16 Times Victoria Made Us Wish History Didn’t Happen
By Lacy Baugher
Photo: ITV
Sometimes Chemistry is Super Obvious
Chemistry is a weird thing. Sometimes two characters that are supposed to be together flop tremendously onscreen because the actors portraying them have no chemistry together. And sometimes two completely unexpected characters pop together solely because their portrayers just have that much chemistry. This is an even bigger problem when dealing with a property in which certain characters pretty much have to be together due to some outside of story constraint. (See also: actual history, comics canon the creators don’t want to ignore, etc.) But it’s also a big problem when those two characters who aren’t really ever going to be a thing, kind of become a thing. And at least Victoria leans into that, rather than away from it. (And it’s a better show for it.)
Sure, we all know that Victoria and Lord Melbourne will never make it, romantically speaking. Albert will (unfortunately) show up eventually, after all. But one of the best things about Victoria and Lord Melbourne relationship is that the show doesn’t ask us, as viewers, to pretend that we’re blind. Victoria fully expects us to recognize that Jenna Coleman and Rufus Sewell have insane chemistry together. It encourages us to invest ourselves in their complicated relationship. It reminds us repeatedly why the two are good for each other.
The show encourages us to embrace the possibility of the two characters together, enjoy it (no matter what history says) and then wallow around in our feelings after they take that possibility away. (The official Twitter account even sent fans condolences about the sinking of their ship the next day.) It’s kind of glorious. And on some level, it’s nice to know that you weren’t crazy when you pointed out the sparks between them in their very first scene.