Happy Pride! As we near the end of this celebratory month, The Vampire Lestat gods decide to bestow upon us a gift. And by us, I mean Devil’s Minion shippers. In The Vampire Lestat episode four, Armand and Daniel share several beautiful, emotional, and deeply complex moments together. But the Devil’s Minion ship also does something else. Yes, in “The Devil’s Road,” DM enters one of the most Hallowed Halls of fandom as Armand and Daniel complete what I like to colloquially call “The Wall Slam.” “The Wall Slam,” or wall push, is a very intricate maneuver, in which one member of the ship, often overcome by rage, but really, by the inability to stand the intensity of emotions they have for the other person, shoves the other member of the ship against the wall and then gets obscenely close. (You know, because that’s what you do when you’re mad.) Then, in most cases, what transpires is the AO3 tag: “Unresolved Sexual Tension.” Though, for the lucky few, there comes a kiss. (You know they’re already SO close.)
Alas, no kiss luck yet for Devil’s Minion, but a quality wall slam if there ever was one, executed to top marks with everything the trope should hold. Just off the top of my head, the moment nostalgically flared to life a number of ships past. And as I dug into the concept, it turns out, nearly every good ship out there has a variation of “The Wall Slam,” also known as Kabedon or Wall Pin of Love. At first, I considered ranking these devilishly subtextual ship moments. But I decided that all wall slams are valid. So instead, in the spirit of Pride—let us celebrate these fine moments in fandom, which have spurred thousands of fan creations and lingered long in memory.
Devil’s Minion, The Vampire Lestat: Armand and Daniel’s Wall Push Gets Extra Marks for Style
Our newest entry into the Wall Slam Hall of Fame, Armand and Daniel, did not come to play in episode four of The Vampire Lestat. I mean, factoring in that Armand turned Daniel into an immortal being, then ran away for two years, left Daniel to fend for himself, and has NOT been in touch, it’s only fair that Daniel push him into a couple of walls about it. That, along with the incredible chemistry and tension between them, gives us all the ingredients we need for a very successful ship Wall Slam.
But honestly, we have to hand it to Daniel. Usually, the wall push is a one-and-done kind of scenario. But we give Devil’s Minion extra points for Daniel actually pulling Armand forward so he could slam him back again a second time. Two-in-one Wall Slam. Yeah, we’re not mad about it. Extra points for Armand following it up with a love confession. It’s not a kiss, but we’ll take it.
Destiel, Supernatural: Dean and Cas Actually Have Like a Zillion Wall Slams, But This Season 4 Finale One Has Stayed with Me
Dean and Cas did not invent the Wall Slam, but they certainly made it their signature move. Over the course of Supernatural‘s many seasons, they’ve had at least three wall slams, if not more. But it’s this moment of Castiel pushing Dean against the wall in the Supernatural season four finale that has stayed with me, and what I see in my mind’s eye when I imagine the Wall Slam. There’s nothing like sealing “I’m betraying Heaven and everything I’ve ever known for you” by pushing the object of your affections into a wall and getting extra close. (Which is saying something when it comes to Dean and Cas.)
BlackBonnet, Our Flag Means Death: They Win Because They Kiss at the End
This is a nice wall slam because it’s just pure love. We could honestly use a few more cheerful wall pushes amongst our ships. Stede and Blackbeard are living their happily ever after as a fully realized canon ship, and that means loving wall slams and kisses. Should all our ships be so lucky, amen.
BlackHands, Our Flag Means Death: The Form of a Wall Slam If There Ever Was One
But, you know, Izzy and Blackbeard are a dang good ship, too. And they bring us the definition of a fandom ship Wall Slam in Our Flag Means Death‘s season one finale. Izzy wants Blackbeard to go back to his old self, and he’s not afraid to bait him into it. And baiting Blackbeard means ending up against the wall, a hand to your throat. It’s what Izzy wants, and it’s what BlackHands shippers need.
Steddie, Stranger Things: A Ship Is Born with a Wall Slam
Steddie is a truly beautiful ship. Even though Steve and Eddie could not be more different, they quickly bond over their shared love and child, Dustin. Steddie stole the hearts of many Stranger Things shippers in record time. And even though the pair only share a handful of canon scenes together, one of them is the all-important Wall Slam. Eddie pushes Steve into a wall, presses a broken beer bottle to his throat, and the rest is history.
JohnLock, BBC Sherlock: There’s Nothing Like Pushing Someone Against a Wall to Say “Stop Hurting Yourself”
(PS, the video works if you press play!) Oh, JohnLock. So much potential. But we won’t dwell on old wounds. Instead, we’ll celebrate this intense Sherlock season two, episode four “The Lying Detective” moment that had JohnLock fans buzzing. In a fit of rage that Sherlock won’t stop abusing drugs, John Watson slams into a wall and actually slaps him, and the moment devolves into a fight between the pair. It’s an intense sequence. But it’s clear that it’s born of the fact that Watson and Sherlock love one another in ways they can’t understand or express.
Aziracrow, Good Omens: Don’t Call Crowley Nice, Aziraphale (Or Do…)
Good Omens‘ Aziracrow is another one of those ships destined for actual canon. But there’s a lot of bluster between the pair before they can fully admit their feelings for one another. In this famous sequence, dubbed “That Wall Scene,” Crowley can’t take the idea that Aziraphale might think he’s… nice. And the reaction is naturally for Crowley to push him against the wall and glower in his face about it. Yup.
Spuffy, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer: A Wall Slam That Influenced a Generation
Spuffy’s Wall Slam is generational. And it contains the best of all worlds. Not only does it begin with the classic antagonism and intensity that any good ship Wall Slam will have, but then it devolves into a frenzied make-out. I have it on good authority that this Spike and Buffy kiss against the wall in Buffy‘s season six, episode nine, “Smashed,” changed lives. Some might call it the hottest scene on television… And so I rest my case about the importance of a Wall Slam to a ship.
Buffy: The Vampire Slayer Also Has Spander and Fuffy Wall Pushes
It turns out, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer is RIFE with Wall Slams. Enemies to lovers sweetheart ship Spander, Spike and Xander, has one, and so does Fuffy, Faith and Buffy. That’s a show that knows how to do it!
Sterek, Teen Wolf: A Classic Wall Slam
Sterek was one of Teen Wolf‘s major ships—so, of course, it requires a good wall slam. Like so many ships before them, Sterek began life as an antagonistic match-up, which involved a lot of menacing and finger-pointing into faces, and yes, getting way too close to walls. Happily, eventually, the pair found their way into something softer. But we’ll never forget the early days of tension and Wall Slams.
VillanEve, Killing Eve: A Wall Slam Plus a Knife, Winning.
VillanEve is a god-tier ship. We need more tense love and angry chemistry among our ladies in the world. And Villanelle and Eve delivered that to us in spades on Killing Eve. We say their Wall Slam is absolutely up there in our books. Not only does it involve all the usual hallmarks, a lack of personal space, a good deal of sexual tension, heaving chests, and a ton of threats, but it also brings a knife into it. 10/10 Wall Slam, gals.
George and Mitchell, Being Human: A Fandom Favorite Wall Slam
I’m told this incredible show, featuring a vampire and a werewolf as roommates, is a must-watch. In addition to constantly saving one another from their vices, George and Mitchell know a thing or two about the wall slam. Compelling television and a strong ship. If you haven’t watched this one yet, what are you waiting for?
Lisa and Jackson, Red Eye: Hello, Airplane Wall Push
Cillian Murphy and Rachel McAdams bring Wall Slams into the air with this steamy scene. Terrorism, assassination, and some heavy breathing in the sky. It wasn’t a wall push that immediately jumped to my mind, but I can see now why it had such an impact on so many. Red Eye, we salute you.
BatJokes, The Dark Knight: Batman and Joker are an OG Ship, They Deserve a Wall Slam
The Batman and Joker have been intertwined for a long time. In some ways, they give the other a reason to keep going. And BatJokes is a truly classic, well-loved ship. And so, we were thrilled for long-time (and new) fans of the pairing when The Dark Knight brought a truly growly wall slam into the mix for this comic-based ship. We certainly wouldn’t want Batman holding us against the wall like that… But we feel like Joker totally does.
Everlark, The Hunger Games: Katniss Pushes Peeta Against the Wall
Sometimes, a woman has to slam a man against the wall, and we are here for that. When it comes to Katniss and Peeta, it’s definitely Katniss who is the more reactive of the pair. And she’s not afraid to throw an elbow up and go for the full neck choke in her rage, which we fully applaud. It’s only the beginning of the relationship between Katniss and Peeta in The Hunger Games, but for fans of EverLark it’s absolutely a memorable scene.
Honorable Wall Slam Mentions: Spirk in “Amok Time,” Hannigram’s Ladder Scene, Spike and Angel Fight
It turns out the Wall Slam is a very specific kind of scene. So, we had to be firm on what was and what wasn’t a Wall Slam. But we feel like there are a few spiritual offshoots of the Wall Slam. One of them is the “Floor Pin,” which Spirk, Spock and Kirk, perform admirably in Star Trek: The Original Series‘ “Amok Time” and Spike and Angel demonstrate nicely in Buffy.
The other is whatever Hannibal’s Hannigram has going on during “The Ladder Scene.” Hannibal doesn’t literally pin Will to the ladder. But you know, he may as well have…
The Vampire Lestat airs on AMC and AMC+ Sundays at 9 pm ET/PT and midnight, respectively. You can snag The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice to read, if you’d like to know a little bit more about what’s going on.
Rotem Rusak is the Editor-in-Chief of Nerdist. She’s so ready for Devil’s Minion to become canon so one of her ships can finally sail.
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