C.C. Babcock.

His motivations come from a place of loyalty to not only the family but to the nanny named Fran. 

It’s that protective and kind attitude that morphs him into one of the best characters on the series, though, we’d be lying if we said we weren’t also fans of the manipulative and diabolical attitude. 

For nearly 30 years, DJ Tanner’s sidekick has been Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber), the outlandish and wacky neighbor whose spirit perfectly compliments the straight-laced eldest Tanner daughter. 

Through her eccentric personality, Kimmy has given more than just laughs, she’s provided the assurance that it’s okay to be different; she’s become the spirit animal of so many fans. 

While she may be the butt of the joke, she’s also kindhearted, a good friend, and loyal to a fault. The Tanner family couldn’t live without her and neither could audiences. 

In fact, she weaseled her way into fans’ hearts and became such a staple in the series that when Netflix rebooted the series, she secured a leading lady spot next to DJ and youngest sister, Stephanie Tanner.

Eric from Sex Education is hilarious, relatable, and comfortable in his own skin for the most part, which has made him a fan-favorite since the beginning.

A role that could have easily been one-dimensional became larger than, life thanks to Ncuti Gatwa’s portrayal and nuances.

Instead of being just comic relief, we see him struggle with many aspects of his life, including his identity as it intersects with his religion, his strict upbringing, and his heritage. 

Stevie (Emily Hampshire) on Schitt's Creek started off as a snarky, can’t-be-bothered motel front-desk receptionist, but as the show progresses, she often brings more to the table than either of the Rose siblings.

While she’s still as blunt and sarcastic as ever, she’s become family as she looks out for the Rose's and takes them under her wing.

She’s given the opportunity to shine on her own, which Hampshire utilizes to the fullest, giving audiences a deeper exploration of her character arc.  

There are some sidekicks that are polar opposites of the main character, thus allowing for different perspectives and experiences the lead wouldn't otherwise have.

Shawn Hunter (Rider Strong) on Boy Meets World was Cory’s best friend, but he couldn’t be more different than Cory; they were from two different sides of the track.

And yet, many fans loved and related to Shawn significantly more than they did to Cory.

Without Shawn and his antics, his angst, his popularity, and his bad boy with a heart of gold vibe, Cory wouldn't have experienced all of life's adventures or learned necessary lessons. 

On Gilmore Girls, Paris Gellar (Liza Weil) is so smart that she's overbearing and intimidating most of the time, which tends to scare people away.

However, Rory stuck around even though the friendship was highly competitive at first, and eventually, their dynamic settled into a real friendship.

Though their personalities contrasted —  Rory was sweet, genuinely nice, and introverted while Paris was an overachiever and a little neurotic — they were a good balance for each other. 

Paris even admitted that Rory is the only one who always listens to her and challenges her. 

Maria DeLuca (Majandra Delfino) on the original Roswell was a lovable, quirky, and funny contrast to Liz. While she balanced her out well, she often stole the spotlight when she was in scenes.

It’s hard to imagine scenes without her, and the friendship they developed was a pivotal aspect of the series that carried it sometimes more than any of the romantic relationships. 

Some sidekicks can’t help but steal the spotlight anytime they’re on-screen like Riggins (Taylor Kitsch) on Friday Night Lights. 

It was obvious that Jason was supposed to be more of the lead in the first season while Riggins was set up as the stock lovable screw-up best friend. However, Riggins was often more compelling and overshadowed Jason right down to his chemistry with Jason's girlfriend. 

When you think of “scene-stealers,” Rogelio de la Vega on Jane the Virgin always comes to mind. Debates about whether or not Jane was a worthy protagonist are aplenty, but the one thing everyone always agrees on is that Rogelio was the star of the show.

Why? Because he did such a great job convincing you of it. 

He infused every scene with passion, drama, narcissism, and charm that became synonymous with his character. Jaime Camil didn’t just create a character, he created a world for his character to exist in that other characters, including the lead, visited occasionally.

He even offered a new vision of manhood as he tore down toxic masculinity and got in touch with his feminine and vulnerable side. 

Petra Solano (Yael Groblas) would be a close second simply for giving her character so much range and depth. Despite her flaws and misdeeds, which at times were ridiculously over the top, you connected with her and wanted to like her. 

Even smaller sidekicks can make a big impact. 

Andrew (Adam Capriolo) is the unsung hero on The Bold Type despite being a minor character. 

In fact, fans love him so much that his presence on The Bold Type Season 4 has been increased, and his character has been given a subplot that takes him from Jacqueline’s nervewracking assistant by day to confident drag performer by night.

The shade he throws in his calculated and perfectly-timed one-liners is unmatched and easily provides some of the best moments in an episode.  

Occasionally, sidekicks start off as an enemy but gain a protagonist’s trust by building up loyalty, much like Ruth Langmore (Julia Garner) on Ozark. 

The foul-mouthed and trash-talking teen is incredibly perceptive. Her character is intimidating, strong, and resourceful, but it’s the vulnerability that she’s weaved in under all of that which makes her performance explosive and suspenseful. 

Marty draws praise for his ability to navigate any situation swiftly and calmly, sure, but Ruth has proven that she can keep up without skipping a beat due to survival instinct, and that spontaneity keeps catching you off guard even when you think you’ve got her figured out. 

And finally, we get to the ensemble sidekicks, usually found in superhero shows or thriller dramas. 

In fact, when I first said the term “sidekick,” I bet your brain immediately darted to the CW shows.

And for good reason. Supergirl relies on a whole team of intelligent beings to help her defeat the bad guys and protect the city. 

She may be the woman of steel, but she needs the help of her super squad to mitigate destruction at every turn. 

The team rushes into action to fight alongside her for the greater good even taking on their own superhero personas, including James Olsen’s “The Guardian” and Nia Nal’s “Dreamer.”

However, Winn Schott (Jeremy Jordan) stands out from the crop of characters because he’s the original sidekick.

His character development took him from the geeky co-worker in love with Kara to the tech-whiz who made her first suit at the DEO to the one who embraces his inner-superhero and travels to the future to save Earth. 

He’s overcome so much and gained confidence thanks to the support of his friends, which made him a fan-favorite even long after he left the show. 

You would think Batwoman would have been the star of her own show, but fans didn’t gravitate towards Kate Kane (Ruby Rose) as much as they did to her posse. 

Instead, Batwoman Season 1 found its saving grace in her sidekicks, Luke (Camrus Johnson) and Mary (Nicole Kang), with the latter winning over the hearts of audiences.

Mary is multifaceted compared to Kate. On the surface, she’s a vain and bubbly socialite, but the more you get to know her, the more you realize she’s also hiding under a mask. 

The writers flipped the classic “social media influencer” trope making Mary not only a loyal and good sister (even when Kate doesn’t deserve it), but also a selfless medical student who helps those who are turned away by a corrupt system created by her own family.

The subtlety in Kang’s performance is the show’s sweet spot and the glue keeping audiences tuning in every week. 

On Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 4 Episode 4, Willow (Alyson Hannigan) said what we were all thinking: “I’m not your sidekick.”

Technically, Willow was Buffy’s right-hand gal, but she evolved into her own character that took her from a nerdy introvert to a powerful witch. 

While Buffy needed the whole Scooby Gang to battle all the supernatural forces of evil in Sunnydale, the series became about the group's journey just as much as it was about hers. And Willow’s skills made her stand out as an integral part of the team and one who later battled her own demons. 

On Scandal, Olivia Pope was the boss, but when she slipped up and forgot to put on her white hat, her Gladiators kept her accountable and stepped in to “handle it.”

While Abby (Darby Stanchfield) was the most loyal and consistent sidekick, everyone on the team brought something unique to the table that was needed to help spin stories, rig elections, and clean dirty political messes. 

On Money Heist, the merry band of robbers need the Professor as much as he needs them. They've established an unspoken agreement — they risk their lives for him, and he does everything in his power to protect them and help them escape safely.

Berlin (Pedro Alonso) stands out amid the gang as the Professor’s half-brother, who takes on a leadership role throughout the first two seasons and dedicates himself wholeheartedly to the plan. 

The Professor is the mastermind, but the plan would never come to fruition or end successfully without Berlin’s sacrifice, which is made by putting his team first and acknowledging his faults and demons. 

Berlin manages to do something almost impossible on the Spanish-language series; he’s both the most-hated and most-loved character at the same time. 

And that’s what makes a good sidekick — a character that supports the main character while never losing their own sense of identity and purpose. 

If done right, the sidekick may unintentionally steal the spotlight and viewer’s hearts.

This list isn’t all-encompassing as there are too many good sidekicks to include! I could go on and on about all those who redefined the role of sidekicks on television, but that would require a much deeper character dive. 

That being said, we’d love to hear who you would add to the list, TV Fanatics!  Let us know in the comments below!

These TV Couples Were Set Up to Succeed, But Failed Miserably

Open List

The post These TV Shows Wouldn’t be the Same Without the Sidekicks appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Plenty of TV shows tend to build their foundation on common tropes such as the cringe-worthy love triangle trope and the long lost sibling trope. 

If you need to stir up some drama, especially in a campy teen series, there's no better way than by bringing in a secret sibling that's jealous, scorned, vengeful, broken, betrayed, looking for a family, or all of the above.  

Some secret siblings are introduced in a sensical way with the serious laying some breadcrumbs leading up to the introduction.

Other reveals come out of left field and frustrate audiences by appearing as mere plot devices thrown in for the sake of it.

And sometimes, the trope works well as the secret siblings become pivotal to the storyline and the main character's development. 

We're looking back at some of our favorite secret siblings on television. Which ones would you add to the list?

11 Groups of TV Siblings We Would Like in Our Families

Open List

Chic/Charles – Riverdale

On Riverdale, Betty and Jughead's first half brother (yes, they're still dating), Chic, was a poser but stirred up enough drama to make the fandom collectively hate him.

Eventually, we met the real Charles, an FBI agent, who bonded with Betty over her mother's time at The Farm. 

Unfortunately, Charles turned out to be just as crazy as Chic. The two were revealed to be lovers who are plotting something against the family that abandoned them. 

Scott Rosson – Gossip Girl

Scott appeared in the second season of Gossip Girl as the love child of Lily van der Woodsen and Rufus Humphrey, thus making romantic couple Serena and Dan half-siblings.

Everyone tried to keep Scott a secret for as long as they could, but eventually, the secret sibling was outed by the one and only Gossip Girl.

XoXo. 

Adam – Dynasty

Adam, the kidnapped child of Blake Carrington and Alexis Carrington, appeared early on in Dynasty but was quickly revealed to be a fake hired by Alexis to get her hands on the Carrington money.

The real Adam Carrington made his way to the Manor, though, and he's equally as deranged and way more dangerous as his predecessor.

He had his brother, Steven, committed in Europe after thinking he was having "hallucinations," shoved his mother's face into the fireplace, and continued to sabotage his half-sister, Fallon, daily all while hoping to gain his father's love. 

Ari and Ziva – NCIS

After Ari murdered NCIS agent Kate Todd, everyone believed that Ziva David was simply his Mossad control officer.

It’s only after Ziva kills Ari to save Gibbs that we find out that he was her half-brother.

It’s a storyline that took place during NCIS Season 3 and has had repercussions that have lasted until present day NCIS Season 17!

Zelena – Once Upon a Time

Zelena, aka the Wicked Witch of the West (from the Wizard of Oz), arrived in Once Upon a Time Season 3.

She was Regina Mills' (the Evil Queen) half-sister, abandoned as a child. She had wished dearly for a family.

Her jealousy over Regina consumed her and led to plenty of magical wars before the sisters mend their relationship and lived happily ever after. 

Anezka – Jane the Virgin

Yael Groblas pulled double duty on Jane the Virgin to portray the main character Petra and her long lost twin, Anezka.

Anezka was a "shy mouse" who grew up in an orphanage in the Czech Republic before being brought to America by their evil mother, Magda.

Though it seemed like she wanted a genuine relationship with Petra, she was later revealed to be conspiring with Magda to steal Rafael's money and flee the country. 

Maggie and Meredith – Grey’s Anatomy

In the Grey's Anatomy Season 10 finale, we learned that Maggie and Meredith are half-sisters. Their mother, Ellis, had a fling with Richard when Meredith was very young.

They put Maggie up for adoption, but when she got older, she learned her late mother was a top-notch surgeon at Grace Seattle Hospital.

While the sisters had a strange relationship at first, they later came around and developed a friendship.

Adam – Supernatural 

Adam was revealed to be John Winchester's son on Supernatural.

But it was more shocking to find out that John was actually a better father to Adam than our boys, Dean and Sam.

It's no surprise that they left him in hell. The resentment is real. 

Wally – Flash

The Flash Season 2 introduced us to Wally, who was revealed to be Iris' long lost brother from her estranged mother.

Wally hesitated to embrace the familial unit, but eventually joined Team Flash and becomes Kid Flash.

Alex Drake – Pretty Little Liars 

The PLL family tree was more complicated than the one from Game of Thrones , and there were plenty of surprise sibling reveals including Alex Drake as "AD" in the series finale.

Alex was the daughter of Mary Drake and Peter Hastings, and Spencer's identical twin sister.

While Spencer was given to her biological father and his wife, Alex was given up for adoption to an orphanage in the UK where she plotted her insanely complex revenge. 

Charlotte DiLaurentis – Pretty Little Liars

Like I said, the family tree is very complicated. Charlotte was born "Charles" and transitioned into the character we know as CeCe.

Though she was the biological daughter of Mary Drake and Pastor Ted, she was adopted by Jessica and Kenneth DiLaurentis (Jessica's sister is Mary).

That made her Alison and Jason's biological cousin and adoptive sister (and she had a romantic relationship with Jason!), and also, the biological half-sister of Spencer Hastings. 

Derek – One Tree Hill 

In yet another case where we meet the "fake" secret sibling before meeting the real one, a deranged and broken man named Ian posed as Peyton's half-brother, Derek, to get close to her.

When fake Derek realized that he's losing Peyton, he tried to rape her, but thankfully, Lucas and her real brother, Derek, a US Marine, came to her rescue. 

Patrick – Revenge

Patrick (played by This Is Us' Justin Hartley) was Victoria Grayson's long-lost son on Revenge, a child she had after being raped by a neighbor and gave away to a trusted nun at the convent.

She paid him $5 million so that he'd stop searching for her but when they reunited, he was the only child who didn't resent her.

Their relationship was borderline incestual.

Diana – The Secret Circle

After arriving in Chance Harbour, Cassie Blake began to unravel her family history and learned that her mother was a witch and her father specialized in dark magic and sired several children together thus making her new friend, Diane, her half-sister.

This added to the awkwardness already stemming from the fact that Diane’s boyfriend was “destined” to be with Cassie.

For a series that lasted a mere one season, they managed to squeeze in two popular tropes!

Dawn – Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Dawn simply turned up in season 5 as Buffy’s never before seen younger sister.

Later it was revealed that the girl was actually a mystical "key" to unlocking dimensions and was made into Buffy's sister so the Slayer would protect her.

It was an incredibly odd game-changer that continues to mystify many fans. 

Sutton and Emma – The Lying Game

The premise of The Lying Game found two identical sisters finding out that the other exists. 

Upon meeting, they agreed to switch lives for a few days.

But when Sutton failed to show up at the designated meeting place, Emma was torn between coming clean about her identity or figuring out what happened to her sister and the truth behind their separation. 

Hermosa – Riverdale 

Up until Riverdale Season 4, it was believed that Veronica Lodge was an only child.

After all, she's simultaneously the apple of her father, Hiram Lodge's, eye and the thorn in his side.

But in a plot twist that was a little too convenient, Hermosa came to town to be there for her father when he got out of prison and briefly took the throne as his "new favorite daughter" thus making things messier between Veronica and Hiram. 

The introduction didn't make much sense and left many fans scratching their heads.

At least it wasn't as big of a disaster as the Chic/Charles storyline. 

Morgana – Merlin 

Morgana was revealed to be Arthur's sister instead of just Ward of the King.

That was a bit odd, though, since early in the first season there was a tad of romantic tension.

Thankfully, it quickly died and was transformed into brotherly/sisterly love. 

Paige – Charmed 

During Charmed Season 4, Piper and Pheobe found out that their mother had an affair with a Whitelighter and that they had a younger half-sister, Paige, who was the most powerful of them all.

They're united after the death of their eldest sister, Prue. 

Emiko – Arrow

Emiko showed up on Arrow Season 7 and was revealed to be Oliver's half-sister who was abandoned by his father.

It was the major storyline for the season as Emiko was the "big bad" and took his position as the Green Arrow.

Her goal was to destroy Oliver's legacy by destroying Star City and framing him for it.

Bridget and Siobhan – Ringer

Sarah Michelle Geller plays estranged twins Bridget Kelly and Siobhan Martin on Ringer.

Bridget Kelly was a recovering drug addict and stripper who was under witness protection after witnessing a murder and testifying against her crime lord boss. 

When her wealthy, elitist sister appeared to have committed suicide, she assumed her life seamlessly as the family never knew about her existence in the first place. 

Missy Cooper – The Big Bang Theory

Missy Cooper only showed up for two episodes in The Big Bang Theory's whole run.

Still, her first appearance was a surprise to Sheldon's friends and was quite disruptive as Leonard, Wolowitz, and Raj competed for her attentions.

Freya Mikaelson – The Originals

Freya became a fan favorite, so it's easy to forget that she wasn't part of the family until The Originals Season 2.

Esther told Mikeal that their firstborn daughter died of the plague but instead, gave her to Aunt Dahlia as payment for doing a fertility spell using Dark Magic.

Dahlia put Freya under a spell that locked her in a house and forced her to hibernate and preserve her youth, but she escaped and reunited with her siblings.

Nadia Santos – Alias

Nadia was the daughter of Arvin Sloane and Irina Derevko making her Sydney Bristow's half-sister.

She was taken from Irina right after birth and grew up in an orphanage in Argentina where she eventually got a job working for Argentinian authorities before her sister sought her out. 

 Jack Hunter – Boy Meets World

Jack appeared on Boy Meets World Season 5.

It was the first time he'd reconnected with his father, Chet, and his half-brother, Sean.

It took a bit of adjusting for Sean, but eventually, the two bonded and become brothers.

 Claire and Jack – Lost

Both Claire and Jack are survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 on Lost when they find out that they are half-siblings.

After Carole, Claire's mother, recovered from a coma, she told her that she had a relationship with Christian, Jack's father. 

Almost Family

While Almost Family didn't see much success, it centered on only child Julia Bechley who finds out that her father, a fertility doctor, helped hundreds of women get pregnant using his own sperm.

That means Julia had plenty of secret siblings, including the online dating guy who she hooked up with (yikes), but the focus remained on her new half-sisters, former friend, Edie Palmer, and retired Olympic athlete, Roxy Doyle.

The post Secret Siblings That Popped Up and Stirred Drama appeared first on TV Fanatic.

A sex scene will make or break a couple if executed a certain way. Because it is all about the chemistry between a couple, and if they have a sex scene, and they don't show any of that energy, then they don't stay on our minds for too long.

Luckily, there is now this list that compiles some of the hottest sex scenes that we will never be able to forget. 

Oliver and Felicity (Arrow)

With the wonderful news that Emily Bett Rickards is coming back for Arrow's final episode, it feels fitting to travel back to a time when this scene hit our screens. 

There was so much buildup between Oliver and Felicity that, of course, they also delivered when it came to their sex scenes.

The recent season of Arrow is amazing but it is still hard sometimes to deal with the loss of this relationship.

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Klaus and Caroline (The Vampire Diaries)

Klaus and Caroline had quite a build-up that deserved to amount to more than just a sex scene before he had to leave for his spinoff show.

Regardless of that small fact, these two had a sex scene that is both memorable and visually pleasing. 

Sometimes you just want to see your favorites share a hot moment in the woods on The Vampire Diaries. 

The 100: Raven and Zeke's Fast Burn Success Story

Raven and Zeke (The 100)

The romance between Raven and Zeke may have been short-lived, but The 100 is still on The CW which means fans didn't miss out.

The context behind the scene may have felt rush because by the end of The 100 Season 6 Episode 1 Zeke would end up getting killed off, but that didn't affect the way it translated on screen.

This sweet and soft moment highlighted why Raven and Zeke worked so well, while also solidifying why fans were so quick to fall in love with this couple.

The 100 may not be about romance, but sometimes they get it right, however momentary. 

Wesley and Turbo (Daybreak)

Allow me to introduce you to Daybreak and to this lovable relationship that can't be stopped. Even by the end of the world.

Wesley and Turbo have a lot to work on in terms of their inner peace and the way they relate to others, but when they are together, it just makes sense.

They are (hopefully) on their way to a more healthy bond where there is communication and understanding.

The highlight of their relationship though is the way that Ira Madison III managed to create their love story in such a refreshing and yet new way when it comes to LGBTQIA+ representation.

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Kat and Adena (The Bold Type)

Kat and Adena have a remarkable relationship that offers valuable representation on screen with each new season.

Their first time though was the validating and incredible example of a queer story done right. 

It was a loving scene that allowed Kat to be vulnerable and for Adena to push for more open communication between them.

The result became a sex scene that was as wonderful as it was valuable, with it still leaving a mark on many fans who start The Bold Type. 

Alison and Emily (Pretty Little Liars)

Another long-awaited and wholesome scene full of love was shared between Alison and Emily.

Waiting for them to even possibly get together was a long and messy road, but when Alison showed that she cared for Emily just as much, it was over for all of us.

These two deserved so much better, and even though we know they will get back together, sometimes you want to take a walk down memory lane. 

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Callie and Gael (Good Trouble)

Not all hot sex scenes have to be between a couple that stays together, although Good Trouble still has plenty of time to circle back around to these two. 

There can be points made about why we want to see Callie and Gael together and about why we don't, but a scene like this go under the pro section of that list. 

Something about an aesthetically pleasing sex scene makes it harder to let go of that hope for more. 

Nikita and Michael (Nikita)

If we're talking about underappreciated scenes, this one takes the cake for sure.

The relationship between Nikita and Michael was a highlight of the show, even if we didn't get to see as much of it as we deserved.

And scenes like this just solidified that, making it one of the hottest sex scenes to date. 

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Naomi Nagata and James Holden (The Expanse)

Look at them and tell me they weren't your first thought for this list. 

These two scream sexual tension whenever they are in the same room, and they have to have set some record for most epic sex scenes.

The most important thing in a quality sex scene is chemistry, and these two have so much of it.

It really isn't fair because many relationships can't compare to this. The Expanse just knows how to appeal to all of us.

Claire and Jamie (Outlander)

Outlander is beloved for many reasons, with the sex scenes between their lead duo as one of the biggest ones.

Claire and Jamie represent what many fans love most in their fictional relationships, a combination of a pair being so soft but also so good looking at the same time.

That translates into some memorable sex scenes, and honestly, there were too many to choose from but their wedding night was something exceptional.

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Logan and Veronica (Veronica Mars)

This one is a sore spot for many of us, with the revival changing things in ways that neither Veronica nor Logan deserved.

Before it got to that point, though, and even after it, the most important part about thee two is their legacy.

No matter how their story ended, the way that it got created and what fans took from it is what matters.

Part of that includes scenes like this, and we can pretend this is the last scene of the new season of Veronica Mars. 

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Cheryl and Toni (Riverdale)

It would be great if Cheryl and Toni could have just a week where they don't have any Riverdale related plots to distract them.

But even with the minimal screentime that they sometimes share, they also manage to top it for all of us. Pun intended.

This sex scene was a long time coming, and at least these two delivered above and beyond. 

Spike and Buffy (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

This is a tough one, mostly because of the not so positive history that comes with this couple and the possibilities in general.

Spike isn't the only person who Buffy had off the charts chemistry with it is almost impossible not to mention the Angel like elephant in the room.

But still, there is something about Spike and Buffy at their best that makes them fit this list perfectly.

If only that were all that we could remember about them then they really could be the peak couple. 

23 Confessions of Love That Made Us Jealous

Eliott and Lucas (Skam France)

Does anything really need to be said?

This gif alone speaks volumes about how epic a sex scene can be if we let a couple in it shine.

It is an incomplete example if Eliott and Lucas don't get added here as well, their energy together is magnetic and chances are many of you didn't know about it. 

Alex and Michael (Roswell, New Mexico)

Fans have fallen in love with Alex and Michael's love for a lot of reasons, but most of it can just be explained with the word soft.

Their love for one another is so sweet and kind; it translates into all scenes that they share on Roswell, New Mexico.

That includes their sex scenes that are so memorable because of how much emotion is behind each one.

You can feel the love and the longing between Alex and Michael, so it would be unfair to deprive others of this discovery. 

13 TV Characters Who Should Take a Vow of Silence

Laura and Mad Sweeney (American Gods)

This is another one that is hard to explain.

It isn't like we actually ship these two together all that much, and yet there is something about this sex scene that felt like it belonged in this conversation.

How can you not talk about this?

Maybe the lighting or the cinematography is to blame but either way here we are with American Gods.

Wade and Zoe (Hart of Dixie)

Talking about underappreciated shows means mentioning Hart of Dixie and the way some people are still discovering it.

Wade and Zoe have to be a big part of that; their banter and their love and their messiness feel so real even years after the show ended.

But that isn't why we are all here, we are here to discuss the sex scene that closed out the first season of the show.

How do you not root for a couple that is that level of epic? The answer is you don't. 

17 TV Friendships That Turned Romantic Over Time

Jane and Rafael (Jane the Virgin)

An adorable sex scene is hard to explain, yet Jane and Rafael are the best examples of it.

Their relationship was a long time coming, so their sex scenes had to live up to the hype on Jane the Virgin.

Jane and Rafael proved that not only can you do it, at the time same time you can have scenes that exceed those expectations. 

If there is a happy ending to look forward to for our other ships, Jane and Rafael's has to be the inspiration. 

Sam and Grizz (The Society)

It is quite fascinating how many apocalypse shows and their couples made their way onto this list.

The apocalypse comes with the promise of epic sex scenes for us to look forward to, right?

Sam and Grizz won us over before we even knew the potential that they had. It has to be only the beginning of their journey on The Society, but we already know they are worthy of making it onto this list. 

There is this level of understanding and intimacy that proves how much that can add to a scene to make it stand out. Now can the show return this cute and innocent love into our lives?

The Cluster (Sense8) 

This all wouldn't be complete without Sense8, a show that used its Netflix standing to go in on every sex scene.

The twist on it though is that every scene gets treated like literal artwork, it is always so chaotic and intense and visually fascinating.

It is also just really unforgettable, and a great way to end off the list. 

19 Ladies Let Down By Their Own TV Shows

What about you? What do you think is the hottest TV sex scene? And what couple might you be excited to see have a sex scene in the future?

Let us know in the comments below. 

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Editor's Note: Our system got updated! Now, you'll be able to scroll through many articles at once.

That required a bit of a change to the comments, though, and now you have to click the blue comments bar at the bottom of an article to access them. 

There are also two segments to comments now. You can either comment using Facebook or Disqus.

Either way, you can SEE both types of comments. We hope that will be more inclusive of our community at large and that the conversations will grow as a result.

The post Television’s Hottest Sex Scenes That We’ll Never Forget appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Fans seem to love these relationships to the moon and back, but we can't seem to understand the appeal. 

Related: Nancy Drew Season 1 Episode 1 Review: Pilot

What are we missing? We created a slideshow below of 19 'ships we just don't get! 

Nic and Conrad – The Resident

Nic and Conrad may have been cute at first, but on The Resident Season 2 their relationship was filled with so much drama we couldn't wait for it to end. 

Conrad always treated Nic like the most important person in his world (and she was), but Nic didn't treat him the same way back. 

Maybe it's just me, but Conrad deserves a person who will always put him first. 

Michael and Ash – Star Trek: Discovery

This might be a moot point given how Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 ended, but this relationship was always doomed.

Michael finding out that Ash was a physically-reconstructed, psychologically reprogrammed Klingon agent who killed Dr. Culber only reaffirmed our beliefs that they were never meant to be. 

Belle and Rumpelstiltskin – Once Upon a Time

There's no explanation as to why fans were continuously drawn to this toxic relationship. 

Every season Rumple would go behind Belle's back and do something unforgivable. Then, he would make up for it and promise never to do it again. 

But, of course, he continued to repeat his past mistakes, and Belle went back to him every time. 

Meredith and DeLuca – Grey's Anatomy

Meredith and DeLuca's relationship has surprisingly become a favorite amongst the fans, yet it's hard to understand the appeal. 

The twenty-year age difference between the actors aside, the couple seems to lack chemistry in general. 

DeLuca is a catch and a great addition to the series, but it feels as if that's one of the only reasons people ship him with Meredith, to begin with. Do you like the character, or do you like the couple?

Harvey and Donna – Suits

Usually, I'm a huge fan of slow-burn relationships. Eight whole years of build-up? Sign me up! 

But Harvey and Donna felt as if they were dragged out with minimal effort put into them, and by the end of run the romantic chemistry was lacking severely. 

In hindsight, Suits could have done a much better job with these two. 

Stiles and Derek – Teen Wolf

Their scenes may have been comedic, but they were few and far apart. 

Stiles and Derek had minimal interaction compared to the other potential ships on the show, and the popularity of the 'ship is incredibly surprising given their lack screentime throughout the series. 

It's unclear when fans started shipping Sterek, but they took the internet by storm. 

31 Couples Who Inspired Each Other’s Inner Comedian

Open List

Nancy and Jonathan – Stranger Things

Nancy and Jonathan are sweet together, but that's about it. 

Related: Stranger Things Season 3 Review: Bigger, Better, and More Heartbreaking Than Ever

For some reason, it's hard to get absorbed in their love story the way we want to. 

They have good chemistry, but their scenes aren't something to look forward to in the long run. 

Piper and Alex – Orange is the New Black

Piper and Alex's relationship went downhill fast. 

Most fans either loved or hated them, but no one can deny that they weren't a very healthy couple. 

They did improve a bit after they got married, despite running into more issues soon afterward. 

Jane and Rafael – Jane the Virgin

I must be missing the chemistry that everyone else sees, but Jane and Rafael have always just been an "okay" pairing. 

There's nothing outrageously wrong with them, and it's clear they love each other, but their sparks dwindle drastically in comparison to what Jane had with Michael.

The series spent the first three seasons building up Cordueva through both present-day scenes and flashbacks. Jane and Rafael ending up together felt like a poorly planned rip-off. 

Dex and Miles – Stumptown

Sorry, but team Dex and Grey all the way!

Dex and Miles can't have a single conversation without one of them trying to con the other, and while they may have chemistry, it's not enough. 

Related: Stumptown Season 1 Episode 4 Review: Family Ties

Dex belongs with her best friend who would do anything for her and her family. 

Archie and Veronica – Riverdale

We do have to admit Archie and Veronica have chemistry. There's no denying that the two are like magnets. 

However, the attraction between them feels like the only thing that keeps their relationship alive and kicking. 

It lacks emotion, the drama is ridiculously over the top, and both Archie and Veronica have better love stories with different characters. 

13 TV Shows That Need To Crossover

Open List

Oliver and Felicity – Arrow

Oliver and Felicity were the 'ship of dreams during the first couple seasons of Arrow. The series always knew how to leave us wanting more and how to keep the will/they won't they aspect of their relationship alive. 

Sadly, the moonlighting curse claimed Olicity as it's next victim and the moment they got together all of their chemistry disappeared. 

Arrow began to feel like an annoying soap-opera revolving around Oliver and Felicity, rather than a story about a vigilante and his team of heroes.

Carisi and Rollins – Law & Order: SUV

Carisi has obvious feelings for Rollins, and she's well aware of it. But she doesn't feel the same way in return and she'll go out of her way to prove it to him. 

Rather than being straight-forward and vocalizing her feelings, Rollins will sleep with other guys or enter different relationships. 

Carisi acts like Rollins's kid is his own and treats her like his girlfriend. It's hard to watch and Carisi deserves to move on. 

Chuck and Blair – Gossip Girl

Chuck and Blair's epic love was, in actuality, a series of emotional and physical abuse. 

Most fans like to ignore that Chuck tried to rape two main characters in the very first episode of Gossip Girl, and it's reasonable to assume that he's succeeded in the past.

There are a good amount of people who have come around and realized how dangerous this relationship was, but the large majority of Gossip Girl fans still hold a torch for this toxic couple. 

Ed and Kelly – The Orville

We're not sure why The Orville keeps trying to push Ed and Kelly back together. 

It's evident that they're better as workmates than actual mates, but the show is determined to revive the spark between these ex-spouses. 

It's time for them to give it a rest and move on. 

Kane and Abby – The 100

Kane and Abby were very shippable when The 100 first started airing if you brush past Kane having her tortured in front of everyone on the Ark. 

Related: The 100 Prequel Scores Pilot Order at CW

But they became a complete mess somewhere around the middle of the series, and they lost the spark that made them so great, to begin with. 

By the time The 100 Season 6 rolled around, I couldn't care less if they were together or not. Were they? Who knows? Better yet, who cares?

Frank and Laurel – How to Get Away With Murder

The series tried to make these two a good girl/bad boy pairing, but Laurel was never squeaky clean, and Frank was a murderer.

Laurel was always suspicious of Frank and relatively aware of his wrongdoings, yet she punished him for being exactly who she knew he was. 

Frank's obsession with her felt ridiculous after a while, as she continued to run hot and cold with him. 

Ezra and Aria – Pretty Little Liars

The teacher/student relationship wasn't okay then and it's not okay now. 

It was easy for teenagers to 'ship the two given that the actors were almost the same age, but if the show had cast an actual 16-year-old to play Aria, viewers might have understood how creepy Ezra was. 

And who could forget that he was originally sleeping with Aria to get information for his book? Aria can do better. 

Hannah and Zach – 13 Reasons Why

It was appalling that so many fans jumped aboard the Hannah/Zach 'ship after 13 Reasons Why Season 2. 

Clay was never ashamed of Hannah, yet Zach went out of his way to keep her a secret from his friends. 

To make matters worse, Zach continued to hang out with Hannah's rapist to avoid a social scandal. He may have done the right thing eventually, but it took far too long.

17 Endgame ‘Ships We Love With Endings We Hate

Open List

Alright, TV Fanatics! What do you think of our choices?

Do you love these pairings? Hate them?

Drop a comment down below and let us know! 

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Editor's Note: Our system got updated! Now, you'll be able to scroll through many articles at once. That required a bit of a change to the comments, though, and now you have to click the blue "comments" bar at the bottom of an article to access them. 

There are also two segments to comments now. You can either comment using Facebook or Disqus. Either way, you can SEE both types of comments. We hope that will be more inclusive of our community at large and that the conversations will grow as a result.

The post 19 Popular ‘Ships We Just Don’t Get appeared first on TV Fanatic.

They may be keeping things "casual," but they need to admit what they mean to each other and go all in. As shippers, we're in it for the long haul. 

We created a slideshow belows of 19 couples who refused to define the relationship! 

Garrett and Dina – Superstore

Garrett and Dina are singlehandedly the inspiration behind this list. Since the two are co-workers and Dina is Garrett's superior, they had to disclose their relationship to corporate.

Related: GLOW: Coming to an End!

They refused to check the box stating they were in a relationship, and they were on the phone with corporate for hours campaigning to get a new option added. 

Dan and Charlotte – Lucifer

Dan and Charlotte didn't realize how much they meant to each other until it was too late. Dan had previously been sleeping with Lucifer's mom when she was in Charlotte's body, and he had no idea that she was possessed. 

When Charlotte comes back and remembers nothing, she and Dan have to start all over from scratch. He eventually falls for the real her, but Charlotte is killed almost directly after she and Dan realize that they want to be together. 

31 Couples Who Inspired Each Other’s Inner Comedian

Open List

Barney and Robin – How I Met Your Mother

Barney and Robin are the poster children for couples who hate to DTR. They were so against defining their relationship that Lily kept them physically locked in a room until they were willing to do so. 

Related: Titans Season 2 Episode 3 Review: Ghosts

Robin even went on a date at Barney's encouragement to prove that there was nothing serious going on between them. Needless to say, they began to realize how wrong they were when Barney showed up and punched her date in the face.

Beth and Rio – Good Girls

As of Good Girls Season 2, Beth and Rio are not in a great place. But if Good Girls Season 2 Episode 13 never happened, or happened differently, their relationship may have gone in another direction.

Although neither of them would ever admit it, something was going on between them besides just sex. Rio always had a bit of a soft spot towards Beth, and some of the things he did for her were unexpected, to say the least. 

Jake and Amy – Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Dating your co-worker can get complicated, so after Jake and Amy end up kissing at the precinct they decide to keep things "light and breezy."

But there was an emotional investment on both sides, and it didn't take them long to realize that "light and breezy" wasn't going to work. Even though it was risky, Jake and Amy took a gamble and went all in. 

Xo and Rogelio – Jane the Virgin

Xo's relationship with Jane's father was a rollar coaster. For a while, we didn't know what they were to each other, and it didn't seem like they were too sure either.

Related: Jim Parsons, Mayim Bialik Reunite for FOX Comedy

After a series of ups and downs, Xo and Rogelio finally realize that they are meant for each other and end up getting married at the Marbella Hotel. 

Bloom and Reynolds – New Amsterdam

Bloom and Reynolds were sleeping together for a time, but Bloom decides to be honest and let Reynolds know that she wants more than just sex. 

Reynolds tells Bloom that he's only interested in being with a black woman for the long-term. When Reynolds tries to start things up between them again, Bloom turns him down. 

13 TV Shows That Need To Crossover

Open List

Schmidt and Cece – New Girl

At first, Schmidt and Cece were on two completely separate wavelengths. Schmidt wanted a real relationship and for the entire world to know that they were together, but Cece was embarrassed by him and continuously reminded Schmidt that they were just having sex.

Cece eventually admitted that she liked Schmidt for real, and they decide to enter an official relationship. It doesn't work out at first, but they end up married with a daughter by the end of the show. 

Chase and Cameron – House

Chase and Cameron are another example of how "just sex" can easily turn into something more. Their romance definetly wasn't easy, but that doesn't mean we love it any less. 

Related: Suits Series Finale Trailer: How Will It End?

Despite all the drama we had to witness, Chase and Cameron proved that true love could conquer all.

Michael and Alex – Roswell, New Mexico

As of Roswell, New Mexico Season 1, viewers still don't know what the deal with Malex is. They fell for each other in high school, and for the past ten years, they have continuously come back to each other. 

Although it's clear that they love each other, Michael chose to pursue Maria in Roswell, New Mexico Season 1 Episode 13. We have no idea what the new season holds for them, but here's to hoping they'll call it official in the future. 

Jake and Faye – The Secret Circle

Jake and Faye were pretty much just sleeping together, although it was clear that Faye wanted more. Jake was always hung up on Cassie, and it was hard for us not to love that relationship as well.

But fans seemed to be rooting for Jake and Faye, and despite the show's cancellation, it was implied that Jake was ready to give a relationship with Faye a real shot. 

Jackson and April – Grey's Anatomy

Jackson and April were friends for years before anything romantic happened between them. April ended up losing her virginity to Jackson, and as much as she wanted to, she couldn't seem to stay away from him. 

It took them far too long to realize how much they loved each other. We know that April is no longer on the show, but that doesn't stop us from hoping that she and Jackson will have their happily ever after. 

Josh and Liza – Younger

Unsure of what to call their relationship at first, Josh and Liza said that they're "hanging out." Even though Liza was still lying about her age, it was obvious that they had strong feelings for each other.

Related: Grey's Anatomy is Bringing Back a Key Character in Season 16

When the truth finally came out, it didn't diminish Josh's love for her, even if it did cause a huge fight. They were an official couple for a while before splitting up, but something tells us their story isn't over. 

Jonah and Amy – Superstore

Jonah and Amy's reluctance to label their relationship was a bit frustrating. They were a three-season slow burn, and they were already pretty deep in their feels by the time they finally got together. 

It took months for Jonah and Amy to call themselves an official couple. Because of the excruciating wait, we can't help but squeal anytime they refer to each other as their boyfriend or girlfriend. 

Dyson and Bo – Lost Girl

Dyson and Bo tried their best to be friends with benefits and to have no strings attached. But has that ever successfully worked for any television couple in history?

To no one's surprise, Dyson and Bo end up developing feelings for each other. 

Jane and Ryan – The Bold Type

Jane and Ryan start sleeping together after they both write eye-opening articles concerning female pleasure. Ryan changes Jane's sex-life completely, and she quickly starts to realize she has feelings for Ryan. 

Ryan isn't a relationship-type guy, but with Jane that eventually changes. 

Chandler and Monica – Friends

What happens in London stays in London, right? Wrong. Chandler and Monica may have tried to keep their relationship overseas, but true love can't be contained. 

Related: American Horror Story Season 9 Episode 1 Review: Camp Redwood

It took them a while to call things official, and Monica even agreed to go on a date with someone else since Chandler said they were "just goofing around." But Chandler eventually gets over his fear of commitment, and the two go on to be the best couple on Friends. 

J.D. and Elliot – Scrubs

J.D. and Elliot's romance was complicated. It was hard to put a label on their relationship because it was difficult to keep up with what was going on. 

They tried to keep things casual, but as could be expected, it didn't go well. We couldn't be happier that they got married and were able to put all the complications behind them. 

Chloe and Alek – The Nine Lives of Chloe King

Chloe and Alek deserve so much better. Alek had always been head over heels for Chloe, but Chloe was torn between him and Brian. Because of her conflicting feelings, she never fully went all-in with him. 

The Nine Lives of Chloe King was canceled, and their story was never resolved. However, the writers created a movie script to close the series, and although they were never able to produce it, Chloe realized that she was in love with Alek.   

11 Times Superstore Tackled Real-World Issues

Open List

Can you think of any couples that we missed?

Drop a comment down below and let us know! 

The post 19 Couples Who Refused to Define the Relationship appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Honestly, The Doctor probably said it better: "Books, the most powerful weapons in the world." That's the truth when it comes to several television shows.

In many cases, books and journals are both weapons and tools to fix the problem. Often the lead characters on quests, help aid them in finding peaceful solutions to their problems. Sometimes they give key insights into a character or plots.

RELATED: 57 TV Schools That Made the Grade

But the books can also be the bearers of bad news, delivering the news characters don't want to here.

Let's take a moment and remember some of the times books were particularly important to a television plot.

Lucy's Journal (Timeless)

From the moment Timeless started, we knew that Lucy Preston's journal would play a significant role in the series. 

During the Hindenberg explosion, Garcia Flynn presented her with a book full of her handwriting, saying it had guided him in his mission to steal the Mothership. 

RELATED: 23 Characters Who Came Back From the Dead

Lucy wrestles with the idea that her future has been all laid out for her, but the journal comes in handy in the end, giving the team a way to save Rufus during the Timeless Season 3 Episode 1, "The Miracle of Christmas."

Ellis Grey's Journals (Grey's Anatomy)

While Ellis Grey may have been a legend in her day, Alzheimer's disease meant that she wasn't up to teaching by the time her daughter Meredith arrived at Seattle-Grace to become a resident. 

However, in addition to papers she published, Ellis kept several journals detailing surgeries that Meredith could refer to. 

RELATED: 21 Complicated Mother/Daughter Relationships from the Past 15 Years

The journals proved especially useful when Maggie arrived in Grey's Anatomy Season 11 when they helped the two connect. Who knew that wine stains could be so insightful. 

Last Hope Options (The Magicians)

Talk about an ominous title.

At the start of The Magicians Season 2, the Brakebills students still had to put an end to the beast. To do that, they needed a potent spell called the Rhinemann Ultra, supposedly responsible for ending World War II. 

RELATED: 31 Characters Who Really Love Food 

The thing was, they needed to find the book that the spell was in, and it was under an alias in the Brakebills Library. 

Through lots of spells and puzzle-solving, the students were able to find the book under the name Hotel Spa Potions, and Alice was able to cast it and defeat the beast once, and for all. 

The Books of Ascension (Buffy: The Vampire Slayer)

Remember that time during Buffy's senior year when the Mayor decided he wanted to ascend? Well the way Mayor Richard Wilkins got the information he needed to ascend was through The Books of Ascension. 

The books don't get much screentime but are pivotal to helping the Scoobies defeat the mayor at graduation. 

While she's held prisoner at City Hall, Willow Rosenberg can rip out a couple of pages to give to Giles for research. It's almost sad, because, before this, the books were in great condition. 

But I guess that's the price for saving a town on a hellmouth. 

Snow Falling (Jane the Virgin) 

Jane's first published book, Snow Falling, was an account of her romance with her deceased husband Michael Coredero, Jr. 

While she wrote the book as a form of grieving, the book ultimately proved useful when Michael turned out to be alive on Jane the Virgin Season 4 Episode 17. 

RELATED: 31 Couples Who Inspired Each Other's Inner Comedian

Through the beginning of Jane the Virgin Season 5, Jane helped Michael try to regain his memory. It doesn't go as well as can be expected, especially since Jason is very different than Michael. 

When Michael's memory does return Snow Falling does prove to be a way back into Jane's heart, at least for a time. He returns the book annotated with post-its noting everything that Jane got wrong. 

River Song’s Diary (Doctor Who)

When The Doctor first met River Song, he had no idea who she was, but she was carrying a diary full of memories of him and she knew his name. 

During Doctor Who Season 4 Episodes 8 and 9, the Doctor attempts to peek inside the diary, but River stops him claiming that it is his rule was that he doesn't get to see what's in the diary, ever, because the book contains spoilers for his future. 

RELATED: Doctor Who: 21 Speeches That Give Us All the Feels

River's diary was essential throughout six seasons of Doctor Who so that the two time-travelers could place where they were in relation to each other, but it also saved the Doctor. 

When Amy and Rory got married at the end of Doctor Who Season 5 Episode 13, "The Big Bang," River appears at the wedding to give Amy her blank diary.

The appearance of the blank diary prompts Amy to remember the Doctor, and he returns to the timeline and restores the writing in River's Diary. 

The Book of Pythia (Battlestar Galactica)

Laura Roslin was dying of cancer before the Cylon attack on the Twelve Colonies, but the Book of Pythia gave her a way to cast herself in a new light. 

The Book of Pythia was a part of the sacred scrolls, and they're both obscure and widely known in the context of Battlestar Galactica. The story that Pythia lays out is about a dying leader who will lead her people to a new land but won't live to see it.

RELATED: 21 Interspecies Romances 

The scrolls are very significant throughout the series, with both the humans and the Cylons being particularly interested in her writings. 

While the audience never quite deciphers what Pythia means. It's stated upfront that these scrolls were never widely studied, but the fact that she gave the last of the human race faith on their journey makes it an essential book in the world of Battlestar Galactica. 

Edward Spellman's Journals (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina)

At the end of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 1 Episode 4, "Witch Academy," Nicholas Scratch gives Sabrina a copy of one of her dad's journals that he snuck out of the archive. 

While reading the journal, Sabrina sees a picture of her mother that helps her solve an Akron configuration in which her father trapped a sleep demon that proceeded to unleash some horror on the Spellman household. 

RELATED: 17 Chilling TV Shows You Should Watch With the Lights On

The book and the Akron configuration would also later aid Sabrina and her family in friends in finding a way to stop The Dark Lord during Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 1 Episode 20, "The Mephisto Waltz."

While the Akron configuration wasn't strong enough to hold him, it did give Nick the idea to use his own body to bind The Dark Lord.  

Clara’s Copy of ‘101 Places to See’ (Doctor Who)

The Doctor met Clara Oswald twice before ultimately meeting her during the present timeline in Doctor Who Season 7 Episode 7.

Going through Clara's room, the Doctor found a copy of the book 101 Places to See with an inscription to Clara's mom and a pressed leaf inside of it.

RELATED: Doctor Who: 27 Times the Humans Saved the Day and Sometimes Lost Their Lives

On the next episode, Doctor Who Season 7 Episode 8, "The Rings of Akhaten," she brings the book with her, and on a planet that prizes things of sentimental value, the leaf kept inside of the book proves to be the key to saving the world.

Henry’s Storybook (Once Upon a Time) 

Henry Mills' copy of Once Upon a Time, given to him by Mary Margaret Blanchard, is the entire reason this show starts.

Throughout Once Upon a Time Season 1, the book helps Henry identify all the residents of Storybrooke, and even helps awaken David, aka Prince Charming, from a coma. 

RELATED: 29 TV Children Who Were Wiser Than Their Years

While the book was essential to breaking the curse, the bits that weren't in it were also just as important.

The reveal of The Author and how the stories were sometimes manipulated posed interesting questions regarding the fairytales as we know them, and served as an example of how good storytelling can influence who we see as heroes and villains.

The Book of Shadows (Charmed)

The Book of Shadows on Charmed is an irreplaceable family heirloom with knowledge from an entire line of witches. It's no wonder that when demons are after them, The Halliwell Sisters consulted the book. 

The thing about The Book of Shadows though, is that it's a living document, and each generation is supposed to add their knowledge to make sure the next is better equipped to fight whatever forces of evil seem to be thrown at it. 

RELATED: 13 Couples Who Didn't Get Their Happy Ending

That means that as the sisters progress on their journey, the knowledge in the book has to grow. 

The Book of Shadows is also pretty cool in that it seems to be sentient, unwilling to let a known demon steal it, and sometimes directing the sisters directly to the page they need. 

Merlin’s Journals (Stargate: SG-1)

In a cave full of treasure, Daniel Jackson found a book.

Not just any book. Tathis was a book that would serve to give Stargate: SG-1 another two seasons as it set the team on a course to look for the Altera. 

RELATED: 11 Characters That Surprise Us With Hidden Depths

In turn, that introduced them to The Ori, also known as the show's new Big Bad. 

Merlin's journals were essential to helping the team find a way to defeat the Ori. His writings led to the team to a weapon he called the Sangraal, or The Holy Grail. 

The Binder (The Magicians)

On The Magicians Season 4, Julia was told to seek The Binder.

The Binder was supposed to be able to give her a way to get her powers back after she lost them re-magicking the seven keys at the end of The Magicians Season 3 Episode 13.

RELATED: The Magicians Review: The 4-1-1

When she ultimately finds The Binder, she's told that it does indeed have the answers she seeks, but Julia has to think about her choice before he'll help. 

Of course, all sense of choice goes out the window on The Magicians Season 4 Episode 13 when she's injured by spirit-sucked axes and Penny-23 has to make the choice of initiating her to full goddess-hood or reverting her back to being 100 percent human. 

Penny chooses human. 

Spencer Hasting’s Favorite Book (Pretty Little Liars)

There are some things even an identical twin cannot fake. For Spencer Hastings, that was the notes in her favorite book.

On Pretty Little Liars Season 7 Episode 20, Till DeAth Do Us PArt," A.D. was revealed to be Alex, Spencer Hasting's identical twin separated at birth. 

Alex was kind of pissed that their mother gave up Alex thinking that she would live a Cinderella life that turned out to be much more cinders than a fairytale. With the death of Cece, Alex embarked on a path of revenge with an endgame to assume Spencer's life

Alex got as far as kidnapping Spencer and was getting ready to take her place when Toby noticed one mistake Alex made in trying to slip into Spencer's life. 

RELATED: 17 Times the Pretty Little Liars Were Their Own Women

Alex gave Toby a book of French poetry, Spencer's favorite book. During the events of the series finale, Toby looks at the book and finds that it has no annotations. Which is odd because Spencer was always writing notes in the margins. 

When Spencer and Alex are seen together, Toby asks them to recite their favorite poem. Spencer is able to, but Alex hesitates. It's a real, "Will the Real Spencer Hastings Please Stand Up," moment. 

At Any Cost (What/If)

Ann Montgomery had a devious and manipulative plan on What/If, but she had also published a book that revealed more about her psychology than anyone probably expected. 

RELATED: What/If Boss Reacts to That Huge Twist

When Lisa decides that she needs to stop Anne from potentially stealing her company out from under her, she turns to her friend Cassidy, who begins combing through Anne's latest release for information about Lisa's investor. 

Cassidy, I think I want you on my team during the apocalypse, that was a pretty smart move. 

Thom E. Gemcity’s Novels (NCIS)

Special Agent Timothy McGee has been writing crime novels under a pseudonym since NCIS Season 4, but during one episode the book he was currently writing became the center of a case. 

RELATED: 17 Ships That Will Never Sail, But Should

On NCIS Season 4 Episode 20, "Cover Story," a Petty Officer who McGee based a character in his book on is murdered, and the team has to use the work in progress to figure out what the killer might do next.

There was one slight problem though, McGee didn't know how this story was going to end. 

Melody Malone (Doctor Who) 

Doctor Who Season 7 Episode 5, "The Angels Take Manhattan," is Rory and Amy's swan song, but you can argue it was all caused by a book. 

At the beginning of the episode, the Doctor is reading a book featuring a character called Melody Malone. He gets to a chapter called "The Skinny Guy" that makes him realize that the book is more than a work of fiction. 

RELATED: Doctor Who: 17 Companions That Deserved Their Own Show

To save Rory, he pilots the TARDIS through some temporal disruptions where he encounters River Song. Much like River's diary though, they can't read the book because once you read about your future you're doomed to live it. 

Amy suggests that if River wrote the book, then she must have left something non-spoilery that would make the book useful but not give away too much. She suggests peaking at the chapter titles.

When the Doctor does so, he discovers Amy and Rory's fate.

Fillory and Further Book 6 (The Magicians)

Okay, the entire Fillory and Further series are important in The Magicians, but Book 6 was especially significant and honestly: a fanboy's dream.

Jane Chatwin gives Quentin the sixth Fillory and Further book in the first act of The Magicians Season 1 Episode 1, "Unathorized Magic."

And it's this unpublished book that helps them defeat the beast. 

RELATED: 23 TV Characters Who Are Magically Delicious

While Quentin doesn't read the book right away, Penny does and manages to give a synopsis about what it contains, including the fact that it supposedly undoes all the Fillory books before it.

It also gives the Brakebills students vital information about Martin Chatwin and his relationship to Fillory that sets them in the right direction. 

David Clarke’s Journals (Revenge)

While wrongfully convicted of treason, David Clarke had a lot of time to think and write, resulting in the show's infamous infinity box and journals. 

As Emily Thorne says, the journals provided her with a road map to get her revenge on the people who destroyed their lives. 

RELATED: 23 Characters Who Won't Let Go of a Grudge

The journals also work against her, because while Emily doggedly pursues the people who wronged her and her father, Nolan Ross likes to use her father's words to ground and restrain her.

Especially when Emily is about to cross the line and kill one of the Grayson's.

Becca’s Book (The 100)

While Clarke was playing host to Josephine Lightbourne during The 100 Season 6, the answer to saving Madi from Shadeheda turned out to one of Becca's journal. 

RELATED: The 100 Review: The Blood of Sanctum 

"Becca's book" as it's called gave Raven Reyes the roadmap to destroying Shadeheda in the flame, and even though it was a small part of the Season 6 plot, Madi shouldn't have been de-flamed without it. 

Finding Jiya in Chinatown (Timeless)

Jiya can hold her own. When Rittenhouse kidnaps her she's about to escape, but because she's drugged, isn't able to stick the landing in The Lifeboat and ends up in Chinatown in that late 1800s. 

RELATED: Timeless Season Finale Review: Back to the Future

Stranded, and unable to to get home, she has to find a way to send a message to rest of the Time Team. She finds a photographer used in a book Lucy co-authored with her mother, and the photo appears in the book. 

The coordinates were essential to finding The Lifeboat, and ultimately rescuing Jiya. 

The Map to Hollow Earth (Sanctuary)

In a weird dream communication, Will gets a message from Helen Magnus's father with two numbers and a symbol. The numbers correspond to gifts he's given Helen throughout her life, one being a book. 

When the two objects are combined they unlock a holographic map to a city at the center of the earth.

RELATED: 19 TV Characters Who Don't Know How To Chill on Vacation

The team spends a portion of the third season finding the way into Hollow Earth, but the map comes in handy later as well when the team faces a vampire uprising. 

Rather than release a vampire army, on Sanctuary Season 3 Episode 16, Helen Magnus and Nikola Tesla trick the vampire queen into accessing the map and subsequently blowing herself and her army up. 

Alison’s Copy of Lolita (Pretty Little Liars)

A copy of Vladimir Nabakov's Lolita turned out to be a key to Alison's past in the early seasons of Pretty Little Liars. 

RELATED: 13 Romances Ruined By Age

Alison based her alias off an anagram of Vladimir Nabokov's name and would spy on A while wearing a dark wig and a red coat. 

The book set the liars on the trail to find out what really happened to her friend and gave them so insight into a part of Alison's life they had very little knowledge of. 

———————————————————-

What are some of your favorite books that set off a television plot? Let us know in the comments below. 

The post These Plots Prove that Sometimes the Answer is Between the Covers appeared first on TV Fanatic.

You know, the caring ones who look damn good in a uniform. Most of the TV cops on this list solve crimes, take down the bad guys, and keep their fictional towns and cities safe from danger. Not to mention, they'd jump in to protect you without hesitation.  

We wouldn't mind getting arrested by these men and women in uniform, just don't get on their bad side unless your goal is to end up in handcuffs.

Budd – Bodyguard

Budd, a veteran of the British Army, has years of training, is loyal to a fault, and would risk his own life to protect yours. Plus, he's not opposed to getting involved in a physical relationship with the person he's been tasked with protecting. 

Halstead – Chicago P.D

Who could resist Jay Halstead's emerald eyes? Jay serves and protects Chicago as part of the Intelligence Unit, but he also knows how to let loose and have a good time.

Sheriff Graham – Once Upon a Time

Sheriff Graham aka the Huntsman is the only line of defense for the small, magical town of Storybrooke. That is when he's not having an affair with the Mayor and Evil Queen, Regina. 

Detective Harlee Santos – Shades of Blue 

Santos, a single mother and police officer in New York City, is tough and has her wits about her. She becomes a criminal informant for the FBI and knows how to leverage her intel to get what she needs. 

Voight – Chicago PD

Voight reputation precede's him on the streets of Chicago. And though everything they say is true, Voight has a heart of gold and always does right by his loved ones. 

Olivia Benson – Law & Order

Benson serves as Lieutenant in Manhattan's Special Victims Unit and is an all-around badass. She's been on the job for years, so nothing gets past her. 

Clive Babineaux & Liv Moore – iZombie

In New Seattle, a world inhabited by humans and zombies alike, this duo has figured out the perfect strategy to solve the crime: Liv eats the brains and gets the visions while Clive does most of the heavy lifting.

They're the Bonnie & Clyde of police work. With Liv's multiple personalities, there's never a dull day. 

Hannah Wells – Designated Survivor

I truly hope there's a Hannah Wells working in our FBI/CSI because nothing, and I mean nothing, ever gets past her. She's the sharpest on the team and ahead of every curve, which is why she briefly became the right-hand woman for President Kirkman. 

Ruzek – Chicago PD

For the most part, Ruzek is a decent cop who is loyal to a fault. He's gotten himself mixed up in a few messy situations because he's covered for his team. It helps that he looks like an Abercrombie & Fitch model. 

Jake Peralta – Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Despite his cocky and immature nature, Jake is a talented detective with a charming demeanor. His arrest track record is his pride and joy.

Toby – Pretty Little Liars

We watched Toby go from Spencer's high school boyfriend to Rosewood PD's finest. In a town where the cops cannot be trusted to get anything right, it's good to have one of your own on the inside. 

Kate Beckett – Castle

Kate's mother's death is the inspiration behind her becoming a cop. She kept her past a mystery but believed that there was more to the story than just a random murder.

All of her successes are attributed to her serious and professional nature, and she gets easily annoyed by Castle's childlike approach to solving cases. 

Maggie and Alex – Supergirl

Maggie and Alex were a super team when they were on the clock catching monsters and when they were off the clock just enjoying each other's company.

These two fierce females weren't afraid of anything.

John Nolan – The Rookie

John Nolan stands out because he's the oldest rookie at the LAPD.

Following his divorce, Nolan helps thwart a bank robbery and decides to pursue his passion of becoming a cop proving that with if you' re determined and persistent, it's never too late to follow your dreams. 

Max Evans – Roswell, New Mexico

Max's instinct is to protect the people of Roswell, but his role as a deputy also allows him to cover up any supernatural occurrences and keep his and his siblings' identities a secret. 

Noah – Good Girls

Technically, Noah should be a villain because he lied to Annie and went undercover as her boss at Fine & Frugal, but we can't stay mad at the FBI agent for doing his job and genuinely falling for her. 

Michael Cordero – Jane the Virgin

At home, Michael was Jane's silly boyfriend-turned-husband, but at work, Michael was dedicated to bringing down crime lord Sin Rostro. 

Stan – Good Girls

When it comes to a really good guy, Stan's your man. He's a good husband, a good father, and a decent cop.

Sure, he may have stolen some incriminating evidence to help his wife and is covering up her criminal doings, but his heart is in the right place and that's all that matters. 

FP Jones – Riverdale

FP is one of the best examples of turning your life around. He went from being the leader of the Southside Serpents to taking over as the mysterious town's Sheriff.

On the daily, he deals with everything from the Black Hood, the Gargoyle King, Edgar Evernever and The Farm, a Fizzle Rocks epidemic, and most importantly, Hiram Lodge. 

Jared and Mic – Manifest 

Jared and Mic are former lovers turned sort-of-friends who still harbor feelings for each other.

Yeah, it's complicated, but they make a great team that's committed to solving the mysteries surrounding Flight 828. 

Liz Forbes – The Vampire Diaries

Matt Donovan may try, but he will never live up to Mystic Fall's greatest sheriff, Liz Forbes.

Caroline's mother kept all the supernatural occurences at bay mainly because of her adorable relationship with the town's baddie, Damon Salvatore. 

Jo Martinez – Forever

If Olivia Benson and Kate Beckett had a baby, it would be Jo.

Jo puts up a tough front and is no-nonsense until she meets Dr. Henry Morgan who's abstract (and immortal) outlook on life makes her do a double-take. 

Atwater & Kim – Chicago PD

The former partners used to be one of the best parts of Chicago PD.

They were silly best friends who always had each other's backs and knew when to get serious. Not much has changed since they leveled up to Intelligence. 

Alex Parrish – Quantico

Parrish is the brightest recruit at Quantico, which is precisely why she wakes up and finds herself the main suspect in a terrorist plot.

Still, her quick wits allow her to figure out the real terrorist before another catastrophe strikes.

Lindsay – Chicago PD 

Lindsay comes from a toxic upbringing but found her way thanks to Intelligence Commander, who became like a father figure.

Her tough exterior is a perfect match for the dangerous streets of Chicago.

Leroy Jethro Gibbs – NCIS

The former Marine Corp works as an NCIS Special Agent in Washington, D.C.

He may be silent and reserved, but he's a damn good at his job and takes pride in it. 

Jane Rizzoli & Maura Isles – Rizzoli and Isles

The super duo team up to solve the most gruesome of crimes in Boston.

Rizzoli is sarcastic, confident, and independent while Isles is an expert at her job and enjoys spouting random and oftentimes useless facts.

Which cops and detectives would you add to the list?

There's a plethora of shows to choose from! 

The post 27 Damn Fine Cops & Detectives Who Can Arrest Us Any Day appeared first on TV Fanatic.

The story and the development are both crucial pieces to the puzzle, but they don't matter if there's no onscreen chemistry. 

Related: 17 Times Labor Went Above and Beyond the Pain

Some ships fizzled out the longer their show was on, and others never had a spark to begin with. 

We created a list below of 41 TV couples with absolutely no chemistry! 

1. Jackson and Maggie – Grey's Anatomy

Most fans can collectively agree that the relationship between Jackson and Maggie is a dull one. Or maybe it seems dull in comparison to what Jackson and April could have had. 

2. Tom and Ann – Parks and Recreation

You know there's no chemistry when their first onscreen kiss made viewers physically cringe. What was the point of throwing Tom and Ann together, again?

3. Max and Georgia – New Amsterdam

Max's devotion to his wife is sweet, but that's the only thing we can appreciate about their marriage. It doesn't make us feel anything other than boredom. 

4. Edison and Olivia – Scandal

Most Scandal viewers weren't huge fans of Edison. Whether or not our dislike of the character played into how we view their chemistry is still uncertain, but there never seemed to be any magnetism in the relationship. 

5. Rachel and Sam – Glee

It felt unnecessary for Glee to even go here in the first place. Rachel had recently recovered from Finn's death, and she was obviously going to rekindle things with Jesse. It was as if Rachel had to give it a shot with everyone before the show's end.

6. Scott and Kira – Teen Wolf

Scott and Kira started the series incredibly cute, but as the show went on the writers seemed to stop caring about her.

Her whimsical personality disappeared, and she became a bland character who faded into the background. Kira's relationship with Scott suffered as a result, and their dynamic fell completely flat. 

7. Sam and Tara – True Blood

There were quite a few couples in True Blood who's chemistry was nonexistent. Sam and Tara fell into that category, and Sookie and Bill could probably fit in there too. 

8. Dean and Beth – Good Girls

Are they even supposed to have chemistry? It's incredible that Dean and Beth still haven't divorced given how they both cheated and can't stand to be around each other. 

9. Rick and Jessie – The Walking Dead

Rick and Jessie are the definition of a filler relationship. Rick hadn't truly been with anyone since Lori, and the show wasn't quite ready to put him with his best friend, Michonne. Therefore, Rick and Jessie existed in limbo. 

10. Amy and Adam – Superstore

The relationship between Amy and her husband was so bad it was laughable. It was hard even to consider them a couple when her chemistry with her co-worker, Jonah, was off the charts in comparison. 

11. Finn and Raven – The 100

To be fair, Finn didn't have chemistry with anyone. But he and Raven always appeared as though they had more of a sibling bond than a romantic one. 

12. Betty and Jughead – Riverdale

Considering that the actors dated in real life, it was surprising that the characters onscreen chemistry dwindled so dramatically. Now everytime they're on the screen together we can't help but sing, "Thank U, Next."

13. Seg and Lyta – Krypton

If we're being honest, Seg doesn't have much chemistry with anyone, but his relationship with Lyta was dull in every sense of the word. 

14. Lucifer and Eve – Lucifer

Lucifer and Eve might not have been able to keep their hands off each other, but it always felt forced on Lucifer's end to get over Chloe. Nothing about it seemed real. 

15. Allison and Luther – The Umbrella Academy

Allison and Luther were raised as siblings and had no problem calling the rest of their family brothers and sisters. The romance between them felt wrong in every way possible. 

16. Frank and Claire – House of Cards

Frank and Claire's marriage didn't feel real at all. There seemed to be a lack of love, and it felt as if they were married to suit their political agendas more than anything else.

17. Jess and Robby – New Girl

Even before they realized they were cousins, their interactions were just plain cringe-worthy. Jess and Robby kept trying to force what wasn't there. 

18. Jane and Rafael – Jane the Virgin

Don't come at me, Jafael fans. There's no denying that over the second half of the series their chemistry drastically improved.

But besides one kiss amped up with dramatic music and falling flower petals, their relationship was bland and uneventful in the first few seasons. Even Rafael originally saw Jane like a sister. 

19. Liz and Kyle – Roswell, New Mexico

Their hookups may not have lasted for long, but it was still hard to watch Liz and Kyle together when it seemed rather tasteless and was never going to go anywhere. 

20. Jackie and Fez – That 70's Show

How did this even happen? Jackie had two other viable options with whom she had chemistry, and it made no sense that the series decided to stick her with the one person she didn't. 

21. Riley and Lucas – Girl Meets World

It still blows our minds that Riley and Lucas ended up together. Their entire story was boring and stereotypical, and Lucas had much more chemistry with Riley's best friend, Maya. 

22. Shelby and Ryan – Quantico

Shelby and Ryan should never have been a thing in the first place. We're still shocked that Quantico decided to go with such a hollow relationship over the alternatives.

23. George and Izzie – Grey's Anatomy

George and Izzie always gave off friendship vibes more than anything. When they got together, it looked like they were kissing their brother or sister. 

24. Jason and Tahani – The Good Place

Thankfully, Jason and Tahani happened in a small number of the reboots, but it was still weird to watch. Now, they're married so that Jason can share in her wealth. 

25. Rebecca and Josh – Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend made such a big deal about the Rebecca and Josh's relationship when it wasn't even all that to begin with. They both have more chemistry with other people. 

26. Veronica and Duncan – Veronica Mars

Duncan stayed away from Veronica because he thought that she was his sister, and honestly, that dynamic fit them better than a romantic one. 

27. Felicity and Ray – Arrow

Felicity was only with Ray to cause drama between her and Oliver, so it made sense that there weren't any sparks here. They weren't the couple viewers were supposed to be rooting for. 

28. Greg and Jax – Pandora 

When Greg and Jax meet up at the Space Fleet Training Academy, Jax makes it clear that she's not interesting in caring for anyone else. Her whole attitude played into the events that followed, and now there's not even a chance to see if chemistry could have even been created between the two.  

29. Ted and The Slutty Pumpkin – How I Met Your Mother

The lack of compatibility between Ted and The Slutty Pumpkin was comical. They couldn't even hold hands without making it awkward. We know you were hung up on her for a while Ted, but some things just aren't meant to be. 

30. Charles and Liza – Younger

Many people will likely disagree with this one, but Charles and Liza have always felt more forced than anything. While their scenes together are sometimes enjoyable, the fireworks aren't there and they have never been. 

31. Ed and Kelly – The Orville

Despite being married in the past, Ed and Kelly's relationship is only good when it's a working one. Kelly now serves as Ed's first officer and everything gets thrown out of wack when they try to rekindle their romance. 

32. Rose and Mickey – Doctor Who

Mickey and Rose knew each other since they were kids and Mickey always had a crush on Rose. But viewers were always given the impression that Rose only cared about Mickey as a friend and was with him more for convenience than anything else. 

33. Lorelai and Jason – Gilmore Girls

Maybe we're biased, but Lorelai never had chemistry with anyone other than Luke. It's probably because, deep in her heart, it was always Luke she wanted to be with. 

34. Simon and Clary – Shadowhunters

Simon and Clary gave off best friend energy, and that was it. We get that the show threw them together to stay true to Cassandra Clare's books, but viewers could have done without it.

35. Michael and Ash – Star Trek: Discovery

Ash being a physically reconstructed Klingon with memories grafted over his real identity made his relationship with Michael undesirable. Whatever spark used to be there has gone out completely. 

36. Dean and Lisa – Supernatural 

Dean's time on the road with his brother doesn't give him many opportunities for long-term romances, but when he did finally get one it was underwhelming. The only woman Dean ever had chemistry with was Jo, and she was killed moments after their first kiss. 

37. Caitlin and Julian – The Flash

Caitlin and Julian are both great characters, but sadly the spark isn't there. No matter how much we love them, sometimes couples just fall flat. 

38. Gina and Charles – Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Gina and Charles went from begrudging co-workers to casually hooking up, to step-siblings, to ex step-siblings. The whole thing was a giant trainwreck. 

39. Devon and Julian – The Resident

Devon and Julian were a weird case. There were times it was easy to ship them, but their chemistry was always off, and sometimes they were plain awkward around each other. 

40. Aria and Ezra – Pretty Little Liars

The only vibes Ezria gave off were creepy ones. A sixteen-year-old girl and her high school teach don't have chemistry. If anything, the forbidden love aspect tried to compensate for the lack of it. 

41. Wil and Mareth – The Shannara Chronicles

Who thought this was a good idea? Wil had much more chemistry with Eretria, and while Mareth was a fun addition to the show, her romance with Wil felt forced. 

The post 41 TV Couples With Absolutely No Chemistry appeared first on TV Fanatic.

That's what Rafael told Jane when he first met her on Jane the Virgin Season 1 Episode 1, and five seasons later, the theme of braveness continued on Jane the Virgin Season 5 Episode 19.

It should be noted that I had to tell myself to be brave while writing this review and wiping away so many happy tears. 

As far as series finales go, Jane the Virgin's hit every mark and was a treat for longtime fans. 

One would say it was the inverse of what made Jane the Virgin such a household name; it bypassed the usual telenovela-twists and opted for happy endings all around. 

There will always be things that I wish would have happened, but confined to a one-hour window, the finale was pretty perfect. 

If there's anything that Jane has taught me, it's to be the writer of your own story, to follow your heart, and to fight for what's meant to be just like Jane and Rafael always did. 

From the get-go, the narrator, who we found out was the adult-version of Mateo (WE WERE RIGHT!), told us that traditional telenovelas always end with a wedding.

With that in mind, there was no other way that the series could have ended. 

Rafael and Jane finally got hitched, but it wasn't without one final obstacle: Rafael was arrested after rushing Jane's edited version of the book to the presses.

What a romantic gesture.

Any real opportunity for something to derail their big day was immediately resolved and thwarted.

Lina: People think I grew up with four sisters but the truth is, I grew up with five. And I only liked one of them. Jane, you are…

Xiomara: Everything to me. The person I look up to most in this world, the person I want to be when I grow up. And the one thing I know…

Rogelio: is that, uh, becoming Jane’s father late in life has been, well, the greatest joy of my life. It’s true. And tomorrow, I’m so thrilled to be gaining a son. So, Rafael, I would be honored if you called me Dad.

_{🔗 permalink: is that, uh, becoming Jane’s father late in life has been, well, the greatest joy of my life….}

And that's because those telenovela-style shocks weren't necessary anymore. 

Rose's nefarious plan and Michael's resurrection were both wrapped up on Jane the Virgin Season 5 Episode 17. 

The road was cleared for Jane and Rafael to pursue their happily ever after. 

The finale called back to heartwarming moments from season one (Jane taking the bus) and re-lived some of the best moments that happened in the Villanueva household.

The montage of memories starting from Alba's arrival in America up until the day before the wedding was an emotional journey that highlighted the bond between three generations of Latino women. 

Because even though the love stories on Jane the Virgin centered around Rafael and Michael, the true love was between Alba, Xiomara, and Jane.

They were each other's soulmates.

Despite being Team Rafael from the beginning, I can't address their wedding without acknowledging Jane's wedding to Michael. 

Jane's been lucky. In her lifetime she didn't just have one great love story, she had two. 

Jane and Rafael's wedding was vastly different than Jane and Michael's, and that's a good thing. 

Related: Get CBS All Access via Prime Video Channels for Hit Shows, Exclusive Originals & Live TV!

Both men represented two different parts of Jane and her heart. 

She loved both of them, but never in the same way. 

Michael, in my eyes, was Jane's, first innocent love. He treated her right and respected her. Their relationship was goofy and fun, and that translated to their wedding vibe as they celebrated with a huge party with Bruno Mars. 

But with Rafael, things always came so effortlessly.

Their wedding wasn't in a church but rather under the tree where they shared their first kiss. 

And they could barely get through the ceremony without kissing each other. 

Sorry, Abuela. 

Related: Jane the Virgin Season 5 Episode 17 Review: Chapter Ninety-Eight

There was also a heavy influence of Latin traditions, which was a nice touch considering how the show broke racial barriers. 

The ease with which their wedding unfolded proved that this was always Jane's end-game. 

They always say trust the timing of your life and that couldn't be more true for Jane and Rafael. 

Jane and Raf wouldn't have worked back in the day; they both had to go through their respective experiences and grow to be fully ready for this moment.

Jane the Virgin also answered the lingering question of Rafael's birth parents though unfortunately, that was a bit of a disappointment. 

It's not that I wanted Rafael's mother to be Rose, but it didn't make sense to spend so much time and effort trying to locate them only to find out that they were a normal couple who owned a bakery in Italy and died in a car accident. 

Related: Jane the Virgin Season 5 Episode 16 Review: Chapter Ninety-Seven

It may have given Rafael peace of mind and showcased that he's come so far since he wasn't too affected by the findings, but fans who were invested in the story were expecting a bit more. 

However, it did make Rafael's decision to refer to Rogelio as "dad" all the more special.

He may have never had the chance to meet his biological family, but the family he has now is incredible.

Jennie Snyder Urman, the creator of Jane the Virgin, teased that all the good people would get their happy endings, and there was no shortage of happy moments.

After a brief change of heart, Xiomara decided to be bold and agreed to move to New York City with Rogelio even though it would split up the family for the first time. 

Petra: I just love you two so much. Your love is something I aspire to. And I wish you all the happiness in the world, which is a really weird feeling because I don’t usually wish happiness on other people.

_{🔗 permalink: I just love you two so much. Your love is something I aspire to. And I wish you all the…}

Petra reunited with JR thanks to Rafael who was feeling rather sentimental before his wedding, and the two women even exchanged 'I love you's.'

I would have liked to see a flash-forward to where their relationship was after the wedding, but I guess we're just supposed to be content with knowing that Petra got the girl. 

And though we didn't get to see this play out on the screen, it was revealed that Mateo would grow up to be a voice-over actor and the Narrator of Jane's book-turned-telenovela. 

I always knew Mateo was destined for greatness, though it would have been nice to see him as an adult. 

Jane's little nod at the end also assured us that we were the ones watching her novel play out as a telenovela. 

Urman teased a pregnancy which fans speculated might be Jane and Rafael's future baby despite his infertility. 

I was disappointed when that didn't turn out to be the case, but Lina's pregnancy was necessary and adorable. 

Final Marbella Musings

• Luisa's toast telling Jane "you're welcome" for accidentally inseminating her with Rafael's sperm may go down as the best wedding speech in TV history. 

• We didn't get to see any part of "This Is Mars'" success aside from a few magazine covers and Rogelio's social media following growing. I would have gladly traded all the pointless River Fields dramatics for more time exploring what everyone's life looked like after the wedding. 

Rafael: You seemed a little choked up about love.

Petra: Oh, please. Villanueva events are made for people to cry. It’s just how they’re constructed.

_{🔗 permalink: Oh, please. Villanueva events are made for people to cry. It’s just how they’re constructed.}

• Petra's a triplet. Magda was exiled from Miami and went to visit her son, Pyotr, in Siberia. It's probably better that Petra never found out about him. 

• Anyone else completely lose it seeing all the different-aged Jane's walking down the aisle?

• Esteban proposed to Darci! I wasn't kidding when I said everyone got their happy ending. 

Jane the Virgin's series finale made my heart glow. 

If you watch Jane the Virgin online, you know it was the perfect mix of everything that made Jane the Virgin the heartwarming, memorable, and magical show that we've become obsessed with. 

With all the telenovela-twists pushed the side, it was an hour of pure bliss. 

It's been a pleasure watching and discussing with all of you Jane the Virgin TV Fanatics. 

I wish I could say "to be continued," but alas, the time has come to say …

The End. 

21 TV Couples Threatened by a Parent’s Disapproval

Open List

The post Jane the Virgin Season 5 Episode 19 Review: Chapter One Hundred appeared first on TV Fanatic.

All three women are experiencing life-altering situations. 

Xiomara informs Jane she and Rogelio are planning to move to New York City to focus on his American acting debut. 

Jane takes the news better than expected, but she's still heartbroken about the idea of being separated from her mother. 

When Mateo begins unpacking Abuela's boxes so she doesn't have to move away, Xo realizes she doesn't want to leave her family behind. 

She proposes the idea of commuting to Rogelio who agrees because he wants to do whatever will make her happy despite feeling terrified. 

As Rafael plans their wedding, Jane dedicates herself to re-writing the ending of her novel. 

After three-and-a-half weeks, she's finished with the final touches. 

Luisa finds Rafael's birth parents and to everyone's surprise, they are two normal bakers who lived in Italy and died in a car accident. 

When Jane breaks the news to Rafael, she's surprised by how composed he is. 

He informs her that he's built a great life with her and isn't as broken as he used to be. 

The next day at Jane and Rafael's wedding rehearsal, Jane learns that her book is being sent off to authors who could potentially write the forward to her book. 

At the rehearsal dinner, everyone gives heartfelt speeches including Lina, who reveals that she's finally pregnant. 

Xiomara breaks down crying, Rogelio suggests that Rafael call him 'dad,' and Petra gets emotional. 

Even Luisa gets in on the action and tells Jane she should be thankful that she artificially inseminated her with Rafael's sperm. 

Later in the evening, Alba hears about Xo's decision not to move away and calls Jane over.

Jane echoes Rafael's sentiments: "be brave."

Alba agrees that Xo is making irrational decisions out of fear. She tells Xo that if she was able to immigrate to America and start a new life, Xo should be able to move to a different city and be fine. 

Jane spends the night before her wedding having plenty of last moments with her mother and grandmother. 

The day of the wedding, Rafael rushes to get Jane's book edits to the publisher and ends up getting stuck in the parking lot. 

As he drives away, he is stopped and arrested by a cop. 

He calls Jane to bail him out, and she thinks his gesture is so romantic that she rushes to his aide. 

Since there's a marathon happening in the neighborhood, she convinces a bus driver to rent her the bus for the day using her book advance to pay him and the passengers off. 

After she scoops up Rafael, the bus returns to get the rest of the wedding party.

Since they're late, Petra is stalling all the guests and spots JR. 

She's shocked to see her ex-girlfriend there. JR informs her that Rafael was feeling sentimental and called her to come to the wedding because Petra really missed her. 

After a passionate kiss and an exchange of 'I love you's," they agree to get back together. 

Jane and Rafael finally arrive at their wedding and it's as magical as you'd expect it to be. 

They're both so emotional, neither of them can get through their vows. 

Alba pronounces them husband and wife and they throw themselves at each other. 

It's also revealed that Mateo is the Narrator that's been narrating Jane's novel-turned-telenovela. 

And everyone lived happily ever after. 

The post Jane the Virgin Season 5 Episode 19 Recap: Chapter One Hundred appeared first on TV Fanatic.