The best TV marriages
It's rare to see a genuinely supportive marriage on television that doesn't dabble in infidelity. Writers tend to think a story ends when a couple gets together, so they set up an endless cycle of obstacles until the series finale. Someone cheats. Someone moves. Someone has a long-lost child show up. Someone's ex comes back into the picture. Someone decides they're not ready. Someone says the wrong name at the altar. However, some of the best and most remembered examples of television relationships are the ones that portray a real marriage, which automatically comes with ups and downs and interesting conversations and arguments and disagreements and romance. The drama is there; it just doesn't follow the same formula. In honor of Valentine's Day, we're taking a closer look at what makes Eric & Tami Taylor from Friday Night Lights and Elizabeth & Henry McCord from Madam Secretary two of the best TV relationships.
Note: I'm still working my way through season five of Madam Secretary. I have two episode of Friday Night Lights left that have been sitting unfinished since November because I don't like when things end. Minor spoilers for both shows below.
Relationship History
On Friday Night Lights, Eric (Kyle Chandler) and Tami Taylor (Connie Britton) are high school sweethearts who have moved all over the country for Eric's high school football coach career. At the beginning of the series, they reside in Dillon, Texas. Tami took a break from her career to raise Julie but returns to her guidance counselor roots in season one of the show. The Taylors excel at working with angsty teenagers, sharing annoyed looks when someone in the town bothers them and giving each other advice. In Madam Secretary Elizabeth (Téa Leoni) and Henry McCord (Tim Daly) are college sweethearts who currently reside in Washington, DC. Henry joined the military and did some intelligence work for the NSA, Elizabeth was a CIA analyst. When we meet them in the pilot, they're both teaching and living on a farm to take a break from the DC-ness of it all. Given the title of the show, you can assume that changes pretty quickly. Elizabeth becomes Secretary of State. Henry continues to teach as an ethics professor, while also working in intelligence for the government. The McCords excel at solving international incidents, sharing secret looks about something their kids have done and giving each other advice.
Chemistry
Neither of these couples would be in the top rankings of TV history without their undeniable chemistry. Before filming on Friday Night Lights started, Chandler and Britton drove together from California to Texas in order to establish their signature rapport. Not only do they have romantic chemistry, they have a natural back-and-forth that screams married for years. Our Madam Secretary stars share more of an IRL history. Leoni and Daly started dating during the first season of the show and are still together now! On-screen Elizabeth and Henry share the same playful banter the Taylors do, fueled by plenty of natural chemistry. Regardless of whether they're in a lighthearted moment or facing a life-or-death situation (as they often are), their connection is always on full display.
Parenting Style
Eric and Tami are parents to Julie (high school into college) and Gracie Belle, who is born in season two. Given the massive age difference between daughters, we'll obviously be focusing on their relationship with Julie, who really puts them through the ringer in seasons two and five, specifically. In moments of conflict, Eric and Taylor can both lose their tempers at first but always come around to a more grounded place of support and acceptance. They balance each other out in style and alternate between good cop and bad cop roles. When Eric overreacts about things that don't matter (i.e. when Julie and Matt were sitting on the couch together), Tami is there to rightfully call him an idiot. When Tami gets overwhelmed by Julie's actions, Eric is there to offer Julie a sympathetic shoulder to lean on. Elizabeth and Henry have three children: Stevie (college), Allison (high school into college) and Jason (middle school to high school). They typically maintain a lighthearted style with their kids and lovingly tease them in a realistic way that's so often missing from parent-child dynamics on TV. The three McCord children are less dramatic than Julie but they still get into their fair share of scrapes, from regular kid problems (bullying, college anxiety) to international incidents (dating a former Russian spy). When they do, Elizabeth and Henry tag-team the bigger issues and Henry tends to tackle smaller ones solo after the two of them discuss a course of action. Their parenting style is big on ethics-fueled lessons that somehow never sound preachy. An impressive feat!
Social Life
Both couples struggle with their social life, given how busy their jobs and kids keep them. Both the Taylors and McCords often have unexpected visitors who show up to their houses at all hours of the night. For the Taylors, it's usually Buddy Garrity or a high school student in need of advice. For the McCords, it's usually Russell Jackson or a diplomat trying to negotiate.
Conflict Resolution & Supporting Each Other's Dreams
From miscommunication about hosting the entire football team and their families for a barbecue to whether or not one of them should take a job outside of Dillon, Eric and Tami have to navigate a number of challenge throughout the show's five season run. We see them argue it out. While Eric often comes down on the wrong side of things at first, he always comes around and listens to Tami. By the end of the show's run, we've seen both Eric and Tami make sacrifices to support the other person's career and come out stronger on the other side. Similarly, the McCords face disagreements that range in scale, from how to handle neighborhood complaints about their secret service detail to disagreements over the dangers both of their high-risk jobs pose. They talk it out, listen to each other and seek counseling when needed, but they always find a way to work through conflict, while supporting each other's dreams.
Maybe the most important factor... get yourself a signature prop
The Taylors and the McCords have key props that really make their characters stand out. Are these the real secrets to a happy TV relationship???? Eric Taylor is almost always wearing a Panthers (or Lions) baseball hat to fidget with. When she's had a particularly stressful day, Tami Taylor is ready to go with a nice glass of wine. Maybe it helps her give her best advice! Both Henry and Elizabeth McCord do some A+ acting with their glasses, whether it's dramatically pulling them off to make an important argument or putting them on to read a secret document. The McCords even pass a pair of reading glasses back and forth between each other when one spouse goes on a dangerous trip. Now that's love.
