Every Slow-Burn TV Ship You Will Enjoy If You Love The Rookie’s Chenford
One of the best slow-burn relationships on TV now is The Rookie’s Chenford. Fans watched Lucy Chen and Tim Bradford slowly fall in love over the course of the show and are finally able to enjoy the couple’s newfound romantic relationship in Season 5. However, Chenford isn’t the only epic slow-burn relationship depicted on TV.
There are so many memorable slow-burn relationships, some that last, others that don’t, but there are some like Chenford that forever live rent-free in the minds of fans. From Nancy Drew’s Nancy and Ace to Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Amy and Jake, here are other compelling slow-burn TV ships for all the Chenford lovers to watch.
Nancy and Ace Overcome Bad Timing, Alternate Dimensions, and Curses
Nancy Drew introduced a romance that fans of Carolyn Keene’s book series of the same name weren’t expecting. Nancy begins the series in a relationship with Nick (the show’s equivalent to the book series’ Ned Nickerson), but after they break up, Nancy forms an incredible slow-burn relationship with Ace. Nancy and Ace have been the victims of bad timing several times, from each newly hooking up with a Bobbsey twin right when the other realized their feelings to Ace getting stuck in an alternate dimension to even occasionally dodging death at the hands of paranormal beings. In the upcoming fourth and final season, Nancy and Ace must overcome a curse before they get their well-deserved endgame.
Luke Secretly Loved Lorelai For Years
Luke and Lorelai’s slow-burn romance on Gilmore Girls that spanned the duration of the series finally concluded with them happily married. However, it was a long and complicated road to their highly anticipated endgame, despite Luke secretly being in love with Lorelai for years while they were just friends. Luke and Lorelai’s friendship officially transitioned to romance in Season 4. However, Luke and Lorelai’s relationship was interrupted multiple times, from complications like Lorelai’s lingering feelings for Rory’s father, Christopher, to Luke discovering he has a daughter with a former girlfriend. Luke and Lorelai’s on-again-off-again relationship was a pillar of the series, and every rom-com moment they shared was worth the 16-year-long wait fans endured to see them get their well-deserved endgame in the show’s revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.
Jake and Amy Had the Perfect Enemies to Lovers Arc
Before Chenford stole fans’ hearts with their crime-fighting romance on The Rookie, Jake and Amy did the same on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Unlike Chenford’s mentor/mentee to friends-to-lovers dynamic, Jake and Amy shared the perfect slow-burn rivals-to-lovers arc before finding their happy endgame. Jake and Amy’s competitive dynamic started the show in the Pilot, and even as the pair became friends and eventually fell in love, they never lost that spark of competitive edge. Although their constant competition sometimes caused conflict for Jake and Amy, it also was an essential element in their relationship that gave fans hilarious, witty banter and great romantic tension. Jake’s surprise Halloween heist proposal to Amy was just one of the many epic competitions that turned into an incredibly romantic and memorable moment for them.
Jess and Nick’s Personalities Complemented Each Other
New Girl’s seven-season run ended with fan favorite on-again-off-again couple Jess and Nick finally in a happy and stable relationship. Nick formed a crush on Jess early in Season 1; however, Jess only began to reciprocate Nick’s feelings in Season 2, making their slow-burn romance a fun dynamic to watch develop and see the rest of the ensemble cast support. Jess was a positive ray of sunshine, and Nick’s always been a pessimistic grump, but their personalities nicely complemented each other over the course of the series. Jess taught Nick to see the world through her eyes, which motivated him to do things he never expected to do, like write a successful novel and mature enough to get over his commitment issues.
Joey and Pacey Redefined Endgame Expectations
Dawson’s Creek delivered unexpected storylines, and Joey choosing to be with Pacey instead of Dawson in the series finale was one of them. Dawson and Joey were always the expected endgame of the series because the show was built around their friends-to-lovers dynamic. However, when Joey and Pacey’s slow-burn romance was introduced, they redefined the endgame expectations of fans. Joey and Pacey’s romance blossomed organically and became a deeply essential part of the show. Falling in love with Joey made Pacey less impulsive and more aware of how his actions affect those he loves. Choosing to be with Pacey, despite his flaws, taught Joey that there was more than one way to love someone and that Dawson didn’t have to be her future just because she once thought they would end up together when they were teens.
