Shipper Meme

[shadowkat]

Okay, I'm going to try to do the Shipper Meme for associated fandoms, which I ganked off of londonkds of all people (he doesn't strike me as a shipper, but neither am I really - since I go by the story more than the pairings, if the pairings further the story and are interesting - it works for me, if they aren't, it doesn't). I find these memes difficult, because I'm such a dilettante when it comes to ships, also tend to be a canon shipper. If the story and writers convince me that the two characters are interesting together - I will ship them, if they don't, I won't. I do not care if they are good for each other or in real life would make each other happy - I care if they are interesting and integral to the plot and the character's emotional arc and if the relationship will tell me something new about them. In short - if the ship bores me, I won't ship it, if it interests me - I will. But even that isn't very clear-cut, because sometimes I like relationships that are comforting to me. Also depends on the show. Like I said - I'm inconsistent on this.


Buffy: [note I'm ignoring the comics as promised]

One True Pairing Ship (not sure what this means - one true as in they'd be great for each other, or one true as in they fascinate me and don't bore me to tears? Going with the later, because hello, fictional characters - I don't care if they'd be great for each other or not): Buffy/Spike
Canon Ship: Buffy/Spike
"If this happens I'll stab my eyes out with a spork" Ship: Buffy/Wood (thank god it didn't)
"You are one sick bastard" Ship: ???? somewhat stumped, since you could say that about practically everyone...except maybe Willow/Tara - no wait, she did the mind-wipe, never mind.
"I dabble a little" Ship: Spike/Angelus, Faith/Angel, Faith/Buffy
"It's like a car crash" Ship: Sigh. See "you are one sick bastard" - also stumped, since this is practically everyone except possibly Giles and Jenny, no wait, she died. Never mind.
"Tickles my fancy but not sold just yet" Ship: Faith/Buffy
"Makes no canon sense but why the Hell not" Ship: Spike/Willow
"Everyone else loves it but I just don't feel it" Ship: Willow/Tara (they were sweet, but I was bored. I like Callie/Arizona on Grey's a lot better, also everyone on the L Word. Also the baby talk got on my nerves eventually.)
"When all is said and done" Ship: Buffy/Spike (this is a horror soap opera folks, none of the ships on this show did I find to be particularly comforting or nice. I could write volumes on why not, oh wait, I already did.)



Angel
One True Pairing Ship (not sure what this means - one true as in they'd be great for each other, or one true as in they fascinate me and don't bore me to tears? Going with the later, because hello, fictional characters - I don't care if they'd be great for each other or not): Angel/Darla or Angel/Spike (it's a toss-up)
Canon Ship: Angel/Darla
"If this happens I'll stab my eyes out with a spork" Ship: Cordelia/anybody but Doyle or Harmony (wait it did - note you really can't watch Whedon shows and ship, or if you do, make sure you don't carry around spork's, be dangerous for your health)
"You are one sick bastard" Ship: Cordelia/Beast and Cordelia/Connor (actually just about everybody except Spike/Angel and Darla/Angel.)
"I dabble a little" Ship: Spike/Fred, Spike/Illyria, Angel/Connor (no not sexual, eww.)
"It's like a car crash" Ship: Sigh. Lilah/Wes? See "you are one sick bastard" - also stumped, since this is practically everyone except possibly...Spike/Angel.
"Tickles my fancy but not sold just yet" Ship: Spike/Illyria
"Makes no canon sense but why the Hell not" Ship: Angel/Wes, Cordelia/Harmony, Faith/Connor, Faith/Wes,
"Everyone else loves it but I just don't feel it" Ship: Angel/Cordelia, Fred/Gunn, and Fred/Wes
"When all is said and done" Ship: Spike/Angel or Angel/Darla
(Honestly, I don't see how anyone can safely ship on Whedon shows, the guy is that fatal combination of insane soap opera writer meets horror writer, which basically means everyone will sleep together at some point, and when they are finally finally at the point of a satisfying union - bam! he either kills one of them horribly, one goes evil, or someone gets sexually assaulted, it's annoying really.)



One True Pairing Ship: Sawyer/Juliet
Canon Ship: Sawyer/Juliet, Ben/Locke
"If this happens I'll stab my eyes out with a spork" Ship: Ben/Juliet (thank god it didn't)
"You are one sick bastard" Ship: Ben/Juliet
"I dabble a little" Ship: Sayid/Kate, and Sayid/Michelle Rodriquez Character
"It's like a car crash" Ship: Kate/Sawyer
"Tickles my fancy but not sold just yet" Ship: Hurley/Libby, Jin/Sun
"Makes no canon sense but why the Hell not" Ship: ????
"Everyone else loves it but I just don't feel it" Ship: Kate/Jack
"When all is said and done" Ship: Ben/Locke




Farscape
One True Pairing Ship: John/Aeryn
Canon Ship: John/Aeryn
"If this happens I'll stab my eyes out with a spork" Ship: not really. Crais/Crichton?
"You are one sick bastard" Ship: John/Scorpius and Aeryn/Scorpius (yes, there are Aeryn/Scorpie fanfic)
"I dabble a little" Ship: John/Chiana,
"It's like a car crash" Ship: D'Argo/Chiana
"Tickles my fancy but not sold just yet" Ship: Aeryn/Crais (they were trying to do it, but it never worked for me - I couldn't see Aeryn going there after what Crais did to her and John in S1).
"Makes no canon sense but why the Hell not" Ship: Rygel/John
"Everyone else loves it but I just don't feel it" Ship: Z'Haan/Stark
"When all is said and done" Ship: John/Aeryn and Pilot/Moya



Torchwood
One True Pairing Ship (not sure what this means - one true as in they'd be great for each other, or one true as in they fascinate me and don't bore me to tears? Going with the later, because hello, fictional characters - I don't care if they'd be great for each other or not): Tosh/Owen and Jack/John
Canon Ship: Tosh/Owen, John Hart/Jack Harkness
"If this happens I'll stab my eyes out with a spork" Ship: Gwen/Jack (thank god it didn't)
"You are one sick bastard" Ship: ????
"I dabble a little" Ship: no one really
"It's like a car crash" Ship: John Hart/Jack Harkness,
"Tickles my fancy but not sold just yet" Ship: ????
"Makes no canon sense but why the Hell not" Ship: ????
"Everyone else loves it but I just don't feel it" Ship: Ianto/Jack (they were sweet, but I was bored. Too melodramatic and soapy.)
"When all is said and done" Ship: Gwen/Rhys




Battlestar Galatica:
One True Pairing Ship: Lee/Kara (there should be a category for ship everyone hates but you)
Canon Ship: Lee/Kara
"If this happens I'll stab my eyes out with a spork" Ship: Leoben/Kara
"You are one sick bastard" Ship: Leoben/Kara
"I dabble a little" Ship: Kara/Kat and Kara/Sharon (boomer),
"It's like a car crash" Ship: Lee/Kara (remember what I said above - I like relationships in dramas that explore the characters and test them, also based on friendship - friendship is key to me.)
"Tickles my fancy but not sold just yet" Ship: Helo/Athena....
"Makes no canon sense but why the Hell not" Ship: ?????
"Everyone else loves it but I just don't feel it" Ship: Sam/Kara (I was bored, it was so cliche. Clearly I've watched too many shows like this...)
"When all is said and done" Ship: Saul/Ellen (the grown-up version of Lee/Kara in my opinion, which is why I'm rather amused by people who love Saul/Ellen and hate Lee/Kara - when they are clearly mirrors of each other in so many ways.)



Doctor Who
One True Pairing Ship: Dr. River Song/Doctor Who Ten/Eleven and Rory/Amy
"If this happens I'll stab my eyes out with a spork" Ship: Doctor Who 11/Amy Pound (anything other than friendship)
"You are one sick bastard" Ship: the Master/Rose
"I dabble a little" Ship: Jack/Rose, Rose/Donna, The Master/Ten
"It's like a car crash" Ship: Master/Ten
"Tickles my fancy but not sold just yet" Ship: Donna/Ten
"Makes no canon sense but why the Hell not" Ship: ?????
"Everyone else loves it but I just don't feel it" Ship: Rose/Ten (see Sam/Kara and Willow/Tara and well Buffy/Angel - bored now, which most likely explains why I didn't watch most of s1-s2 Doctor Who Reboot.)
"When all is said and done" Ship: The Doctor/Tardis



Vampire Diaries (I don't really ship for this series but what the hell.)
One True Pairing Ship: I don't know. Damon/Stefan? (not sexual, gross) possibly Damon/Rose, or Alaric/Jenna (who incredibly boring actually so never mind)
"If this happens I'll stab my eyes out with a spork" Ship: Damon/Stefan (sexual, because gross)
"You are one sick bastard" Ship: Bonnie/Damon
"I dabble a little" Ship: Caroline/Stefan
"It's like a car crash" Ship: Damon/Elena
"Tickles my fancy but not sold just yet" Ship: Caroline/Tyler, Bonnie/Jeremy
"Makes no canon sense but why the Hell not" Ship: Jenna/John
"Everyone else loves it but I just don't feel it" Ship: Elena/Stefan (remember what I said above? If it bores me...)
"When all is said and done" Ship: Stefan/Damon

That's enough of that...off to make dinner. That was bloody hard. And I'm not even sure I'm willing to stick to some of the answers. That's the other thing, I'm moody - I have a tendency to change my mind on these things every day of the week. Tried to do Bab 5 - but the only pairing that interested me was G'Kar/Londo.

It's late and I'm overdue for dinner.

Comments

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

So many ships, my head is swirling :)

So only the last thing mentioned stuck: I love G'Kar/Londo!

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Hee. ;-)

[sockmonkeyhere.livejournal.com]

"I dabble a little" Ship: Spike/Fred

I heart you. *clings*

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Hee. Thanks. ;-)

I actually think that would have been interesting to explore... she's human, not super-powered, and just brainy - the opposite of what he has been with to date. Also, I happened to amongst the minority of fans who actually liked Fred. ;-)

[sockmonkeyhere.livejournal.com]

I actually think that would have been interesting to explore... she's human, not super-powered, and just brainy - the opposite of what he has been with to date.

Exactly! And another "first" is that she has no negative history with him. The relationship wouldn't have to be boring -- there could still be angst, even if the couple gets along well; the conflicts could be due to external forces rather than internal (harassment from Illyria, for instance.)

Also, I happened to be amongst the minority of fans who actually liked Fred. ;-)

I've always found her funny and fascinating and entertaining, as well as very likable (I feel that way about Anya, too.) I was disappointed when the writers dropped all traces of Pylea from her personality and her story; I remember looking forward so eagerly in Season 5 to seeing her and Spike talk to each other about their respective bouts with insanity. I'm not sure why so many fans don't like her -- whether it's that they think she's boring, or that they don't care for her high-pitched voice, or that she's consistently so nice in comparison to most of the other characters that they think of her as a Mary Sue.

Anyway, I luvs her. If you ever feel an urge to read some Spike/Fred fanfic, here's a link to a master list!
http://www.fuzzyshark.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=53

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Not sure why people disliked Fred either - I'm guessing the flaw lies a bit with how they wrote her - instead of exploring the character more fully, they turned her into Gunn's love interest and then Wes'...creating a somewhat contrived love triangle, which never quite worked. I think the Wes/Fred relationship should have been dropped after S4 not revisited - it hurt the character and made it all about Wes. Not that I disliked the Wes/Fred exactly, it had some interesting twists here and there,
but...

Anyhow...I did write a couple of rough fanboard metas on the character when the series was still on - more or less in response to the people who disliked her so much. Go here:

Who is Fred (http://shadowkat67.livejournal.com/439990.html)

Little Girl Lost: Cordelia and Fred (http://shadowkat67.livejournal.com/446508.html)


Will be sure to check out the fanfic at some point. Thanks.

[sockmonkeyhere.livejournal.com]

Hurrah, I finally found this reply again! I wasn't able to get online for several days after you'd posted it, and then I couldn't remember whose journal I'd read it on. Thank you for the links to your essays! I'll likely get a chance to read them this weekend. :D

I agree with you that ME dropped the ball by turning Fred into a mere prize for Gunn and Wes to fight over, instead of exploring her character more fully. They made the same mistake in Season 5: instead of highlighting her quirkiness, they turned her into a pretty pink princess; instead of displaying her grit and her ability to survive and fend for herself, they made her the resident damsel in distress. It also bugged me that they pushed the "scientist" angle too far: suddenly she was not only a physicist, but an expert in every field of science imaginable, up to and including medical surgery!

kats_meow (Kat Leon on fanfic.net) does a wonderful job of portraying the darker and quirkier sides of Fred's personality, particularly in her stories Good Friday and Binding Ties. (The latter story is incomplete, but still very much worth a read.) Hers is the Fred that I wish had been on the show all along!