Fictional duos with compelling, platonic relationships
May 17, 2013 12:53 AM Subscribe
Recommend me some media featuring a duo with compelling yet platonic chemistry -- like Danes/Patinkin on Homeland or Cranston/Paul on Breaking Bad.
Ignore Danes/Lewis for a second (though they are terrific) -- one thing I love about Breaking Bad and Homeland is their focus on 2 complex, interesting characters with amazing (yet platonic) chemistry. I don't even care what the plot is sometimes, I just enjoy seeing them interact.
What are some other shows I might like? I'm also open to suggestions for film/books if something seems particularly fitting. Both the shows I mention have a mentor/mentee/surrogate family thing going, but feel free to make suggestions outside of that box.
Ignore Danes/Lewis for a second (though they are terrific) -- one thing I love about Breaking Bad and Homeland is their focus on 2 complex, interesting characters with amazing (yet platonic) chemistry. I don't even care what the plot is sometimes, I just enjoy seeing them interact.
What are some other shows I might like? I'm also open to suggestions for film/books if something seems particularly fitting. Both the shows I mention have a mentor/mentee/surrogate family thing going, but feel free to make suggestions outside of that box.
Elementary/Sherlock
posted by carsonb at 1:42 AM on May 17, 2013 [5 favorites]
posted by carsonb at 1:42 AM on May 17, 2013 [5 favorites]
Life on Mars, the UK version with John Simm and Philip Glenister. (I haven't seen the US version, but hear it's not as good.)
posted by Ziggy500 at 1:47 AM on May 17, 2013
posted by Ziggy500 at 1:47 AM on May 17, 2013
Rubicon. The central character Will and well...everyone else. His supervisor, his mentor, his team members, his assistant.
All the characters leap out of the screen as fully realised human beings and spark off each other beautifully.
posted by Ness at 2:34 AM on May 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
All the characters leap out of the screen as fully realised human beings and spark off each other beautifully.
posted by Ness at 2:34 AM on May 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Leslie Knope + Ron Swanson from Parks and Rec
posted by littlesq at 2:41 AM on May 17, 2013 [8 favorites]
posted by littlesq at 2:41 AM on May 17, 2013 [8 favorites]
Best answer: Mad Men - Peggy/Don (at least for the first few seasons; also a mentor/mentee kind of relationship)
Game of Thrones - Jaime/Brienne (which is platonic, but there are arguably hints of something greater than friendship brewing... it's complicated, but definitely compelling)
Merlin - Merlin/Arthur
posted by Defying Gravity at 3:28 AM on May 17, 2013
Game of Thrones - Jaime/Brienne (which is platonic, but there are arguably hints of something greater than friendship brewing... it's complicated, but definitely compelling)
Merlin - Merlin/Arthur
posted by Defying Gravity at 3:28 AM on May 17, 2013
Ugly Betty (US version) - Daniel/Betty
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 3:51 AM on May 17, 2013
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 3:51 AM on May 17, 2013
Supernatural has this in spades.
Sam/Dean
later on Dean/Castiel (season 4 on)
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 4:35 AM on May 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
Sam/Dean
later on Dean/Castiel (season 4 on)
posted by PuppetMcSockerson at 4:35 AM on May 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Elementary.
The Doctor and Donna in Doctor Who, I found their friendship very compelling.
posted by wwax at 4:59 AM on May 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
The Doctor and Donna in Doctor Who, I found their friendship very compelling.
posted by wwax at 4:59 AM on May 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
Gilmore Girls is pretty good for this; the Lorelai/Rory pair is central, of course, but you get great character interactions between any two of the four family members.
posted by Johnny Assay at 5:18 AM on May 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Johnny Assay at 5:18 AM on May 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Kirk and Spock is the iconic relationships.
Bunter and Lord Peter in the Lord Peter Wimsey Books.
The women in Sex and the City.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 5:28 AM on May 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Bunter and Lord Peter in the Lord Peter Wimsey Books.
The women in Sex and the City.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 5:28 AM on May 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
If you can get past the laugh track in the first season, I think the platonic chemistry is pretty great in Sports Night (Casey/Dan, Dana/Natalie, anyone (but especially Dan)/Isaac).
posted by pitrified at 5:31 AM on May 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by pitrified at 5:31 AM on May 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
First season or two of Grey's Anatomy was great for a group of people with real, and genuinely complex, interrelationships, mostly platonic. How your friends see you through your crises, pick you up off the floor, toast your victories. Actually, writing that, most of Buffy (least fleshed out in the first season, but gaining depth with every episode) is about the relationships (mostly platonic) among the core group.
posted by acm at 6:13 AM on May 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by acm at 6:13 AM on May 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Mal and Zoe in Firefly
George/Lenny in Of Mice and Men
posted by Salvor Hardin at 6:25 AM on May 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
George/Lenny in Of Mice and Men
posted by Salvor Hardin at 6:25 AM on May 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
Star Trek has many of these. Sisko and Dax stands out for the switch (Dax starting out as his mentor, then Sisko becoming her mentor later). Also Picard and Riker; Janeway and Chakotay, and later Janeway and Seven of Nine (again with the mentor angle).
The 4400 - Jordan and Shawn, father surrogate/mentor
Heroes - Hiro and Ando; Nathan and Peter (though they are brothers, so it may not fit 100 %)
Falling Skies - Tom Mason and Captain Weaver (civilian/military rivalry turning into friendship)
posted by MinusCelsius at 6:36 AM on May 17, 2013
The 4400 - Jordan and Shawn, father surrogate/mentor
Heroes - Hiro and Ando; Nathan and Peter (though they are brothers, so it may not fit 100 %)
Falling Skies - Tom Mason and Captain Weaver (civilian/military rivalry turning into friendship)
posted by MinusCelsius at 6:36 AM on May 17, 2013
Troy and Abed in Community!
posted by randomnity at 6:44 AM on May 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by randomnity at 6:44 AM on May 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Mulder and Scully! (x-files) I'm 4 seasons in, and it's still platonic.
posted by itesser at 7:14 AM on May 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by itesser at 7:14 AM on May 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Damon/Alaric on The Vampire Diaries (not quite done with S3 so no spoilers, svp). He's a vampire--with a drinking problem!, and he's a vampire hunter/history teacher--with a drinking problem!
And yet they're friends. The actors clearly have a good time interacting with each other and outside of the supernatural plots that abound around them, their characters seem to mostly day-drink and be snarky.
posted by Kitteh at 7:32 AM on May 17, 2013
And yet they're friends. The actors clearly have a good time interacting with each other and outside of the supernatural plots that abound around them, their characters seem to mostly day-drink and be snarky.
posted by Kitteh at 7:32 AM on May 17, 2013
Charlie Crews and Dani Reese are cop partners from the somewhat short-lived TV show Life.
posted by yasaman at 7:54 AM on May 17, 2013
posted by yasaman at 7:54 AM on May 17, 2013
Ron Swanson and Leslie Knope on Parks and Rec.
posted by macadamiaranch at 8:05 AM on May 17, 2013
posted by macadamiaranch at 8:05 AM on May 17, 2013
Jerry and Elaine from Seinfeld? It wasn't always platonic, but it is from an episode in the first season on.
posted by Ducks or monkeys at 8:31 AM on May 17, 2013
posted by Ducks or monkeys at 8:31 AM on May 17, 2013
Seconding Benson and Stabler on Law & Order SVU, and adding Goren and Eames on Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
posted by RRgal at 9:34 AM on May 17, 2013
posted by RRgal at 9:34 AM on May 17, 2013
Kenzie & Bo on Lost Girl.
posted by croutonsupafreak at 10:41 AM on May 17, 2013
posted by croutonsupafreak at 10:41 AM on May 17, 2013
Oh, and how can I have not mentioned Pete and Myka on Warehouse 13? They're one of not very many opposite-sex partners on TV shows where there isn't a will-they-or-won't-they vibe, at least, not past the first season, and they're not just buddies, but good friends.
posted by rtha at 10:45 AM on May 17, 2013
posted by rtha at 10:45 AM on May 17, 2013
Best answer: Shawn & Gus on Psych (more in a humorous vein, but still very good)
Sherlock & Watson on Elementary (opposite-sex yet entirely platonic with nary a hint of sexual tension)
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 12:28 PM on May 17, 2013
Sherlock & Watson on Elementary (opposite-sex yet entirely platonic with nary a hint of sexual tension)
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 12:28 PM on May 17, 2013
Samantha Stewart and DCI Foyle in Foyle's War.
posted by Corvid at 2:40 PM on May 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Corvid at 2:40 PM on May 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
Christine and Matthew in The New Adventures Of Old Christine.
posted by melesana at 10:28 PM on May 17, 2013
posted by melesana at 10:28 PM on May 17, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by sevensnowflakes at 1:10 AM on May 17, 2013 [1 favorite]