From 'Mom' to 'This Is Us': Ranking TV's many season-ending weddings (and near misses)

If COVID-19 has slowed wedding planning, prime-time television is doing its best to take up the slack.

Springtime TV is traditionally known for nuptial extravaganzas, both as a nod to real-life wedding season and an attention-grabbing stunt for season finales. (It's the 20th anniversary of Monica and Chandler's marriage on "Friends"!) But this broadcast season stands out for the sheer number of planned weddings, even if a few never happened. It’s enough to make "Pachelbel’s Canon in D" TV's song of the spring.

Perhaps TV writers, who aren't exactly incurable romantics, felt a need to provide an upbeat ending to a crazy TV season that somehow survived a pandemic that postponed so many weddings.

As major life events go, think of the broadcast TV season that officially ended Wednesday as at least eight weddings and a funeral, if you count the stolen-truck memorial on the “Last Man Standing” finale. Marriages were planned or took place on dramas – ABC’s “The Rookie,” CBS’ “Bull," “NCIS: New Orleans” and "All Rise" and NBC’s "This Is Us" – and comedies – CBS’ “Bob Hearts Abishola” and “Mom.”

CBS’ “S.W.A.T.” joined that group Wednesday, with team member Tan winning the best wedding-ride prize – a police helicopter – in order to get to his civil ceremony on time after a busy day with the S.W.A.T. And don't put away your handkerchiefs yet, as some series are still airing original episodes. Anything's possible.

Parade time: 'NCIS: New Orleans': How Scott Bakula's Pride responded to wedding crasher in series finale

Proposals were abundant, too, although not all of them were accepted. After a comic series of misunderstandings on ABC's "The Goldbergs," Erica and Geoff got engaged, while on "The Conners," Dan got a yes from Louise while Darlene was turned down by Ben. And, it was a "yes, but" on "All Rise," as Amy accepted Callan's proposal – but she can't get married until she divorces another man.

We rank TV's planned weddings by ceremonial success (most to least), detailing surprises and speculating on long-term prospects for these unions:

'NCIS: New Orleans'

The marriage of NCIS special agent Dwayne Pride and Rita Devereaux in the series finale went off without a hitch, as long as you don't count the criminal mother of his teenage son almost crashing the reception. On this police procedural, felonious guests are probably just another detail on the ceremonial to-do list. It also turned out OK: Pride and Rita gained custody of the young man.

Surprise! Lots of weddings feature beautiful backyard ceremonies followed by celebratory restaurant receptions, but how many can boast a Second Line parade down the streets of the Big Easy to send the happy couple off in style? Leave it to Loretta (CCH Pounder) to be as good of a wedding planner as she is a coroner.

• Wedding with everything: 'Mom' finale recap: A group hug, a health scare and a wedding brawl

Happily-Ever-After Factor: Sky-high. Pride and Rita are a rock-solid couple who know themselves and the importance of this union. They may get a subconscious boost from actors Scott Bakula and Chelsea Field: They're married in real life.

'Mom'

One episode after learning she was pregnant, Jill (Jaime Pressly) and the baby's father, police officer Andy (Will Sasso), didn't waste any time getting married. Although you'd expect rich, stylish Jill would hire a legion of wedding planners, she and Andy opt for a simple city hall ceremony. All the friends she grew so close to through their 12-step meetings were there to celebrate in the series finale.

Surprise! Two uninvited guests – a raucous mother-daughter pair new to sobriety and left in Andy's custody – were on the floor brawling midway through the ceremony. How very "Mom"-like.

Happily-Ever-After factor: Relatively good, at least from how radiant Jill looked, with motherhood in the offing. But they already had a big breakup and she sure likes to complain, so there could be some bumps along the way.

'All Rise'

It's been a year of highs and lows for Los Angeles Judge Lola Carmichael (Simone Missick), from the birth of her daughter to dealing with the pandemic to becoming a social-media punching bag after confronting a police officer during a racial justice march. In the series finale, her spirits were lifted when she and husband Robin (Todd Williams) renewed their wedding vows on a gorgeous Southern California pier. Top prize for TV wedding location!

Surprise! The series was canceled, so we won't find out whether Callan and Amy ever get married. But the gang will always have that pier wedding video!

Long-term prospects: Good. Lola and Robin are a strong couple, but her experience with rough-and-tumble politics and his likelihood of being on the road again as an FBI agent pose challenges.

'Bull'

Bull (Michael Weatherly) and Izzy (Yara Martinez), parents of a baby daughter, hadn't been able to set a wedding date for reasons personal, emotional and sometimes logistical, involving her brother and Bull's colleague Benny (Freddy Rodriguez). The staff at Bull's jury consulting firm solved that problem by arranging a surprise ceremony in Bull's kitchen, officiated by the judge who had overseen the episode's case. Talk about moonlighting.

Surprise! The ceremony, in which Bull and Izzy arrived home to a figure sitting in the darkened kitchen, could easily have turned into a 911 call with last rites substituting for wedding vows.

Happily-Ever-After factor: Pretty good. Nothing against the couple, but Bull, as smart as he is, seems fully capable of messing up a good thing.

'This Is Us'

Now we get to the weddings that didn't happen. "This Is Us," after laying the groundwork for the marriage of Kevin and Madison, pulled one of its trademark twists in Tuesday's season finale, as Madison – the mother of Kevin's baby twins – declined at the last minute because he couldn't honestly say he was in love with her. But viewers sensed that possibility coming, so that's not the big shocker.

Surprise! This is: In one of the series' timeline switcheroos, a scene of Kevin at the start of the episode, apparently preparing for his wedding with Madison, is later revealed to be happening more than four years later, on the day of Kate's second wedding. And she's getting married to Phillip (Chris Geere), the British guy at the school where she works who originally couldn't stand her. For the love of Toby!

• Unpredictable unions: 'This Is Us' finale: What was that wild wedding twist and what can we expect in its final season?

Happily-Ever-After factor: It's hard to tell with the unpredictable nature of this show, which returns for its final season in January. And it depends on which couple you're talking about. But as mom Rebecca wisely advises, everything will be all right.

'Bob Hearts Abishol'a

Bob (Billy Gardell) and Abishola (Folake Olowofoyeku) are in love, and they've found a date in their busy schedules to get married. So what's the problem? Her son Dele (Travis Wolfe Jr.) is in Nigeria visiting his father, who doesn't want him to return to the U.S., let alone attend the wedding. This is a sitcom, but Abishola's pain ranks among the biggest dramatic moments in any of these TV nuptials.

Surprise! The episode ends with Bob and Abishola on a flight, but they're headed to Nigeria, not their honeymoon. Even better surprise: Auntie Olu and Uncle Tunde are along for the ride, so this drama will still have its comedy.

Happily-Ever-After factor: Good. This couple's bond is strong. They just need to get Dele back without Bob causing an international incident.

'The Rookie'

After a busy day putting down a drug war, John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) and his L.A. police buddies attend the wedding of detective Angela Lopez (Alyssa Diaz) and attorney Wesley Evers (Shawn Ashmore), who are soon-to-be parents. Everybody cleans up nicely, the location is beautiful, but there's just one problem: The drug queenpin – Angela's nemesis – sends a kidnapper to abscond with the bride before the ceremony. Runaway brides are one thing, but this takes it to a new level.

Surprise! The bane of weddings: an uninvited guest! Did the kidnapper want chicken or salmon?

Happily-Ever-After factor: Iffy. Angela hears a lot of jokes about first unions for cops being starter marriages. And, of course, she's also being held captive. At least she'll always remember this day.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: TV weddings: Ranking this season's best, from 'Mom' to 'This Is Us'