From Buck and Eddie on 9-1-1 to Benson and Stabler on Law & Order: SVU, there are many fictional couples — or almost couples — that deserve our attention this fall TV season.
Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) might seem like the obvious choice, but it has been nearly 25 years and fans are still waiting for something more. The fictional couple has shared the screen since the show premiered on NBC in 1999 (we like to block out that 10-year hiatus) and every single year the question comes back around: will they or won’t they get together?
“We keep it open. We are very careful with the story, and we want to make sure that it’s dealt with the right way, and that takes just a lot of thought and we’re still in the journey,” Hargitay exclusively told Us Weekly in May. “I don’t think of endgame yet.”
Hargitay remained open-minded about where the story could go as Meloni continued to lead his spinoff series Law & Order: Organized Crime.
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“That’s the thing about being on a marathon. I feel like [with] SVU, I’m still in the race, I’m still in the marathon, and I’ve got a ways to go before the finish line,” she noted. “So, I’m thinking of what’s best and what’s healthiest. What’s enduring and what’s best for now.”
Meanwhile on CBS’ Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, Georgie (Montana Jordan) and Mandy (Emily Osment) presumably stay together when the show is named after them. Fans, however, aren’t so sure since first marriage could hint at future breakups between the sitcom couple.
“I’m hoping that I’m the ex-wife and the new wife,” Osment told TVLine in May. “People get divorced and remarried. Why can’t she be both?”
Keep scrolling for more fall TV couples that Us is very invested in:
Morgan and Karadec (‘High Potential’)
The ABC series introduces Morgan (Kaitlin Olson) as she is still on the hunt for answers about what happened to her first husband. Those little obstacles can’t stop real chemistry, and that is exactly what Morgan and Karadec (Daniel Sunjata) have as soon as they meet on the show. So even if they manage to find Morgan’s ex, he might as well be out of the running now that Karadec is here.
Sister Megan and Father Charlie (‘Grotesquerie’)
It isn’t just that Sister Megan (Micaela Diamond) and Father Charlie (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) are of the same faith — although that definitely helps. The pair make a good match because they both love serial killers and their religion and are questioning their purpose in the world.
There’s nothing quite like a steamy romance to clear up those pesky existential questions about their loyalty to the Catholic Church.
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Joanne and Noah (‘Nobody Wants This’)
The first season of Nobody Wants This ended with Joanne (Kristen Bell) and Noah (Adam Brody) as a couple — and they need to stay that way. Thankfully, the show is based on Erin Foster‘s romance with husband Simon Tikhman, which means the odds are in Joanne and Noah’s favor.
Georgie and Mandy (‘Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage’)
As soon as CBS announced the title for their Young Sheldon spinoff, Us was worried about Georgie and Mandy’s future. The first marriage mention doesn’t sound like it bodes well for the duo but the cast has since expressed their hope that Georgie and Mandy exchange vows a few times throughout the series.
Bobbie and Emmett (‘Happy’s Place’)
NBC knew what they were doing, casting Reba’s real-life boyfriend to play her coworker on Happy’s Place. Now that Bobbie and Emmett (Rex Linn) are in such close proximity, there’s nothing left for viewers to do except to root for them to get together.
Colter and Billie (‘Tracker’)
Colter (Justin Hartley) might be reuniting with someone from his past a.k.a Camille (Floriana Lima), but we still have hope that Billie (Sofia Pernas) is his future. With Pernas’ onscreen return confirmed, now all that is left to do is wait and hope the exes find their way back to each other permanently.
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Pippa and Diana (‘Tell Me Lies’)
Tell Me Lies hasn’t given Us a lot of time with Pippa (Sonia Mena) and Diana (Alicia Crowder), but it’s obvious they are the couple to root for. It helps that they are one of the few — if only — couples on the show that aren’t toxic and unhealthy for each other.
Bode and Gabriela (‘Fire Country’)
Based on the official season 3 trailer, Gabriela’s (Stephanie Arcila) wedding could get interrupted by a helicopter crash, and if that isn’t a sign from the universe to drop Diego for Bode (Max Thieriot) then what is? Bode and Gabriela’s biggest obstacles was his prison sentence, but now he’s a free man — and we’re running out of excuses for why those two shouldn’t be together.
Sarah and Kira (‘Matlock’)
The only information out there about Sarah’s (Leah Lewis) love interest is that she exists. Lewis, however, was able to give Us a glimpse at what is still to come for Sarah and her dating life.
“We don’t necessarily talk about Sarah’s journey into how she found out that she was gay. We kind of catch her in the middle where she’s been gay for a while. Or she’s come out as gay for a while,” Lewis teased in September. “It’s a known thing and it’s not something that we lead with at the forefront of her personality, even though it very much is the fabric of her being.”
She continued: “For Sarah, it’s not that she is nervous about her sexuality at all. But I think her as a person, she doesn’t really have time for women [when she meets Kira].”
Benson and Stabler (‘Law & Order: SVU’)
It’s been 24 years since Law & Order: SVU premiered on NBC — and yet here we are. The demand for Olivia and Elliot has never been more real so as long as Hargitay and Meloni are willing to bring the characters to life, Us is here rooting for them to finally get together.
At this point, just put the fans — and cast — out of their misery by having Olivia and Elliot kiss on screen.
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Buck and Eddie (‘9-1-1’)
Another couple that isn’t actually a couple (yet), Buck and Eddie always feel like they are on the cusp of something more. Their friendship has never been stronger and with Buck now out as bisexual, the progress feels quite significant. Romance might not be top of mind for Eddie, but we have waited this long. What’s a few more episodes?
The Core 6 (‘Outer Banks’)
Details about season 4 of Outer Banks have been largely kept under wraps. However, it has been confirmed that John B (Chase Stokes) is still with Sarah (Madelyn Cline) while JJ (Rudy Pankow) and Kiara (Madison Bailey) are thriving and Pope (Jonathan Daviss) and Cleo (Carlacia Grant) are an official couple. No matter what this new treasure hunt brings their way, none of the three main couples are allowed to break up. You hear Us, Netflix? None. Of. Them.
Dr. Max and Nurse Avery (‘Doctor Odyssey’)
Max (Joshua Jackson) and Avery (Phillipa Soo) pressed pause on their chemistry during Doctor Odyssey‘s series premiere. Luckily, fans know how these things go, so give it a few more episodes before Max is fighting for her heart after their coworker Nurse Tristan (Sean Teale) revealed his seemingly unrequited feelings for Avery.
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Yancy and Rosa (‘Bad Monkey’)
A murder brought Yancy (Vince Vaughn) and Rosa (Natalie Martinez) together, and hopefully it stays that way as they continue to solve the case. While Yancy’s ex Bonnie (Michelle Monaghan) still seems to be in the picture from time to time, there’s just something between Yancy and Rosa that feels like it could go the distance.
