If you know me, I'm a really big fan of pop culture. I love to read, and, when my busy schedule allows for it, I love to watch TV and movies. Recently, I became infatuated with the love story between Norma Bates and Alex Romero on Bates Motel. While pondering their relationship, I began to think about other fictional couples I adore. Disclaimer: Some of the couples listed were not endgame. This article may include spoilers. Note: I do not expect for you to read the whole thing. Skimming is great. Look at the GIFs. That's what they're there for.
1. Norma Bates & Alex Romero (Bates Motel)
Norma: You're going off to work and kissing me, and it's like I'm watching a movie, but it's not a movie.
Alex: It's not a movie. Don't screw it up.
Why? When Norma moves to town with her son, Sheriff Romero finds many reasons to continually be suspicious of Norma. It takes the better part of three seasons for them to acknowledge any underlying feelings they might have. In season four, when Norma asks Alex to marry her in order to use his insurance to get her son the mental help he needs, he originally says no. He then changes his mind, marries her, and we see Norma at her happiest, even though the marriage was supposed to be strictly about the benefits. With cute lines like the one listed above, how could we not love the nontraditional couple?
2. Jim Halpert & Pam Beesly (The Office)
Jim: A lot of people told me I was crazy to wait this long for a date with the girl who I worked with, but I think even then I knew that I was waiting for my wife.
Why? Jim and Pam are possibly the most iconic couple of the twenty-first century. The line that stopped hearts across the world was probably, "Jim, I called off my wedding because of you." Their timing kind of sucked, but at least their love story endured through all nine seasons. Forget Romeo and Juliet; we have Jim and Pam.
3. Cassie Blake & Jake Armstrong (The Secret Circle)
Jake: Deep down, you know that it's you and me that should be together.
Why? Okay, so Jake is a sketchy character. And we all know that Cassie and Adam are endgame since they were "written in the stars," but you gotta love the conflict. Plus, Cassie seems to be the only one who cares enough to get to know Jake. In addition, she's the only one who is inclined to trust him. If we thought that Cassie and Jake had a chance, reading the books would probably eliminate that, because Jake was never a character. If I was any good at fan fiction, I would rewrite it so that Cassie and Adam rejected their supposed fate.
4. Stefan Salvatore & Elena Gilbert (The Vampire Diaries)
Elena: It's always going to be Stefan.
Why? I guess there's something about destiny that's really attractive. For centuries, Stefan and Elena's doppelgangers have been coming together and falling in love. Naturally, Stefan and Elena do the same. Their relationship is based on trust and pure love. Even after they split, they still care deeply for each other. Their relationship is basically the purest any of us could ever hope to have. It's hard to not want them to be together. We are reminded of our love for Stelena when each of them have visions of an alternate lifetime together, particularly when Elena finds the ring Stefan intended to use as an engagement ring.
5. Damon Salvatore & Elena Gilbert (The Vampire Diaries)
Damon: You are by far the greatest thing to ever happened to me in my 173 years on this earth.
Why? I'm obviously extremely torn about Elena's relationships. I guess I mostly love her relationship with Damon because it makes it seem that anything is possible, even if something else is supposedly meant to be. It's the classic example where the bad boy goes good for the girl. If we didn't love them before, we couldn't help at least feeling a grudging respect for their relationship when Elena said her goodbye to Damon when he got trapped on The Other Side or when Damon said his goodbye to Elena when she was imprisoned by a sleeping curse.
">6. Michael Scofield & Sara Tancredi (Prison Break)
Sara: You still owe me dinner.
Michael: Is that so?
Sara: Yeah. First week in Fox River, you promised me if you ever got out of there, you'd take me to dinner.
Michael: Well, maybe after we wrap this up, we can stop off and get you a burrito on the way back to Pope's house.
Sara: Scofield, I don't know what you're used to, but anything short of a filet mignon is not gonna cut it with me.
Why? While in prison, Sara was Michael's doctor. Although she was part of Michael's plan to break his brother out of prison, he did not expect to become emotionally attached to her. Sara gave up everything, including her job, to help Michael. She then went on the run. Over the miles, they were able to communicate using codes. Long distance relationships have nothing on Michael and Sara.
7. Maggie Greene & Glenn Rhee (The Walking Dead)
Glenn: I don't want you in danger. Ever.
Why? Glenn and Maggie were able to build a relationship at the end of the world. They even make the decision to bring a baby into the post-apocalyptic world. It seems that the one thing that gave us hope while watching everyone die was seeing them create something brand new in the midst of it all.
8. Klaus Mikaelson & Caroline Forbes (The Vampire Diaries)
Klaus: I'm standing in one of my favorite places in the world, surrounded by food, music, art, culture...and all I can think about is how much I want to show it to you. Maybe one day you'll let me.
Why? Klaus is notorious for being the ultimate bad guy. Caroline is the exact opposite. Her relationship with Klaus started out full of antagonism. Over the course of the show, we began to realize that Klaus, as cruel and indifferent as he seemed, was capable of compassion. Who doesn't love a story that involves the bad guy being redeemed?
9. Tris Prior & Tobias Eaton (Divergent)
Four: You nearly died today. I almost shot you. Why didn't you shoot me, Tris?
Tris: I couldn't do that. It would have been like shooting myself.
Why? I guess I don't really have a "why" for this one. I suppose I just have an affinity for dystopian romance.
10. Dylan Massett & Emma Decody (Bates Motel)
Dylan: If you want me to come, I'm gonna go with you.
Why? Dylan is so, so, so sweet to Emma. He secretly paid to have her name moved up the list for a lung transplant. He then gave up his job in the marijuana trade to pursue something more respectable. I LOVE THEM.
11. Clarke Griffin & Lexa (The 100)
Clarke: You say having feelings makes me weak, but you're weak from hiding from them. I might be a hypocrite, Lexa, but you're a liar.
Why? It's really refreshing to see two natural leaders coming together. They were designed to not like each other, but they also had respect for each other. They also had an understanding that only two leaders could have. Although this relationship ends in tragedy, it's still one of my all-time favorites.
12. Emily Thorne (Amanda Clarke) & Jack Porter (Revenge)
Jack: I feel like this feeling comes along once or twice in a lifetime...if we're lucky.
Why? Before Amanda became a vengeful young woman, set on destroying the lives of the people who framed her father, she and Jack were best friends. It was hard to watch Amanda choose revenge over a relationship with Jack, but she got her happy ending after all with Jack. The love plot wasn't written terribly well, but how could I not root for good-natured, self-sacrificing Jack to get the girl?
13. Chuck Bass & Blair Waldorf (Gossip Girl)
Chuck: The next time you forget you're Blair Waldorf, remember that I'm Chuck Bass, and I love you.
Why? For about half the time, I hated Chuck and Blair together. For a while, I shipped Blair and Louis. However, there is something to be said for a relationship between two people where there are no secrets. Chuck and Blair saw each other at their worst, and they were able to get past all of the wrongdoings they had each committed. In the end, I suppose I always wanted Chuck to be the good guy.