The most memorable shipper moments of 2021
Netflix (3); The CW (2); Eric McCandless via Getty Images
It can be tough to be a shipper. Your emotions are so closely tied to the lives of fictional characters. Sometimes they're happy. But a lot of times they're not. And yet, shippers gonna ship. So, here are the moments from 2021 that gave our shipper hearts an infusion of joy.
Rebecca and Sam's surprise connection, <em>Ted Lasso</em>
Whether you're a TV character or an IRL human looking for love, there's potential for disaster in both online dating and workplace romances. But when team owner Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) and Richmond player Sam (Toheeb Jimoh) wind up chatting on the dating app Bantr — where, conveniently, you can't see your suitor's name or face — a sweet and surprising romance begins to brew. Yes, dating your boss is complicated, and there's a sizable age gap here, but it was impossible not to see the sparks between those two characters. (Plus, Sam cashed in his once-a-year haircut from Isaac ahead of their first date!) Though they're on a break right now, Jimoh and Waddingham have made Sam and Rebecca a pair we'll keep rooting for. —Jessica Derschowitz
Nick returns, <em>Grey's Anatomy</em>
This one's been a long time coming. After Scott Speedman guest-starred on one episode of Grey's Anatomy in season 14, fans started clamoring for Nick to return and continue his flirtation with Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo). Four seasons later, in the season 18 premiere, Nick made his triumphant return and wasted very little time before asking Meredith on a date. The chemistry between Speedman and Pompeo is undeniable as fans start to wonder if Nick will be Meredith's happily-ever-after in a McDreamy-free world. —Samantha Highfill
Paxton and Devi kiss, <em>Never Have I Ever</em>
After Never Have I Ever's season 1 finale set up a love triangle between Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), hot jock Paxton (Darren Barnet), and Devi's academic rival Ben (Jared Lewison), season 2 kicked things off with some chaos: Devi tried and failed to date both guys, a decision that ended with her alone. But by season's end, she'd found her way back to Paxton. In the season 2 finale, the two finally shared another kiss, this time as they made their way into prom to make their relationship public. —S.H.
"But what is grief," <em>WandaVision</em>
The entirety of WandaVision is a tribute to the love story between Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) — she literally bewitches an entire town and holds them hostage inside a TV-inspired world as she works through the pain of his death. But it was a line from Vision in the Disney+ series' penultimate episode, "Previously On," that struck a chord with so many of us. As Wanda is forced by fellow witch Agatha (Kathryn Hahn) to revisit past traumatic moments in her life, we see a tender exchange between her and Vision following the death of Wanda's brother, Pietro, in which he offers her these words of comfort: "But what is grief, if not love persevering?" After a year filled with so much isolation and loss, Wanda wasn't the only one who took them to heart. —J.D.
Sara and Ava's wedding, <em>Legends of Tomorrow</em>
It's been a long and winding road for Co-Captains Sara Lance (Caity Lotz) and Ava Sharpe (Jes Macallan). They've faced alien abductions, clones, Purgatory, and oh so much more. But Beebo willing, they not only persevered through it, but made it to the altar and tied the knot in the CW super-dramedy's wedding. Unfortunately for them, not inviting fellow capes like Barry Allen didn't stop their day from being interrupted by drama, this time courtesy of Bishop and his army of aliens. Nevertheless, the entire ceremony was incredibly sweet, especially the two women's vows. They've come a long way since their contentious first meeting in season 3. —Chancellor Agard
Kristen and David kiss, <em>Evil</em>
Nothing says romance quite like a murder confession. The jam-packed Evil season 2 finale found Kristen (Katja Herbers) confessing her homicidal past to the newly ordained David (Mike Colter) — and how she's grappling with the urge to kill again. That raw moment of emotional intimacy soon turned into a physical one, as the two colleagues shared a kiss — despite the fact that she's married and he's a priest. —Devan Coggan
<em>Bridgerton</em> sex montage
For those of you who made the tactical error of watching Bridgerton with your parents over the holidays, we're sorry. But this was truly one of the sexiest sequences on television, not only of the year, but probably the decade. The lustful gazes from Simon (Rege-Jean Page); Daphne's (Phoebe Dyvenor) iconic "I burn for you" kicked things off, but then once they got to their house in the country, it was like they were determined to do it in every room (and meadow and field). Props for the show not only being sexy, but having the vision to get creative with its sex scenes and showcasing female pleasure (and men gallant enough to give it) in essential ways. We'll never look at library ladders the same again. —Maureen Lee Lenker
Stabler's letter, <em>Law & Order: SVU</em>
Welcome to the longest-running, most frustrating ship in the history of television! After years apart, Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) have finally been reunited thanks to his return to the Law & Order universe, but despite multiple crossovers, the two still haven't kissed! The closest we got in 2021 was a letter, in which Elliot told Olivia, "In a parallel universe, it will always be you and I." Did it make us swoon? Yes. Was it grammatically correct? No. Are we still waiting for a kiss? DEAR GOD YES. —S.H.
Holt and Kevin go bird-watching, <em>Brooklyn Nine-Nine</em>
After it's revealed in the season 8 premiere that Holt (Andre Braugher) and Kevin (Marc Evan Jackson) have separated, the squad goes up to Holt's Lake House (named after Kirsopp Lake, not actually near a lake) to cheer him up — but Peralta (Andy Samberg) concocts a "parent trap" scheme and invites Kevin there too in hopes of helping them reconcile. Their "chance" meeting while birdwatching goes awry, because this is a sitcom so of course it does, but it ends with Holt describing a corncrake to Kevin and the two agreeing to couple's counseling. And thank goodness they did, because there's no way we could let Brooklyn Nine-Nine end without Cheddar's dads back together. —J.D.
Betty and Archie's shower sex, <em>Riverdale</em>
All it took was a time jump! After teenage Betty (Lili Reinhart) and Archie (KJ Apa) decided not to give dating a try after their season 4 kiss caused problems for both of their relationships, Riverdale jumped forward in time. Now in their 20s — and both single — Archie and Betty decided to have some fun, finally acting on the feelings they'd both been harboring for years. The result was a very steamy shower scene. But no amount of water could put out the flame between these two longtime neighbors. —S.H.
Alina and Alexander kiss, <em>Shadow and Bone</em>
Yes, General Kirigan a.k.a. the Darkling (Ben Barnes) turned out to be a really bad dude on Shadow and Bone — especially with how he treats/uses/hurts Alina (Jessie Mei Li) after she finds out he's the infamous Black Heretic and has been lying about his past. But that doesn't change the fact that when he and Alina first meet, their chemistry is off the charts. The Shadow Summoner and Sun Summoner together is literal magic, and it resulted it one seriously hot kiss that almost led to more. And again, yes, I know it's a good thing Alina learned the truth about him before it went any further. But is it wrong that I was bummed Alina didn't learn the truth even like five minutes later? That scene was seriously steamy — and way hotter than anything Alina and Mal (Archie Renaux) have had together so far. It ended far too soon! —Sydney Bucksbaum
Roy's bathtub apology, <em>Ted Lasso</em>
Since first getting together in the back half of season 1, Roy (Brett Goldstein) and Keeley (Juno Temple) have been #couplegoals – every kiss, romantic gesture, and moment of support making us swoon. But what makes a great couple is also recognizing that no relationship is perfect and putting in the work when you misstep. When Roy starts to drive Keeley up the wall with his constant presence and inability to give her alone time, he initially takes it personally. But once he realizes what she's getting at, he makes up for it in the sexiest way possible: with a bubble bath, complete with candles and rose petals, and a playlist entitled "Roy is Sorry for Not Understanding Keeley." Roy knocked this one out of the f—ing park. You can keep your mix tapes; we want all the Roy Kent apology playlists. —M.L.L.
Alex and Kelly's wedding, <em>Supergirl</em>
Alex Danvers (Chyler Leigh) and Kelly Olsen (Azie Tesfai), Supergirl's most stable romantic pairing, finally got their day in the superhero show's emotional series finale. It was clear they were going to last from the early days of their relationship, and their wedding was a beautiful tribute to everything they've faced together. Of course, the entire affair was made even more special thanks to a performance of "We Belong" from Melissa Benoist and Jeremy Jordan, who play Kara Danvers and Winn Schott, respectively. —C.A.
Otis and Maeve kiss, <em>Sex Education</em>
As early as Sex Education's first episode, it was apparent that Otis (Asa Butterfield) had a crush on the school's bad — or more accurately, misunderstood — girl, Maeve (Emma Mackey). But it took the friends three seasons to be in the same place in terms of their feelings for each other. After season 2 ended with a sweet voicemail from Otis declaring his love for Maeve — that Isaac (George Robinson) deleted! —the two remained apart until a school field trip left them stranded at a gas station. It might not sound romantic, but trust us, it was! It was there, outside that empty gas station, that the couple finally locked lips for the first time. —S.H.
Sylvie and Loki kiss, <em>Loki</em>
Being in love with yourself is textbook narcissism but Loki took that to a whole other level when Loki (Tom Hiddleston) fell in love with the female variant of himself, Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino). One of the season's best scenes comes when Loki tearfully confesses that all he wants is for Sylvie to be okay — more than he wants to win or a throne, which is a huge moment of growth for one of the MCU's best antiheroes — and she passionately kisses him. It's emotional, it's satisfying, and it's the perfect payoff to their season-long buildup of tension. And then the gut punch comes a second later when Sylvie betrays Loki with a simple, "But I'm not you," adding another intricately woven layer to their already mind-bendingly complicated dynamic. —S.B.
Kelly and Stella get engaged, <em>Chicago Fire</em>
The unthinkable has happened! After nine seasons of fighting fires and fighting off woman, Firehouse 51's favorite playboy, Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney), is ready to settle down. True to form, he made the decision in the midst of an emergency, proposing to his longtime girlfriend Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) while the two stood inside a burning building. And she said yes! Although things haven't been going well for the couple lately — Stella's been out of town for a while — shippers will always cherish the moment they promised each other forever ... while surrounded by flames. —S.H.
Spencer and Olivia kiss in Vegas, <em>All American</em>
All American is the latest show to prove that what happens in Las Vegas doesn't stay there. And thank goodness for that. After three seasons of a growing connection, Spencer (Daniel Ezra) and Olivia (Samantha Logan) finally admitted their feelings for each other! In the end, it was a trip to Vegas that made Spencer realize how he felt. And although it would still be a while before the two could be together —things were very complicated — this was the important first step that fans had been waiting for. —S.H.
Jerrie and Lindor kiss, <em>Big Sky</em>
Trans representation still has a long way to go in the entertainment industry, but we were thrilled by this unexpected kiss on network television. Throughout the course of the season Jerrie (Jesse James Keitel) and Mark Lindor (Omar Metwally) had been developing a connection, but it was unclear if her romantic feelings were one-sided. But when she decided to leave town to visit her ailing mother (a decision Lindor helped her reckon with), he made good on all that romantic tension. They kissed outside her car, and the promise of something more lingered if she ever returns to Big Sky. But it was lovely to see a romantic moment with a groundbreaking trans character on television that wasn't all about their trans-ness and just celebrated their right to be loved and desired like anyone else. —M.L.L.
Zoey and Max get back together, <em>Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist</em>
After two seasons of an expertly crafted will-they-won't-they roller coaster, the moment when Zoey (Jane Levy) and Max (Skylar Astin) got back together in Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist's season 2 finale was nothing short of flawless. The episode begins with both of them in serious relationships with other people, so the surprise ending of Max finding Zoey after not getting on the plane to go to New York was already romantic enough on its own. But then you add in Max seeing Zoey and the entire park of people sing "I Melt With You" as a heart song as he realizes he now has Zoey's powers and it elevated the moment to one of the series' best. As grateful as I am to The Roku Channel for giving us the Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas holiday movie, NBC canceling the series after this picture-perfect moment was downright cruel because it ripped away the promise of the third season we'll never get. —S.B.
Nico and Kimberly kiss, <em>The Sex Lives of College Girls</em>
When Kimberly (Pauline Chalamet), the small-town girl from Arizona, first showed up to Essex College in Vermont, she never expected the hot upperclassmen jogging shirtless through the quad to be interested in her. But after some French tutoring sessions and a couple frat parties, her connection with Nico (Gavin Leatherwood) started to grow. Then, in Sex Lives' sixth episode, after a truly awkward and hilarious dinner with their families, Nico and Kimberly finally kissed! Sure, the next episode would reveal that he had a secret girlfriend all along, but for the briefest moment, things were looking up between the two of them. —S.H.
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