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Hollywood had a rough 2023. With no shows or films releasing between July and November because of the writers’ and actors’ strike, there was less to watch but it was like riding a rollercoaster —some exhilarating highs and stomach-dropping lows. While The Last of Us (Jio Cinema) soared to dizzying heights of success, the highly-anticipated Citadel landed with the dullest of thuds. Brie Larson's Lessons in Chemistry (Apple TV+) has perhaps got some of its due with the recent Golden Globe nominations (for Best Limited Series and Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series). The reboot of Kelsey Grammer's hit show Frasier got neither any love from the Golden Globes nor did it spark any conversations. The animated series Blue-eyed Samurai (Netflix) — a revenge drama set in Edo-era Japan, with the likes of Maya Erskine, Randall Park and Kenneth Branagh among its voice actors — turned out to be a hit with new and long-time anime lovers.
There was also the triumphant return of our beloved shows. The challenge of surpassing the brilliance of The Bear's inaugural season seemed daunting, yet the second season managed this, and there’s a third season coming. Only Murders in the Building, recovering from a lacklustre second season, came back with a stellar third, featuring a delightful infusion of new cast members. The eagerly awaited return of Good Omens for its second season finally graced our screens after a prolonged hiatus. Breakout hits like Loki and Heartstopper also made triumphant returns for their second seasons, providing joy, comfort and warmth. Saving the best for last, AppleTV+ dropped a new season of Slow Horses in December, reuniting us with the flatulent and brilliant Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) and the Slough House gang.
As we tuned in to our favourite shows, we found ourselves gravitating towards some dynamic on-screen duos — like Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) and Greg (Nicholas Braun) from Succession who despite the betrayals and general unpleasantness, we found ourselves rooting for. These duos, including Greg and Tom, became the heartbeat of our streaming adventures with sparkling chemistry that kept us hooked.
Here are our favourite duos, with a bonus at the end.
For Oliver Putnam (Martin Short) and Loretta Durkin (Meryl Streep), it all starts with the four magic words, “Where have you been?” There’s a new vulnerability to Oliver, one that we haven’t seen in the previous seasons, whenever he’s looking at Loretta. He holds a special place in Loretta’s eyes, too. There’s a kind reverence for the man, his artistry, and a special fascination for all of his quirks. Their conflicting personalities create a dynamic relationship — one that has space for a romance that is tender, slow, and brimming with charm, while also being giddying, childish, and electric. We don’t get to see too many of these adorable old-people romances on our screens. From the moment they sit together at the piano, to the time Oliver witnesses Loretta perform “Look For the Light” in all her glory, we’re shipping “Lo-ver” and hoping that their schedules align just enough for them to have a future together. We’re glad they broke the no-showmance rule.
The internet contains several pieces trying to decode the chemistry between the duo on the show, who the creators have repeatedly clarified are unlikely to romance each other in the future. (By the way, did you know that both actors went to the same culinary institute?)
Carmy (Allen White) and Sydney (Edebiri) share a mentor-mentee, equal terms colleague, but also boss-employee relationship which requires collaboration, tussling, on-the-feet solutions, and whipping up of the likes of delicious food that you can probably smell through your screen. Carmy is inconsistent as a mentor, Sydney is enchanted with the notion of success in the industry while acutely aware of its shortcomings and prospects. What is so gorgeous about the characters’ relationship is how it refuses to fix itself within a particular power dynamic as they navigate the corrosive, not-quite-profit-making restaurant industry.
What the show loses in narrative urgency in season two, it makes up for with rich characterisation, spending much more time on the relationship between Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and his demon bestie Crowley (David Tennant). The two alternate between bickering like an old married couple and wordlessly showing up for each other. Their camaraderie coasts on lighthearted banter, but there’s also a rare openness and unhesitant vulnerability between them. They’re depicted as the world’s slowest-burn romance, one that’s been in the making for a literal eternity. If in the first season, the show’s most ticking-clock question was whether Crowley and Aziraphale can stop the end times, season two prompts a question of a different time-bound nature: When will Aziraphale and Crowley finally realise how they feel about each other?
Reader, be warned, the final scenes of the second season of Good Omens might just break your heart.
Loki’s (somewhat) reluctant buddy-cop dynamic is familiar TV territory, and it carries with it just enough of a classic procedural oomph to differentiate Loki from the lumpy, overcrowded morass of Marvel movie and TV storytelling, both of which are at the point of snapping. Much of the credit for Loki’s fun and goofy side goes to Owen Wilson’s Mobius, a rule-bending time cop and exudes warmth in every frame.
It is in season two of Loki that the friendship between the TVA (Time Variance Authority) employee and the god of mischief (Tom Hiddleston) transcends the familiar dynamic and becomes something more meaningful. With a chunk of exposition about TVA and relationship building behind them, a magnetic pull makes itself apparent anytime the two navigate danger that is both existential or physical. We know that Loki would refer to Mobius for moral clarity when he is boxed into an illusion of a cruel choice. We know Mobius would come through for Loki. It is a tender portrait of a male friendship in a fantasy universe, the likes of which is reminiscent of the OG fantasy bromance: Sam and Frodo from The Lord of the Rings series.
Based on Alice Oseman’s beloved webcomics, Netflix’s Heartstopper is a refreshingly earnest and tender portrayal of young, queer love. Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) and Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) grapple with the challenges of a publicly queer relationship in the second season. What consistently shines through is their unconditional love and support for each other, and a bond that is so sweet that it is impossible to watch them interact without a huge smile on your face. Connor’s performance as the strapping rugby player who is actually the human equivalent of a cuddly golden retriever, is particularly excellent. He laces Nick’s steadfast confidence with notes of anxious vulnerability. Locke nails Charlie’s slightly awkward charm, and the two actors share an easy, endearing chemistry. Heartstopper has been referred to as a “hug in TV form”, and with at least one more season on its way, we look forward to having more of Nick and Charlie in our lives.
An all-consuming rage binds Beef's Danny (Steven Yeun) and Amy (Ali Wong), fuelling and corroding these two strangers in equal measure. Their gradually escalating games of one-upmanship are what make the show such a tense anxiety carousel, each scene precipitating an eventual explosion. Misery loves company and Danny and Amy, seething accumulations of modern-age frustrations, are as drawn to each other as they are repelled. When the big blowup does come, there's real catharsis to be found in watching these two characters, initially so eager to shed their masks of civility in a bid to hurt each other, finally, movingly able to see the people they are underneath.
Pedro Pascal as Joel is outstanding, and after The Mandalorian, must get his own plaque as Hollywood’s official ‘Favourite Adoptive Dad’. Bella Ramsey nails it as Ellie – a rebellious teenager with a secret, surviving in a post-disaster world. The formation of this very special bond (which you’re inclined to look at as parental in nature, but as depicted very strongly in a key scene, it is not) between these two characters forms the nucleus of the show. Viewers who are fans of the game claimed to be pleasantly surprised, and even awed in some cases, by Pascal and Ramsay’s performances. It helped that during the promotional interviews and red-carpet appearances, there was an adorable and easy rapport between the two of them. Pascal has said of Ramsay that they bring out the “the best of me” while Ramsay said of Pascal, “I love him. I miss him.” Cue in: Heartmelt.
With inputs from Gayle Sequiera, Shruti Janardhan, Sharanya Kumar, Deepanjana Pal and Suvigya Buch.