The gold standard. Think Pride and Prejudice or Ted Lasso (Roy and Keeley). The tension comes from proximity and denial. The audience is screaming for them to kiss because the emotional intimacy has already been built. Why it works: It respects the audience's intelligence.

Queer storylines have reintroduced the concept of and "coming out" as plot devices, which adds a layer of societal stakes that the standard boy-meets-girl plot lacks. Furthermore, asexual and aromantic storylines are finally emerging, questioning the assumption that a relationship must be sexual to be romantic.

The Hating Game and Bridgerton (Daphne and Simon). High conflict equals high chemistry. The risk: If the "enemy" behavior is actually cruel (bullying, manipulation), the turn to love feels like Stockholm syndrome.