In honor of Galentine’s Day, we’re celebrating the power of female friendship by exploring a few examples of the best TV friendships and how they can inspire us in our own lives.
What is Galentine’s Day?
Forget Valentine’s Day; Galentine’s Day is so much more fun! The new “holiday” began ten years ago when the fictional Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation introduced it to the world. Leslie explains what it is in season two, episode sixteen perfectly:
“Every February 13, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home, and we just come and kick it, breakfast-style. Ladies celebrating ladies. It’s like Lilith Fair, minus the angst. Plus, frittatas.”
I think it’s such a fun idea and should be celebrated every year!
Female Friendships on TV
To get in the holiday spirit, I’ve rounded up some of the best female friendships on TV and how they can inspire us with our female friends in real life. I didn’t include some obvious choices on the list because I wanted to focus on a few of my favorites.
So, this list is very subjective, and it was honestly hard to narrow down. There are hundreds of great female friendships on TV, and this is just a small handful!
Galentine’s Day: Female Friendships on TV to Inspire Us
(In No Particular Order)
#1 Leslie Knope and Ann Perkins (Parks and Recreation)
How could I make this list and not include the “originator” of the holiday! Honestly, who wouldn’t want to have Leslie Knope as a best friend? She’s loyal, believes in her best friend, Ann, and loves her for who she is.
These two aren’t afraid to be honest with each other and support one another no matter what. That’s something we can all emulate. We should also consider how they give gifts. While no one needs to go to the extreme level Leslie does, we could examine how thoughtful our gifts are to others.
#2 Anne Shirley and Diana Barry (Anne of Green Gables & Anne with an E)
Anne and Diana are the ultimate examples of kindred spirits. May we all find someone like that in our lives and hold on to them.
What I love about these two is just how much they love each other. Anne is a character who once only knew loneliness, so she’s grateful for every day she spends with her best friend. We should all learn from that and express gratitude for our friends!
Ultimately, Anne and Diana represent the best type of female friendship.
#3 Bonnie, Caroline, and Elena (The Vampire Diaries)
They have been best friends their whole lives and find a way to get through jealousies, tragedy, and heartbreak, all the while coming through the other end of it stronger than before.
We learn from these three that sometimes sacrifice and pure love for a friend is the best thing we can do for someone else.
#4 Meredith and Christina (Grey’s Anatomy)
When Christina tells Meredith that Meredith will always be her person, it’s enough to give you goosebumps. We should all be the type of person who can be that for someone else. Be a good listener, support them, be reliable. In other words, be there.
#5 Liz and Maria (Roswell)
I love these two so much! They have very different personalities but perfectly balance each other out. What we can learn from them is the importance of being open and honest.
As soon as Liz finds out the truth about “aliens,” she confesses to Maria because she needs someone to talk to. She could have kept the secret, but she chose to trust her best friend. And while Maria is frightened by the truth, ultimately, this helps strengthen their bond.
#6 The Women of Nonnatus House, Call the Midwife.
From the nuns to young nurses, all the women passing through Nonnatus House are the type of friends we all want to be and have. They show the true spirit of compassion.
#7 Lady Gwynn and Talon (The Outpost)
A queen and a warrior – one rich, one poor; these two unlikely female friends come together, and it’s their relationship that sets the tone for the entire underrated fantasy series.
Even though they both love the same man, they aren’t jealous of each other. They love each other and will do anything for the other, even die if necessary. And that’s a powerful message about friendship.
#8 Helen, Dana Sue, and Maddie (Sweet Magnolias)
Since high school, these three have been best friends and support each other into adulthood through a divorce, breakups, career changes, and more. They give each other a sense of belonging. That type of loyalty and friendship is admirable.
#9 Female Friendships of Gilmore Girls
If Gilmore Girls can teach us anything, it’s the importance of female friendships in our lives in all forms. The friendships between mothers and daughters, between peers and even rivals (IE: Rory and Paris), and best friends.
Plus, who doesn’t want to have a Gilmore Girls’ inspired movie night with junk food and all? It’s okay to treat yourself every once in a while.
#10 Violet and Isobel (Downton Abbey)
Violet and Isobel are an unusual choice, I know, but I love this friendship. Two women from across social classes and with very different political opinions become the best of friends. It’s not hard to recognize the lesson in that.
#11 Athena and Hen (9-1-1)
These two have the best heart to heart conversations, each giving such good advice. Athena and Hen first bonded in an emergency and have been close ever since. Sometimes we can find a best friend in the most unusual times and places. So, keep your eyes open!
#12 Tia and Tamera (Sister, Sister)
I loved this series growing up! As an identical twin myself, I could relate to their camaraderie. Sometimes our best friends turn out to be our sisters, and that is an inspirational thought itself.
#13 Jane, Kat, and Sutton (The Bold Type)
These three young women are rising in their various careers but still find time to always be there for each other. What I love about their friendship is how they can tell each other everything.
#14 Rose, Dorothy, Blanche, and Sophia (The Golden Girls)
In one of the best sitcoms ever made, these four women live together in a house in Miami after facing widowhood and divorce. Now all single, they face their trials together with a whole lot of humor and heart.
These friendships are beautiful to watch and learn from. After all, you can always find happiness in companionship. It’s as Rose said, they used to be “lonely.” And now they’re “happy.”
#15 Xena and Gabrielle (Xena: Warrior Princess)
Best friends and soulmates, Xena and Gabrielle, fight together to help the greater good. Helping others with your female friends is a noble thing to consider.
#16 Christina and Betty (Ugly Betty)
When Betty finds herself bullied at Meade Publications on her first day at work, It’s Christina in the wardrobe department that lifts her spirits. The two become fast friends.
Besides Christina’s excellent fashion advice, what I love about these two is how they treat each other with honesty and respect. Plus, Christina is hilarious. A good sense of humor is always great in a friendship.
#17 Emma and Regina (Once Upon a Time)
Instead of the enemies to lovers trope in romance fiction, they represent something similar: enemies to best friends. Despite Regina’s wicked past, Emma forgives her when Regina transforms into a new person.
Together, they share a son and remain close and supportive. The lesson here is that we can always change. Forgive others who have hurt you. You never know, you might find a new friend.
#18 Marisol, Rosie, Carmen, and Zoila (Devious Maids)
Part comedy, part romance, part cozy mystery series, four maids come together in Devious Maids to help solve the mystery of who murdered their friend. While it takes time, eventually, the four women become best friends, helping each other through relationships, danger, and more.
The four are utterly different in personality but find common ground in other ways, supporting each other through thick and thin. I also have to give a shoutout to the friendship between Zoila and her boss, Genevieve. The two are hilarious and sweet together.
#19 Miranda and Stevie (Miranda)
Miranda and Stevie are precisely the types of female friends who would celebrate Galentine’s Day. Together, they make each day exciting and fun. They even opened a joke shop to live the lives they choose to rather than the ones expected of them.
#20 Miss Fisher and Dot (Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries)
They are a couple of decades apart in age; one is wholesome, conservative, and religious, the other an independent and progressive female detective, but together they make the perfect investigative team.
Phryne Fisher doesn’t judge Dot for her beliefs. Nor does Dot sit in judgment of Phryne. Despite their differing views, they admire and love each other. We can all learn from that example.
So, that wraps up this list of some of my favorite female friendships on TV in honor of Galentine’s Day! Did you celebrate with your female friends? Who are your favorite female best friends on TV? Discuss below!
Featured image credit: Parks and Recreation (NBC)
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Great article and analysis of female friendships. Well done.
Thank you!