7 TV Hunks Who Ruined Us For Real Life Dating
Everything is fair in love, war, and TV. At least, that’s the way the saying should go. These days, we get most of our love and war on TV anyway, so why not? In fact, TV is probably the main reason why we really, really hate war and why we can’t find a real life Prince Charming.
And, no, it’s not because we watch too much of the thing (though that is probably true!). It’s because the leading men in our favorite shows have given us unfair expectations about love (and life). Know what she wants and needs before she’s even uttered the words? Piece of cake! Never, ever look at another woman, because, why would you — you’ve already found the love of your life? What, like it’s hard? Give up everything you know and love for your lady? All in a day’s work!
I even swooned while writing that.
Loving a TV character is almost like a prerequisite of watching TV. Loving a character so much that you want to date him? That’s also quite common. (You’re not insane, I promise you. Come join us in the dark side! We have cookies). But letting those imaginary hunks influence your real life dating choices? Oh, no. That’s where we draw the line.
Or where we should draw the line. Because, easier said than done, right? We all deserve a knight in shining armor! We know this thanks to these wonderful men. And we are never, ever going to forget it.
So, here are the main culprits for our insanely high expectations:
1. Killian Jones, Once Upon a Time
He literally gave up his home, the one thing he had of his brother, the one place he had to LIVE, so he could get a magic bean to go find Emma. And he did all this knowing that Emma wouldn’t even remember him.
If all that doesn’t make you swoon, let’s consider the fact that he didn’t even tell her any of this until she confronted him! There’s also the fact that he’s always been there to support Emma, be it with her magic, her relationship with her parents, Henry, hell, even Regina. If Emma asks, Killian Jones only has one answer: As you wish.
2. Seth Cohen, The O.C.
An oldie, but a goodie. Seth Cohen was literally my dream boyfriend as a teenager. Sure, Ryan was hotter. More of a bad boy. Maybe he was even more interesting. But Seth was loyal. Seth paid attention. Seth was funny.
Seth and Summer were the stuff of teenage daydreams. And most of it was because, well, because of Seth. Sure, she came around eventually, but we were there from Seth from that one time when he got up on that coffee cart and made his first public proclamation of love. Talk about screaming your love from a (metaphorical) mountain top!
3. Oliver Queen, Arrow
Oliver Queen does not belong on this list, you say. Oliver Queen is a player. He’s not a one-woman man. And you would have been right a couple of seasons ago. Not now.
Oliver Queen was not a perfect boyfriend to Laurel Lance, let’s be clear on that. But so far, even when he hasn’t been her actual boyfriend, Oliver’s devotion to Felicity Smoak is actually the stuff of fairytales. He proclaimed his love for her at the end of Season 2, and from that moment on, even after the disastrous date, even when she was dating Ray, Oliver never wavered.
He was in love with Felicity, damn it, and she was all he wanted. No other woman existed. In fact, he’d already said “I love you” multiple times before we ever actually got to hear her reciprocate. But that’s okay. Oliver wasn’t saying it to hear it back. He was saying it because he just couldn’t keep it in.
Cue me melting into a puddle of goo on the floor.
If he was this dedicated before he and Felicity were even in a relationship, can you imagine Season 4 Oliver?
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz
Lawyer. Writer. Columnist. Geek. Falls in madly in love with fictional characters. Hates the color yellow, misogyny, and people who are late. Can always be found with a book. Watches an absurd amount of TV every week, often, while eating coffee ice cream. She has no regrets. You can check out her blog here: Absurday. Lissete is a senior writer for Tell-Tale TV. Follow @lizziethat
35 comments
“Cue me melting into a poodle of goo at the floor.” I realize this a typo, but let’s run with it! Gooey melting poodles? Only Oliver Queen has that power. #winkwink
You have NO idea how much the typo has been bothering me, but, yes, Oliver Queen makes us MELT.
(Oliver Queen in general makes us melt. Oliver Queen looking at Felicity Smoak, that’s like in another level…)
Yes! The biggest man whore on the planet did not have sex for a year. Once he decided Felicity was his lobster, that was it. ONE WHOLE YEAR? Talk about unwavering devotion. That’s love, b*tch.
Poodles of goo may become a new catchphrase! Thanks for pointing this out. It’s been fixed. 🙂
“at the send of Season 2” also. Sorry, I notice things! LOLOL I absolutely love this entire article. Olicity is my thing.
Ah! Thank you!
Ha! Sort of like Oliver forgetting about poor electrocuted Roy in 3×17 turned into some hilarious memes and fan art. To quote Marc Guggenheim, “We f*cked up.” Sometimes mistakes are for the better. #poodlesofgoo
I swear that’s going to be my new catchphrase! I’ve already been using it on twitter, to the total consternation of everyone who knows me. (And I sort of love you for noticing all the little things!)
And, as my next article proves, I can wax poetic about Oliver Queen for a long. long time. 😉
100% agree on Killian Jones! My absolute fave.
He doesn’t get enough credit! He really doesn’t. Not for being unfairly handsome, not for being a true partner for Emma, not for all he’s given up. I’m team Killian all the way!
Same here!
Totally agree about Killian too, I totally love him.
I love Oliver and Deeks too
Amazing article!!!! Congratulations, I could not agree more!!! Thank you!
Thank you so much for the comment! I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Killian Jones is the one!!!! The man!!!
Adn that gif is to die for, isn’t it?
Oliver Queen is a nightmarish “boyfriend.” He decided not to give their relationship a chance, without Felicity getting any kind of say. He told her she was a distraction from his much more important night job. Then he kept telling her he loved her while also telling her he’d never date her. He had hissy fits when she tried to date someone else. He worked with one of the most evil people ever to be on the show, and completely dismissed her objections. He joined a terrorist group and made her think he was evil, then walked away from her and everyone else to marry another woman while she thought they were dying. If having someone refuse to be with you while whining about you trying to be with someone else, keeping incredibly important information from you and making unilateral decisions about your life is being a good boyfriend, I will plan to remain single forever. Oliver Queen is pretty much a sociopath at this point…he’s Amanda Waller in leather with his ends justify the means creepy BS.
Perfect, Oliver Queen is not, I’ll give you that. He’s got an exaggerated sense of his own importance in the world, and his first instinct is always to push people away for their own protection, even if it means he has to lie and hurt them.
But he’s human. Those thing I mentioned before doesn’t mean Oliver stopped loving Felicity, or that he stopped feeling hurt when she moved on with Ray. He was still feeling those things, he couldn’t help himself. He only thinks he’s a robot, he isn’t really one. Which is the beauty of Oliver Queen, for me. Perfect characters are boring. We don’t want our characters to be perfect. We want them to grow. We want them to learn. We want to SEE them becoming better.
Oliver is on a journey, and while on that journey, Oliver will sometimes (most times) make the wrong decision. But that’s okay, that’s why he’s on a journey. We can love the journey and still criticize his choices.
Jaime Fraser from Outlander should absolutely be on this list too! Right after Killian
I have a feeling you’re right, but I haven’t SEEN Outlander yet. I was waiting for the season to end so I could binge-watch, and I just haven’t gotten around to it, but you’ve just given me more reasons to go watch. I’d love to have another guy to add to the list!
Why do Olicity fans act as though Oliver hadn’t proven he could be in a one-woman, committed relationship with Sara? He wanted to move in with her but he got dumped and rebounded.
To me, Sara herself was a rebound from Laurel. Both times that Oliver initiated something with Sara, it was in response to something that happened with Laurel. And really, Oliver should know better. So should Sara, for that matter.
But you make a fair point, he was in a comitted relationship with Sara. I just don’t think he was really commited to her. In body, yes, in soul, no, not really. He never stopped “looking” at Felicity, and by that I don’t meen ogling her, but it wasn’t like in Season 3 when Oliver was clearly over any other woman. No, with Sara he was comfortable, content even, but he wasn’t done. Not by a longshot.
And I think much of it has to do with the baggage of that relationship. I wish I could have rooted for them, because I love Sara. Sara is like, the reason I’ll watch Legends. I’m a BIG Caity Lotz fan. I just don’t think Sara/Oliver was a love story for the ages or anything like that.
No one said Felicity was the one who made Oliver want to be a one woman man. But he was in love with Felicity when he was with Sara. It’s clear that being with each other was what was easy for both Oliver AND Sara. I don’t undermine what they had. Oliver was devastated when Sara died, he has referred to her as the woman he loved. So there’s no question of Oliver not being faithful during his relationship with Sara
Yep. People forget that. Remember 2×06, people! Stephen even said that episode is when Oliver’s feelings for Felicity became real. Oliver navigated to Sara because they were alike. Same way Felicity navigated to Ray because it seemed safe. Think red pill/blue pill. And she had finally, finally gotten tired of waiting for Oliver. I get it. I didn’t like any of it at the time, but are slow burns ever fluffy?
No! This is the EXACT reason why people write fanfiction. Because shows hardly ever deliver the teeth-rooting fluff!! (And boy, was Season 3 hard to watch!)
Great point on the Felicity navigating to Ray because they were alike thing. Thankfully, but now, they’ve both learned their lesson. There’s a reason why they say opposites attract!
Have to agree with Castle, Luke and Oliver! I would take anyone and be a very happy camper.
Me too! I’m just asking for ONE!
Great list!!!!Absolutely agree with #1…Killian is The Best!He is caring,supportive,understanding…A Great Kisser and a Devilishly handsome pirate!!!
And I love the gif you used
Killian is so perfect when it comes to his treatment of Emma, that sometimes I want to call HIM Prince Charming.
The two I completely agree with are Seth and Castle, but I’m gonna give Sandy Cohen an honorable mention because he is such a great father and husband…oh and those eyebrows! ;p
You left out one very important hunk…Gabriel Macht! Gabriel, as the suave, charismatic Harvey Specter on Suits is a dream! And Gabriel (as Gabriel) is even better!
I’m going to give you that one. Only reason why I didn’t add Gabriel Macht is… well, when I wrote this his relationship with Donna was…let’s say complicated! But he IS a dream, and one of my faves.
Shemar Moore Criminal Minds!
You should have chosen Booth over Angel. Even better, give Boreanaz two spots on this list. He has more than earned it.
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