2023 in Review: The Best First Kisses

“You must remember this,” the song tells us, “a kiss is just a kiss.” Well, except when it’s the awaited first kiss between a root-for TV couple.

After all, there are few things a viewer of TV gets invested in more than the evolution of a favorite on-screen pairing, from the characters’ first meeting to the initial hint of something deeper happening, from that first crackle of romantic sparks to that inevitable drifting of faces closer and closer together, eyes darting down and up, culminating in a cheer-worthy first lip-lock.

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In TVLine’s latest Year in Review rundown — and as we get nearer and nearer to kissing the year 2023 goodbye — for the first time ever we are taking a look back at the very best first kisses that were shared by TV twosomes during the past 12 months.

The milestone smooches tabulated below run the gamut, from nearly 30 episodes in the making (and thus earning a spot in our next TV’s Longest-Awaited Kisses update) to one that capped two teens’ whirlwind dystopian mall run. Some were the first small step toward a fine romance, and some… well, the jury is out.

Scroll down for our alphabetized refresher on what we thought were the year’s best, sweetest and/or steamiest first kisses (including when they happened and how long each took to happen), then chime in with your own favorites!

Still ahead in TVLine’s month-long Year in Review package: The Biggest Scene Stealers, the Dumb Things TV Did, the Cancelled Shows You’ll Miss Most, the Most Underrated Shows, Best & Worst Villains, the Biggest Scenery Chewers and so much more.

Janine & Gregory, Abbott Elementary

First Kiss: Season 2, Episode 16 (watch video above)

Wait Time: 29 episodes

Jin & Amelia, American Born Chinese

First Kiss: Season 1, Episode 8 (watch a fan-made Jin/Amelia montage above)

Wait Time: Eight episodes

Bernadette & Jim, Dark Winds

First Kiss: Season 2, Episode 6 (watch cast reactions video/interview about the scene above)

Wait Time: 12 episodes

Bode & Gabriela, Fire Country

First Kiss: Season 1, Episode 12

Wait Time: 12 episodes

Marian & Larry, The Gilded Age

First Kiss: Season 2, Episode 8 (watch video above)

Wait Time: 17 episodes

Aziraphale & Crowley, Good Omens

First Kiss: Season 2, Episode 6 (watch video above)

Wait Time: 12 episodes

Harper & Stephanie, Gotham Knights

First Kiss: Season 1, Episode 11

Wait Time: 11 episodes

Cynthia & Lydia, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies

First Kiss: Season 1, Episode 5 (watch video above)

Wait Time: Five episodes

Elle & Tao, Heartstopper

First Kiss: Season 2, Episode 5 (watch video above)

Wait Time: 13 episodes

Ellie & Riley, The Last of Us

First Kiss: Season 1, Episode 7 (watch video above)

Wait Time: 38 minutes (though the two had been friends for months, off-screen)

Clark & Lois, My Adventures With Superman

First Kiss: Season 1, Episode 7 (watch video above)

Wait Time: Seven episodes

Nancy & Ace, Nancy Drew

First Kiss: Season 4, Episode 3 (watch video above)

Wait Time: 52 episodes

Peter & Rose, The Night Agent

First Kiss: Season 1, Episode 7

Wait Time: Seven episodes

Kiara & JJ, Outer Banks

First Kiss: Season 3, Episode 9 (watch video above)

Wait Time: 29 episodes

Hannah & Ben, Quantum Leap

First Kiss: Season 2, Episode 6 (watch a TVLine interview about the kiss above)

Wait time: Three episodes (though it’d been six years since they first met)

Keefe & Kelvin, Righteous Gemstones

First Kiss: Season 3, Episode 8

Wait Time: 26 episodes

Kat & Elliott, The Way Home

First Kiss: Season 1, Episode 8

Wait Time: Eight episodes

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