2023 in Review: The Most Dynamic ‘Ships From Succession, The Diplomat, The Summer I Turned Pretty and More

From old flames giving it one more shot to a pair of phantoms getting their freak on, this year’s TV couples had us thoroughly dialed in.

Who could forget the loving way George first gazed upon Queen Charlotte’s titular monarch as she attempted to climb over a wall to escape an arranged marriage? Or that The Last of Us’ Bill and Frank fit a meaningful, years-long relationship within the strict confines of a one-hour episode of television? And while not every couple included on our list was built to last, they were all riveting in their own way.

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Since we’re discussing major plot points from the 22 shows represented on this list, take this as your official spoiler warning. Check back later if you’re not fully caught up on the following: 1923, And Just Like That…, The Bear, Daisy Jones & the Six, The Diplomat, Doom Patrol, Fellow Travelers, Fire Country, Ghosts, Gotham Knights, Heartstopper, The Last of Us, Magnum P.I., My Adventures With Superman, Nancy Drew, NCIS, Outer Banks, Queen Charlotte, The Righteous Gemstones, Succession, The Summer I Turned Pretty and Superman & Lois.

Scroll on to see TVLine’s picks of the year’s most dynamic ‘ships — listed in alphabetical order by show — and then drop a comment with your own suggestions.

Spencer and Alex, 1923

From the moment they met, the rich heiress and the traumatized war vet had a connection that gave off some serious heat. Add in that they managed to find themselves in several high-stakes situations in a relatively short period of time — stampeding elephants and shipwrecks, to name two — and is it any wonder that we were transfixed?  — Kim Roots

Carrie and Aidan, And Just Like That…

This was a reunion two decades in the making: Following the death of her husband Mr. Big, Carrie found herself thinking about her other great love, aka furniture maker Aidan Shaw. An email out of the blue led to a romantic dinner, which blossomed into a full-fledged rekindling that had us thinking these two might actually walk down the aisle after all. But when Aidan’s son ran into trouble in Virginia, Aidan decided to stay down there full-time until his kids are grown up, putting a five-year pause on his relationship with Carrie — and making fans wait even longer to see if they get a happily-ever-after. —  Dave Nemetz

Carmy and Claire, The Bear

Carmy had his hands full building the restaurant of his dreams in Season 2, but he still found time to reconnect with his former flame Claire, an ER doctor who saw right through his bluster and excuses. Their flirty banter made them seem like a perfect match. (Especially when R.E.M. was playing in the background.) But then Carmy went and messed it all up by blaming the restaurant’s problems on all the time he spent with Claire, leading her to walk out on him in the season finale and leaving fans with a bitter taste in their mouths. — D.N.

Daisy and Billy, Daisy Jones and the Six

It doesn’t get much more dramatic than the rollercoaster that was the tortured relationship between the two lead singers/songwriters. From the moment they met, there were sparks – of the argumentative kind when Daisy changed Billy’s lyrics. And despite that combative first meeting — not to mention the fact that Billy was married — the two couldn’t deny the pull between them. From thinly-veiled feelings buried in song lyrics to forbidden kisses to near overdoses, Daisy and Billy had us riveted from their fiery beginning to their hopeful reunion decades later. — Vlada Gelman

Kate and Austin, The Diplomat

The simmering sexual tension between Keri Russell’s nascent ambassador Kate Wyler and David Gyasi’s UK foreign secretary Austin Dennison left us hot, bothered and reminiscing about the actress’ breakout pairing with Scott Speedman on Felicity. The moment in the finale when red dress-wearing Kate locked eyes with Dennison at the Louvre (see photo, above) was one of the year’s most satisfying (and understated) romantic payoffs, with Russell and Gyasi effortlessly — and wordlessly — oozing charm, sexiness, and vulnerability. We’re counting the days until Season 2 when these two international envoys stop being polite and start getting really naked with each other. — Michael Ausiello

Larry and Rama, Doom Patrol

All we’ve ever wanted for Matt Bomer’s tortured war hero was for him to find happiness and love, so we’re relieved that he eventually got his happy ending with Sendhil Ramamurthy’s Rama. We’re not saying that Larry and Rama’s romance was written in the stars, but the last time we saw them, they were literally kissing in space and turning into a sun. We doubt any other pairing on this list can say the same. — Andy Swift

Hawk and Tim, Fellow Travelers

In other Matt Bomer ‘ship news… Spanning from the 1950s to the ’80s, the decades-long secret affair between Bomer’s charismatic Washington bureaucrat and Jonathan Bailey’s deeply religious senator’s aide faced plenty of political and societal challenges. But it was the emotional tug of war between Hawk and Tim that made the couple’s love (and their inevitably heartbreaking end) so captivating. — V.G.

Bode and Gabriela, Fire Country

CBS’ hit firefighter drama had many a ‘shipper asking, “Is it getting hot in here?!” when Bode and Gabriela shared a first, intense, but prudently paused kiss. Gaby thought they should wait for Bode to make parole before unwrapping, ahem, the “gift” awaiting them. But “unwrap” they eventually did, only to see Bode derail their romance with a well-intended, but self-imprisoning lie. — Matt Webb Mitovich

Hetty and Trevor, Ghosts

We’re not saying we support this out-there pairing, but there was definitely nothing boring about the weird sexual tension between uptight Hetty and finance bro Trevor. When the two tried to turn their barely-friends-with-benefits situation into an actual relationship, it became clear that they were better off as just sex buddies, if that. But what a wild ride (and sexual epiphany for Hetty) it was! — V.G.

Turner and Duela, Gotham Knights

The on-the-lam Knights’ intrepid investigation of Batman’s murder began with Duela regularly dissing “Bat Brat” Turner. But opposites attract, they say, and over time — and sparked by a heart-to-heart at the foot of some dusty library shelves — the two found themselves helplessly drawn to each other. (Cue, as Due put it, “a ride on the bat-wang!”) So close they had become, Duela was devastated to think Turner had died during their (truly) final caper. — M.W.M.

Nick and Charlie, Heartstopper

Officially becoming boyfriends was just the start for the couple whose romance is central to Netflix’s out-and-proud teenage romance. In Season 2 of the Emmy-winning series, Nick came out as bi not only to his largely absent father but to his school chums, Charlie reckoned with the mental-health issues that followed him like a shadow, and the two of them turned Paris into more than the City of Love, the City of Love Is Love. So needless to say, by the last seconds of the finale, we were screaming at the TV for Charlie to send the text that confirmed what Nick had to have sensed every time sparks flew when they touched. — Charlie Mason

Bill and Frank, The Last of Us

These two managed to fit a tumultuous (and incredibly moving) decade-long romance into one hour of television, with grumpy survivalist Bill first regarding the gentler Frank as a threat, then opening up his heart to make an unexpected love connection. We watched as the two men made a life together and then, heartbreakingly, chose to end it together when a disease ravaged Frank’s body. They found love in a hopeless place… and we savored every moment of it. — D.N.

Thomas and Juliet, Magnum P.I.

What a season #Miggy had! What turned out to be the island drama’s (second) swan song opened with a steamy shower, followed by baby talk, sweet kisses stolen whilst working cases, and a truly romantic exchange of ILYs. Will the series end with a bang, meaning Thomas popping the question? Time will soon tell. — M.W.M.

Lois and Clark, My Adventures With Superman

We’ve watched these characters fall in love countless times over the years (there’s a reason they appear twice on this list!), so we’re always impressed when a retelling of their romance manages to surprise us. Everything about this anime-style series was a delight, but nothing more than the complex, nuanced dynamic between two of The Daily Planet’s most promising young interns. — A.S.

Nancy and Ace, Nancy Drew

How long did we wait for these two to finally get together? Four seasons? Our whole lives? Honestly, this entire fever dream of a supernatural mystery series feels like a blur at this point, but one thing that remains clear is how over the moon we were when Nancy and Ace successfully broke the curse that had been keeping them apart.  — A.S.

Jimmy and Jess, NCIS

One of TV’s most delightful, root-for couples had an emotional start to 2023, when Jimmy admitted that he was still struggling with the death of his wife Breena, and Jess’ place in daughter Victoria’s life. But navigate that hiccup they did, so much so that Jimmy would accidentally blurt out across the orange room, “I love you, Jess!” Sure ’nuff, she later returned that warm sentiment in kind! — M.W.M.

Kiara and JJ, Outer Banks

Pogues 4 Life… and love! Getting stranded on an island only intensified the teens’ feelings for each other (remember how they were the only ones who didn’t want to get rescued?), and their attraction reached a fever pitch with JJ’s highly public declaration of love as he white-knighted Kiara out of the tough-love boarding school to which she’d been banished. — K.R.

Charlotte and George, Queen Charlotte

From their first meeting at the palace wall — on their wedding day, no less! — the embattled king and his stubborn queen had a connection that burned hotter than the brightest star. The fiery pair faced an uphill battle, though, with George pushing Charlotte away at every turn to shield her from his mental illness and Charlotte refusing to give up on their marriage. Despite George’s severe mental decline, their passion remains as strong as ever, and it’s that enduring love which makes them so captivating. — Keisha Hatchett

Kelvin and Keefe, The Righteous Gemstones

We’d long wondered if HBO’s religious satire would ever go there with Kelvin and Keefe, two obvious soulmates who seemed destined to keep their feelings forever repressed. But after Kelvin and Keefe’s well-intentioned Smut Busters project went sideways, and the pair was separated for much of Season 3, it was even more rewarding to see Kelvin give Keefe the season-ending first kiss that left them both visibly elated. — Rebecca Iannucci

Tom and Shiv, Succession

In a final season full of cutthroat corporate drama, the demise of Tom and Shiv’s marriage may have been the most thrilling to behold. Anchored by Matthew Macfadyen and Sarah Snook’s sterling performances, Tom and Shiv’s Season 4 arc was surprisingly sexy (or whatever you would call their game of Bitey), devastating (their balcony fight) and, culminating with their bizarre backseat hand-hold in the series finale, completely on-brand for two people who will always value power and influence over legitimate love. — R.I.

Belly and Jeremiah, The Summer I Turned Pretty

If you’re Team “Jellyfish,” then Season 2 of the Prime Video drama was for you: Belly began the season heartbroken over her breakup with Conrad, but by the end of the finale, she was in a relationship with his brother, having expelled Conrad from her heart and shared a heated kiss with Jer. Patiently waiting to get the girl more than paid off for Jeremiah, while viewers were treated to teenage love triangle drama at its addictive finest. — V.G.

Lois and Clark, Superman & Lois

As the CW drama’s titular duo, Tyler Hoechlin and Bitsie Tulloch have always had phenomenal chemistry, but it reached new heights in Season 3 during Lois’ battle with breast cancer — the one enemy Clark couldn’t defeat on his own. We won’t soon forget the couple’s first love scene after Lois’ mastectomy. (The way he alleviated her fears by lovingly placing his hand on her chest? Beautiful!) — A.S.

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