Let’s get this show on the road! While TV has mastered the art of the slow burn — looking at you, Law & Order: SVU — there comes a time for every relationship to flourish. And for certain TV couples, that time is 2023.
While Outer Banks introduced its main love story as the opposite side of the tracks romance between John B (Chase Stokes) and Sarah (Madelyn Cline) during season 1 of the Netflix series, which premiered in April 2020, viewers instantly became attached to the chemistry between pals JJ (Rudy Pankow) and Kiara (Madison Bailey).
The twosome remained strictly platonic for the first two seasons, with Kiara even considering a relationship with fellow pogue Pope (Jonathan Daviss) for half of season 2. However, viewers are still rooting for the pair to take their relationship to the next level when the show returns in 2023 — especially now that the gang has found themselves stranded on a desert island.
Pankow, for his part, exclusively spoke to Us Weekly about the fan-favorite couple in April 2021, revealing that while he thinks the duo needs to take their time, he’d be OK with them becoming an item somewhere down the line.
“I think the end game, the endgame of the OBX, I can see JJ and Kiara being like, ‘All right there’s something here,’” he shared. “Because it starts out with JJ saying that he had tried getting with Kiara. So, who knows?”
While JJ and Kiara may be on their way to a blossoming romance, other couples have been in each other’s orbit for years without ever admitting how they feel.
Evan “Buck” Buckley (Oliver Stark) and Eddie Diaz (Ryan Guzman) are fellow firefighters and best friends that are known for teaming up on the more daring rescues on Fox’s hit drama 9-1-1, but their dynamic has been a favorite since Eddie’s arrival in season 2.
The character’s chemistry over the years has many viewers hoping their friendship — which often involves Buck coparenting Eddie’s son, Christopher — will turn into something more. Despite “Buddie” shippers on social media fervently hoping to see the duo spark a romance, however, coshowrunner Kristen Reidel warned fans to manage their expectations during an interview with TV Guide in April 2022.
“I think the struggle with the Buck and Eddie relationship is, we write a thing and we have an idea in our head of what the scene means and what those lines mean and an intention behind it, and then it goes out into the world,” she explained at the time. “People may receive it in a way that we had not expected or that we had not planned on, and I’m not gonna tell people that they’re watching the show wrong because people see what they see
Reidel added that while she believes Buck and Eddie are “very good friends, and in a lot of ways, they are family,” they aren’t in a place to confront romantic feelings.
Executive producer Tim Minear meanwhile, addressed the pair’s inexplicable chemistry in January 2019 after a Christmas episode found Buck thanking a stranger who mistook him and Eddie as a married couple. “You two have an adorable son,” the person told him, to which Buck responded, “Thank you,” instead of correcting the mistake.
“I know a lot of people are getting that vibe [between Buck and Eddie], which is why I put that little joke at the end. Basically, the winsome elf was speaking for the audience. And I’m not saying that the fountain shooting up behind them meant anything metaphorically. You decide,” Minear told TVLine, referring to a coin fountain placed in the background that Twitter instantly assumed was meant to serve as a possible phallic innuendo.
Stark, for his part, took to social media in 2019 to clarify where he stands on the Buddie romance, telling fans that he “doesn’t know where the story is going” between the two characters, but he “totally supports” the investment in their relationship.
Will romance finally happen for any of these pairings? Scroll through the gallery below to see which TV couples we’re hoping to see together in 2023.
Let’s get this show on the road! While TV has mastered the art of the slow burn — looking at you, Law & Order: SVU — there comes a time for every relationship to flourish. And for certain TV couples, that time is 2023.
While Outer Banks introduced its main love story as the opposite side of the tracks romance between John B (Chase Stokes) and Sarah (Madelyn Cline) during season 1 of the Netflix series, which premiered in April 2020, viewers instantly became attached to the chemistry between pals JJ (Rudy Pankow) and Kiara (Madison Bailey).
The twosome remained strictly platonic for the first two seasons, with Kiara even considering a relationship with fellow pogue Pope (Jonathan Daviss) for half of season 2. However, viewers are still rooting for the pair to take their relationship to the next level when the show returns in 2023 — especially now that the gang has found themselves stranded on a desert island.
Pankow, for his part, exclusively spoke to Us Weekly about the fan-favorite couple in April 2021, revealing that while he thinks the duo needs to take their time, he’d be OK with them becoming an item somewhere down the line.
“I think the end game, the endgame of the OBX, I can see JJ and Kiara being like, ‘All right there’s something here,’” he shared. “Because it starts out with JJ saying that he had tried getting with Kiara. So, who knows?”
[jwplayer a1a1FdcY-zhNYySv2]
While JJ and Kiara may be on their way to a blossoming romance, other couples have been in each other’s orbit for years without ever admitting how they feel.
Evan “Buck” Buckley (Oliver Stark) and Eddie Diaz (Ryan Guzman) are fellow firefighters and best friends that are known for teaming up on the more daring rescues on Fox’s hit drama 9-1-1, but their dynamic has been a favorite since Eddie’s arrival in season 2.
The character’s chemistry over the years has many viewers hoping their friendship — which often involves Buck coparenting Eddie’s son, Christopher — will turn into something more. Despite “Buddie” shippers on social media fervently hoping to see the duo spark a romance, however, coshowrunner Kristen Reidel warned fans to manage their expectations during an interview with TV Guide in April 2022.
“I think the struggle with the Buck and Eddie relationship is, we write a thing and we have an idea in our head of what the scene means and what those lines mean and an intention behind it, and then it goes out into the world,” she explained at the time. “People may receive it in a way that we had not expected or that we had not planned on, and I’m not gonna tell people that they’re watching the show wrong because people see what they see
Reidel added that while she believes Buck and Eddie are “very good friends, and in a lot of ways, they are family,” they aren’t in a place to confront romantic feelings.
Executive producer Tim Minear meanwhile, addressed the pair’s inexplicable chemistry in January 2019 after a Christmas episode found Buck thanking a stranger who mistook him and Eddie as a married couple. “You two have an adorable son,” the person told him, to which Buck responded, “Thank you,” instead of correcting the mistake.
“I know a lot of people are getting that vibe [between Buck and Eddie], which is why I put that little joke at the end. Basically, the winsome elf was speaking for the audience. And I’m not saying that the fountain shooting up behind them meant anything metaphorically. You decide,” Minear told TVLine, referring to a coin fountain placed in the background that Twitter instantly assumed was meant to serve as a possible phallic innuendo.
Stark, for his part, took to social media in 2019 to clarify where he stands on the Buddie romance, telling fans that he “doesn’t know where the story is going” between the two characters, but he “totally supports” the investment in their relationship.
Will romance finally happen for any of these pairings? Scroll through the gallery below to see which TV couples we’re hoping to see together in 2023.
Credit: JackZeman/20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock
Buck and Eddie – ‘9-1-1’
Fans of the Fox hit have been loving the “Buddie” dynamic since Eddie’s first appearance in season 2. The pair are not only best friends, but Buck often acts as a pseudo coparent to Eddie’s son, Christopher. Neither man has been able to find a long-lasting relationship with a woman and viewers are waiting for the twosome to realize the romance they’ve been looking for has been right under their noses all along.
Credit: Curtis Baker/Netflix
Steve and Nancy – ‘Stranger Things’
Steve (Joe Keery) and Nancy (Natalia Dyer) may not have worked out the first time around, but season 4 of Netflix’s Stranger Things proved there are still sparks between these two exes. With Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) in California and a new Big Bad to defeat, the high school sweethearts found themselves back in each other’s arms. While Steve admitted that he still dreams of a future with Nancy, it remains to be seen if she will stay with her current boyfriend or find her way back to an old love by the time the show wraps in season 5.
Credit: Netflix/Kobal/Shutterstock
JJ and Kiara – ‘Outerbanks’
Could Season 3 be their moment? The actors themselves have admitted that these two besties could make a solid pairing, but the Netflix series has yet to take their relationship to the next level. Now that they are stranded on a desert island together, fans are hoping their sparks will turn into something more.
Credit: Courtesy of CW
Spencer and Liv – ‘All American’
Breaking TV viewers’ hearts across the world, these lovebirds called it quits in season 5 after waiting years to finally get together. While Spencer (Daniel Ezra) and Liv (Samantha Logan) may be on different paths for now, fans hope to see them rekindle their iconic romance soon on the CW drama. Considering both characters are still struggling to move on, chances are high they will find their way back eventually.
Credit: Colin Bentley/The CW
Nancy and Ace – Nancy Drew
They were so close! Nancy (Kennedy McMann) and Ace (Alex Saxon) — referred to as “Nace” by their adoring fans — have been a slow burn since the CW series premiered in 2019. While the duo finally admitted their feelings in season 3, a curse reversed their love confession and now may prevent them from being together ever again. With season 4 being their last chance to get together before the show ends, fans are holding their breath in hopes the two BFFs find a way to finally make an official relationship work.
Credit: Peacock
Rose and Dimitri – ‘Vampire Academy’
While Peacock viewers certainly didn’t need to wait long to see these two act on their impulses, season 1 left Rose (Sisi Stringer) and Dimitri (Kieron Moore) headed in opposite directions. However, while there may be deadly obstacles in their path, the lovers seem inevitably destined to find each other again one day.
Credit: Universal Tv/Kobal/Shutterstock
Olivia and Elliot – ‘Law & Order SVU’/’Law & Order: Organized Crime’
Fans have waited 24 seasons to see if something will happen between Capitan Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni). Now that Elliot has — maybe — admitted his love for Olivia and she has confessed her feelings for him (to other people), NBC may finally allow these two longtime best friends to be together. They just need to talk to each other first.
Credit: Eric McCandless/ABC/Kobal/Shutterstock
Lucy and Tim – ‘The Rookie’
Since Lucy (Melissa O’Neil) became Tim’s (Eric Winter) rookie in season 1, viewers have rooted for these two to make the professional, personal. After they finally kissed during an undercover mission in season 4, they worked through their feelings in the first half of season 5. Now that Tim has asked Lucy on a date, fans are ready for this duo to begin their inevitable epic romance.
Credit: NBC
Kim and Adam – ‘Chicago P.D.’
As the Ross and Rachel of NBC’s One Chicago universe, the duo have had a confusing on and off romance throughout the show. While Adam (Patrick Flueger) rushed to Kim’s (Marina Squerciati) side after she was shot twice, the pair are still trying to navigate their complicated relationship in season 9. Still, fans are praying these characters get a happily ever after.
Credit: Courtesy of The CW (3)
Barchie/Varchie/Bughead/Jabitha – ‘Riverdale’
With Riverdale’s final season approaching and the gang all heading back to the 1950s, all bets are off in the romance department. Viewers are hoping for a chance to see their favorite pairing link up. Whether it’s continuing on with Betty (Lili Reinhart) and Archie (KJ Apa) — who got engaged in the season 6 finale — or returning to the high school couples of Betty and Jughead (Cole Sprouse), as well as Veronica (Camila Mendes) and Archie, fans are totally split on who they want to see as the CW drama’s “endgames.”
Credit: Katie Yu/The CW
Choni – ‘Riverdale’
One couple that Riverdale fans can agree on is Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) and Toni (Vanessa Morgan), who have been fan favorites since Morgan joined the cast in season 2. The twosome have been pulled apart since the show’s major time jump in season 5, but fingers are crossed that the exes will fall back in love before the series wraps. Petch and Morgan, who are best friends in real life, have also been vocal about their hopes for reconciliation between the former lovebirds.
Credit: Netflix (2)
Ben and Devi/Paxton and Devi – ‘Never Have I Ever’
The season 3 finale may have ended with a surprise hookup between Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) and Ben (Jaren Lewison), but some people are still hoping that Devi and ex-boyfriend Paxton (Darren Barnet) find their way back into each other’s orbit during season 4. Whether a fan of enemies to lovers or exes to lovers, Never Have I Ever’s final season is bound to be filled with a ton of romantic angst.
Credit: Peter Taylor/Prime Video (2)
Belly/Jeremiah and Belly/Conrad – ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’
Fans instantly fell in love with this book to small-screen adaptation of Jenny Han’s classic book trilogy that features a girl caught in a love triangle with two brothers. While season 1 showed Belly (Lola Tung) considering a relationship with Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno), the show stayed true to the novels and she ended the summer by sharing a smooch with her longtime crush, Conrad (Christopher Briney).
Season 2, however, may feature a comeback for Belly and Jeremiah fans if the show continues to follow the book’s narrative, with the twosome entering a long-term relationship while Belly finds herself at odds with Conrad — at least until book 3.
Credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Emily and Gabriel – ‘Emily In Paris’
Sparks have flown between these two Netflix characters since the pilot, but just as Emily (Lily Collins) and Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) finally admit they’re in love with each other, Camille (Camille Razat) drops a bomb that changes everything. At this point, viewers are desperate to just see this duo happy and facing obstacles together, not apart.
Credit: Isabella Vosmikova
Bela and Eric – ‘Sex Lives of College Girls’
What seemed like a slow burn turned into a casual sex situation between Bela (Amrit Kaur) and Eric (Mekki Leeper) in season 2 of the HBO Max hit. While the pair eventually tried dating, things quickly ended when Bela cheated on Eric with a comedian visiting Essex college. Now that Bela is considering transferring schools, fans are worried this chemistry-filled dynamic is officially over before it ever really got started.
Credit: Apple TV
Ted and Rebecca – ‘Ted Lasso’
Enemies to friends to … lovers? These wholesome besties stole viewers’ hearts when Ted (Jason Sudeikis) gave Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) that first pink box of cookies in season 1, but their relationship has only deepened from there. With both of them letting go of their failed marriages, everyone is hoping they take their friendship to the next level in the Apple TV+ hit’s final season.
Credit: COURTESY OF NETFLIX
Ginny and Joe – ‘Ginny and Georgia’
2023’s Luke and Lorelai, this single mom and cafe owner seem destined to be together. Joe’s (Raymond Ablack) act of kindness as a teenager led Georgia (Brianne Howey) to his home of Wellsbury, Massachusetts, years later, but she’s currently engaged to the town’s mayor, Paul (Scott Porter). There’s also her daughter’s father (Nathan Mitchell) who just moved back to town and a whole bunch of secrets, lies — and murders! — that have yet to be uncovered. Nevertheless, Netflix fans are hoping to see this duo find each other in the madness one day.
Credit: Gilles Mingasson/ABC
Janine and Greg – ‘Abbott Elementary’
Jim and Pam who? Coworkers with a clear connection, Janine (Quinta Brunson) and Greg (Tyler James Williams) are the perfect match. Now that Janine is out of her long-term relationship, Greg is the one who is unavailable, but these two are seemingly on a crash course for one another. After a steamy night out on the dance floor during the season 2 midseason finale, it seems like their love story is far from over.
Credit: Timea Saghy/Netflix
Jesper/ Wylan and Kaz/Inej – ‘Shadow and Bone’
The show may be called Shadow and Bone, but the Six of Crows instantly became the fan-favorite group of misfits in season 1 of the series. Netflix viewers are drawn to loner Kaz’s (Freddy Carter) soft spot for Inej (Amita Suman) and the twosome’s subtle but sturdy bond. They are also highly anticipating sweet and endearing Wylan (Jack Wolfe), who — if season 2 follows the book’s narrative — will quickly become glib, gun-wielding Jesper’s (Kit Young) major love interest.
Credit: Ali Goldstein/ABC/Kobal/Shutterstock
Jo and Link – ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
This pairing seemed to be a friends-with-benefits story gone horribly wrong after Jo (Camilla Luddington) confessed her feelings to Link (Chris Carmack), but it turns out there may still be hope for these two in the back half of season 19 on the ABC medical drama, despite Link initially being hesitant that a romance would ruin their BFF dynamic.
