Rom-Coms
All 7 ‘Mamma Mia!’ Romances, Ranked From Worst to Best
[Warning: The following contains spoilers for Mamma Mia! and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.]
If you’re an ABBA fan like us, then “Honey, Honey,” you have come to the right place!
Within the Mamma Mia! fandom, July 17 is a bit of a holiday. If “July 17… What a night!” doesn’t ring any bells, we would encourage you to a) rewatch Mamma Mia! or b) pull up a video of Amanda Seyfried singing “Honey, Honey” ASAP, because you clearly haven’t memorized the sacred texts.
As it turns out, this July 17 night was described in Sophie’s mom’s diary from the year she was born. Since she doesn’t know who her dad is, finding out the name of a candidate is quite a big deal. After learning about the time Donna (Meryl Streep) spent with not one, not two, but three of her potential fathers, Sophie forges a plan to find out who her true father is by inviting all of Donna’s old flames to her wedding on a small Greek island. Through the magic of “Dancing Queen,” “Super Trouper,” and other iconic ABBA songs, Donna reconnects with the men from her past, including one who reveals he still has feelings for her.
From Donna’s three suitors to Sophie’s fiancé, Mamma Mia! is chock-full of romance, so we’ve taken it upon ourselves to rank all seven of the major romances in the movie musical and its epic sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
Below, you can find our definitive ranking of every major romantic relationship in Mamma Mia! from worst to best. Disagree with our ranking? Comment below with your #1 pick!
Mamma Mia! & Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Streaming Now, Netflix
7. Rosie & Bill
If your relationship can be defined by a man running away while you sing a song begging him to “Take a Chance on Me,” it’s not a good sign. While we love the idea of Donna’s goofy friend Rosie (Julie Walters) ending up with one of her former flings, we can’t say we love their relationship in practice. However, we do agree with young Rosie (Alexa Davies) that Bill (Stellan Skarsgård/Josh Dylan) is one “Hot Scandie Guy” no amount of cake could help us get over.
6. Donna & Harry
The first relationship between Donna and one of Sophie’s potential fathers to make our list is Headbanger Harry (Colin Firth), to absolutely no one’s surprise. While young Harry (Hugh Skinner) absolutely won us over with his flirty rendition of “Waterloo,” much like it did for young Donna, everyone knows this couple was not meant to be. While it is never explicitly stated, both Mamma Mia! films heavily imply that Harry is gay.
5. Tanya & Pepper
When it comes to Tanya (Christine Baranski) and Pepper (Philip Michael), we have to agree that “little boys who play with fire get their fingers burned.” It’s clear Tanya and the Kalokairi bartender’s connection was a one-night thing, but Pepper insists during “Does Your Mother Know” that it should have been more. Yes, the song is a bop that we wish could go on forever, but their casual relationship is definitely not.
4. Ruby & Fernando
Sure, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again received mixed reviews, but the addition of Cher as Ruby, Sophie’s estranged grandmother, made it a five-star film in our book. In an eleventh-hour twist, Ruby hears Sophie mention their hotel manager, Señor Cienfuegos, and realizes that he is her long-lost love, Fernando (Andy Garcia). While this reveal is everything, aside from Garcia and Cher’s phenomenal rendition of ABBA’s “Fernando,” we don’t see much of this couple, so they fall just shy of our top three.
3. Sophie & Sky
While Sophie (Seyfried) and Sky (Dominic Cooper) are the couple at the heart of Mamma Mia! and their chemistry in “Lay All Your Love on Me” jumps off the screen, their relationship sees one too many bumps in the road for our taste. Seriously, if someone decided they didn’t want to marry you at the altar, would you just be cool with it?
2. Donna & Sam
At the end of Mamma Mia!, Donna (Streep) says “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do” to Sam (Pierce Brosnan), but the couple saw their fair share of highs and lows before getting to that point. During Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, young Donna (Lily James) falls for Sam (Jeremy Irvine) before she finds a photo of another woman with his things. A romance needs to be strong for it to yield true heartbreak, and even though Donna and Sam are endgame, there are some things we can’t get over.
1. Donna and Bill
“The Winner Takes It All” and, least for us, when it comes to the best romantic relationship in Mamma Mia!, that’s Donna and Bill. We know what you’re thinking, Donna and Bill don’t even end up together! But we’re not referring to their relationship during the present day. We’re talking about the whirlwind fling of young Donna (James) and Bill (Josh Dylan). At the time, Donna was looking for a sexy summer romance, and Bill, the boat captain, practically fell into her hands. While every other couple had their ups and downs, Donna and Bill’s relationship was exactly what it needed to be. Plus, Bill is the one who introduced her to the island. When it comes to Mamma Mia!‘s best romantic relationship, we’re not asking why. We’re simply saying it has to be them.
