What couples have the best/worst fit in terms of romantic/sexual chemistry?

[LoganAlpha30X33]

I'd say great Joey and Pacey from Dawson's Creek...probably helps if the actors dated for a bit before their characters did...

[Cyke]

Fair enough if you thought so. I thought they sold the affection when it was called for, the teasing rang true to what people who care for each other will do, and they were given moments to talk about important stuff. But that's me.



Suppose it could be debated if it was a definitive "no" or a "it might happen someday, but not right now." Still, agreed that it was written pretty well and the actors sold it.

Just to note, I accidentally said the opposite of what I meant (that they should stay as friends), so I didn't want to undermine my whole point

But yeah, I get you. Maybe they get together in a sequel. Maybe they don't. Either way is likely going to be ok.

[LoganAlpha30X33]

Forgot to add on the great side Jake and Leslie on Republic of Doyle and Ty and Amy on Heartland...

[Comic-Reader Lad]

For a dark horse good one from a particular franchise... Lois and Clark from Smallville.

I like most other versions of the characters, but I’d argue one of the few consistently good things about the last few seasons of Smallville was Lois and Clark... largely because Erica Durrance turned out to be a complete natural at blending a screwball romantic comedy dynamic into anything else that was going on in the show, and she actually had a pretty good acting rapport with Tom Welling even when he wasn’t necessarily impressing anyone. The last season is arguably a strong argument for why a Lois who knows who Clark is and is in a committed relationship with him can still be a blast juts in terms of ensemble impact.

I know Lois and Clark was sold on the dynamic itself, but I kind of think that Smallville wound up doing it better.

It's not surprising that Tom and Erica had good chemistry on Smallville. Scuttlebutt was that they were having an affair in real life.

[Comic-Reader Lad]

Good chemistry:

I'd echo Sam and Diane from Cheers.

I'd add:

David and Maddie from Moonlighting - very much like Sam and Diane in that they were all wrong for each other, but the writing was so good that you wanted them to get together. Cheers and Moonlighting probably had the two best will-they-won't-they couples in TV history.

JR and Sue Ellen on Dallas - their relationship made less and less sense with each passing season, but Larry and Linda were always great to watch together on screen.

[Powerboy]

For good: Ant-Man and Wasp in the Marvel movies (actors did the comedy really well and had some more serious moments), Aladdin and Jasmine in both Disney Aladdin movies (I think this really helped sell the quick courtship, alongside the writing giving them a lot of common ground), Max and Chloe in the Life is Strange video game (the game's premise was that these reunited estranged childhood friends were soulmates who needed each other and the writing and actors sold that and then some).

For bad: Anakin and Padme in the Star Wars movies is low-hanging fruit. I thought that Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone in the Amazing Spider-Man movies were extremely inconsistent and had some pretty painful moments (didn't help that the scripts were badly written and depended on the actors' charm to hold things up). Jean Grey with Cyclops and Wolverine in the original X-Men films (minimal interactions between the characters did not help).



Yeah. I mean, it's nice if the actors have a good rapport when filming or recording (that often shines through and can enhance the project overall), but all the rapport, "chemistry," or whatever you want to call it will be hard-pressed to save a bad script. It's also extremely subjective.



Remember I was groaning; if they wanted that, they should've been writing those moves a whole lot differently.

Exactly. I don't see any evidence that Gustin and Patton don't like each other although it is possible to like each other just fine but still not have strong "chemistry". But, in this case, I think it's more that people dislike how their interactions are written.

Classic old time example was Andy Griffith and Eleanor Donahue. They liked each other just fine but there were no romantic sparks even when they tried to play them.

[Cyke]

Oooh, one to add. I know this is intentional but it still left a really bad taste in my mouth -- Ann Perkins and Mark Brendanawicz. It was meant to fail, but there's still a way to fail and at least execute the failure well (Parks & Rec had no shortage of relationships that failed satisfactorily), but Mark was such a bland, unengaging presence that it couldn't end soon enough.

[Largo161]

Good: Niles and Daphne unmarried

Bad: Niles and Daphne married

[Totoro Man]

I sorta figured somebody would have mentioned Steed and Peel from the Avengers TV show by now. but I'll throw it out there.

[Cyke]

Well, I already mentioned Parks & Rec, but Ron and Tammy II have some of the best "will they-won't they-oh god they are-somebody stop them" chemistry ever. Of course, it helps that the actors are married IRL but they're really great at selling passion and disdain simultaneously.

[caj]

Good chemistry:

I'd echo Sam and Diane from Cheers.

I'd add:

David and Maddie from Moonlighting - very much like Sam and Diane in that they were all wrong for each other, but the writing was so good that you wanted them to get together. Cheers and Moonlighting probably had the two best will-they-won't-they couples in TV history.

JR and Sue Ellen on Dallas - their relationship made less and less sense with each passing season, but Larry and Linda were always great to watch together on screen.

Agree with all of this.

And I loved JR and Sue Ellen. In the beginning, they weren't supposed to be much of the focus of the show. Sue Ellen wasn't even in the opening credits. But Larry and Linda had so much chemistry that it forced TPTB to write more for them. And they were magic for sure.

Sue Ellen (to JR): You came into my room last night, didn't you? I got so excited by the idea that I turned over and went right back to sleep.

[Güicho]

For good: Ant-Man and Wasp in the Marvel movies (actors did the comedy really well and had some more serious moments),

That's telling cause Ant-Man was pretty much a remake of many of the Mask of Zorro story beats, ending with the romance.:
Young fallen to crime upstart hero(Rudd/Banderas), steals(take for a test run) the suit/identity of the older retired master (Douglass/Hopkins).
Who has an estranged daughter (Lilly/ZetaJones) who he is trying to protect, in danger of being swayed towards the main nemesis who has "taken" everything from the Old Retired Master. (and now potentially his daughter too)
The old retired Master (Douglass/Hopkins) reluctantly recruits the new young upstart (Rudd/Banderas), who is looking for a way and reason to redeem himself and go on the right path.
The old master eventually gives his blessing; not only for the young new hero to carry on his old mantle/legacy/identity, but to his daughter as well, ... in the end he gains them both!
And his legacy lives on through their union.

Yeah common tropes.
Point is Ant-Man: Scott & Hope, as did Zorro: Diego & Elena worked,








Sticking with the comic book super hero movie theme, the ones that worked for me:

Best:
Zorro: Diego & Elena
Ant-Man: Scott & Hope Ant-Man and Wasp
Captain America: Steve Rogers & Peggy Carter
Deadpool: Wade & Vanessa was fantastic , although they lost it in DP2
Wonder Woman: Diana and Steve

OK:
I Thought Raimi's Spider-Man; Peter & MJ was ok
DK: Bale and Hathaway was just ok, a bit tacked on)
Keaton & Pfeiffer
Superman: Reeve & Kidder was good in the first, and fell apart along with the movies.

Worst:
Thor and whoever forgettable non-character.
Iron-Man: Stark and Potts was pretty flat.

Creepzone:
Howard the Duck & Leia Thompson
stalkery Superman Returns

[Valentis]

Best
Angel and Buffy

Worst
Spike and Buffy

[Valentis]

Boy Meets World
Shawn and Angela >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Cory and Topanga

Although both couples had good chemistry.

[Starter Set]

You came into my room last night, didn't you? I got so excited by the idea that I turned over and went right back to sleep.

That's a pretty fantastic burn.

Red and his wife are an awesome couple in That 70's Show and one of the few thing i would qualify as good from that show.

The couple's dynamic feels authentic, as far as comedy sitcom goes, and there is a real complicity between them with all those subtle shifts in power that couples experience daily lol.