We’ve Got a Bunch of Ships We’re Celebrating in 2021 for Valentine’s Day

Well, it’s Valentine’s Day weekend and what better excuse to just write about our favorite ships on screen right now? Granted we don’t ever need a reason to talk about ships, but we’ll always take up the opportunities.

Naomi Nagata and Jim Holden
The Expanse

No couple on screen could be apart for an entire season and still make you feel as though they’re together—as though they’re connected in every way that two people can be. Naomi and Jim are as real as it gets, as beautifully reassuring as a couple can be. It’s never a walk in the park for them (hopefully someday it can be), but being together makes everything easy—having each other makes knowing a kind of strength that’s transcendent, everlasting, and palpable even when they aren’t in the same room. They’re ceaselessly making each other better—they’re the very reason the other feels at home. What they do is a constant risk, and they are met with challenges more often than not, but they believe in each other with a fervency so strong, they would never dare to step in the way of something the other wants to do. No matter how difficult, no matter how heartbreaking, even if need be, they would let the other go because this relationship is freeing. They are bound to each other through an unbearably strong adoration, but they would never confine the other. There is a trust between them that’s unlike anything we’ve seen, and that trust comes from the profundity of their love. It comes from an understanding so deep, they know. They always know that in each other, no matter how far, they always have a home.

Eliza Scarlet and William Wellington
Miss Scarlet and The Duke

Eliza Scarlet and William Wellington are the prime example of two people who are constantly at each other’s throats but deeply care for one another. Mentored by her father, William is a Detective Inspector at Scotland Yard, while Eliza is following in her father’s footsteps as a private detective. They’ve known each since childhood, and know how to push each other’s buttons. Eliza has a strong sense of determination and is highly driven to get the job done, which means she’s often barging into a much-annoyed William’s office or interrupting his investigations. Meanwhile, his exasperated sighs are often combined with his concerns for her safety in the not-so-safe streets of London. Despite their numerous quarrels, there’s no one the two trust and rely on more than each other. Although William would rather Eliza conform to a more conventional role as a lady in Victorian London, he never questions her skills and abilities and is quite protective of her. In turn, Eliza has the utmost confidence and respect in his capabilities. 

And of course, these two share intense chemistry, whether they’re bickering or offering compliments to each other. And as much as they have their recurring argument about the kiss they shared when they were younger and if it actually meant something or not, there’s an undeniable attraction that leaves fans rooting for them. (It meant something–it absolutely did.)

Wanda Maximoff and Vision
WandaVision

There are still so many questions—so many theories fans everywhere have, and very few certainties with WandaVision. But what we are certain of, is the fact that what Wanda and Vision share is incredibly real. The love that’s ignited in both of them has been the very spark that’s helped them both find a home. Throughout the entirety of the cinematic universe, they have stood as paradigms of how adoration should look. Vision has and will always love every part of Wanda—even the parts of her that she may not love herself. And Wanda loves him as he is, really and truly. Wanda loves him enough to fight like hell to bring him back—to sacrifice something even bigger, perhaps just to be given more time with him. Sometimes love is messy, it’s desperate, and it’s dark—but with these two, it’s real. That’s what we can be certain of, that no matter what they go through and what challenges they face, the love they share helped them both grow for the better. It brought strength and light into their lives. It brought something indescribable, something greatly telling. It’s going to get darker, it’s going to get bleak again, but we can be certain of the fact that this love between both of them is immaculate and good.

Amy Santiago and Jake Peralta
Brooklyn Nine-Nine

I always joke that Amy Santiago and Jake Peralta are my muse, but really, it’s no joke. When I couldn’t write if my life depended on it, season seven of Brooklyn Nine-Nine premiered and their storyline made writing effortless. I am Charles Boyle. We are all Charles Boyle. The two have come so far in all the years we have gotten to see them on our screens, and this season especially, they were presented with challenges that helped them grow and understand each other even more. They’re vulnerable with each other, constantly transparent with their emotions, and above all—the other’s happiness means everything to them. There’s nothing Jake wouldn’t do to ensure Amy gets what she wants. There’s legitimately nothing he wouldn’t do to get to her when she’s about to go into labor and there’s a citywide blackout. And she’d do the same for him—it’s a constant process of giving for the two of them, listening to each other, and now falling even more in love as they navigate through life as parents ensuring that their child gets all that is good in the world.

Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton
Bridgerton

Colin and Penelope have a long, long time to go until they’re an official couple, but they’re the one relationship we’re all rooting for. From the moment they appeared on text, there was no looking back, and somehow the series amplified how fiercely we ship them. More than anything, at least for now, there’s a beautiful friendship here that goes beyond what most couples have. There is quiet buildup full of growing together, without really noticing (at least on Colin’s end), just how much she means to him. He cares for Penelope, he knows she cares for him, and that she is someone who’ll always have his back—just as he would her. And someday, he’ll return her feelings with his own love. This friendship, and the seamless communication between the two—the contentment in the other’s presence is already so telling of what they’ll look like when they finally get together, and we can’t wait to see it unfold.

Keeley Jones and Roy Kent
Ted Lasso

Some things might change, but what’ll never change is the fact that we’ll always be soft for the grump and the sunshine trope. Ted Lasso’s Keeley Jones and Roy Kent are superb examples for it because for a number of reasons, their relationship is all about actively trying to break through walls. Roy Kent is a tough cookie and part of what makes him the way that he is, is his anger—it’s the walls and the brokenness that comes from being a star more than he was just a man. But Keeley doesn’t see Roy Kent the ex-star, Keeley sees Roy the man. She sees the man who’ll do anything for his niece, the man who cares about his team, and the man who’s trying so damn hard to make everything worthwhile. She sees him as no one else ever has, and he sees her as so much more—her goodness, her beauty, her strengths. It’s not going to be easy being vulnerable for Roy, but he’s getting there. He’s getting there because he’s with someone with whom it’s safe to crumble with—someone with whom he can admit he isn’t okay. And he believes in her more than anyone else ever has, which will work so well for all the things she’ll certainly accomplish.

Lucy Chen and Tim Bradford
The Rookie

If you watch The Rookie, you cannot deny the chemistry between Lucy Chen and Tim Bradford. She’s the upbeat, optimistic rookie police officer. He’s the intense, hardened training officer that takes the duties of the police badge very seriously. Over the course of the series, the two have grown closer–Lucy has been able to break through his tough exterior where he demonstrates his vulnerability. Meanwhile, Bradford visibly feels a responsibility towards his rookie and has expressed his concerns over her. The usually in-control Tim was emotional when Lucy was kidnapped and was the one to find her when she was buried alive. He was also waiting by her bedside at the hospital with her favorite lunch. 

But it’s not just the big things with these two. They’re there for each other for the little things as well, like Lucy recording an audiobook for Tim or investigating his car accident to clear his name. They’ve always got each other’s backs, whether it’s professional or personal. And most importantly, they value each other–Tim pushes Lucy because he believes in her, and Lucy asks for his opinions because he’s important to her. Given Tim’s her superior and Lucy is trying to establish her career, the likelihood of these getting together probably won’t be anytime soon, but in the meantime, we’ll gladly watch their relationship develop further.

Alex Mercer and Willie
Julie and The Phantoms

Alex and Willie—be still our hearts. Of all the ships on Julie and The Phantoms, this is the one we want established stat. This is the one that needs to happen sooner than later because these two have already solidified just how much they care about each other, and just how fervently they’ll protect each other. When Alex tells Willie that he would’ve still followed him, and Willie noted that he’d do anything for Alex—you understood instantly in that moment that they both meant it. The chemistry, the understanding, and the laughter—the way these two could clearly spend days together, it’s all so riveting. And even when Alex wasn’t sure what was happening with Willie because of Caleb’s club, deep down, as the audience we knew that this relationship was real. We knew Willie’s intentions—we knew his heart. They may not have had the chance to meet before, but the afterlife is theirs and every part of their journey is transcendent.

Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset
Bridgerton

Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Basset were not among my favorite couples in the books. Most of us here have never been shy in admitting that fact, but where the TV show is concerned, thanks to the incomparable work Phoebe Dynevor and Regé-Jean Page brought to the screen in layering the characters beautifully, we’re in. They have added such gorgeous nuances to them that worked in fortifying the relationship. The Duke and Duchess of Hastings are two people who have chosen to love each other through every demon, every heartache, every mistake, and every accomplishment. Daphne and Simon have one of the best tropes (fake dating), and it evolves gorgeously to the type of friendships that reiterates the importance of conversations and transparency in relationships. It takes a while for them to get there, but they do and they do so with a plethora of amazing scenes.

Zoey Clarke and Max Richman
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist

Zoey and Max are one of the sweetest, most entertaining couples on-screen right now. (In spite of the fact that at this current moment, they are no longer together.) But that doesn’t change the fact that though apart, these two, even when they don’t understand fully are there for one another in ways that only works with the other. Max might not understand the tremendous loss of a parent that was deeply adored, but there is nothing he wouldn’t do to show Zoey that he’s there—he’s by her side through it all. Zoey might not know what it’s like to feel numbed by a parent, and while she has the advantage of hearing heart songs, she tries—continuously and with steadfast devotion to be the very best friend Max has. And it works. It works for these two because while they have a lot of growing to do, together and apart, they work with such ease, it’s both entertaining and stunning to watch.

Julie Molina and Luke Patterson
Julie and The Phantoms

These two have ways to go and that’s a good thing. We don’t want it rushed and we don’t need it to be, but we’re here to talk about why they’re so special and why this could work so beautifully. We’re here to talk about the perfect harmony. At its core Julie and The Phantoms is a show about friendships. It’s a series about people accepting you as you are and taking the time to embrace the parts of you others might neglect. Julie and Luke, much like the others, see each other for who they really are. They see the good, the ridiculous, and eventually the ugly. And they understand each other—they fight for each other. The potent way in which these two connect with music never fails to astound us, and it’s something we can’t wait to see more of, every little detail down to the very way that her voice has healed every hollow part of him that existed.

Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont
A Discovery of Witches

Matthew Clairmont and Diana Bishop are one of the few ships that get together so early on and grow with amazing strength together. We’ve often gotten not so enticing stories of vampires and mortals, but nothing works quite the way this vampire and witch do. And so much of it is due to the mythology behind them—how close they’re able to get to one another that perhaps mortals cannot inn ways that go beyond our capabilities. In the second season especially, thus far, they have fought to consistently remind each other of the fact that they are worthy—they are deserving, and whatever obstacle stands in their way, they are never alone. This isn’t a passing fling. This is what forever looks like—as close as it gets in a myriad of ways. They are two people who are surrounded by a number of good people, but the way in which they are able to love one another cannot be compared to anything else in their lives. They’ll fight for each other, protect each other, and most importantly believe in each other. As close as two people get and they do so with a number of scenes that often leave us breathless.

Clarissa “Peaches” Mao and Amos Burton
The Expanse

Nothing has and will ever surprise us more than how fervently we are backing these two as a romantic relationship. It may never get there, and that’s okay, too we ship them as best friends, too. We just ship them. We’re just here to scream into the void about how enamored we are by two people who are rough around the edges, broken, and yet so incomparably soft with each other. He calls her “peaches” for crying out loud. How are we expected to remain calm about this? There’s something so achingly vulnerable about the way Amos took care of her all throughout this latest season and how he fought to ensure her safety after everything she’s been faced. There’s something so beautifully heartwarming about the fact that there’s nothing about their past they can’t share with each other with the firm belief that it’ll never change the way the other looks at them. The best and the worst, they can see it all, and yet, their loyalty to one another remains as steadfast as the concept of zero gravity.

Geralt of Rivia and Yennefer Vengerberg
The Witcher

Geralt and Yennefer are the ship that’s crushed us the most. I’m pretty sure I cursed out everyone and their mothers when I got to the end of episode six. And yes okay, it’s only the first season, but still. You don’t give me a scene where one half says “I dreamed of becoming important to someone. Someday” while the other responds with “Before we met, the days were calm and the nights were restless, but now … you’re important to me.” There are a lot of things they both didn’t choose, but they chose each other, and that’s inarguable. There are ways to go and time is a strange construct, but what they have is powerfully unmatched—it’s heartbreaking, it’s riveting, and it’s the story of two people who could be vulnerable with each other, who are supposedly not meant to love as fiercely as they do, and yet, there could never be anyone else who’s as important.

Who are some of your favorite ships on TV right now?