One of the most rewarding parts of watching a TV program is seeing the evolution of relationships between characters. The most memorable relationships of all are often the ones between two characters from extremely different backgrounds. Here are some wonderful examples of TV shows that feature these types of fan-favorite relationships.
Mike and Louis (and Louis and Rachel), "Suits"
Louis is hard to like: He's abrasive, conniving, domineering, and only out to further his own career. He's mean to his underlings and spies on his colleagues. And yet, over a couple of Season 2 episodes, he manages to create a real bond with both Mike Ross and Rachel Zane. Mike's the "attorney" who got a job at the firm despite never attending law school, and Rachel is the sweet-tempered, smartest, most anxious paralegal at the firm.
In the case of Mike, the friendship only lasts an episode. Despite a real connection and mutual respect forged during a case, Louis gets mad at Mike after overhearing a conversation between Mike and Harvey.
In the case of Rachel, the two bond over a shared love of ballet, and (so far) the bond seems to be holding.
Spike and Joyce, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
He's a violent, ill-tempered, punkish vampire. She's a single mom. And yet, despite having nothing in common besides a love for Buffy, Spike and Joyce develop a great rapport. Is it entirely due to their shared love of soap operas? Well…not entirely. It's notable that Spike has never tried to hurt anyone in Buffy's family, and he shows Joyce a great deal of respect.
Locke and Walt, "Lost"
An older man who was formerly wheelchair-bound and an energetic 10-year-old don't seem like they should have much in common. And yet, Locke and Walt form a unique friendship…despite the objections of Michael.
Damon and Alaric, "The Vampire Diaries"
A vampire's natural enemy is the vampire hunter. And yet, Damon Salvatore and Alaric Saltzman slowly build a very great friendship. Both have a great deal of guilt and darkness in their souls, and it isn't long before they stop meeting in bars to fight and start meeting there to be drinking buddies. When Alaric is about to die in Season 3, Damon is nearly moved to tears.
Neal Caffrey and Peter Burke, "White Collar"
"White Collar" is based around a predator/prey friendship that just shouldn't work. Peter's an agent with the FBI, and Caffrey is a notorious con man. But as they work together to solve various crimes, they quickly become friends. Perhaps it's because Peter wishes he had Neal's style and suave manner, or perhaps it's because Neal respects Peter's stable family life, but the friendship really is one of the most unlikely on TV.
