Let's Talk Television: Ships of the Season

A bonus post to round out this season of Let's Talk Television—Let's Talk RELATIONSHIPS.

This post is an addendum to my series scorecard. Each of the following ships was ‘Ship of the Week’ at least once. Here’s why.

Best Kiss / Best New Couple: Oliver Wolf and Josh Nichols (Brilliant Minds)

Zachary Quinto as Oliver and Teddy Sears as Josh.

These two kissed super early in their will-they/won’t-they journey. Their attraction was obvious, their chemistry was clear, and their status as the series’ main relationship was secure. But I’ve been trained to expect a slow burn. Instead, we got this, the best kiss of the year. It was sudden and surprising, it was hot as Hell, and it threw my expectations into a tizzy, which ended up prophetic because the series swerved into delightful absurdity after this. Oliver and Josh are rocky at the end of the season, but I’m secure they are endgame whenever the end comes. They easily win the crown for best new couple of the season.

Best Hugs / Best Angst: Samantha Maroun and Nolan Price (Law & Order)

Odelya Halevi as Sam and Hugh Dancy as Nolan.

As I suggested in the last post, and in at least three or four over the season, I am extremely not normal about these two. The season started with Nolan rushing to save her from herself, and ended with Nolan accusing her of murder, so when I say it was a roller coaster, I mean it. But both those episodes also included hugs that indicate a depth of feeling I cannot accurately describe. Nolan’s devotion to (his version of) morality is his best and worst trait at once, and Sam is the best one to call him out on it. I hate that they end so far apart, and I also love it. I mean, look, my Laws and Orders OTP is EO, and that ship has ten years of silence and betrayal on top of twelve plus five years of complication. My other favorite Laws and Orders ships are Jack McCoy/Claire Kincaid and Michael Cutter/Connie Rubirosa, AKA the ships that Nolan Price/Samantha Maroun most clearly echo. Sam fully deserves better, but canon will never be able to convince me that these two are not meant for each other.

Best Conversation/Best Exes: Michael “Robby” Robinavitch and Heather Collins (The Pitt)

Noah Wyle as Robby and Tracy Ifeachor as Collins.

The conversation referenced was about her miscarriage, her pregnancy, and I was worried about it for basically the whole lead-up. I fully expected that Robby and the series would make Collins’ loss about Robby’s pain. And the pregnancy and subsequent loss were her whole arc, practically her whole characterization. I braced myself for the worst. Instead, I got the best. Robby immediately swallowed his pride and centered Collins. Her pain, her feelings, her needs. He listened, he offered support, he gave her space, he sent her home to rest. We didn’t see her again because she took his advice and trusted it was okay, and despite the insanity and intensity that he was soon embroiled in, it was okay. I ship them so hard now but if this is all they ever are, it’s already perfect.

Best Family: The Stablers. Pictured: Kathleen and Elliot Stabler (Law & Order: Organized Crime)

Alison Siko as Kathleen and Christopher Meloni as Elliot,

When I say this series should be titled Law & Order: Stabler, I’m not referencing Elliot alone. From Bernie to baby Owen, we get four generations of Stablers on screen! The story is about all of them, and it was from the beginning. Kathy’s death is the impetus for the series. Maureen’s birth brought Elliot to the military and law enforcement. We watched the kids grow up, watched Eli being born. Now we’ve watched him become a father himself (unpopular opinion, I guess, but I love Eli and all his drama, and especially the way they play with the mini-Elliot angle). Joe Sr. looms over them all, and the introduction of Randall and Joe Jr. provides SO MUCH retroactive insight about Middle Child Elliot. Seriously, go watch any previous episode of either series with that in mind. And Bernie, whose one appearance in SVU has lived rent-free in my head for seventeen years, is a full-on presence in the show. I’m thinking about her even when she doesn’t appear in the episode, because so is Elliot. The best family on television, hands down.

Best Polycule: Leverage. Pictured: Parker and Eliot Spencer (Leverage: Redemption)

Beth Riesgraf as Parker and Christian Kane as Eliot.

No, it’s still not canon. But howsoever we define the situationship(s) between the various characters associated with Leverage Consulting, they are all built on a foundation of care and respect. On paper, it was a season of relationship ups and downs. Harry explores dating apps. Sophie starts a romance undercover(ish). Breanna is considering her options. Hardison has a crisis of faith, and it affects Parker in ways she’s not equipped for. But in the bubbly ether, where the polycule is canon adjacent, we have moments like Harry calling Sophie his best friend and Eliot letting Parker know he’ll back her play no matter what. Leverage is a bit of a fairy tale, but that can be a strength.

Partners Who Should Kiss, Part I: Jim "JD" Dempsey and Michelle Mackey (NCIS: Sydney)

Todd Lasance as JD and Olivia Swann as Mackey.

I’ll ship any and all partners, but these two really upped their flirtation in this second season. Similar to Sam and Nolan above, part of it was simply developing the characters and the relationships more. The other part was allowing the natural chemistry to shine. Both of those work for the whole team and the whole show. But while Evie and DeShawn have a playful relationship that can go in many directions, Blue is everybody’s little sister, and Rosie is everybody’s uncle, JD and Mackey need to kiss. And frankly, need to fuck. They are very much the type to end up accidentally in bed, and then it takes four to fourteen years to agree they are actually in a relationship. And I want it.

Partners Who Should Kiss, Part II: Maggie Bell and Omar Adom “OA” Zidan (FBI)

Missy Peregrym as Maggie and Zeeko Zaki as OA,

There have been so many near misses with these two. Near misses that the series defines as ‘life-threatening,’ ‘life-affirming,’ and potentially ‘life-altering,’ but that I define as ‘impartial evidence of the depth of their relationship, which is, in fact, bottomless.’ Maggie’s life is constantly in danger because girlfriend lives at an eleven at all times, and OA saves her like it’s what he was put on this Earth to accomplish, and I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve screeched “NOW KISS” at the television. They are out here playacting Michael and Fiona from Burn Notice on the regular with all the emotions but none of the release and that makes it very frustrating but I’m used to it (see below lmao). I don’t know if it will ever happen (see below again lmao fml) but I do know it should.

Partners Who Should Kiss, Part III: Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson (Law & Order: Organized Crime/Special Victims Unit)

Christopher Meloni as Elliot and Mariska Hargitay as Olivia

I have (mostly) resigned myself to the reality that if it happens, it will happen in the last seconds of the SVU series finale. And I have (mostly) convinced myself that it doesn’t matter because I know the truth. They belong together. They belong to each other. It’s true in every parallel universe, and it’s true in this one. My OTP is more significant than canon.

In Memorium: Bobby Nash and Athena Grant (9-1-1)

Peter Krause as Bobby and Angela Bassett as Athena.

They were the beating heart of the show. The first season was about Buck finding his footing, and the main romance was his quirky romance with Abby (pb Connie Britton, who left Nashville only to leave 9-1-1 after the first season), but it ended with Bobby and Athena’s first date. Since that surprise, they have been the center, the purpose, the reason. I don’t want to watch Athena grieve Bobby—the woman has grieved enough! I don’t want to watch Athena move on. Or worse, attempt to move on but fail due to her broken, grieving heart. I don’t want to watch Athena turn to stone to protect herself or throw herself into her calling, or reinvent herself like a phoenix from the ashes of her heartbreak. I have ZERO interest in ANY of that.

I like Buck. I like Chimney and Maddie. I like Eddie and Chris. I like Hen and Karen. I like Ravi. I love Athena. But none of them are Bobby and Athena. And frankly, none of them are Bobby and Buck, or Bobby and Hen, or Bobby and [anyone else on the show]. Bobby was the anchor. Without him, we’re adrift.

Best Ship: Bix Caleen and Cassian Andor (Andor)

Adria Arjona as Bix and Diego Luna as Cassian.

Ships that grew up together, or ships that were each other’s first love, and then they find each other again, are two of my favorite relationship tropes. Ships that are doomed, that require the deployment of the parallel universes I mentioned above to find any chance at happiness, are the ones that make my heart race. The ones that draw me in and twist me up and won’t let me go. And these two provided call backs to all the exquisite and ruinous romances of Star Wars while also being their own sad, beautiful, tragic story. I think I’ve seen this film before, and I don’t like the ending, but I love the relationship. I love the characters, individually and collectively. I love that the series went all in with no apologies. I even love the wasted potential because that’s where all the parallel universes come from. I can live off the possibilities forever.

They both deserve better, individually and collectively. But that’s Star Wars. They make me feel feelings—so many, too many feelings—which is all I want from a relationship.