Couple Nirvana Meme

[katayla]

From jacedesbff:

Nirvana (n.) – from Dictionary.com: An ideal condition of rest, harmony, stability, or joy

Most couples—at *some* point—have that perfect moment, the moment that you cling to when the writers go and get all angsty because they want better ratings. There is a moment that makes you believe that investing way too much energy in fictional people is a great way to spend your time. So here’s your chance. List your Top 10 Nirvana Couple Moments—those perfect instances when the stars and planets align and your couple is (or was) perfect. Why? Because every once in awhile, we need to remember these moments—because before you know it, the writers go back to boosting ratings and angst ensues. Celebrate perfection, people.

Pictures are a plus, but are not required. Tag or don’t. Encourage everyone to share the love!

I think my answers might surprise some of you. Both the couples I left out and the ones I included. At first, when I saw this meme, I thought there was no way I could figure which ten moments to include. My favorite part of watching TV is watching a relationship develop and rooting for two characters to get together. As a result, I have a lot of favorite couples and even more favorite moments. So I decided to narrow it down to the couples who had one moment that instantly jumped out at me above all others. A moment that I watched over and over and over again.  I think some couples haven't had that moment yet and some have had many. Those couples I decided not to include. It's terribly subjective of course, but that's what makes this fun.

These are all in alphabetical order by show name. And I talk a lot. I mean, I don't want to shut up about my couples when I'm not doing a couples meme, so I took this opportunity and ran with it.

1. Jack/Irina, Alias

Episode 4x21 - "Search and Rescue"

Screencaps from Alias-fans.net.

Irina: How’s your jaw?
Jack: I’ve been through worse.
Irina: Jack, I understand why you believed you had to kill me, but the truth is, if the situation had been reversed, I would have found another way.
Jack: I can’t imagine this will give you any comfort, considering what you’ve been through, but the truth is, there wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t regret what I did.
Irina: And about my indiscretion with Sloane, I can only hope you’ll accept my apology.
Jack: Of all the things you’ve done, that’s what you’re going to apologize for?

I adored Jack and Irina. They had such a complicated relationship. It was built on lies and they could never trust each other. Jack believed she was dead for thirty years and, as you can tell from this conversation, set out to kill her. And yet there was such an intense bond between them. I always believed that their marriage, despites the lies, was a very strong one. All of that comes out in this moment. They understand each other so well. Irina knows why Jack tried to kill her. She doesn't hold that against him. And then we get Jack's gorgeous line, "Of all the things you’ve done, that’s what you’re going to apologize for?" Irina did so many bad things, but the one she chooses to apologize for is this one! And look at Jack smiling! In five seasons of the show, we almost never saw him smiling, but, here, for Irina, he smiles.

2. Pacey/Joey, Dawson's Creek
Episode 3x22 - "The Anti-Prom"


Screencaps from here.

Pacey: Where did you get those? They’re not you.
Joey: Why? Because I’m just a poor tomboy or . . . Dawson gave them to me.
Pacey: Neither. See this? This is you. It’s not showy or gaudy. It’s simple. Elegant. Beautiful.
Joey: It’s my mom’s bracelet.
Pacey: I know.
Joey: How do you know?
Pacey: Well, because you told me. Six months ago. You were wearing that blue sweater with snowflakes that you have. We were walking down the hallways at school. I was annoying you as per usual. You said, “Look, Pacey, I just found my mother’s bracelet this morning, so why don’t you cut me some slack?”
Joey: You remember that?
Pacey: I remember everything.

I didn't watch Dawson's Creek when it originally aired, something that makes me laugh, because I was in exactly the right age range. But, lovable geek that I was, I was busy watching sci fi back then. When I finally did catch up on the show, I fell in love with Joey and Pacey. I love a good love triangle and this one was superb. We actually got to watch these two characters fall in love with each other, something I didn't really see with Dawson and Joey.

This moment might seem like a funny one to choose as a "perfect" moment because, in a lot of ways, it's a pretty sad one. They've broken up and they're each at the prom with someone else. But, for me, it's the moment for them. Joey asks Pacey to dance, and it's one of those TV moments where the music comes in perfectly, and you can just feel all the emotion between them. Especially Pacey's line "I remember everything." I watched just that part a hundred times. I watch this scene and I know these two characters are in love. And their exes, who are watching, know it, too.

3. Burke/Cristina, Grey's Anatomy
Episode 3x13 - "Great Expectations"



Screencaps from Screenmusings.

Cristina: I was right. I swear, I really believe what I did was right. I-I don’t want you to forgive me. Frankly, I, I’d find it patronizing if you did because while I know I was right, you think I’m wrong. Which doesn’t matter. Because . . . I’m in this. I’m in this for the long haul. And I’m in this to finish the race. So if that means I don’t win this one, then fine. I don’t win. You win. I’m talking. See? I’m talking first. You win.

Burke and Cristina were my Grey's Anatomy OTP. They ended terribly and there's no way Burke is ever, ever going to be on the show again, but I still love them. It was the kind of relationship I could envision myself being in. They're never mushy, but you don't doubt their love for each other, either.

So, this scene. They've literally not talked to each other for several episodes, and then Cristina, ambitious, cut-throat Cristina, is the one to break the silence. For her, this is a huge declaration of love. I admire her so much for being able to simultaneously stick to what she believes in and let Burke "win" the argument. And then Burke asks her to marry him and it all just feels so real. They feel like a real couple, who want to be together and work out their issues together. To me, that is much more romantic than the flowery speeches this show so often does.

4. Barney/Robin, How I Met Your Mother
Episode 3x20 - "Miracles"


Screencaps from winter baby caps.

Marshall: Hey, uh, Ted said that, right before the accident, his life flashed before his eyes. You know, all the stuff he loves. Did that happen to you?
Lily: Oh yeah, I know what he saw. Boobs.
Marshall: Scotch.
Lily: Money.
Marshall: Suits.
Lily: A suit of money.
Marshall: A suit of boobs. A giant boob, wearing a suit of money.
Lily: And the boob is lactating Scotch.
Marshall: I guess that's pretty much everything you love, right?
Barney: Yeah, pretty much.

This one won't surprise anyone who's been paying attention to my journal lately. There's just so much to love about Barney/Robin. That snarky sensibility. The fact that neither one of them is looking for a relationship, but might just end up in one anyway. The complication added because she is his best friend's ex.

They've slept together, but (for me, at least), this is the first real glimpse we get of either of their true feelings and it's all about Neil Patrick Harris's acting. I love these kinds of moments. It happens in front of three characters, including Robin!, but the audience is the only one who knows what it means. Who now knows that Barney is in love with Robin. (And I haven't seen many people talk about Robin, but look at her! She's so gorgeous in this scene. I'm a straight woman, but I think I'd fall in love with her here, too.)

It's also my favorite kind of season finale moments. It's not a cliffhanger, it's not a declaration of love, but it gives me something to speculate about and keep me happy all summer long.

5. Nathan/Haley, One Tree Hill
Episode 3x09 - "How a Resurrection Really Feels"

Screencaps from Daydreaming.

Until I started looking from screencaps, I didn't fully realize I had picked out a sex scene for these two! In reality, though, this is something I consider very rare on television: two characters having sex because they're in love with each other. And a married couple at that!

Nathan and Haley are my One Tree Hill favorites. I love how they love each other. This scene is their reunion, after being estranged all season. There are two things in particular I want to point out. The first is Haley's expression, when Nathan takes off his shirt, and she sees that he's been wearing his wedding ring on a chain. That he really hasn't given up on their marriage. And the second is their hands. They're holding hands while having sex. That strikes me as being so incredibly sweet. This isn't hot TV sex, it's lovemaking.

6. Cooper/Violet, Private Practice
Episode 1x04 - "In Which Addison Has a Very Causal Get Together"


Screencaps from Insanely-Pretty[DOT]Com.

Violet: There is no way she's right. He is not still thinking about me.
Cooper: Of course he's still thinking about you, you idiot.
Violet: You don't have to be mean about it.
Cooper: You're hard to forget.
Violet: Cooper.
Cooper: What? I'm just saying you are very loud, you have a lot of curly hair.

Cooper and Violet are best friend love. We know they belong together and so does Cooper, but Violet hasn't admitted it yet. In this episode, Cooper did admit it to a patient, but he couldn't tell Violet.

But he comes so close to it here. He tells her she's hard to forget in such a tender voice, and look at the way she looks at him! I swear, she does know it, at least for a moment. And the way she says, "Cooper." She's asking him what he means and reminding him who they are and where they are all at once. And I think he could have told her.

He doesn't, though. He backtracks and covers, but you can see the moment stays with both of them. Violet looks after him, as if saying "What was that?" and Cooper looks almost ashamed. Either because he couldn't tell her or because he thinks he said too much.

7.  Dr. Cox/Jordan, Scrubs
Episode 2x08 - "My Fruit Cups"


My own screencaps because the internet is mean and doesn't have them and it was all very traumatic.

Julie: So is your ex-wife like all women are crazy-crazy or more like that assistant who tasered David Spade-crazy?
Dr. Cox: Well, you’ve got to try and understand. She’s going through a rough time right now, and I’m the one that she’s used to leaning on, which, in her current condition, is actually causing me more physical pain than it is emotional. But, still, it sure was silly of her to try to make me choose between the two of you.
Julie: I guess it was a pretty easy decision, huh?
Dr. Cox: Well, when I really had a chance to think about it, it turns out it was the easiest decision I ever made. I was always going to wind up with you.
Jordan: So the whole vulnerable crying thing worked, huh?
Dr. Cox: I never had a chance.

I love Dr. Cox and Jordan. The most functional, dysfunctional couple I've seen. In one of the commentaries, Bill Lawrence (I think it was him) said they originally thought they'd blow up in some huge way, but then they realized they'd made it pretty much impossible to split them up. That stuck with me because it's true. They're perfect for each other and their kind of relationship might not work for anyone else on the planet, but it's right for them.

And this scene is one that strikes me as such a Scrubs kind of scene. Jordan has showed up to get Dr. Cox back, but he has a new girlfriend, Julie. First, we see him talking to Julie and you think he chose her, but then he turns around, and he's talking to Jordan. I love his dialogue here: "Well, when I really had a chance to think about it, it turns out it was the easiest decision I ever made. I was always going to wind up with you." People say that kind of thing a lot on TV, but I believed it when I first saw it, and, five seasons later, it's been proven true again and again. They really couldn't be with anyone else.

8. Matt/Harriet, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Episode 1x19 - "K & R Part 1"


Screencaps from Screenmusings.

Matt: You really would've thought one of us would have won by this point.
Harriet: Oh, Matt. I just love you is all. It's okay that you're a heathen.
Matt: Well, I appreciate that.
Harriet: Come pray with me. I'll show you how, you'll learn something new.

They never were very popular in the fandom, but I loved Matt & Harriet. From the very first episode, we understood exactly why they split up, and yet we knew that still loved each other and would inevitably find their way back. Their big issue was the religious different. Harriet is a committed Christian and Matt is an atheist Jew.

So, of course, in this scene, when Matt comes across Harriet praying, he has to mock her, and she defends herself. Matt says, "We've been having this fight for eight years," and we transition into a montage of them fighting about religion over those eight years. In some of these flashbacks, you can tell they're a couple and the fighting is light-hearted. In other scenes, they're genuinely angry at each other. The overall result is this crystal-clear picture of their relationship. Then it's back in real time, and Harriet tells him, "I just love you is all. It's okay that you're a heathen." It's a couple more episodes before they're back together, but, really, I think everything is settled here.

Throughout this scene, "Have a Little Faith in Me" is playing, which is just the perfect song choice because it can mean faith in the religious sense, as well as faith in their relationship and love for each other.

9. Seth/Summer, The OC
Episode 2x14 - "The Rainy Day Women"


Screencaps from OC Trailers.

Seth: What are you doing here?
Summer: What do you think, Cohen?

Ah, yes, the Spiderman kiss. Seth and Summer actually ended being together for the majority of the show's run, but this was their big season two reunion. And what a reunion it was! When it first aired, I remember my then-roommate and I talked about the impressive amount of set up that went into this moment. They had to establish that Seth wore the Spiderman mask in the rain and that he was looking forward to watching his TV show. So, when his TV went out, it made perfect sense that he climbed onto the roof to fix it, wearing the mask, and, because he's Seth, he fell and ended up hanging upside down. Meanwhile, Summer realizes that she's still in love with Seth (and, oh!, that's a great moment, too, of Summer in the airport, watching a little boy who looks like Seth, surrounded by comics books, and playing with a plastic horse) and comes to find him. And it culminates in a moment that must have been heaven for geek-boy Seth. And "Champagne Supernova" is playing and it's pretty much heaven for me, too.

I also love the simplicity of the dialogue. Seth and Summer never did say "I love you" much, but they didn't need to here. It was all there between the lines.

10. Logan/Veronica, Veronica Mars
Episode 1x18 - "Weapons of Class Destruction"


Screencaps from vm-caps.com.

Oh, these two! (And I'm still angry about the way the series ended, but let's not talk about that now.) Here's the thing: I caught up on the show the summer after the first season, so I knew this moment was coming. I think I even knew it was this episode! But that didn't take away any of the impact. It was still passionate, unexpected yet inevitable . . . one of my favorite first kisses ever. It manged to be both "real"--Veronica aiming for Logan's cheek and missing--and "TV"--Logan swirling her around and the camera swooping all around them.

I chose more caps of their expressions than of the actual kiss because that's what sells it for me. They both look so shell shocked! They didn't say a word to each other after the kiss. Veronica walked down to her car. Logan stared at her all the way. Veronica looks back up at him and gives him a tiny shrug, like, "What the hell just happened?" And Logan stares some more. A nirvana moment, for sure.

So there you have it. What do you guys think? Do you like these couples and these moments or would you have picked different ones? And am I wildly crazy for spending so much time on this meme or just the normal amount of crazy?

Comments

[severuslovesme.livejournal.com]

Jack/Irina! Burke/Cristina! Barney/Robin! Cooper/Violet! Excellent, excellent choices, my friend. Each of those couples is almost too amazing to contemplate. And now I want to watch Alias again. :|

[katayla.livejournal.com]

I want to watch them ALL again!

[famouslyso.livejournal.com]

OMG, I'm totally stealing this <333

And I love your Joey/Pacey and L/V moments :D

[katayla.livejournal.com]

Oooh, looking forward to seeing what you choose! :)

[falsemurmur.livejournal.com]

I miss Burke too (still believe his leaving was beyond unnecessary), but yes, that is an awesome moment!

I had no idea Harriet/Matt were disliked...but that moment is lovely, as are the Barney/Robin & Cooper/Violet ones :D

[katayla.livejournal.com]

I don't know if Matt/Harriet were disliked, so much as a lot of people just didn't seem to care about them either way.

But I'm glad you liked my moments. :)

[buhdderkupp.livejournal.com]

Cooper/Violet, Matt/Harriet (although on the show I liked Tom/Lucy more...) and Veronica/Logan for the win!!!

[katayla.livejournal.com]

Tom/Lucy WERE sweet, weren't they? I wish they'd gotten more screentime.

[buhdderkupp.livejournal.com]

They definitely should have, but...that's the way the cookie crumbles. Which is a phrase I have never used before in my entire life.

[stargazr324.livejournal.com]

I love almost all of these! I would have picked Sydney/Vaugh for Alias, though, probably after she saves his life by sacrificing Sloane, even though he was back with Alice.

But the Logan/Veronica and Joey/Pacey moments are my absolute favorites!

(I like 3, 5, and 6 too -- it's kind of scary how similar my preferences are to yours)

Now I'm going to have to do this, and steal a couple of your scenes (I'm adding in Bones/Booth and Buffy/Angel)

[katayla.livejournal.com]

I did like Sydney/Vaughn, but they weren't quite a OTP for me, you know? But that was one of my favorite moments for them. I also still love the whole broken watch thing: "This watch belonged to my father. It's broken now, but it used to keep perfect time . . ."

Now, Booth/Brennan and Buffy/Angel I definitely considered (so, wow, we have even MORE ships in common. Yay!). But, using my totally subjective criteria, I felt like Buffy/Angel had too many moments and Booth/Brennan . . . well, I don't want to say they haven't had moments (because, obviously, they have, lots of great ones!), but there wasn't one that really jumped out at me.

Looking forward to seeing what you choose! This is one of my favorite memes ever.

[stargazr324.livejournal.com]

I almost did the watch thing. "It stopped the day I met you..."

There were two Booth/Bones moments, although by the end of next season we may have a better one. And there were a couple of Buffy/Angel moments that stuck out at me, so I went with those.

I only managed 8 instead of 10, but they're posted now.

[katayla.livejournal.com]

Yay! You're the first to comment on Cox/Jordan. :)

I love your Nathan/Haley moment. That and when they first see each other after Nathan collapses in S1 are probably my choices.

Oooh, that's another good Naley moment. I think that's when they really fell in love with each other.

I miss Matt/Harriet so much. I wish we saw more of them!

Me, too. At least they ended on a good note!

You should do it! It's a lot of fun both to do and to see everyone else's choices. :)

And thanks for the birthday wishes! It's been a good day so far, but I'm still waiting for my presents to get here. *pout*

[katayla.livejournal.com]

Hee. Yeah. Really, it's only a couple of hours . . . but apparently patience DOESN'T come with age. ;)

And, really, the whole show, not just Matt/Harriet, ended well. I wish it had continued, but I'm grateful for that.