Humping the Shark

[RoJoHen]

I had a hard time dealing with Angel/Cordelia on Angel. It kinda felt like the writers just sorta slapped 'em together because they were the two highest billed characters of the opposite gender. (But then, I liked them together in "You're Welcome." I seem to only like Angel's relationships once they are over, like Angel/Buffy in "I Will Remember You.")

See, I love Angel/Cordelia. I think they had great chemistry, and it made sense to me that they would end up getting together...or trying to, at least.

That said, part of me wishes Darla could have somehow been saved. I thought she and Angel were fantastic together.

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

That said, part of me wishes Darla could have somehow been saved. I thought she and Angel were fantastic together.

Agreed. I love Angel/Darla. Despite their mutally haunted pasts, they just seem perfect for each other. When she gets turned into a vampire again, my heart totally breaks.

 

[RoJoHen]

My heart broke at least a dozen times watching that damn show.

 

[Scotty]

The whole D'Argo - Chiana - Jothee triangle from Farscape was a bit icky. Both father and son dipping into the same well, so to speak, made for some uncomfotable moments.

 

[StarshipDefiant]

I feel the same way about Chloe-Oliver in the current season of Smallville. Out of the blue is right. It seems they were paired off solely because they were the only unattached characters left of their respective genders in the regular cast.

I honestly wondered what the hell was up with this, the previous episodes I had watched before discovering they were paired lead me to believe they had a mutual respect for each other, and not much more. What the hell is wrong with Clark anyway, he fawns over Lana, then Lois, or some random guest, but Chloe? It's like his reaction is "Woah...she's a chick?" Bah.

 

[Starkers]

I had a hard time dealing with Angel/Cordelia on Angel. It kinda felt like the writers just sorta slapped 'em together because they were the two highest billed characters of the opposite gender. (But then, I liked them together in "You're Welcome." I seem to only like Angel's relationships once they are over, like Angel/Buffy in "I Will Remember You.")

Of course, Cordelia/Connor on Angel was absolutely appalling. In the end, it was revealed that she wasn't really Cordelia anymore, but for some people, that doesn't make it any better.

On Torchwood, they dropped some Jack/Gwen hints early in the series. Then, the series suddenly made a very bizarre left turn when Gwen ended up having an affair with Owen for a couple episodes. That was just a bad move. It felt very mean-spirited, even for Torchwood. Thankfully, in Season 2 it seemed like the writers were content to forget that it ever happened. (Otherwise, I would have expected at least some awkwardness from Gwen or Owen when Owen first met Rhys.)

In the deliberately gross category: In the final episode of Arrested Development, after Lindsay discovered that she was not biologically related to Michael, she tried to seduce him in one of the most awkward, grossest attempted seductions in TV history.

I loved Angel/Cordelia, I felt it seemed far more natural than Angel/Buffy if I'm honest.

They tried to show some Jack/Gwen chemistry but the two of them just didn't have that kind of connection. Reminded me of the Archer/T'Pol frission that was supposed to be there but just wasn't (only the torchwood writers didn't keep hitting people over the head for years at least) Gwen/Owen was a bit odd, but within the context of the show it worked (he just wanted a shag, she wanted intimacy with someone connected to her new world without the risk of that person screwing up her relationship with Rhys by wanting it to be anything beyond casual) it was just really badly written (like most of Season 1 of Torchwood). I'm glad they never refered back to it.

Although they could have gone to some really dark places with the fact she kept telling Rhys then retconing his memory

 

[Trilliam]

How about Spock and Uhura from 2009 Star Trek? I didn't have a problem with their relationship personally but many fans seem to be against it.

Only those who didn't understand the "subtext" of episodes in TOS, were either too young to understand, or don't get it unless they're bludgeoned over the head with it.

 

[Christopher]

Here's one: A few weeks ago, Cartoon Network showed a preview of the pilot episode of their upcoming Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated, which is apparently an older-skewing, snarky, deconstructionist take on the Scooby-Doo universe, though mostly with the same voice cast as most modern S-D productions (except with Matthew Lillard taking over from the retired Casey Kasem as Shaggy). And in this version, Velma and Shaggy are secretly dating. That's just... not right.

 

[Mary Ann]

Donkey and the dragon

A worse mental image than Seven and Chakotay. Just...no.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Christopher...while I'll agree that Ollie and Chloe came out of nowhere I explain their getting together like this. Both of the characters are kind of in dark places right now. Chloe still reeling from Jimmy's death...in fact all of her machinations this season probably stem from her not dealing with that properly. Ollie has been self doubting himself since the mid way point in last season in a pointless character. The two of them got together to shag away their misery and have ended up having a somewhat normal relationship.

Gwen and Owen...I just recently re-watched all of Torchwood...and I don't think this relationship came out of nowhere folks. There were hints pretty early on and it's talked about in the commentary tracks the closeness that Owen and Gwen had. I'd have more of a problem of Jack and Gwen which was dropped. But Owen and Gwen was there from the start if you look for it.

 

[milo bloom]

The whole D'Argo - Chiana - Jothee triangle from Farscape was a bit icky. Both father and son dipping into the same well, so to speak, made for some uncomfotable moments.

How about Indiana Jones and father?

Here's one: A few weeks ago, Cartoon Network showed a preview of the pilot episode of their upcoming Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated, which is apparently an older-skewing, snarky, deconstructionist take on the Scooby-Doo universe, though mostly with the same voice cast as most modern S-D productions (except with Matthew Lillard taking over from the retired Casey Kasem as Shaggy). And in this version, Velma and Shaggy are secretly dating. That's just... not right.

They were always both kinda on the fringe, really doesn't seem horribly weird that they would find a kindred spirit in each other.

 

[Trilliam]

" And in this version, Velma and Shaggy are secretly dating. That's just... not right."

You mean they weren't "on the side" the whole time? Geez I thought they were.

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

On Torchwood, they dropped some Jack/Gwen hints early in the series. Then, the series suddenly made a very bizarre left turn when Gwen ended up having an affair with Owen for a couple episodes. That was just a bad move. It felt very mean-spirited, even for Torchwood. Thankfully, in Season 2 it seemed like the writers were content to forget that it ever happened. (Otherwise, I would have expected at least some awkwardness from Gwen or Owen when Owen first met Rhys.)

They tried to show some Jack/Gwen chemistry but the two of them just didn't have that kind of connection. Reminded me of the Archer/T'Pol frission that was supposed to be there but just wasn't (only the torchwood writers didn't keep hitting people over the head for years at least)

Well, I think that there was still a little bit of Jack/Gwen something lingering in Season 2, but had been reduced to a playful flirtation with both parties remaining irrevocably in the "friend zone." Jack flirted with her because he flirts with everybody. Gwen flirted back because she was flattered by the attention.

 

[byron lomax]

I'm not sure if cartoons are included here, but one thing that made me really unhappy was the unbelievable pairing of Shego and Dr Drakken in the final episode of Kim Possible. Firstly, there was never hint of any romantic attraction between the two previously, no matter how hard some fans will try to dig for it. Secondly, it doesn't really gel with their relationship as it actually had been throughout the series. And finally, Drakken is old enough to be Shego's father!

I think writers make a huge mistake when they have characters act in certain ways just to pander to certain (loudly spoken) fans. The makers of the show should always lead the way, and not allow themselves to be lead.

 

[Admiral_Young]

^ I think they did that though because they knew there wouldn't be a continuation of the series so it didn't really matter. I like to suspect though that Shego broke it off realizing what a control freak Drakken is and that she'd made a big mistake hooking up with him.

 

[Christopher]

" And in this version, Velma and Shaggy are secretly dating. That's just... not right."

You mean they weren't "on the side" the whole time? Geez I thought they were.

Never occurred to me. I mean, since when was Shaggy interested in anything other than food? And what would Velma see in him? Career cowardice doesn't exactly bring in the ladies.

...one thing that made me really unhappy was the unbelievable pairing of Shego and Dr Drakken in the final episode of Kim Possible. Firstly, there was never hint of any romantic attraction between the two previously, no matter how hard some fans will try to dig for it.

I thought the romantic pairing the fans would be digging for was Shego-Kim.

Secondly, it doesn't really gel with their relationship as it actually had been throughout the series.

Doesn't it? He pretended to be the boss and the breadwinner, she was the one who really kept it together, they bickered all the time, she stayed with him despite all his failures and foibles... sounds like a classic sitcom marriage to me.

And finally, Drakken is old enough to be Shego's father!

Shego's older than Kim, though, isn't she? Wikipedia says she's early to mid-20s. Her backstory's pretty full (years of superheroing in Go City, plus time to earn a degree in child development), so that suggests mid-20s, nearly a decade older than Kim. Drakken was a classmate of Mr. Dr. Possible, thus probably a contemporary. Mr. Dr. Possible seems to be around 40, which is consistent with having a 16-year-old daughter. That would make Drakken only 15-ish years older than Shego, which doesn't qualify as "old enough to be her father" unless we're dealing with a very un-Disney-like backstory. There are plenty of 40ish men who date, or marry, women in their mid-20s. I'm sure there are plenty of film and television romances along those lines.

I think writers make a huge mistake when they have characters act in certain ways just to pander to certain (loudly spoken) fans. The makers of the show should always lead the way, and not allow themselves to be lead.

I didn't see it as pandering. I saw it as giving the show a happy ending by redeeming the villains. (And I loved the idea that the reason Drakken had been such an inept villain was that his real potential was in the hero business.)

 

[Trilliam]

Never occurred to me. I mean, since when was Shaggy interested in anything other than food? And what would Velma see in him? Career cowardice doesn't exactly bring in the ladies.

Hmm maybe teenaged girls (Iwould have been in my early teens when Scooby do was on the first time round) think differently to boys? Velma would not get the "Freddies" of the world as a teen as guys like him don't go for smart, cuddly girls in glasses. Especially when they're smarter than he is. Plus Shaggy has a soft spot/kind heart towards boofy, dopey dogs, that can be attractive to girls. What's left?

 

[Warped9]

Donkey and the dragon

 

[byron lomax]

^ I think they did that though because they knew there wouldn't be a continuation of the series so it didn't really matter. I like to suspect though that Shego broke it off realizing what a control freak Drakken is and that she'd made a big mistake hooking up with him.

I definitely do not buy for a second that Shego would adapt to the role of good guy. As demonstrated several times throughout the series, evil is what works for her and always will.

In the episode "Emotion Sickness", Drakken freaked the hell out when Shego made advances at him. I just don't think there's any romantic aspect to their relationship. They may have a dysfunctional kind of kinship, but not for a moment did they strike me as a romantic couple.

 

[O'Dib]

This week's South Park had a shark literally assraping a retarded child. Except it didn't seem all that wrong