Fall Ship Watch: 10 Couples We’re Rooting for This TV Season
Fall TV is in full swing. That means we are reuniting with our favorite broadcast TV characters and meeting new potential TV friends. More importantly, we have ships to ship! There are some new contenders in the new fall shows, but also ships from shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Chicago Fire, Fire Country, and more that need to get their act together. And by act, we mean they need to put their faces on each other’s faces and get to kissing!
Real life is so stressful, and we turn to our favorite weekly soaps and dramas to escape. In celebration of our shows being back on or premiering for the first time, this is our Fall TV Ship Watch of the couples we’re already rooting for and the ones that need to go ahead and get together because we can’t take the tension anymore.
Morgan and Detective Karadec, High Potential
There’s a lot going on in the first couple of episodes of High Potential, but the unconventional consultant paired with the “by-the-book” cop is a TV tale as old as time. From Castle to Bones, we know that the professional friction Morgan (Kaitlin Olson) and Detective Karadec (Daniel Sunjata) are currently experiencing will eventually pave the way to sexual tension that will probably not be properly dealt with until Season 3. But listen, tropes are tropes for a reason. They are successful, and we love when they pay off. It’s not a question of whether these two will kiss but when.
Julian and Olympia, Matlock
Speaking of tropes, anyone in the mood for a second chance romance? The tension between exes Julian (Jason Ritter) and Olympia (Skye P. Marshall) is very thick in the new Matlock. We don’t know the exact circumstances that led to their divorce, but we know that they are on good enough terms to keep working in the same office every day. The opposite of love isn’t hate, it is actually indifference, and there still seems to be some feeling simmering for these two. It’s buried under a lot of resentment and hostility, but we wouldn’t mind seeing Matty (Kathy Bates) use some of her superpowers for rekindling romance here.
Dr. Max Bankman and Avery Morgan, Doctor Odyssey
Doctor Max Bankman (Joshua Jackson) and Nurse Avery Morgan (Phillipa Soo) are going to be making waves right off the bat in the new Ryan Murphy series. If you expected to us to watch Joshua Jackson headline a new series and not ship him with the closest costar off the bat, then where have you been for the last 20 years? Obviously, there will be something dark and twisty going on with this boat (because they’re on a literal ship!), but we will take all the steamy romance we can get with our maritime emergencies!
Dr. Oliver Wolf and Dr. Josh Nichols, Brilliant Minds
In the year of our lord 2024, it should be entirely possible for two gay doctors to work at the same hospital on the same TV show and not be expected to hook up. However, the main character in Brilliant Minds, Oliver Wolf (Zachary Quinto) has face blindness. That makes meeting people at bars or in random other places extremely difficult. We doubt Oliver is going to find the love of his life during his daily Hudson River swims, so work makes the best place for a meet-cute. Enter Dr. Joshua Nichols (Teddy Sears). These two start off not vibing with each other at all, and it is giving close-proximity enemies-to-lovers. That means we have to ship, sorry not sorry.
Maggie and Cal, Sullivan's Crossing
It took more than half a season for Maggie (Morgan Kohan) and Cal (Chad Michael Murray) t0 kiss, but he was still grieving his dead wife, and Maggie didn’t know how long she was going to stay at the Crossing. Now there’s a pregnancy and a lot of miscommunication between the two of them. It is a giant mess, but these two need to figure out how to get on the same page because it is so painfully obvious to everyone around them that they have deep and meaningful feelings for each other. They need to put all their cards on the table and realize that what they both want most is to be together. They are both so smart, and this should not be as hard as it seems to be for them.
Sam and Violet, Chicago Fire
Another couple that has already hooked up but can’t seem to figure out how to actually be together is Carver (Jake Lockett) and Violet (Hanako Greensmith) on Chicago Fire. We give props to Violet for coming into the Season 13 premiere ready to work things out, but there’s definitely something deeper going on with Carver than he’s letting on. These two also just need an honest conversation with each other to put things right. It kind of makes us wish we could do a group TV couples therapy session and just get all of our favorites to pull their heads out of their butts and get out of the way of their own happiness.
Bode and Gabriela, Fire Country
While we are on the topic of communication issues, please meet the poster couple for not saying what they mean when they mean it. Bode (Max Thieriot) has finally figured out that he needs to be building a post-prison life for himself and not because it’ll save other people. He figured it out just in time for Gabriela (Stephanie Arcila) to walk down the aisle to marry Diego (Rafael de la Fuente). Though the Season 3 premiere is titled “What the Bride Said,” we’re not 100 percent sure whether Gabriela actually said “I do.” Considering the fact she was kissing Bode just days before the ceremony, it is so obvious these two are not over each other or ready to move on. It’s going to break Diego’s heart, but it’s better for Gabriela to realize how she feels before lawyers have to be involved in the breakup.
Jules and Mika, Grey's Anatomy
Jules and Mika had a moment in the Grey’s Anatomy Season 20 finale and shared a hot kiss in the Season 21 premiere, so we’re making progress with these two. We already know that neither Mika (Midori Francis) nor Jules (Adelaide Kane) are the best at communicating, so we’re going to go ahead and put them in the hot mess category because no intern at Grey Sloan Memorial has ever been able to have a drama-free launch to a relationship. Considering the fact that they both have already had romantic relations in the workplace, we expect they are going to find some way to make this a mess as well. We are still optimistically hoping for the best, though.
Benson and Stabler, Law & Order: SVU
After 25 years, it feels like yelling into the abyss to say that Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) need to get together. We went over a decade thinking that it would never be possible. Then Meloni returned as Stabler and the first episode of Organized Crime killed off his wife, paving the way for Elliot and Liv to be together. It’s been three seasons since then, and we are still living off of prolonged looks and ambiguous statements whenever the shows crossover. This is our official plea, Law & Order gods, to finally, finally, end our suffering and just let these two be together. You know they belong together. We know they belong together. Even the characters know they belong together, so let’s just make it happen and then we can all rest in peace!
Buck and Eddie, 9-1-1
We have not been waiting two and a half decades for Buck (Oliver Stark) and Eddie (Ryan Guzman) to get together on 9-1-1, but sometimes it feels like it. The chemistry between these two has been there since Eddie showed up in Season 2, but for five seasons, it felt like these two would never make it to a canon-official romantic relationship. Then 9-1-1 moved over to ABC, Buck came out as bisexual last season, and the Buddie shippers experienced what true hope feels like for the first time. Eddie’s sexuality is still in question, and the man clearly has some things to work on after dating his dead wife’s doppelgänger last season. It may be a minute before it can officially happen, but the clock is ticking to see if 9-1-1 will pull the trigger and let these two smooch. We can already hear the screams from Twitter (okay, X) now if this miracle actually happens.
Conversation35 Comments
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P
Buck and Eddie! Some day, some way!
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O
Buck and Eddie is a must. It really seems like we’re heading towards it this season.
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G
Buck and Eddie have the potential to become one of the best romantic relationships on tv! I hope that's where season 8 is heading!
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C
-Buck and Eddie would make TV history. It makes sense. It's time.
-It's PAST time for Benson and Stabler. I'm begging and pleading.
-I'd really like to see Bode and Gabriela back together!
-Isn't Grey's writing Mika out??
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O
I'm really hoping we get to see eddie and buck together this season ♥️ at this point, no other romantic relationship would make sense for their characters. If they dont get together, it will be bad writing. I'm also really excited to see what grey's anatomy has in store for mika and jules. I'm just sad mika's actress is leaving 😭
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G
Definitely Buck and Eddie. I've been waiting for these two to be a couple since 2nd season. Their chemistry is staggering and I believe the best partner for both character are really each other.
I didn't know about Brilliant Minds but now I'm keen to see that as well for Teddy Sears/Zac Quinto reunion (I believe they also played a couple on AHS: Murder House).
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C
Benson and Stabler and Buck and Eddie!! Have loved and rooted for both for years.
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R
We love people with taste!
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B
Buck and Eddieeeee! 911 give us the buckley-diaz family
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R
Buck & Eddie! It’s been time! & season 8 definitely feels like the perfect season for it! Their respective stories have been leading up to it & it’s going to be so historic & iconic! Buddie one of the best slow burns ever IKTR!
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P
Let’s be real, if either one of Buck or Eddie was a woman they would’ve been together by now, married, with another child on the way. It’s been 8 seasons they need to let it finally happen, everyone wants it. This season would be the perfect time for them to finally go there.
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G
Rooting for Dean Archer and Hannah Asher on Chicago Med! #Dasher
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B
Buck and Eddie!! 💙💛
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B
I only really watch 9-1-1 and High Potential out of these but yes on both.
Especially Buck and Eddie. They have the set up for a wonderful steady romance for the ages several times over. They are partners in and out of work, co-parent a child and really match each other's freak and silly. It really is time for them to realize what everyone has been seeing for years.
And yeah, 25 years for Olvia and Elliot is about enough time.
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G
Jules and Mika are DOA Midori is leaving. I’d rather Monica and Amelia anyways.
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P
No to Jules with anyone but Blue
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P
buck and eddie are best friends. they're brothers. sorry, they don't look romantic at all to me.
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C
Rooting for Buck and Tommy. They are cute togerher 😻
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R
Eddie's sexuality is not "in question". The actor who plays him has made it a point to repeatedly say "Eddie is straight, Eddie is heterosexual". Maybe people should listen to him. 🙄
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O
As a queer person who thought and said they were straight for a long time before discovering otherwise, this is bs. Even if he is supposedly straight (which I don’t believe at all) that doesn’t mean it can’t change, people and characters are dynamic. Buck was also “straight” before the bi Buck was revealed. You all need to stop harassing journalists and invalidating other (real!) queer people just because you’re threatened.
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O
I'm not "threatened", I'm just kinda sad to see how people keep baiting themselves and others. I respect your truth but we're also talking about a TV show here. Do you really think they're going to give Eddie the exact same storyline they gave Buck last season? As for "straight" Buck, OliverS was always open to the possibility of Buck being queer. He never shot it down. Whereas RyanG keeps reminding people that Eddie is straight, straight, straight.
Honestly, if this type of thing was written about a queer character people would be livid. Imagine a journalist being like "Hen's sexuality is in question. Sure, she says she's a lesbian and she married a woman but how does she know she wouldn't like men if she never gives Buck a go?".
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C
You’re absolutely threatened. Buck was straight too. Until he wasn’t so those rules don’t apply sweetie. Tommy is bones whether Eddie comes out this season or not though.
‘Bout time you get with the program🤷🏻♀️
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R
I’m a little bit disappointed that an official publication will purposely feed into the 9-1-1 Buddie nonsense that is being loudly displayed on the internet in some social media spaces as sheer homophobia toward an existing gay character. The current storyline for Buck is one that the actors and show runner continue to encourage people to embrace and enjoy. However, the people who feel let down by their wish for something to happen with Buck and Eddie instead have taken to social media to call for horrible death for Buck’s current gay boyfriend, insult and harass the cast and crew, and spew homophobic rhetoric toward both fans of the BuckTommy pairing as well as Tommy as a character and the actor who portrays him.
If there is this much hurtful and public unkindness attached to the Buddie ship at the moment, I would hope that a publication such as this would actually stay away from encouraging this behaviour. I don’t this this is appropriate behaviour on your part.
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O
Very convenient to leave out how the Buck/Tommy fans have harrassed people who don't like Tommy or the relationship (as is the right of anyone who watches a show) and have wished death on an actual real life person because they perceive the character he plays as a threat.
Also "The current storyline for Buck is one that the actors and show runner continue to encourage people to embrace and enjoy" you clearly have not been paying attention lol both the showrunner and the actor who plays Buck have been very adamant that 1) Buck's relationship with Tommy is not that deep and 2) it's the story of his bisexuality that's important, not the relationship.
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O
The projection here is amazing. Buddie shippers are “unkind,” but here you are shaming a journalist for simply being excited about a pairing.
The problem is, you all weaponize homophobia accusations just because people don’t like your fave character or ship. It’s not homophobia to dislike a character who’s done bad things (and has not canonically apologized either and no, headcanons and assuming don’t count)
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G
Buck and Tommy are the couple in the show (and adorable) and Buck and Eddie are a fan relationship that’s not actually happening, so not sure why you have them listed other than for engagement. By the comments I suppose it’s a strategy that’s working for you
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O
Do you understand what the article is actually about, or is reading comprehension too hard when you're enraged by people liking different things?
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B
Journalism is truly dead uh
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G
And your comment is not needed and yet here you are.
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C
Talking about ‘Journalism’ but it’s just you mad that no one cares about a short term character you’re not meant to care about. Tommy’s gone no matter what happens😂
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B
Nah, I'm not rooting for buck and Eddie at all. I find them completely platonic. Found family, with no romantic connotations. When y'all will finally get over it it'll be time for celebrations
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O
Wow. Rooting for a fanon ship (which will never happen) after Eddie's actor went multiple times on record to say eddie is heterosexual, while you have an actual queer canon related between Buck & Tommy to root for is... A choice. A poor one at that.
This article is subpar btw, as it usually is thank to the people you employ
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C
calm down Mark
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G
Actually, Ryan has been using a lot of gender neutral terms to describe a future love interest lately 😉
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O
Stop harassing journalists just because they don’t like your favorite character/pairing.
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