‘9-1-1: Lone Star,’ ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ & More Dramas With Stable Couples Ahead of the 2021-2022 Season
It’s extremely rare for a TV relationship not to be stalled by some sort of drama during a show’s run (especially as the seasons go on). But amidst the breakups, will they/won’t they dances, and poorly-timed decisions, there are some bright lights in the form of quite a few couples heading into the 2021-2022 season.
For example, while first responders’ love lives tend to be as tense as the situations they find themselves in, a couple romances on both 9-1-1: Lone Star and Grey’s Anatomy ended their latest seasons in good places. This Is Us might have dropped some surprises on us about the Big 3’s romantic relationships but for one, his relationship is as steady as ever (in more than one timeline). And A Million Little Things blew up one relationship and may be doing the same to another with its finale cliffhanger, but we can always count on one of the couples.
Scroll down as we take a look at the returning dramas with the most stable couples (with both people involved series regulars on the same show) on TV right now.
9-1-1 Lone Star
This past season wasn’t a good one for Captain Owen Strand (Rob Lowe) or Captain Tommy Vega (Gina Torres) — his ex-wife is having another man’s baby, her husband died. But there were bright lights from firefighter Judd Ryder (Jim Parrack) and his wife, 9-1-1 dispatcher Grace (Sierra McClain), and paramedic T.K. Strand (Ronen Rubinstein) and his boyfriend, police officer Carlos Reyes (Rafael Silva). Judd and Grace are having a baby, while T.K. and Carlos’ house may have gone up in flames but their relationship is stronger than ever. (We’re hoping for a “Tarlos” wedding in Season 3.)
A Million Little Things
Eddie (David Giuntoli) and Katherine (Grace Park) are getting divorced and working out a custody agreement, and Gary’s (James Roday Rodriguez) relationships with his girlfriend Darcy (Floriana Lima) and ex-girlfriend Maggie (Allison Miller) are up in the air after he made Peter (Andrew Leeds) his captive. (Peter assaulted Lizzy Greene’s Sophie.) But while filmmaker Rome (Romany Malco) and chef Regina’s (Christina Moses) plans may not have worked out due to the pandemic — his movie was shut down, she had to close her restaurant — their relationship is still going strong. Their family even grew when they fostered Tyrell (Adam Swain).
Blue Bloods
Since police officers Jamie (Will Estes) and Eddie (Vanessa Ray) got married, they haven’t really given us much reason to worry about their relationship. And at the end of Season 11, that remained true.
The Good Doctor
After failing to just have a casual relationship, Drs. Morgan Reznick (Fiona Gubelmann) and Alex Park (Will Yun Lee) got together in the finale, but their relationship is too new to judge for next season. On the other hand, Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore) and Lea Dilallo (Paige Spara) faced the heartbreaking loss of their baby when she miscarried. While they seemed set to end the season in an uncertain place — she was considering spending time with her parents — that changed once they talked and he proposed. (She said yes.)
Grey's Anatomy
The doctors’ love lives remain as complicated as ever on the ABC medical drama, and the latest season ended on a sour note for Link (Chris Carmack) after he proposed to Amelia (Caterina Scorsone). But there was good news: Owen (Kevin McKidd) and Teddy (Kim Raver) were not only in a good place after getting past her affair, but they also got engaged! And speaking of weddings, Maggie (Kelly McCreary) and Winston’s (Anthony Hill) did happen. (The only objection to the wedding was the location, from their parents.)
NCIS: Los Angeles
Special Agent Kensi Blye (Daniela Ruah) and NCIS Investigator Marty Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen) may not have always been on the same page when it comes to having kids. (One of their arguments even left us worried if they even had a future together.) But even as they’ve struggled to have a baby (she started fertility treatments), there’s been nothing to make us doubt they’ll get through this together. (We’re more worried about external forces, like the sociopath who was pardoned and is sending her threatening postcards.)
The Resident
Dr. Conrad Hawkins (Matt Czuchry) and nurse practitioner Nic Nevin (Emily VanCamp) might have become our comfort couple on The Resident — especially considering Drs. AJ Austin (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) and Mina Okafor (Shaunette Renée Wilson) had to say goodbye to each other when she returned to Nigeria. (And we’re not sure what’s going with Bruce Greenwood’s Randolph Bell and Jane Leeves’ Kit Voss; we don’t think they are, either.) “CoNic” shared sweet moments throughout the season, welcomed a baby girl in the finale, and had mature conversations (such as about a moment from his past he hadn’t told her). Lack of sleep with a newborn looks to be the only problem they’ll be facing in the near future.
Station 19
Firefighter Maya Bishop (Danielle Savre) was not aware that she’s being stripped of her duties as captain in the finale since she and Dr. Carina DeLuca (Stefania Spampinato) were too busy being happy and in love and celebrating their wedding. Considering the hit Maya’s professional life is taking and the fact that she and Carina just got past a relationship hurdle that led to their engagement and wedding, we have a feeling they’re going to be just fine in Season 5. (After all, there’s plenty of relationship drama coming from Jaina Lee Ortiz’s Andy and Boris Kodjoe’s Sullivan for his role in what’s happening to the station’s leadership.)
This Is Us
Considering the wedding bombshells in the finale — Kevin (Justin Hartley) didn’t get married, but Kate (Chrissy Metz) has another wedding coming in the future — we’re so happy to have Randall (Sterling K. Brown) and Beth’s (Susan Kelechi Watson) very stable relationship (in the present and future) part of the NBC drama. With the series entering its last season and the rest of the Big 3’s relationship drama to come, we don’t think that’s going to change. (We still don’t like to think of that voicemail from Season 3.)
