Best Lesbian Couples* on TV

by Ziemia

I am always on the lookout for interesting portrayals of LGBTQ characters in tv shows, and even though most mainstream shows seem to have a token gay person these days, they are usually secondary characters.  When choosing couples I focused not just on their likeability, but also on the way they were portrayed.

Behold, my very subjective list of the best lesbian couples on tv, which frankly was more difficult to compile than I initially thought. Turns out my favorite characters are either single or dating girls I do not approve of. I wonder what that says about me? J

Beware: spoilers for Defiance, Sugar Rush, Skins,  The L Word, Lip Service, Orange Is The New Black, Orphan Black, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

8. Kenya & Stahma Defiance

While technically not a couple (Kenya is a prostitute and Stahma is her client) it is easy to forget about this tiny detail sometimes. Their affection often seems genuine.  Until the very moment she killed her lover, I kept wondering whether Stahma had some actual feelings for Kenya, or was their affair just a part of her elaborate plan to help her husband become mayor of Defiance. This pairing raises not only the issue of interracial relationships (one of the women is human and the other Castithan – an alien) but more significantly, the issue of women paying for sex (with another woman!) which is still a rather big taboo.  

7. Kim & Saint Sugar Rush

Kim is a closeted teenage lesbian with a massive crush on her straight best friend, Sugar. That is, until she meets Saint – the owner of a sex shop for women called The Munch Box by day and a DJ at a lesbian club called The CC by night. Although their relationship isn’t without problems (often caused by the age difference), it progresses rather quickly, and by the end of the 2^nd (and last) season, the girls decide to move in together. Bonus points for not avoiding sex scenes, even though Kim is a teenager, and it may seem controversial.

6. Naomi & Emily Skins

Again, teenage lesbians. You know the drill: coming to terms with your sexuality, coming out to friends and family, dealing with homophobia etc. Sounds like a lot of storylines for LGBTQ characters. And yet I didn’t put this couple here just because they are likeable (which they are).  Naomi and Emily are a good example of how challenging a relationship can be when two people are at different stages of coming out (it takes Naomi more time to admit she’s attracted to a girl). However, what I like most about this couple, is how they handled infidelity. When Emily found out her girlfriend cheated on her,  her reaction wasn’t to immediately leave (which doesn’t mean she forgave Naomi on the spot). Their relationship was pretty strained for a long time, but in the end they prevailed.

5. Shane & Carmen The L Word

I’m not a big fan of The L Word and I haven’t even seen the entire show, but Shane is one of my favorite characters on tv. First of all, she is very androgynous in a show dominated by lipstick lesbians. She is also promiscuous, which is rare for a female character. Since her sleeping around is one of the thing I liked most about Shane, you’d think I wouldn’t like her to be in a relationship. And yet, I loved her with Carmen. They always seemed to have fun together. I do not have a better reason for putting them here. Also, another couple whose relationship wasn’t destroyed by infidelity (at least, not directly).

4. Alex & Piper Orange Is The New Black

Even though I’d much rather see Alex with Nicky (they have so much fun together!), they aren’t a couple just yet, so for the time being, I’ve settled for Piper . I really don’t like her, unless, she is with Alex. Somehow, when they are together, Piper stops being so irritating and pretentious, and transforms into an adventurous woman, who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to have fun. Alex, on the other hand, I like quite a lot, so it drives me crazy when I  see her miserable because of her ex (not that she is a saint).

3. Cosima & Delphine Orphan Black

Unlike most relationships on this list, this is not a case of “girl meets girl” (although it may seem that way at first) but rather “clone girl meets  girl, who turns out to be her monitor and is just gathering data”.  When Cosima falls for the nice French exchange student you just know it’s too good to be true. And wouldn’t you know, Delphine turns out to be working for the Neolutionists. Despite that, the girls have such chemistry, that seeing them together you can actually believe it’s all real. And since Delphine seems to have come to her senses and switched sides, Cosima might get a happy ending after all.

2. Frankie & Sadie Lip Service

Not one, but two promiscuous lesbians!  I think Frankie and Sadie were perfect for each other, even though they dated briefly and Frankie was in love with Cat at the time.  They were both spontaneous, ready to break the rules, and didn’t give a fuck what people thought of them. Like Frankie, Sadie knew what she wanted, and when she wanted something (or someone) she did everything to get it. Compared to her, Cat was really proper and boring.  Why Frankie preferred her, eludes me.  

1. Willow & Tara Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Willow and Tara were one of the first lesbian couples on TV (Carol and Susan from Friends were a bit earlier, but they only occasionally appeared on screen) and they are still my favorite. In the early 2000s, their relationship was still pretty controversial, so there was little physical contact between the two (it took over a year for the girls to kiss on screen!), and for a long time sex was only implied (for example: Willow reaching an orgasmic state while casting a spell with Tara).  However, what I really like about the way they were portrayed, is that issues like coming out, homophobia etc (often main storylines for LGBTQ characters ) were raised, but not focused upon. Willow and Tara were shown as a couple, not a “gay couple”.

I was also thinking about putting Jenny and Vestra form Doctor Who on the list (they are a great couple), put I decided to focus on women who are main characters in their shows. I hope you like it, and will come back for more!

Now remember, you don't need sleep, that's what caffeine is for, so go on and watch something!

*by lesbian couples I mean women in relationships with other women, not all characters on the list are gay