10 Times Were Burned By Queerbaiting TV And Movie LGBTQ Ships

The fact that Stucky never became canon is a crime against humanity.

Over the years, there have been a lot of great ships in film and television.

20th Century Fox / Via devilish-in-blood.tumblr.com

By “ship,” we mean a relationship that isn’t canon, but the fans want it to be. Many of these ships tend to be queer, mostly because queer relationships are much less common than straight relationships; and ultimately, not only do queer fans get attached to the characters, they just want more representation. But not many of them have become canon, and what’s worse, most of them seemed like they were going to become canon, only to stay platonic in the end.

This is called “queerbaiting,” when there is actual evidence within the story for a couple to be queer, but it doesn’t end up happening.

Queerbaiting "baits" the viewers into watching, in hopes that the relationships will become canon by using romantic tropes and, sometimes, the fans' own theories; but it doesn't end up happening. Keep in mind that this is something totally different from reading too much into a dynamic into a show or movie; that's something that can sometimes be harmful by discrediting what is often an emotional, open friendship. In these cases of queerbaiting, they are not only done with romantic tropes; often, the directors and actors make public comments in support of the ship becoming canon, or even draw on queer theories themselves. This shows that they themselves can see the sparks flying, know how great it would be for queer viewers to see this become canon...but keep it a straight relationship anyway. So, without further ado, here is a list of 10 times viewers hoped to see some LGBTQ+ representation, but got burned.

1. John and Sherlock (Sherlock)

BBC / Via giphy.com

Johnlock has been one of the most popular ships in the last ten years of television. Sherlock, notoriously bad at showing emotion, openly cares about John more than anyone else on the show; they have more chemistry than any one of Sherlock's or Watson's love interests; and worst of all, there's the fact that the show was based on a Sherlock Holmes adaptation that presented him as gay. It's a crime that this ship was never made canon.

2. Steve and Bucky (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Marvel / Via tenor.com

Ah, another classic ship. This one is even more of an offender. Where to begin? The way that they could easily have become a story of tragic, long lost lovers? The way that Bucky was brainwashed to kill Steve, and Steve brought him back by basically saying he loved him? The way that Steve found a place to belong with the Avengers and then promptly destroyed said Avengers over Bucky? Any of these would do, but worse than that is the fact that both Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan had no problem with the ship, and the Russos stated on more than one occasion that they thought the friendship was "a love story." And then they sent Steve back to the past to marry a woman he kissed once 80 years ago. Don't play with LGBTQ+ viewers' emotions like that, guys. Not cool.

3. Finn and Poe (Star Wars sequel trilogy)

Lucasfilm / Via giphy.com

Finn and Poe are another great relationship that never happened. They bonded in The Force Awakens, had too much chemistry, and were then purposefully kept apart by the script. This is a shame, since both Oscar Isaac and John Boyega wanted it to happen. J.J. Abrams, who directed the movie, had the gall to say he liked the relationship. Although, in the end, he probably had no control over it; maybe it was Disney that decided they couldn't have a gay relationship in their movie, and thought a two-second kiss between two unnamed women would be enough. (Spoiler alert: It was not enough.)

4. Emma Swan and Regina Mills (Once Upon A Time)

ABC / Via giphy.com

The fact that this relationship never became canon is just unbelievable. They were literally both Henry's mom, and by the second season were practically raising him together. They created a magic bond, had way more sexual tension than even Emma and Hook, and...didn't become lovers? From a show that was bold enough to have a lesbian relationship, this is just unfair.

5. Geralt and Jaskier (The Witcher)

Netflix / Via c.tenor.com

Did they really let Jaskier say the words "you usually let strangers rub chamomile onto your lovely bottom" and not make this canon? Apparently. Between the chemistry, the way both characters change each other for the better, and the entirety of the bath scene, it's obvious why we thought they were going to be a couple. There are even multiple queer relationships in the video games the show is based on! But alas, even though the showrunner said "they love each other very much," she ultimately denied that it would ever be a relationship; and so far, we've seen no other queer rep in the entire show. Fingers crossed for the upcoming Season 2, which releases later this month.

6. Sam and Bucky (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Marvel / Via tenor.com

Another ship involving the fan favorite Bucky Barnes (seriously, why has he not been confirmed as bi at this point?), this ship had potentially even more evidence going for it. Between the bickering, rolling around in the grass, a sexually charged staring contest, and the fact that Bucky apparently looked at tiger profiles on dating websites (usually something only done by men), why did they not make this canon? The showrunner even made a comment towards the beginning that hinted that Bucky might be bi...and then it just never happened. Clearly, she only said that, and included all the sexual tension, to keep queer viewers watching.

7. Crowley and Aziraphale (Good Omens)

Amazon Prime / Via tenor.com

These two are so close to being a couple, and yet so far. They show obvious love for each other in longing stares, they are a perfect example of enemies to lovers, and they would go to the ends of the earth for each other. Neil Gaiman himself even wanted to show them looking...sort of queer, but didn't want to say it explicitly. Why? If he's so in favor of representation, why wouldn't he do it? It would be perfect, too, because they could have been a non-binary queer couple on top of everything. But for the powers that be, it just wasn't going to happen.

8. Betty and Veronica (Riverdale)

The CW / Via tenor.com

For a show with multiple gay characters, this was a huge misstep. Betty and Veronica, despite having boyfriends, really have more chemistry with each other; and this escalated when Veronica kissed Betty to get them on the cheerleading squad. The show even featured an ad that showed the two of them laying in bed together...and then it never went anywhere, nor was it even in the show. The showrunners never addressed this, of course. Of all the ships on this list, this one is the most egregious.

9. Sterek (Teen Wolf)

MTV / Via tenor.com

For a show that was marketed towards a queer audience, with themes that served as a metaphor of what it's like to be a gay teen, why would they show Stiles and Derek having repeated scenes of sexual tension, and then not go anywhere with it? The real insult was when the showrunners figured out fans were shipping Sterek and deliberately ramped back the gay appeal. This shows that they were only doing this for the viewership, not actual representation.

10. And lastly, Jedediah and Octavius (Night At The Museum)

20th Century Fox / Via tenor.com

This one might be surprising, but the sad fact is that if the Night At The Museum movies weren't for kids, these two totally would have been a couple. They are incredibly loyal to each other, they are willing to die for each other on multiple occasions, and on one occasion Jedediah even quotes Brokeback Mountain. It's clear that this is a gay relationship; Octavius specifically seems written to be gay, as he has lines about finding other men attractive. Truly, this wasn't a relationship because the movies were for kids, and queerness is something that should be hidden from children; truly, a horrifying attitude to have.

Alright, let us know in the comments below if you felt let down by any of these relationships not coming to fruition.