One of the defining qualities of most good procedurals on TV is a gripping romance. Sometimes they manifest as slow burns that still haven’t gotten together, like Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) and now Law & Order: Organized Crime (2021). In contrast, sometimes the couple has been together for so much of the show’s run that they are one of the only consistent elements in a long-running series, like Chicago Fire’s (2012) Stella Kidd and Kelly Severide
There’s also the chance that a procedural’s impressive longevity leads to heartbreak, as it does for Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd on Grey’s Anatomy (2005). Other procedurals have become so famous for their romances (think Bones’ Temperance Brennan and Seeley Booth, or Castle’s Richard Castle and Kate Beckett) that they have been affectionately deemed “blueprints” for couples developing on TV now. No matter where you look, more often than not, procedural TV shows are synonymous with at least one romance.
However, if you want couples that are a little less known, but still just as good, here are some of the more criminally underrated ships. You can watch them on Hulu, Netflix, and more!
Patrick Jane & Teresa Lisbon - The Mentalist (2008-2015)
The Mentalist is a part of that early 2000s boom of procedurals and slow-burn romances on them, but it’s left out of conversations too often. It’s the age-old partners-to-lovers arc for consultant Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) and FBI agent Teresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney). The show runs for seven seasons, and there’s no love confession until Season 4. Even so, these two don’t get together until the Season 6 finale. That’s truly committing to the bit of delaying the satisfaction of seeing this couple together for nearly the show’s entire run.
The Mentalist builds a solid partnership over 151 episodes. Otherwise, it won’t land when Jane tries to pretend that he doesn’t remember that Season 4 love confession. It also won’t feel worthwhile for Jane and Lisbon to realize they can’t avoid their feelings for each other—while Lisbon is with Marcus Pike (Pedro Pascal)–-if there aren’t a bunch of tiny moments that add up to that Season 6 finale. The Mentalist is a long-game watch.
Chimney Han & Maddie Han - 9-1-1 (2018-Present)
Frankly, 9-1-1 has so many relationships that deserve more love among the procedural shows. I have a soft spot for the love story between firefighter Howard “Chimney” Han (Kenneth Choi) and Maddie Han (Jennifer Love Hewitt), a former nurse and current dispatch worker. Maddie arrives in Season 2 as Evan “Buck” Buckley’s (Oliver Stark) sister, and gradually, she and Chimney become one of 9-1-1’s flagship romances. To attempt to boil down their relationship’s timeline would do it a major disservice.
There are so many twists and turns, not limited to Chimney and Maddie almost dying at the hands of Maddie’s abusive ex-husband, or the struggles that come as Maddie faces postpartum depression after the birth of their daughter, Jee-Yun. There are also tooth-achingly sweet moments over karaoke, takeout orders, and quiet conversations amid all the chaos. Maddie and Chimney are each other’s person, so it doesn’t matter if they get married in a hospital. As long as they’re together, Chimney and Maddie will get through anything. It’s really special to think of how far they’ve come and where they can still go as 9-1-1 continues to gain popularity.
Kensi Blye & Marty Deeks - NCIS: Los Angeles (2009-2023)
If any other ship deserves to be a part of the “blueprint” conversation with the other procedurals, it’s Kensi Blye (Daniela Ruah) and Martin “Marty” Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen) on NCIS: Los Angeles. In all honesty, they’re the reason I started watching the show; that’s how synonymous this ship is with NCIS: Los Angeles. I was shocked to learn that Deeks didn’t even join the series until the end of Season 1. The wait was so worth it, though.
Watching Kensi and Deeks’ relationship develop over 13 seasons feels special on its own. That kind of investment just doesn’t happen on TV anymore. You get to see every phase of their relationship up through the NCIS: Los Angeles series finale. They go undercover as a couple before they’re a couple—multiple times. There are a handful of near-death experiences, as there should be if a procedural’s romance hits all the right beats. Then, there are a ton of incalculable moments where Kensi and Deeks’ relationship is so lived-in. Essentially, it’s impossible to imagine NCIS: Los Angeles without thinking of them. Their romance is integral to the show.
Oliver Wolf & Josh Nichols - Brilliant Minds (2024-Present)
Including Brilliant Minds may be cheating because Dr. Oliver Wolf (Zachary Quinto) and Dr. Josh Nichols (Teddy Sears) aren’t together during the show’s underrated second season, but they’re one of the couples that I’m rooting for the most to reunite. In fairness, the medical drama has done a really great job at keeping them apart for a good reason. Therefore, it’s going to mean that much more when they do get back together. After all, Brilliant Minds doesn’t present a world in which these characters won’t find their way back to one another.
Their chemistry is still too good, even now when Josh is technically Oliver’s boss, and Josh is seeing someone else. Then again, that’s because the second season uses the foundation that the first season builds. Oliver and Josh have a kinetic tension from their first interaction that steadily evolves into a truly cinematic first kiss and a very endearing relationship that encourages both characters to be more vulnerable. It may take some time, but I have total faith that Oliver and Josh will get back to that place—or something similar—again.
Lucifer Morningstar & Chloe Decker - Lucifer (2016-2021)
Sometimes, people forget that Lucifer is a procedural TV show. It just happens to be one where the consultant is the devil himself, Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis). He finds his perfect match with Detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German). Their love story is particularly special because it persists amid extreme hurdles. Lucifer aired for three seasons on FOX before the network canceled it. Amid impressive fan campaigns to revive the show to see more from the characters, including this couple, Netflix picked up the show for its final three seasons.
During that last season, Lucifer and Chloe’s relationship takes some divisive turns, some of which I’m not the biggest fan of. Regardless, it’s a relief that Chloe and Lucifer get the chance to end up together, even if it is through an eternity in Hell. Complicated, right? Nevertheless, this couple has some of the best banter and tension. They’re so compelling that they can make a bullet that Chloe shot at Lucifer in Season 1 a persistent symbol of vulnerability throughout the show’s run. This couple is poetic in a lot of ways, and they’re so much fun to watch fall in love.
Carina DeLuca & Maya Bishop - Station 19 (2018-2024)
Don’t let Station 19 fly under the radar because it’s a Grey’s Anatomy spinoff. It crafts a memorable romance when a character from the medical drama, Dr. Carina DeLuca (Stefania Spampinato), moves to the show. The love story between Carina and firefighter Maya Bishop (Danielle Savre) is one for the books. It’s already iconic that they have their meet-cute at Joe’s bar, a staple for the medical drama. Their romance’s timeline includes a few break-ups but far more time together, where Maya and Carina lean on each other through thick and thin.
Whether it’s Maya supporting Carina after Carina’s brother’s death in Season 4 or Carina making difficult choices to put Maya’s health first in Season 6, these two show up for each other. They also stand with each other on their wedding day and through fertility struggles as they try to expand their family. Maya and Carina have a beautiful love story with electric chemistry. Their romance will always be one of my favorites on TV, let alone in the Grey’s Anatomy universe.
Max Mitchell & Cole Ellis - Wild Cards (2024-Present)
It’s fitting to end this list with one of the newer procedurals, Wild Cards (2023). Former con artist, current consultant Max Mitchell (Vanessa Morgan) and Detective Cole Ellis (Giacomo Gianniotti) emulate some of the best procedural partnerships—and their romances. In just three seasons, this show solidifies Ellis and Max’s slow-burn relationship through speeches that speak around their true feelings and near-death experiences, where they only have eyes for each other.
To be totally transparent, Max and Ellis aren’t even a couple yet. They may as well be, though; their banter is thinly-veiled flirting, and everyone around them knows there is something more between them. Nevertheless, procedural TV fans need to keep Wild Cards on their radar so they don’t miss it when they do make that move. It may be this season; it may take years, like some other shows. Regardless, Wild Cards all but explicitly spells out that it will happen.
