Jump to content

ALL: Couple vs SUPER Couple?


Recommended Posts

  • Members

What elevates a soap couple to SUPER status? What attributes do they have that differentiates them from just a regular soap couple?

For example Why are Victor and Nikki a super couple but not Victor & Ashley? Why are ATWT's? Jack & Carly or Tom & Margot considered super couples but not Bob & Kim?

Likewise, are there any underrated couples you think should have received the super couple designation?

Edited by Planet Soap
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 62
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Members

In my personal opinion, Victor and Nikki are *not* a supercouple.   They're a famous business power couple and a society power couple, but they're not written as romantic equals. Victor tries to control Nikki and all people.

Bo and Hope were a romance supercouple.  They overcame odds to be together.   They worked to find one another when separated by circumstances.

Edited by janea4old
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

It’s hard to define. In the 80’s and 90’s, a supercouple for the most part was subjected to a specific formula, which was mostly designed by Sheri Anderson when she worked under Pat Falken Smith at GH during Scotty/Laura/Luke through the Ice Princess. I do think Alice/Steve on Another World and Doug/Julie were prototype supercouples before the formula is set up though.

There is something larger than life about the romance. They have to overcome obstacles in order to finally be together, an element of danger/adventure/both, and a lavish wedding. It also almost always burns them for another romantic pairing that lasts, they are seen as a true love. Time invested in their story is a huge part.

In more modern storytelling a supercouple is more like Steve/Alice and Doug/Julie. I consider GH’s Robin/Patrick a modern supercouple, but not Carly/Jax for example.

 A character like Bobbie on GH was in many popular pairings, but none of them hit supercouple IMO. Jake maybe came closest. I think most couples on soaps, even popular ones are not supercouples. The term has become kind of a catch all.

Edited by titan1978
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

The term was coined by mainstream media & first applied to Luke & Laura. (I sometimes think it was as much a part of the hype as it was the couple.) 

Immediately it was applied retroactively to 2 couples on 2 shows. On DAYS Doug & Julie. On ATWT Jeff & Penny. Later, of course, it came to be used with many couples.

In the 80s on DAYS the show was supercouple crazy with so many from Bo & Hope, including Roman & Marlena aka the cop & the doc, Shane & Kimberly, Patch & Kayla.

On Y&R Victor & Nikki. On AMC Jesse & Angie were the first black supercouple. I think often AW's Steve & Alice are left off of lists. And, fans disagree today about whether they still exist. To me the last supercouple was GH's Sonny & Brenda. I know that some GH fans include Scrubs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

IMO Super Couple isn't the same as it was in the 80s/90s/00s, there are few couples that fit the SC definition and by all standards are a SC.

 

To me it's popularity, rootability, longevity, couples who fight to stay together, to be together, persevere against outside forces etc

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Super couple, in the social media era, is not "super couple" to me in the same way it was during the medium's highest points of time. It isn't two actors who shared one scene and are immediately deemed a "super couple". To me, they need presence in media, and presence within the medium for it to be possible/considered.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

You know Digest's second special print edition was I think named "Greatest Couples" so not Supercouples per se but maybe of interest to this topic. "Search for Tomorrow" had no couple listed. "Another World" only had Mac & Rachel. I don't have it in front of me right now but I remember those two things that I thought were odd. Edit: Okay, it's officially "Soaps' 50 Greatest Couples". And, I have it & can look up anything anyone is interested in.

Edited by Contessa Donatella
more
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

To me supercouples were a 1980s trend and more often than not, supercouple storylines encompassed another 1980s trend, action/adventure.

Factoring in pop culture and soap press coverage, I'd say the big supercouples of the 1980s in date order were Luke/Laura, Bo/Hope, Cruz/Eden, Steve/Kayla.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I feel like difference relies upon whether you are rooting for the couple, or the individual to find love.

Erica Kane was never in a supercouple, because we wanted her to find love and feel fulfilled.

Whereas, Bo & Hope went through many obstacles as partners.  The end goal was always for them to find a way back to being together.

Edited by j swift
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Wow!  Sonny/Brenda are pretty high on that SOD list.  SOD is obviously correct on that lol.  That list is odd though.  

Obvious bias aside, I would generally consider Sonny/Brenda the last supercouple and they were on the very tail end of that trend.  I think you can make a decent argument for Robin/Patrick, but Robin had more memorable pairings.

I just don't think soaps are built for supercouple pairings anymore.  Romance still happens on soaps, but it's no longer the hard fought super couple journey.  Couples say they are in love in a few months, get married, have a kid and divorce.  Look no further than Carly/Sonny being ranked so high.  They just get points for longevity and the fact they get paired when the writers have nothing else to do with them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I think there's a over-the-top quality to their romance and acknowledged focus on them by the show that pushes a couple into "super" couple status. In addition to the likeability/rootability factor. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

There were a few that came after Sonny & Brenda. I would argue, the OG Lucky & Liz, Robin & Patrick, Jason & Sam, and most prominently Sonny & Carly were all super couples.

I would not consider Jason and Elizabeth a super couple. They were broken up most of the time. Maybe I need to go back and watch.

Its crazy that the entire show of was centered around the coupling of Sonny and Carly from about 2000-2013 which speaks to their power (and the writers obsession). Jason and Sam were the B super couple. 

In my opinion, a super couple's stories are deliberately centered on their romance, they get a significant amount of media, fan, and writer attention.

For example Luke & Laura were a super couple because a large part of their stories were centered around their relationship, and they receive significant media attention and popularity.

Luke and Tracy were not a super couple because they're two characters with individual stories that happen to be paired together. The relationship is not the focal point of their stories. Kevin and Laura on GH are another example.

Edited by Planet Soap
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



  • Recent Posts

    • GH 1976 Pt 7 Jeff, meanwhile, has been upset because Monica has rejected his suggestion that they have a baby. He assumes that her refusal is due to her own upbringing as an orphan and a lack of security. Actually, she admits to herself, she wants only Rick’s baby, and she rejects Jeff’s offer of a house of their own as an anchor for her. Monica sees a divorce lawyer to find out about no-fault divorce, but is thwarted to learn that Jeff would have to agree, since there are no grounds. Monica manufactures small incidents to keep. Jeff on the defensive and moves out of their bedroom. Hurt and frustrated, he begins a vicious cycle of sleeping pills followed by “uppers” to get through the day. When Jeff grabs her arm while trying to talk to her, she pulls away, causing a bruise, which she exhibits later to Rick, Terri, and Audrey as proof that Jeff is not the sweet guy everyone thinks he is. Jeff is crushed when he finds Rick’s letter; now he’s convinced that Monica never really loved him at all. She won’t discuss it or anything with him, and he takes more pills to face this. Finally he has a reaction to them. Heather’s there when the suffocating attack occurs, and she helps him through it, assuring him that she won’t tell anyone. When Jeff, miserably upset, drinks too much at their anniversary party, hosted by Terri, Monica puts on a long suffering wife act to impress Rick. With Steve’s recovery almost complete, he and Audrey begin their wedding plans. But Tommy presents a problem when he tells his mother that he doesn’t have a father and stepfathers can’t be trusted. Audrey and Steve help him gain a sense of identity  by seeing where his real father, Dr. Tom Baldwin, worked in the hospital, and Steve prepares to adopt  Tommy as soon as the marriage is performed. There should be no problems, since they have a coroner’s report of Tom’s death in Mexico. But Tom Baldwin isn’t dead. Convicted of a murder he didn’t commit and sentenced to life imprisonment in a Mexican prison, he arranged for forged death papers, to save his infant son from a life as the son of a convicted murderer. He assumed the nurse took Tommy to Audrey, and has no idea that she kidnapped the child, who was later recovered by his mother. But Tom now has hope, as an attorney, Ramon Hernandez, has an eyewitness to the real killer and is starting the machinery of rescuing Tom. But since Tom is legally dead, the judge won’t reopen: the case. Tom’s only hope is the nurse who was with him in Mexico. He writes to Florence Anderson for help, and she goes to the park to take Tommy’s picture, but is afraid to go to Mexico to testify about the forged papers. After a cruise to restore her health, Leslie comes home to have her suspected pregnancy confirmed. ‘Knowing now that Cam was a truly evil man, Leslie fears that his child, conceived by rape, could be just as evil. She considers abortion but rejects it immediately, as she did when she was pregnant with Laura.  However, when Cam’s secretary offers her a letter of | Cam’s in which he embarrassingly and very fully contrasts his wife and his mistress, Leslie buys her off (for a thousand dollars, to match Men-Women Magazine’s offer) and decides that abortion may be the right choice after all. Peter assures her the child will be whatever she raises it to be—if it has love, it will be loving—but Leslie has a nightmare in which her child turns out to be a devil, and she secretly arranges for an out-of-town abortion, asking Terri not to tell Rick, whom she insists she’s not attracted to. Terri’s attempt to help Mary Ellen, called Mellie now, fails miserably when Mellie, instantly jealous of Terri, hysterically tells her what Mark did to her in the accident. Never having heard of the story, Terri is helpless, and has to call the doctor to treat Mellie.  Terri is furious at Mark for not preparing her, but soon accepts his apology, understanding that he was reluctant to admit what had snapped Mellie’s mind. Mellie runs away from the sanitarium and is hit by a car. Feeling that she is now suicidal, Mark has her father come to take her back to Boston. Terri goes to Mellie and pleads with her to forgive Mark, because he loves her. Mellie asks her father whether, when one has enemies, one should try to keep them. in view or ignore them. He replies that one should watch them, then asks Mark about this. Peter suggests that enemies can be things as well as people, and agrees to accept Mellie as a patient when Mark decides she should stay in Port Charles. Realizing that Mellie needs attention, Peter suggests that Diana befriend her. Mellie isn’t overly enthusiastic about this. Monica is furious at Steve’s anniversary gift: a week’s honeymoon in Florida. Jeff tries to force their acceptance, hoping they can salvage something, but Monica fakes flu, canceling the trip, then makes a miraculous recovery.  When Rick’s former surgical adviser, Dr. Pierre Namath, arrives in Port Charles, Monica promotes an invitation to join him and Rick at his farm. Rick refuses for her, explaining that she is now his brother’s wife, but Monica, undaunted, arrives at the farm by bus, assuring Rick that she left Jeff a note explaining where she is. Heather, however, who has seen Monica buy the bus ticket, manages to mention it to Jeff, who consoles himself with more pills and liquor. When Rick’s car breaks down on the way back, they have to spend the night in a small town, and Rick calls Terri to explain, learning that Jeff had no idea where Monica had gone. Monica manages to pull a fast one and turn herself into the object of pity, winding up in tears, which precede a romantic and passionate embrace. But Jeff goes after them in fury, and Rick, warned by Terri’s call, takes another room, so all is seemly when Jeff arrives. When Monica coldly asks him why he didn’t read her note, he apologizes humbly. Monica manages to dash off a note and drop it on the floor at home for Jeff to find, citing the note as proof that their marriage was a mistake. The next day Monica tells Rick that Jeff told her their marriage was a mistake.
    • Excellent Roman and Kayla scenes. Best work I’ve seen from Josh Taylor. That was real emotion there. Awesome comments to wrap up Roman and John. Deidre Hall was once again perfect. When she slightly snapped at Abe and Paulina for asking about the funeral. Just perfect. Hope we get a lot more of Julie with Marlena.  As rude as it is, I wish they would’ve done another Eileen/Stacy switch for this story. Stacy’s Kristen is completely defined by Brady and we don’t get flashbacks. The balls on EJ to show up at Marlena and John’s home. It was so perfect and sad.
    • It could have been interesting, given that she and Alex were friends. I imagine he would have ended up bringing out her Solita personality.  For all the talk of crazy fans, for a long time fans did seem willing to embrace the rivals of...well, Reva's rivals. (no wonder Kim felt insecure as it happened three times with her) You don't seem to get as much of the tribalism until the "Manny" era. I guess some might say "Matessa" too, but as I could not stand Dinah in those years, I am not one to talk about their fans if they managed to repeatedly put the kibosh on a Matt/Dinah pairing. And at least that did not seem to involve death threats.
    • 1976 Pt 4 Viki is stunned to learn from Dr. Jim Craig that her father may never speak or be mobile again. Dorian bravely assures her that she’ll devote her entire life to Victor and if anyone can help him recover, she can. Alone with Victor, Dorian tells him she knows he hears her and she was wrong—she lashed out at him from hurt. She insists that none of it is true, that Tony is lying to try to drive her away and be Victor’s heir. Dorian then accuses Tony of causing Victor’s stroke, saying he could have killed him. But learning that Victor made three phone calls after his visit convinces him that his father was fine after he left and Dorian’s fine hand is at the base of this. Dorian insists that Victor be released into her care as soon as possible; she'll set up all necessary facilities at Llanfair., When Dorian walks in while Viki is reading a letter from Tony to Victor, she interrupts the reading, claiming it’s upsetting Victor. Viki tells Tony, however, that Victor was fine listening to his letter and it was Dorian’s entrance that upset him greatly. Dorian is delighted when a Lord Enterprises attorney informs her she’s going to receive Victor’s power of attorney on a temporary basis. Tony is furious that no one is challenging this, but Viki explains that they can’t do anything, as the law is on Dorian’s side and a challenge would only be a public statement of lack of trust in Victor’s wife. Viki insists that Victor’s welfare is being safeguarded, but Tony points out that. none of the people who care for him are with him at Llanfair. Joe is with Victor when he seems to rally and speaks Joe’s and Dorian’s names. Over Joe’s observation that Victor wants to continue, Dorian quickly administers a sedative, insisting this effort is too taxing. The following day, Peter, at Llanfair to give Dorian some Free Clinic reports she’s requested, overhears Victor say, “Phone . . . get me Hanson” (one of his lawyers) and sees Dorian quickly sedate him again, saying he can’t have any visitors for fear of overexertion. The very next day Victor is taken back to the hospital by ambulance, in a coma. Told that Victor is conscious but near death, and calling for his daughter, Dorian, knowing that Viki and Joe are waiting in the courtyard, intentionally sends the nurse to look for them in Jim’s office, delaying their arrival until Victor is no longer able to talk. Viki sits with him for a few moments, then must leave, and shortly thereafter Jim tells her, Joe, and Tony that Victor has died. . Vinnie is horrified to learn his wife Wanda, is the “Lana-Sheen Lady,” a cosmetics saleswoman. He tells her she violated the trust of their marriage by intentionally concealing that she was working, something he had forbidden, insisting he must be the breadwinner in the family. But Wanda warns Vinnie that there is more to this than the money, that she needs to feel she’s accomplishing something with her life. Vinnie does think it through but questions the safety of going door to door. Wanda then springs Tony’s offer that  work for him at Tony’s Place, initially infuriating Vince, who claims Tony is a wolf. But a visit to the club shows Vince that Wanda does indeed have considerable talents for running a restaurant establishment, and he gives his approval. Despite Cathy’s continued insistence that they not marry but go on as before, Tony is willing to let her have things her way, and their relationship has resumed. Pat tries to reassure her son, who thinks Cathy is not very nice, by explaining that it’s difficult for Cathy to be with children, since she recently lost her own little girl. But the pain of facing Tony and Cathy’s relationship becomes too much for Pat and, needing to tell someone, she confides in Viki the true story of Brian’s parentage.  Viki tells Pat she must tell Tony the truth and she should fight for Tony if she still loves him and give her son his rightful father, especially since Tony and Brian were good friends from the moment they met. Cathy, however, is growing suspicious of the easy closeness between Pat and Tony and questions him about their old relationship. Tony insists that their relationship was a brief romance, too short to be earthshaking, and assures her that Pat didn’t rebound into Kendall’s arms they had known each other long before Rio. But Cathy is not satisfied, and pursues her inquiry in New York, where she finds that Pat didn’t marry Paul until after Brian’s birth. This confirms Cathy’s suspicions, and she decides she has to act now to keep Pat from taking Tony from her. Pat, meanwhile, has decided to tell Tony the truth and arranges a meeting with him. She is stunned when he walks in with Cathy and introduces her as Mrs. Tony Lord. Pat says nothing, and later has to tell her embittered son that he’s going to have to accept Cathy as Tony’s wife whether he likes it or not. Viki, learning of Tony’s marriage, rushes to console Pat, who castigatés herself for having wasted so much time on a man who doesn’t love her. She knows she'll have to tell Brian the truth someday, but is sure that if he learned the truth now he would feel deserted by Tony, just as he feels deserted by Paul. Tony and Cathy’s married life begins on an idyllic plane, with Cathy eagerly making plans for a child. Tony has read Cathy’s book and wonders if she’s not | dealt too severely with a central character who bears an unmistakeable resemblance to Viki. Cathy admits that this is true, and Pat, working with Cathy’s agent, has already suggested revisions. Pat finds Brian having nightmares, and the boy admits his uncertainty about his father’s death, as Paul’s body was never actually identified. Concerned, Tony spends time with the boy, upsetting Cathy, who sees him as a threat. Cathy’s agent mentions to Pat that Cathy interrogated him about the details of her marriage and her child, and Pat suddenly realizes Cathy knows. She confronts Cathy, accusing her of marrying Tony to hold on to him. Cathy tries to insist that she doesn’t know what Pat’s talking about, and counter accuses her of trying to break up her marriage. Pat then leaves, saying they’ll discuss it when Cathy’s ready.
    • Michelle Forbes really captivated GL viewers so it was smart of Long to take advantage of that. When I looked back at news items and letters to the editors, I found so many letters to the editors/columns upset she was not nominated for Best Actress the year before she was nominated for supporting actress.  I read somewhere that they had planned a major storyline with Sonni and Roger but that it never came to pass because Forbes wanted to leave the show. I wonder what they had in mind.
    • May 2025 Episode Rankings A total of 22 Episodes aired this month thanks as always @jcar03!  1.) Michael Mealor (Kyle Abbott) : 14 2.) Eric Braeden (Victor Newman) : 13 3.) Hayley Erin (Claire Newman) : 11 *.) Michelle Stafford (Phyllis Summers) : 11 5.) Jason Thompson (Billy Abbott) : 10 6.) Peter Bergman (Jack Abbott) : 9 *.) Christel Khalil (Lily Winters) : 9 *.) Susan Walters (Diane Jenkins Abbott) : 9 9.) Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea Lawson) : 8 *.) Mark Grossman (Adam Newman) : 8 *.) Courtney Hope (Sally Spectra) : 8 *.) Josh Morrow (Nick Newman) : 8 *.) Jermaine Rivers (Damian Kane) : 8 14.) Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki Newman) : 7 *.) Zuleyka Silver (Audra Charles) : 7 16.) Sean Dominic (Nate Hastings) : 6 *.) Amelia Heinle (Victoria Newman) : 6 18.) Sharon Case (Sharon Newman) : 5 *.) Bryton James (Devon Winters) : 5 *.) Christian LeBlanc (Michael Baldwin) : 5 *.) Tracey Bregman (Lauren Fenmore Baldwin) : 5 *.) Mishael Morgan (Amanda Sinclair) : 5 23.) Nathan Owens (Holden Novak) : 4 24.) Michael Graziadei (Daniel Romalotti) : 3 *.) Cait Fairbanks (Tessa Porter) : 3 *.) Redding Munsell (Harrison Abbott) : 3 27.) Camryn Grimes (Mariah Copeland) : 2 *.) Allison Lanier (Summer Newman) : 2 *.) Eileen Davidson (Ashley Abbott) : 2 *.) Melissa Ordway (Abby Winters) : 2 *.) J. Eddie Peck (Cole Howard) : 2 *.) Valerie Pettiford (Amy Lewis) : 2 *.) Jai Rodriguez (Pietro) : 2 34.) Kate Linder (Esther Valentine) : 1 *.) Elizabeth Hendrickson (Chloe Fisher) : 1 *.) Beth Maitland (Traci Abbott) : 1 *.) Vincent Stalba (Carter) : 1 
    • Haha, love to hear it, and thank you! Yeah, I just write down thoughts/notes as I'm watching in this viewing journal I'm keeping.  So, you get my raw, honest thoughts in the moment without me having to go back and remember or curate anything.

      Please register in order to view this content

        Watros is great, and I've liked her from the beginning, so I'm excited to see her evolve and shine even more as Annie continues to descend. I'll keep an eye out for that scene.  I have to say, Rick cracks me up, there are times when he makes jokes and you can tell the actor is having fun with it and cracking himself up. He's endearing. Let me suffer!    So funny how big Josh's hair is in the 80s. Sign of the times, I guess.   I can't wait to finally see the Sonni storyline and watch a younger Michelle Forbes shine. It's on my list, I will go back in time eventually and do this  
    • This was late 1993, right before Roger is shot. 
    • Haha I guess so, and in this recent case, Alan absolutely deserved it (many times over, honestly).
    • It's hard to remember, as Holly and Blake always seemed to be on the outs over something.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy