Happy endings matter. There’s a reason our most beloved genre from childhood ends every tale with “…and they lived happily ever after.” The ability to not only imagine, but actually see the outcomes we want for our lives is an essential part of growing up.
Earlier this month, yet another traumatic Bury Your Gays moment on television has countless fans mournful, mad and mobilized. If Lexa’s untimely death on The 100 has taught us anything, it’s that LGBT audiences still yearn to see their own happy endings on screen.
While there have been well over 100 lesbian or bisexual female characters who have perished on the small screen, our happily ever afters are far more rare. It’s a trope that tends to be particularly prevalent in television. Granted, there are a number of examples from film (The Children’s Hour, Lost & Delirious, High Art, Mulholland Dr., Cloudburst, Fried Green Tomatoes—please, we all knew). Yet when we go looking for our happy endings on TV, we’re stymied on two fronts. One, despite recent gains there simply still aren’t as many shows with major queer female characters. And two, as secondary storylines queer female characters are often considered more expendable.
But, still, our happy endings can be found on the small screen. We have ridden off into the sunset hand-in-hand on more than a number of occasions. So here is a look at all the times a queer lady couple made it to the end of an English-language, serialized television show in a relatively happy—or at least not terrible and traumatic—place together. Shows still on the air have not been included because, really, who the fuck knows when a stray bullet may strike.
Queer Female Couples With TV Happy Endings:
Ellen (1998): Ellen & Laurie
Ellen and Laurie confirm their commitment for each other and vow to make it official once marriage equality is legal. They celebrate with some wedding cake to the face. Sure, it ended up taking 17 years to make that legal part happen, but still.
Bad Girls (2001): Helen & Nikki
Helen and Nikki end up out of jail and together. And then run to each other promising to take things “dead slow.” Ha, those glorious liars.
Once and Again (2002): Jessie & Katie
Jessie and Katie’s on-screen relationship remains one of the most tender coming out moments on American television. And they appear to have still been together when the show was canceled, so let’s hear it for high school love.
Buffy (2003): Willow & Kennedy
No, we’ll never forget what happened to Tara. But, fine, Willow looked pretty happy with Kennedy and her tongue piercing.
Friends (2004): Carol & Susan
Much to Ross’s continued chagrin, Carol and Susan appear to still be happily in love, married and raising Ben. Bonus points if you remember which famous real-life lesbians were at their wedding.
Queer as Folk (2005): Melanie & Lindsay
Melanie and Lindsay reconcile and move to Canada because our government was still so damn terrible at the time. This seems prescient given everything going on with Donald Trump.
ER (2007): Kerry & Courtney
Poor Dr. Kerry Weaver. She got to make out with Elizabeth Mitchell only to have them break up, but then got a hot firefighter girlfriend only for her to die. But in the end, she moved to Miami with her new hot TV producer girlfriend, Courtney.
South of Nowhere (2008): Spencer & Ashley
Spashley lives, and decided to U-Haul it in true gay lady fashion.
Guiding Light (2009): Olivia & Natalia
While Otalia fans may not all have been happy with what the soap put them through, Olivia and Natalia made it. They really made it.
Exes and Ohs (2009): Chris & Kris, Jen & Sam
Chris and Kris got married and have their baby—finally. Jen and Sam decide to go for it—also finally.
The L Word (2009): Tina & Bette, Alice & Tasha
Tina and Bette are moving to New York together. Alice and Tasha look like they are getting back together. Since The Farm was never made, I can still count Alice as canon because she got thrown in the slammer.
House (2011): Thirteen & Unnamed Girlfriend
Getting fired by House is the best thing that can happen to Thirteen. Now she can go live a happy life with her unnamed girlfriend. Yes, she has inherited the gene for Huntington’s Disease which will likely shorten her life. But for now, there is kissing and Greece.
Glee (2015): Brittany & Santana
We made this ship happen, guys. We did it. And even Ryan Murphy couldn’t tear them apart. Brittana now, Brittana always.
The Returned (2015): Julie & Nikki
Julie and Nikki made it—and even got to kiss at the end—despite this being on a show that quite literally is about dead people.
Hannibal (2015): Alana & Margot
The lesbians, Alana and Margot, stay alive. But it was a nail-biter considering the main character was a serial killer.
Lost Girl (2015): Bo & Lauren
Bo and Lauren are endgame, baby. Yes, we’ve gotta pour some out for our girl Tamsin. But, still, Doccubus 4 Lyfe.
p.s. Obviously the above list includes only live-action, English-language serialized TV. But we celebrate and commend all the other shows and TV movies from different countries giving us the happy endings we deserve. And if there are some other shows you think we missed let us know.
More by Ms. Snarker: @dorothysnarker or dorothysurrenders.com.
