Who are the best couples in 'One Life to Live' history?

Right from the beginning, let’s all agree to disagree.

Soap couples are subjective, and while I like to hear why people like certain couples (especially if the choice dumfounds me) – the truth of the matter is, we’re not really going to persuade each other to change our opinions.

So, with that in mind, here are MY top ten best couples in OLTL history:

10. Jessica and Christian – Was there anything cuter than a teenage Jessica and Christian? We had watched Jessica (then played by Erin Torpey) grow up on screen for years, so when they paired her with the artistic latino from the other side of the tracks everyone – teenagers and adults alike – melted. Torpey and Yorlin Madera had sweet chemistry as the star-crossed lovers and, even though their love didn’t last, they still have a special place in a lot of people’s hearts.

9. Dorian and David – I was torn on whether I wanted to list Dorian and Mel or Dorian and David. Ultimately, I went with Dorian and David because of Tuc Watkins. Robin Strasser had mad chemistry with a lot of her leading men, but it was Watkins who really sold the Dorian and David romance. While a lot of television couples that feature older women and younger men get attention for all the wrong reasons, Dorian and David got attention because they were sexy and funny. That’s a winning combination in any book.

8. Viki and Clint – Erika Slezak and Jerry Ver Dorn are cute – and I’m truly glad that Viki and Clint are getting what looks like a happy ending. That being said, Slezak and Clint Ritchie (the original Clint) had my heart from the minute I started watching the show. I fell in love with Ritchie’s tall frame and folksy charm. He played easily off of Slezak’s more down home Viki – a woman who spent her time as a mother and nurturer back in those days. Ritchie has since tragically passed away – but I still Google the couple on You Tube when I’m feeling nostalgic.

7. Asa and Renee – I truly enjoyed every one of Asa’s weddings that I saw (his tacky and over-the-top union with Alex was probably my favorite) but Asa’s pairing with Renee is close to my heart. Renee was a former madam who showed up in Llanview with a secret – she and Asa had a past. Asa was a cantankerous old goat that had made an enemy out of just about every person in Llanview at one time or another. Despite the obstacles thrown their way, Asa and Renee had a sweet romance because she brought out the gentle giant in him and he brought out the fire in her. May Phil Carrey rest in peace.

6. Gabrielle and Max – There’s probably going to be some debate about this choice – mostly because a lot of people preferred Max with Luna. Me? I remember racing home in the afternoon to watch Gabrielle and Max’s fiery love story. James De Paiva and Fiona Hutchinson not only showed off their mad chemistry, they were also ridiculously pretty to look at. While I’m glad Gabrielle will have a ghostly visit with someone (probably Bo) before the end, I’m a little irritated that no one thought of bringing Max back for one last goodbye.

5. Joey and Kelly – When Kelly first came to town she was a feisty teen who fell in love with Joey Buchanan. Problem was, Joey was romancing her aunt Dorian. It took awhile, but the couple finally found each other and Gina Tognani and Nathan Fillion’s Kelly and Joey stole the show for several months. After that, Fillion left the show and Joey was recast like five times while Kelly cheated on the character with his own brother. The couple ultimately left the show together this summer, but it was with another recast. Either way, the time with Fillion and Tognani seared itself in the minds of fans and they still have a huge following on You Tube.

4. Marty and Patrick – Susan Haskell’s Marty came to town as a bad girl who almost tore apart the town’s beloved reverend. Then, after a brutal gang rape, she became the town heroine who was put in a few lackluster pairings along the way (Suede? Really?). Then, along came Thorsten Kaye’s Patrick. A rough and tumble hero with a heart of gold (and a charming accent). The fact that Haskell and Kaye fell in love off screen, had a couple kids together, and still remain together today helps Marty and Patrick’s love story – which has been anchored with Patrick’s death (twice) and resurrection (twice).

3. Todd and Blair – Whoever thought of the idea of pairing the two town outcasts together was a genius, because the minute Roger Howarth and Kassie DePaiva shared screen time they were magic. For years the couple fought and made up, fought and broke up, fought and died, fought and came back from the dead, fought and sold a baby, fought and got the baby back, etc. What stuck during those years of upheaval, though, was the intense chemistry Howarth and DePaiva shared. When Howarth left for greener pastures years ago, Todd and Blair fought to continue with a recast but they never really recaptured the magic of the original. Then, when Howarth returned to OLTL for its final run this year, to no one’s surprise, Howarth and DePaiva slipped right back into their easy chemistry – and viewers’ hearts.

2. Tina and Cord – The 80s was a time of big hair, wacky storylines and crazy adventures for this always eccentric Llanview couple. The fact that Andrea Evans and John Loprieno managed to carry it off with something akin to grace is a testament to their talent (and chemistry as a couple). No matter how weird the story was – or whatever pairings they brought in to break up Tina and Cord – nothing could jar the couple from my favor. The best thing OLTL did in its waning weeks was to bring the popular couple back to the show and give them the happy ending they so richly deserved. Cord finally got his “girl.”

1. Jake and Megan – I don’t know what it was about this pairing – whether it was Joe Lando’s smile or the glint in Jessica Tuck’s eye – but I was sold on Jake and Megan from minute one. The couple was adventurous, fun and lighthearted a lot of the time. What makes them truly memorable, though, is the fact that they were tragic, too. I will never forget Jake holding a dying Megan up to her hospital window to see the tree he decorated with hearts – or the paper heart that fluttered to the floor when she died. Both Lando and Tuck have went on to do bigger and better things – but they’ll always be Jake and Megan to me.

Honorable mentions go to Jessica and Brody, Rex and Jen, Bo and Nora, Cassie and Kevin Stapleton's Kevin, Dorian and Mel, Tina and David Vickers (the dog), and all of Viki’s personalities.