One of the best reasons to watch TV shows is finding a favorite new fictional couple. It’s downright fun watching two characters meet and fall in love, and whether you’re in a relationship or still looking for the one, onscreen romance can warm your heart. However, some kinds of romance are easier to find onscreen than others.
For example, television often drops the ball when it comes to portrayals of lesbians. Frankly, we’re lucky when directors and showrunners don’t kill these gay characters for shock value. And even when the characters manage to survive, they are often presented as one-note punchlines or simply objects of sexual desire.
Fortunately, there are some great lesbian romances to discover if you know what TV shows to look for. Ready for some of the most heartwarming fictional couples? Keep reading to discover everything you need to know about these characters and where they come from.
Santana And Brittany from Glee
If we’re being honest, Glee isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Some audiences don’t like shows about teens and others don’t like musicals. Throw in the fact that Glee is a musical show focusing on the misadventures of teens and you have a show that could very well turn most viewers off. However, the show ended up being a monster hit in part because audiences found its romances both relatable and compelling.
A great example of this is the relationship between Santana and Brittany. We got to see their relationship ignite, flame out, and heat up again over the course of six seasons, and while we won’t spoil things, this couple ended the show on a truly high note. It’s a genuinely touching romantic journey, and considering how popular Glee was with young people, it’s fair to say that this show caused a gay awakening in many of the girls tuning in to sing along, week after week.
Maggie and Alex from Supergirl
At first glance, Supergirl didn’t look like a show that would offer us much in the way of lesbian romance. The title character is very straight, and most of the early romantic drama focused on the exploits of characters like Alex, Supergirl’s human sister. Early on, Alex juggled being a cop and trying to find love. Eventually, she learned that she was gay, which transformed her love life and helped her find the girl of her dreams.
The gal in question is fellow cop Maggie Sawyer. After they become friends, Maggie helps Alex discover more about her sexuality and identity. Thanks to Maggie’s help, Alex is able to come out to her friends and family. This was also a big deal for television viewers: from a viewer perspective, something major about Alex had suddenly changed, and nothing about her or her character would ever be the same again.
However, to those who are gay or who have gay friends, much of Alex’s journey here seemed realistic and all too familiar. Alex didn’t change so much as discover her true sexuality, which is a rite of passage for every lesbian. Fortunately, Alex had what far too many gay women did not when they came out: a friend, confidante, and lover, all rolled into one.
Callie and Arizona from Grey’s Anatomy
Grey’s Anatomy is a show that now has generations of fans. But what would you expect from a TV series that has been around for decades and shows no signs of slowing down? And while this successful medical drama has had plenty of charismatic couples, our absolute favorites were Callie and Arizona, whose steamy relationship made their onscreen romance downright electric.
Compared to some of the more come-and-go (so to speak) relationships in Grey’s Anatomy, this couple stayed the distance for a surprisingly long time. They also weathered the kinds of drama that would sink most relationships before eventually fizzling out. Long story not very short, there’s a reason the LGBTQ+ community loved Callie and Arizona so much: these characters always came off as raw and authentic rather than caricatures, and their portrayal helped establish showrunner Shonda Rimes as one of the best allies in television.
Tara and Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
For many ‘80s and ‘90s kids, Tara and Willow will always represent relationship goals. When the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV show first started, Willow presented as straight, going from having an unrequited crush on Xander to having an insanely cute relationship with Oz, their werewolf friend. After Oz left town, though, Willow met Tara, and they studied witchcraft together before discovering they’d rather make some magic of their very own.
Tragically, this relationship ended when Tara was killed, the victim of a stray bullet that was meant for Buffy. Her death caused an outsized fan reaction, and to this day, the fandom mourns her sudden loss. While it’s sad to see such a great relationship end in violence and sadness, it’s heartwarming to see how much this relationship still means to fans all these years later.