CarterMatt Awards 2017: Jolex, Olicity, Malec, Wayhaught, Jamie/Claire up for Best Couple

Who is the Best Couple of 2017? It’s an objective question without a doubt, but in today’s edition of the CarterMatt Awards it is one we’re going to try and answer. There are many interesting candidates out there across all sorts of shows, and the couples nominated this year represent a wide array of people. The one common thread here is that their relationships are dynamic and interesting to watch. Hopefully, these couples help to prove that getting characters together is not somehow boring, which is a common TV misconception that has been handed down for many years.

For those wondering the distinction between Best Couple and the ‘Ship of the Year award presented tomorrow, it’s simple — Best Couple goes towards either the TV couple who is either together or would be together were it not for some unforeseen circumstance (such as one of them being killed off). Meanwhile, ‘Ship of the Year is for the couple you want to see together.

Below, you can see all of our nominees for 2017, which have been compiled by the CarterMatt staff.

(Note: If you are on mobile and cannot see the poll, scroll to the bottom of the article and click to view the non-AMP version.)

Now, without further ado, let’s get to the nominations.

Alex and Jo, Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) – It’s been a long, emotional road for these two (nicknamed Jolex), but their reunion earlier this season was a cause of great celebration! They’ve learned a lot about each other and they’re going to need to rely on that even more moving forward. After all, just remember that the winter finale ended with the arrival of Jo’s abusive husband Paul. It’s a good thing that she and Alex have all of their cards out on the table and they can rely on each other.

Barry and Iris, The Flash (The CW) – The WestAllen wedding day was chaos, but the most important thing for now is that the two are together, are married, and are planning for the future however difficult that may be given that they’ve got a huge challenge ahead in stopping The Thinker. What makes this relationship strong is its balance — even though Barry may have powers, he recognizes that he needs Iris’ leadership and intelligence in order to make his job successful. (He may especially need her based on what happened in the midseason finale.)

Deeks and Kensi, NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS) – What’s interesting is that thanks to so many weddings on some other shows, Densi are now the only engaged couple on this list! Will that change at some point in the future? You have to think so! Regardless of when a wedding does happen, what matters most in 2017 is that these two are a constant source of fun, while also having the right amount of heart and love as a strong foundation to their relationship..

Jamie and Claire, Outlander (Starz) – You can’t have a category for Best Couple without the couple who is at the center of one of television’s most-epic love stories. Claire has traveled through time for Jamie and they’ve battled all sorts of adversaries while rediscovering their passion and figuring out how to be together. While they have ups and downs, the love that they have for one another carries them through. After all they’ve been through, you have to think they can take on anything that comes their way.

Magnus and Alec, Shadowhunters (Freeform) – Malec, (like many other couples mentioned in this article) went through a lot over the past year and at one point seemed to be in some relationship jeopardy. Luckily they’ve figured out many of their hardships and have emerged stronger and more passionate than ever. The strength of this relationship comes with something simple and beautiful: Love overcoming all. They bring each other a greater sense of life than they’ve ever known.

Oliver and Felicity, Arrow (The CW) – Another recently-married couple and one that seems happy to move towards a future together. The strength of Olicity this season is that for the first time really ever, they seemed ready to move into this phase of their lives. There are no more secrets between them and they can focus on one of their strengths — empowering each other. They need to be more than just a couple; they have to be a team on the field as well as off of it.

Sharon and Andy, Major Crimes (TNT) – The Shandy wedding was a nice culmination of the journey that these two characters have been, and it’s been a lovely one to watch unfold. These are two people who have already lived a lot of life but still realize that there’s something missing. They bring the best out of each other and they’ve allowed one another to better understand happiness. As the series winds down we hope that they continue to be just as happy as they were on their wedding day.

Waverly and Nicole, Wynonna Earp (Syfy) – One of the most entertaining couples on TV — while they do have some drama here and there, Wayhaught (as they are often called) are a breath of fresh air as an inspirational, enthusiastic couple who have fun together and kick butt together. These two had a number of fun, memorable scenes together over the course of season 2, and the more their relationship progresses the more we imagine there will be fans from all over the world cheering them on.

The reigning champions for this award are Clarke and Lexa from The 100, who are not eligible this year for very-depressing reasons (i.e. one of them was killed off).