Slow-burns are often the most frustrating type of onscreen romances, but they're also the most rewarding. It's easy to get more invested in relationships that develop over time because viewers are forced to cling to every moment the couple shares. The will they/won't they aspect builds the suspense, and when done right, the payoff is worth the wait.
Due to their popularity, there's no shortage of slow-burn relationships on TV in 2021. The best romances have the strongest foundations, and there are several friendships that are slowly, but surely, evolving into something more.
Max And Helen: New Amsterdam
Max and Helen's relationship is the beating heart of New Amsterdam. They didn't get off on the best foot when they first met, but when Max is diagnosed with cancer, Helen becomes his doctor and someone for him to lean on. Max and Helen share a profound bond that goes deep beyond friendship, and Helen's feelings for Max were obvious to everyone but him.
After Max's wife died, he was left along with their newborn baby, and romance was off the table for quite some time. Once Helen started dating someone new, Max began to realize just how important Helen is to him, causing their will they/won't they dynamic to heat up.
Nancy And Ace: Nancy Drew
Nancy and Ace's potential romance is something viewers never saw coming. Nancy's relationship with Nick was the main focus of Nancy Drew Season 1, but the couple wasn't very beloved among the fanbase. There was too much push and pull between them, and it turned out to be an exhausting plotline. Ace is the only person who truly understands Nancy and thinks the same way she does.
Ace doesn't pressure her to talk before she's ready, but he always lets her know that he's there if she needs him. They've grown closer throughout the second season, and there have been several instances that imply Nancy has begun to develop feelings for Ace. Their relationship is one of the best in the series, and fans are hopeful of where it could go.
Kit And Bell: The Resident
Bell has come a long way since the start of The Resident and a large part of that is due to Kit. His development has taken him from a villainous character to a fan favorite, and his relationship with Kit has become a stable aspect of the series.
When Bell was the CEO of Chastain, Kit was the only person who was able to get through to him and make him think about the impact his decisions would have on patients. Kit made Bell care about other people, and she's proud of his growth and has become his biggest advocate. Their friendship has only grown stronger with time, and viewers are hoping that they'll one day realize they're meant to be.
Hope And Josie: Legacies
Hope and Josie have been friends for their entire lives and it shows. But ever since the beginning of Legacies, there always appeared to be something more than friendship beneath the surface. Josie admits to Hope that she once had feelings for her, and Hope appears to be touched by the confession.
Hope later tells Lizzie that she had a crush on Josie for a brief period of time, making it clear that Josie's feelings weren't unrequited. The timing has never lined up for them, especially due to Hope's relationship with Landon, but fans are still holding out for a Hope and Josie romance.
Ricky And Gina: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
Much of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series revolves around Ricky's relationship with his ex-girlfriend, Nini. Ricky tries out for the school play to win her back, but starts to bond with the resident "mean girl." Through her friendship with Ricky, it's revealed that Gina is much more than she seems.
The showrunner admitted that Ricky and Gina were only meant to cause complications with Nini, but when the two share a moment in Ricky's car, he realized their potential. Viewers have become divided on just who Ricky should end up with, and many are hoping for a slow burn between Ricky and Gina to continue throughout the series.
Tim And Lucy: The Rookie
Tim and Lucy's training officer/rookie status kept them toeing the line between friends and something more. What started off as an antagonistic dynamic evolved into one full of love and care for each other. On her last day as a rookie, Lucy joked about having feelings for her training officer, but it seemed to open the door for the future.
Now that Lucy's training is over and she and Tim are no longer riding together, the possibility for a romance is there. Their relationship is one of the show's main draws, and fans appear to love that The Rookie is taking the time to craft it in the right way.
Rue And Lexi: Euphoria
HBO's Euphoria may center around Rue's relationship with Jules, but Lexi is also a viable love interest that viewers took a liking to. Rue and Lexi have been friends ever since they were kids, and Lexi is always there for her when no one else is.
Lexi and Rue's relationship stands apart from the others in the series because it's based on years of friendship. There were several hints the show dropped during Season 1 indicating that Lexi had feelings for her best friend, and it's hopefully something the writers will continue to build towards.
Maggie And OA: FBI
Maggie and OA's partnership is a fan-favorite aspect of FBI. They've come to depend on each other and trust one another without reservation. Given how much the two have been through, there was bound to be a sort of intimacy that formed between them.
Their close friendship could easily lead to something more, and sometimes it seems as though OA is aware of it. It might take Maggie a bit longer to realize what's been right in front of her, but the buildup is part of the fun.
Ben And Saanvi: Manifest
Ben and Saanvi's relationship in Manifest is complicated, to say the least. A romance between them wasn't planned, but fans took such a liking to the pairing that it started to become a possibility. Ben is married with kids, and despite the issues he and his wife faced early in the show, no one wants to see him be disloyal.
However, the unexpected chemistry between Ben and Saanvi is so strong that it's difficult not to root for them. Saanvi has since realized that she has feelings for Ben, but because it's impossible, she tries not to think of him in that way. Although a romance between them is up in the air, it could easily move in that direction.
JJ And Kiara: Outer Banks
Kiara and John B had obvious feelings for each other when Outer Banks began, but because of the "no pogue on pogue macking" rule, they tried to repress them. John B ended up falling in love with Sarah, and by the end of the first season, Kiara started a romance with Pope.
Viewers never got on board with the Kiara and Pope storyline, as it was obvious that Kiara's chemistry with JJ was stronger than any of the established couples. A relationship between JJ and Kiara might take some time to evolve, but that's what a slow burn is all about.