What to read based on your favorite TV ‘ships

2/11/2019

We all know what ‘shipping means, right? When you watch a show (or a movie) for a while and find yourself rooting for a couple of characters to hook up, even if those characters seem incredibly unlikely to do so? As a romance lover, I’m particularly susceptible to ‘shipping. So, in this post, I’m just going to throw some of my favorite ‘ships out there, along with some reading recommendations, and hopefully we can all have some fun. Note: I say “hopefully” because there are ‘shippers out there who are VERY defensive of their favorite ‘ships and will argue—to the death—why their ‘ship is the best. Then there are those on the flip side who will argue—to the death—why a ‘ship shouldn’t happen. It can all get very brutal. Name-calling often ensues. But let’s keep this discussion civil, shall we? These are my ‘ships, you probably have your own and neither of us has to defend them to anyone. That said, let’s talk ‘ships and books!!

Felicity and Oliver (aka: Olicity): Arrow

About the ‘ship
From the moment Felicity and Oliver were first on screen together, I shipped them. Because honestly, who DOESN’T want to see a super-smart, glasses-wearing, somewhat nerdy girl end up with the super-hot, abs-flashing hero? If you don’t, then you probably don’t want to read anymore of this post, because I REALLY don’t understand you, and you most likely won’t want to hear what I have to say.

What to read

Bellamy and Clarke (aka: Bellarke): The 100

About the ‘ship
Anyone can tell you that The 100 is NOT a romance. Believe me, I know that better than anyone. This is a show that does EVERYTHING it’s power to stab romance in the heart. But you’ll never convince me that these two are platonic friends. NO ONE looks at their platonic friend like Bellamy and Clarke look at each other. They’re best friends (even though they started out as enemies), and if I had my way, they’d be lovers, too. These are two people who’ve risked life and limb and killed for each other. They’ve more than earned their happy ending. (And shame on you, CW, for stringing the viewers along for 5 seasons without so much as ONE Bellarke love declaration or passionate kiss. Shame on you!)

What to read

Meredith and DeLuca (aka: MerLuca): Grey’s Anatomy

About the ‘ship
Frankly, after McDreamy left the show, I was fairly certain I’d never ‘ship Meredith with anyone again. I wasn't a big fan of Dr. Riggs, and I held Dr. Thorpe in only slightly higher regard. Dr. Marsh was a possibility, but he was gone before I could get a good feel for whether or not they’d make a good couple. DeLuca, on the other hand, has been around for awhile and has shown that he’s a genuinely good guy. (He’s not exactly hard on the eyes, either) Watching his all-kinds-of-adorable interactions with Meredith’s young patient (who had a huge crush on him) in season 15, episode 6 sealed the deal for me. Yep. I’ll go down with this ‘ship.

What to read

Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth
(aka Braime): Game of Thrones

About the ‘ship
Look, I realize that Jaime Lannister is FAR from a romantic hero. He’s a terrible guy who has done some truly terrible things. But when he jumped into that pit to save Brienne from a bear...my mostly cold, dead heart might’ve fluttered just a little. As awful as he is, he admires and respects Brienne, and her inherent goodness makes him want to be a better person—the kind of person who deserves her. Their dynamic (and their somewhat ill-fated road trip back to King’s Landing) is ALWAYS a joy for me to watch and I will continue to ‘ship them even though I know there’s little-to-no chance of it ever happening. Sigh.

What to read

Hopper and Joyce (aka Jopper): Stranger Things

About the ‘ship
When no one else listened to her, when everyone thought she was crazy, Hopper was there for her. They’ve both been through some serious shit together, too, so it’s likely that no one else would understand them. (I mean, sure, Bob was a great guy, but he certainly didn’t TRULY understand Joyce. He was way too...sunny and happy for her.) And while they haven’t so much as kissed in 2 full seasons, the sexual tension between these two is off the charts. Seriously. Off. The. Charts. Bring it on in season 3, Netflix. Bring it on.

What to read

But what about you? Who do you ‘ship? Let’s discuss…

And for more ‘shipping goodness, check out Why romance lovers need to watch The Last Jedi (like, now).