TV’s 20 best slow-burn romances

Here's to the small-screen love stories that took their sweet time to flourish

By Saloni Gajjar, Mary Kate Carr, Drew Gillis, Emma Keates, Tim Lowery, Cindy White, William Hughes, Matt Schimkowitz, Jen Lennon | May 22, 2024 | 12:00pm

TV Features Rafael Solano

Clockwise from top left: Kristen Bell and William Jackson Harper in The Good Place, Martin Freeman and Lucy Davis in The Office, Justin Baldoni and Gina Rodriguez in Jane The Virgin, and Amy Acker and Sarah Shahi in Person Of Interest Photo: Colleen Hayes/NBC; BBC; The CW; CBS

Episodic television has delivered some real bangers when it comes to slow-burn romances. From throwbacks like The X-Files and Twin Peaks to more current fare such as Abbott Elementary (which wraps up its third season this week) and Good Omens, TV shows have developed some unforgettable love stories that, consequentially, take their sweet damn time to get their crushes together. With that in mind, our latest AVQ&A asks: What is your favorite slow-burn TV romance? Here are our most swoon-worthy picks, in chronological order.

Irving Bailiff and Burt Goodman, Severance

All Burt & Irving Scenes from Severance Season 1

is a strange, high-concept show, and it’s the humanity of its expertly drawn characters that keep the drama from completely flying away into the ether. Leads Mark (Adam Scott) and Helly (Britt Lower) sort of have a flirtation, sure, but the real romance of the series is between Irving (John Turturro) and Burt (Christopher Walken). What keeps the coals burning is the fact that, despite an immediate attraction, they don’t know each other from Adam outside of their severed workplace. The first (and still to date only) season of the show ends on a bitter cliffhanger as Irving realizes that Burt has a wife and family on the outside. Of course, that’s not game over; it’s just a roadblock, and hopefully, this keeps burning when we get season two in… 2027? [Drew Gillis]

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