Included: slow burns and witty banter.
| By Sukriti Wahi | Journal
Included: slow burns and witty banter.
When it comes to the romance genre, it would hardly be a stretch to say the ‘enemies to lovers’ trope is one of its most popular ones.
While ‘friends to lovers’ typically starts with characters who already care for one another, there’s an added allure that comes with two people who hate each other – ideally on sight, ideally for a long time – with a volcanic passion.
After all, beyond the withering looks, scathing insults, and fluctuating feelings, there lies a payoff that’s been pre-heated with a fervent loathing before ever veering into lover territory.
Translation? It’s even spicier.
And if you’re after such friction-to-fondness in your next binge-watch, consider it covered. Ahead, keep reading for 10 of the best enemies-to-lovers TV shows to watch (or rewatch) now.
1. Pride and Prejudice
Where can I watch it? Stan
Arguably the blueprint for the trope, the six-part BBC miniseries of Pride and Prejudice is one of the most beloved takes on the Jane Austen classic. Like the book, it follows the tumultuous relationship between Elizabeth Bennet (played by Jennifer Ehle), the strong-willed daughter of a country gentleman, and wealthy nobleman Fitzwilliam Darcy (played by Colin Firth), who meet at a ball and clash immediately. Their opposing views, however, make for deliciously witty repartee and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers arc for the ages.
2. Hart of Dixie
Where can I watch it? Apple TV
Heart-warming? Tick. Four seasons to binge? Tick. A city girl and country boy who can’t stand the sight of each other? Sold. An easy-to-watch comedy-drama, Hart of Dixie stars Rachel Bilson as fast-talking New York doctor Zoe Hart, who winds up working at a general practice in small-town Alabama after her dreams of becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon are dashed. While navigating the challenges of country life, she finds herself attracted to George Tucker, the good-on-paper local attorney – and despising local bad-boy and her reluctant neighbour, Wade Kinsella. Ahem, did someone say ‘opposites attract’?
3. One Tree Hill
Where can I watch it? Stan
A defining series of the early 2000s, One Tree Hill gave us one of the sweetest enemies-to-lovers relationships to this day with Nathan and Haley. While largely about two rival half-brothers from different class backgrounds – the humble underdog Lucas and the wealthy, spoiled Nathan – a hate-to-love story blooms when Lucas’ loyal best friend Haley starts tutoring Nathan in maths in exchange for him to stop torturing his brother. Despite their contrasting personalities, their detestation slowly dissolves into love, marking them as the fan-favourite couple of the series.
4. Bridgerton, Season 2
Where can I watch it? Netflix
From the incensed mockery to the air sniffing (if you know, you know), Bridgerton season two takes enemies-to-lovers to another level. Based on the series’ second book, The Viscount Who Loved Me, the second instalment centres on the eldest sibling, Anthony Bridgerton. Finally ready to take a wife, he gets engaged to the ton’s latest diamond, Edwina Sharma. What he doesn’t prepare for, however, is her spirited older sister Kate’s distrust of him – and their mutual loathing becoming something much, much more.
5. Never Have I Ever
Where can I watch it? Netflix
If you love shows like Heartbreak High, you’ll love Never Have I Ever. Besides being a high school comedy that simultaneously explores serious themes like grief and the immigrant experience, it’s also a sweet enemies-to-lovers story between the smart, spitfire Devi and her academic adversary, Ben. Equally competitive with an uncanny knack for goading the other to extremes, it’s all the cuter when – and how – their rivalry turns into romance.
6. Parks and Recreation
Where can I watch it? Stan
From enemies to lovers to endgame: Leslie and Ben of Parks and Recreation couldn’t be left off this list. Their story kicks off in season two, when Leslie Knope, the deputy director of Pawnee, Indiana’s Parks and Recreation Department, perceives Ben Wyatt, an auditor who has come to fix her budget, as an obstacle to her big project’s success. Naturally, it’s ‘hate at first sight’ – so plenty of verbal headbutting for us. However, the longer Ben stays in town, the more they connect, and their relationship goes from annoyance to affection.
7. Gossip Girl (2007)
Where can I watch it? Netflix
Security blanket streaming at its finest, Gossip Girl’s fictional take on the scandalous doings of Manhattan’s elite over-delivers on the enemies-to-lovers front. Whether you prefer the dramatic Blair and Chuck, who ricochet between friends, lovers, enemies, frenemies, and back again, or the jarring yet sweet emergence of ‘Dair’ (AKA Dan and Blair) – both couples offer clever banter, slow-burn storylines and passionate payoffs.
8. Money Heist
Where can I watch it? Netflix
While it is considered one of the most iconic heist TV shows of all time, Money Heist is also well-loved for the cat-and-mouse relationship between Raquel, the lead police inspector during the Royal Mint of Spain heist, and The Professor AKA the mastermind behind the infamous heist – who she is determined to bring down. However, the more they interact, the more the lines between good and evil blur, leaving them with unexpected feelings and a chemistry that lights up the screen and stands out throughout the series.
9. Once Upon a Time
Where can I watch it? Disney+
Once Upon a Time is an underrated TV show – both for its fractured spin on fairytale classics and its delivery in the enemies-to-lovers department. Without giving too much away (trust us, it’s better enjoyed this way), it’s a fantastical series where fairytale legends and the ‘real world’ cross over. Included in that mix? Emma Swan, a 28-year-old bail bonds collector from our world with a mysterious backstory, and seeming villain Captain Hook (yes, of Peter Pan) fame, whose epic mutual distrust sowed the seeds for an even greater love story.
10. The Vampire Diaries
Where can I watch it? Stan
It would be impossible to leave The Vampire Diaries off the list since the show has not one but multiple enemies-to-lovers plot lines to sink your teeth into (pun intended). Between Damon and Elena, Klaus and Caroline, and more – the supernatural series about a teen girl who unknowingly falls for a 160-year-old vampire is well worth the watch (or, let’s be real, rewatch) for its spicy, tension build-ups over multiple seasons.
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