5 Favorite Couples Tag

Rules:

Pick one couple from each category

Tagging is optional

Link back to Revealed in Time.

Thanks to Ivy Miranda for creating and tagging me to do this! Time to let my romantic side run loose! I'll steer clear of spoilers for the plots of the movies/TV shows these characters inhabit, but there may or may not be some spoilers concerning the characters, individually and as a couple. Also click the links on the titles to read my reviews of said movies/TV shows! Let me know what you think of my picks in the comments, and participate in the tag if you want to! I'm not going to tag anyone, but would be delighted to see anyone's answers! On to it...

Categories:

1.) Period Drama Couple

2.) Sci-Fi/Fantasy Couple

3.) Superhero Couple

4.) Preferred Couple (from a love triangle) 
5.) Couple Ended Too Soon

Period Drama Couple:

Lizzy Bennet and Mr. Darcy

Pride and Prejudice

 "By you, I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased.” -- Mr. Darcy

 

Film-wise I do prefer the 1995 version (as you may be able to tell...) but this couple is more a credit to Austen's book than anything else. Lizzy and Darcy might even be my most beloved fictional couple of all time. First of all, the fact that I actually love both characters individually is pretty unusual. I love Lizzy's spirit and teasing nature, and how she delights in the ridiculous. And Darcy has that appealing sense of mystery to him, but then once the mystery begins to unravel he only gets more interesting and lovable with his heart of gold. Then together, especially in the novel, they fit together better than any other couple I can think of right now. Darcy is naturally serious and intimidating, but once they are engaged Lizzy gets right to him with her playful teasing and sharp wit in a lovely scene in the book that didn't make it into any film adaptation. They bring each other down from their lofty proud perches while raising up and enhancing their better qualities. A hate-turned-to-love relationship for the ages.

Sci-Fi/Fantasy Couple:

Jim and Selena

28 Days Later...

"That was longer than a heartbeat." -- Jim

This one could have gone to almost any number of couples. Sci-fi and fantasy genres have no shortage of cute couples after all. I decided to go with these two for one main reason: Often with science fiction, the point isn't really the romance. There can be great romances, but most of the time it's the sci-fi itself that really takes front and center. And that's certainly what you'd expect out of a zombie horror film. However, Jim and Selena's relationship ties directly into the theme of the film and becomes one of the film's most prominent features in the end. Jim is new to the zombie world and hasn't become a hardened survivor, but Selena has. She knows what it is to kill loved ones about to turn and we see her do it without hesitation. She tells Jim that she'd do the same to him in a heartbeat. She's become jaded, and survival has become the only thing left in her eyes. However the two develop a cute friendship, and Selena begins to see more than survival in like. And just as Jim completes his journey to becoming a hardened killer to survive, Selena regains her heart. When she thinks Jim is infected (but he isn't) she hesitates. And that says it all.

Superhero Couple:

Peggy Carter and Daniel Sousa

Agent Carter (Season1) (Season 2)

Sousa: "Nothing to say? No quick comeback?"

Peggy: *giant KISS*

Sousa: "...Good point."

This one's maybe a bit of a stretch since neither of these two have actual superpowers, but they are Marvel characters, so I'm gonna go with it! And it's not that I don't like Peggy's brief romance with Captain America in The First Avenger, but we all knew that could never last. From the very first episode of the first season of Agent Carter, I thought that Daniel would be perfect for her and hoped that they'd get together and that he would be confirmed as the husband she refers to in The Winter Soldier. I got one wish granted when they finally happen at the very end of season two. And as much as I would have been all for a third season, everyone knows that a happily ever after doesn't make for good drama, so at least they got that with their future being unexplored. Though I would have loved to see them together and happy a little longer than that brief make-out session -- they were all kinds of adorable even before they were a couple!

 

Preferred Couple (from a love triangle):

Jonathan Byers and Nancy Wheeler

Stranger Things

Jonathan: I guess I'd rather observe people than... you know...
Nancy: Talk to them.
Jonathan: I know. It's weird.
Nancy: No!
Jonathan: No, it is! It's just, sometimes... people don't really say what they're really thinking. But when you capture the right moment, it says more.

This category is the reason I took so long to make this list. All the love triangles I knew of I was tired of (like The Hunger Games) or weren't really fair, having a clear correct winner. But then I saw Stranger Things. Jonathan (left), Nancy, and Steve make up a very well-balanced and amazingly realistic triangle and are the most interesting side plot of an incredibly interesting show. Jonathan is the weird, unpopular loner who's too busy trying to be the man of his house to engage in high school social drama, and Nancy is a nice girl well on her way to becoming a grade-A jerk, dating the charming but wild and worldly Steve. But when she and Jonathan are thrown together by certain plot events, the friction between the two quickly turns to sparks of romance. Nancy leaves the path to becoming a popular snob, and Jonathan opens up to her. They bring out the best in each other, and there are so many sweet moments to appreciate. But, in a wacky twist, their friendship opens Steve's eyes to his less-than-commendable ways, and he improves his character as well, with a surprisingly awesome redemptive turn. And suddenly there's no clear frontrunner. Jonathan is my favorite character on the show (or in the top two, at least) so he's my pick, but really the two sides are so evenly balanced that I may be swayed in the future as plot and characters develop. We'll see where season 2 takes them!

Couple Ended Too Soon:

Morse and Joan Thursday

Endeavour

Morse: "Well, there are coppers and there are coppers."

Joan: "And what kind are you, then?"

Morse: "I'm the kind that sees young ladies safely to their door."

Poor Morse and his relationship woes! I've been shipping Joan (the daughter of Inspector Thursday, Morse's boss) with Morse ever since their first meeting -- as I'm sure we were meant to -- and in the most resent season we got as close as I fear we ever will concerning them. That is of course, because Morse has eternally bad luck with love -- to his increasing endearment, and in spite of his being one of the biggest hopeless romantics of all time. And Joan seems like a perfect match for him; a young girl in need of a direction and an influence, and whenever she is influenced by Morse she doesn't seem so lost. And Morse always needs someone to care for, and Joan almost constantly provides that for him. The both of them obviously have crushes cultivating, but Morse doesn't do anything about it for so long. Who knows why; maybe he's scared of Inspector Thursday. But when a life-changing event occurs that prompts Morse to finally declare his love, that same event drives Joan further away than she's ever been. Over as soon as it began. Just another step in the steep staircase of Morse's tragic love life. 

Pride and Prejudice (1995)

Jennifer Ehle. Colin Firth. Elizabeth Bennet. Mr. Darcy. BBC. Six episodes. Five hours. Classic.

I love this picture...

I was around eleven years old when I first saw this mini-series. I remember getting pretty bored, and very restless, but I watched it. Over and over in fact, because of my parents and older sister. I tried to understand what was going on, and waited for a view of a horse or a pretty dress. Whenever I did understand a bit or piece here or there, I was incredibly proud of myself, and tried even harder to understand even more. Nearly nine years, and probably at least thirty viewings later, I've got a handle on the story, but I'm still catching new intricacies every time.

I'm going to have to make a conscious effort here, to not cover every single bit of this movie. So if you think of anything I left out, just automatically assume I loved it - unless it's a change from the book; then just assume that I "tolerate it with equanimity."

First off, the cast. Overall, obviously, no complaints. I am especially impressed though, with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle as Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. They look great and sound great, but I love watching their reactions most of all; the subtleties there are so exquisite.

Watching Mr. Darcy's subtle smiles and expressions is one of my favorite things.

Everyone is well cast, and thanks to the five-hour run time, all get a little time of their own to shine in. Mr. Wickham (Adrian Lukis) is a great villain, and you almost feel bad that you have to dislike him; it's very rewarding though, to dislike the more obviously evil Lady Catherine (Barbara Leigh-Hunt) and Bingley's (Crispin Bonham-Carter) sisters (Lucy Robinson and Anna Chancellor). Mrs. Bennet and other more mildly annoying characters are just the right amount of annoying, and fun to laugh at along with Lizzy. None of the characters are perfect - the good, likable characters all have their flaws - and we love them even more for it. Every character is individually developed just like their book counterparts; everyone loveable in their own way.

The story was adapted very faithfully, carefully, from Jane Austen's beloved novel, maintaining all the main plot points perfectly, and, just as importantly, the theme, the feel and the point of the entire book. Along with the dialogue, Austen's dry wit and satire remains happily intact. The complex characters are understood and done justice through the writers as well as the actors - a team effort, with everyone giving their all.

Lydia (Julia Sawalha), Jane (Susannah Harker), Mary (Lucy Briers), Kitty (Polly Maberly, honest), and Lizzy (Jennifer Ehle). All wonderful.

 I should clarify that I definitely don't get either restless or bored watching this anymore, even with the large number of times I've seen it. I still pay attention, and make sure I never leave the room when one of my absolute favorite parts are coming up. Obvious moments like when Lizzy and Mr. Darcy dance at Netherfield, and the two proposal scenes make my list, but also some more understated moments. Like Lizzy's reaction as Mr. Bennet reads Mr. Collins' letter in the final episode. Or the way Lizzy plays with Mr. Wickham, then finally lets him know she knows he had lied after he's married Lydia. Or when Mr. Darcy rolls his eyes behind Lady Catherine's back... and every time he relinquishes an understated smile. And many other little moments. I don't often leave the room while this movie is playing.

The busy scenes are especially great, because the background is always so interesting, with people mingling in the background, and actually developing their characters even more while a couple characters in the foreground carry on a conversation. Brilliant - making the most of every minute.

And I still love those pretty dresses. I now appreciate the men's costumes as well though, and I like looking for the fashion differences in the characters, and determining whether they are caused by the character's personal tastes, or their position or rank in life. Same with the houses, furniture, food... it's all so interesting!

I think I want this dress...

Speaking of their life, that's another thing I love - it's foreign to me, so I love to see the way life was lived back then. What was normal, what was considered right, and then through Lizzy's eyes, what of those things were ridiculous and laughable. Not only do we learn how society worked then, we also learn that it was just as silly sometimes as practical people now know today's society to be. Some things never change. It's a little like this movie (like the novel) was made for people of the early 1800s, and to truly understand it, you have to understand the time. An obstacle sure, but once you're over it, the reward is extremely satisfying. In this category, I still have much to learn.

Much like Lizzy in this scene. Another great costume example too - Mr. Darcy favors his green coat, and I can see why!

Even without understanding the time well, or even all, there is still something to this story... a love story. And not just about two people who fell in love, but two characters - two realistic people, proud and prejudiced as they were, who changed themselves, built up a strong relationship, and acted their love. Austen knew her characters, and knew how to develop them and shape them into a story - a satire, a comedy, a drama. A romance. And everyone involved with bringing her vision to the screen in this version knew how to adapt her story; they knew how to carefully translate it - as literally and respectfully as possible - to a different medium. This, ladies and gentlemen, is how Austen is done.

-- 5/5 stars.

My third review for this challenge!