Bilbo provides a nice warm accompaniment to our episode all about our favourite and not-so-favourite romances in our various fandoms.
Topics Discussed and/or Spoiled:
Snakes & Lattes, Orphan Black, io9’s Romance Fails, All the Star Treks, The Office (UK & US), Vorkosigan Saga, Emma, Downton Abbey, Harry Potter, Lois & Clark, Lost, Farscape, BSG, Fringe, Northern Exposure, Whedonverse, Babylon 5, Discworld, Sleepy Hollow, and Once Upon a Time.
Our Outro is Debs & Errol’s Falling Quickly
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
I actually had the opposite reaction to Apollo/Starbuck vs. Angel/Cordy. I love, love, love Angel and Cordy as best friends, but I felt as though the relationship was completely tacked on. They had great “best friend” chemistry and it seemed as though they put in a romantic relationship just because you can’t have two unattached opposite sex leads who are best friends and don’t end up together. They never worked for me. With Apollo and Starbuck, though, I thought they had excellent romantic chemistry. They were horribly unhealthy and kept doing stupid, ridiculous things re: their relationship, but it always felt as though every time they were onscreen together they were exerting every ounce of willpower they could muster to keep from ripping each other’s clothes off. They were horrible together, but I completely believed that they couldn’t shake each other from their systems.
Tom and I were discussing the issue of good romantic relationships in movies, and we came to the conclusion that it only really works if it’s a movie that’s primarily about the relationship, shows you pieces from the relationship from its beginning to its current point, starts near a plausible end for the relationship, and revolves around whether or not the relationship will, in fact, end. The only examples we could think of were “The Fountain,” “The Story of Us” (not a great movie, but a very believable relationship) and ESPECIALLY “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.”
Thank you very much for the Fringe spoiler consideration!
I listened to this episode after the Hannibal episode and Leeman’s comments about expectations when two people reminded me of the shipping of some fans for Will and Hannibal which really bothers me. I am concerned some people may read that as homo-phobia, but it isn’t. Shipping Garrack and Bashir, Sherlock and Watson, Gimli and Legolas (etc.) doesn’t bother me. But in those cases both participants are sane and decent and all involved have a good idea what the other person is about. Hannibal is a monster and has everyone fooled. To ship and fetishize a relationship between Hannibal and Will is to ship and fetishize an expressly abusive relationship – and that disturbs me.
I also consider the Will They or Won’t They bit silly. It is usually more a matter of “when” rather than “yes/no.” The old sitcom NewsRadio had the two leads together with in a few episodes of the series starting just to avoid that trope.
I am also a longtime fan of Farscape. Aryn and John are an awesome couple. I think I shall refer to your daughter by the name of one of the great, memorable characters from that show…
…Rygel. (small, loud, endearing)