Couples You 'Shipped Before You Knew What 'Shipping Was

I didn't truly get into West Wing until about the middle of the series, but my favorite part of those early episodes when I managed to catch them was these two. Maybe one of the slowest burns of all time.

Josh and Donna had a flirtation, and Danny and CJ had an even weirder dynamic, but Charlie and Zoey was a true and straightforward romance.

I'm talking the good old days, not whatever is happening on Fuller House.

If you got into Friends late, when Chandler and Monica were already married or dating, you missed one heck of a 'shipping opportunity.

Ah, one of the essential "will they or won't they couples who did, and didn't... and then did.

Well, to be fair, by the end of the show I was a hardcore Sawyer and Juliet 'shipper who tolerated the fact that Kate and Jack were apparently endgame. Plus, by that time the term had entered everyone's vocabulary. Like Harry Potter, it was right on the cusp of 'shipping culture.

As an adult, I'm a Zack and Lisa 'shipper, but we were all young once.

One of my favorite types of pairings (obviously, as per my Harry Potter preferences) is the nerdy girl and the dopey guy. This one is a classic.

It still hurts to this day. Maybe this show should have made like Harry Potter and had Gordo and Miranda be the sweethearts.

Though, let's be real, you were rooting for Brian to find love too — if not with Angela, with someone.

Don't think too hard about how all '90s family sitcom boyfriends are kinda the same guy. Harvey's the best.

Buffy and Spike was the kind of 'ship that you never thought would really happen — and even when it did, it wasn't perfect. However, that doesn't mean you should stop 'shipping!

The love triangle so nice, it gets two slides. Since there was no definitive decision, this debate rages on 20 years later. Angel served as a metaphor for young, angsty vampire love long before Edward Cullen sulked into the picture.

Sure, Xander had his fair share of love interests, but few relationships on this show were more epic than Willow and Tara.

This one's for all my TVLand kids out there. These two would bicker like nobody's business, refuse to admit that they actually cared about and respected each other, and then every time they thought they would never see each other again they'd freak out and start kissing. It's OTP gold.

On that note, here are two more who argued their way into each other's arms.

I never 'shipped Helga and Arnold, because even I knew she was taking that crush a bit too far, but Doug and Patti would have been nice.

They were probably also your #couplegoals before that was a thing, too.

Boy Meets World really was an oddly romantic show — it's too bad that fandom was too early for 'shipping.

Marco and Cassie were fun, but these two were the real angsty 'ship in the books and on the short-lived Nickelodeon series.

Jane's boyfriend ultimately fell for Daria, and I 'shipped it so hard. Tom might be the best TV boyfriend ever?

I didn't watch this show — I hope this is not a controversial take, but I know more people who 'shipped them than Dawson and Joey.

The show's major 'ship was a real journey for fans.

Be honest, there's always one 'ship you wished would get together IRL.

While Jake was drifting between Manny, Ashley, and ultimately Ellie, these two were worth rooting for on the Canadian soap.

While I refuse to acknowledge that Spinner and Emma were endgame, Degrassi is another cusp show whose fandom caught on to 'shipping after a few seasons. "Palex" was a great slow burn that started as a friendship and became something more.

Like Lost and Harry Potter, I think fandoms discovered 'shipping with Grey's pretty early on — but I have to shout out the one that started it all.

They inspired one of the biggest TV 'ships, Pam and Jim, but came first.

OK, so maybe this show was also on before you had the best grasp on which kind of relationships were healthy and which were problematic — but I know you were at least invested in this unrequited crush.

More #goals here, to be honest.

I'm not biased. If you're going to be rooting for the potential of any one of Rory Gilmore's love interests, it's going to be Jess. (Also they're endgame, so, fight me.)

Since I started with the epic Harry Potter book series, I think we should end on an epic film. It's tragic, but you totally 'shipped it.

Fandom may have changed a lot, and some new terms have popularized — but everyone loves love! There are some parts about being a fan that never change.