There’s nothing more gripping to watch than a strong physical and emotional connection developing between two smart and beautiful women. While we love a great lesbian movie, Chia and I also love discovering worthwhile lesbian relationships (lesbian ships) on TV.
While some of these lesbian ships are sadly over, they still represent some of the best lesbian couples and hottest pairings we’ve ever seen on TV.
1. Arizona and Callie (Calzona) from Grey’s Anatomy
Grey’s Anatomy is a captivating medical drama TV series that centers on the personal and professional lives of surgical interns, residents, and attending doctors. It’s also one of the longest-running TV shows (currently in season 16) created by rockstar producer Shonda Rhimes who has been a champion of diversity in all of her hit TV shows including How to Get Away with Murder and Scandal.
That said, two of the main characters featured on Grey’s Anatomy were Dr. Arizona Robbins and Dr. Callie Torres. When Arizona and Callie got together on Grey’s Anatomy, my heart skipped a beat. These two would end up having one of the longest-standing relationships on the hit show and finally gave lesbian fans all around the world a lesbian ship that constantly pulled at our heartstrings while showcasing a beautiful love story.
Be warned though that there is no shortage of drama and trauma in Grey’s Anatomy and that’s true for Callie and Arizona’s relationship as well. But through all the ups and downs, your heart will melt and break for them.
P.S. In Arizona’s final season on Grey’s Anatomy (Season 14), she and their daughter, Sofia, were planning on moving to NY to be with Callie and there were some strong hints that Calzona would be getting back together.
Their Lesbian Relationship Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Watch their entire love story compiled here:
You can stream all of Grey’s Anatomy on ABC and Netflix.
2. Arizona and Carina (Carizona) from Grey’s Anatomy
While Callie and Arizona’s eventual breakup was heartbreaking for Calzona fans, the heart does heal over time. Arizona's love life since her split with Callie has been a bit of a roller coaster, but and in later seasons, Arizona finally meets Dr. Carina DeLuca, who would become Arizona’s new long-term lover and girlfriend.
Though it took a few seasons to finally see the two get together, once they did, the fireworks were lit. As with all TV relationships, Carzona also goes through their ups and downs, and ultimately, Arizona would end things with Carina after deciding that she and her daughter, Sofia, would move back to NY to be with Callie. Their relationship was still enticing to watch nonetheless and touches on the subject of balancing motherhood and being a single parent while pursuing a new romantic relationship.
Their Lesbian Relationship Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Watch how they get together here:
You can stream all of Grey’s Anatomy on ABC and Netflix.
3. Maggie and Alex (Sanvers) from Supergirl
Supergirl is an American superhero TV series based on the DC Comics character Supergirl, who is Superman's cousin and one of the last surviving Kryptonians.
One of the best lesbian ships on the show centers around Supergirl’s human sister, Alex Danvers, who is an agent with the DEO. In season 2, she meets Maggie Sawyer, who is a homicide detective and the two begin to form a friendship and bond over catching bad guys.
Maggie, who is already an out lesbian, helps Alex come to terms with her sexuality and Alex eventually confesses her feelings for Maggie and the two start a romantic relationship after some slight tension and a cute, worthwhile chase.
The best part of Maggie and Alex’s relationship was Alex’s relatable coming out story and Maggie’s raw confrontation with her father’s homophobia and how these two strong, badass women supported each other through these emotional moments.
Though the two eventually break up (thankfully, no tragic deaths), you will feel like you’ve grown attached to their relationship and have experienced both of these characters grow immensely.
While I and many #sanver fans out there still believe Maggie and Alex are meant to be (and hope they get back together someday), Alex does go on to find love again with Kelly Olsen in season 4, but only after a sexy hookup with Sara Lance.
Their Lesbian Relationship: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐
Watch their entire love story compiled here:
You can stream all of Supergirl on the CW and Netflix.
4. Tina and Bette (Tibette) from the L Word 
The L Word is a TV show that follows the lives and relationships of a group of friends who are all lesbian and bisexual living in West Hollywood, California. It was a groundbreaking show at the time that truly brought visibility to lesbian and LGBTQ relationships on screen.
One of the main couples on the show were Tina and Bette, who became one of the OGs when it comes to lesbian ships.
The L word did a wonderful job showcasing the beauty, love, loss, and complicated mess of a lesbian relationship that has a lot of depth behind it. Throughout the L Word, Tina and Bette navigate a wide range of conflicts from having a miscarriage, infidelity, divorce, etc. You name it and these two women have been through it.
While they didn’t always have the healthiest relationship and as the audience, you sometimes felt conflicted about these two together, but deep down you still felt that they were meant to be and you can sense how much Tina and Bette love each other. You also watch Tina and Bette grow together, separately and together again throughout the seasons.
While the original L Word ended with Tina and Bette off to happily ever after, in the latest reboot of the L Word: Generation Q, we see that Tina and Bette are divorced. But who knows what the future holds so we’re anxiously waiting to see how their relationship continues to unfold.
Their Lesbian Relationship: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐
Watch their love story compiled here:
You can stream all of the L Word on Showtime and Hulu.
5. Juliana and Valentina (Juliantina) from Amar a Muerte
Amar a Muerte (Love to Death) is a Spanish telenovela with a complex storyline of destinies that intersect when a media mogul is assassinated at the same time that an assassin in Texas is executed by electric chair.
Juliana and Valentina’s (Juliantina) lesbian relationship was a huge milestone for a Hispanic telenovela as they were the first same-sex pairing on a Mexican telenovela (you can read more about their backstory here).
Not only are these two women beautiful together, but the show also focused on developing their character and relationship into a storyline with depth and no tragic lesbian deaths while tackling difficult LGBTQ issues such as homophobia at the forefront.
There's no doubt that fans all over the world fell in love with Juliantina and as a result, it looks like they will be getting a spin-off series and an upcoming film!
Their Lesbian Relationship: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Watch their entire love story compiled here:
You can watch full episodes of Amar a Muerte in Spanish here.
6. Nicole and Waverly (Wayhaught) from Wyonna Earp
Wyonna Earp is a supernatural Western horror filled with demons, supernatural elements, and a wonderful portrayal of a long-term committed lesbian ship between Waverly Earp and Sheriff Nicole Haught.
When these two meet for the first time, Nicole expresses interest in Waverly immediately, however, Waverly insists that she is interested in guys and has a boyfriend. Nicole mentions that she's been there before and describes it as the worst but still leaves her a card to call her. And by the end of Season 1, these two officially become a thing (because who can resist a sexy sheriff like Nicole). ❤️
Their Lesbian Relationship: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Watch their love story compiled here:
You can watch Wyonna Earp on Netflix.
7. Cosima and Delphine (Cophine) from Orphan Black
Orphan Black is a Sci-Fi thriller starring Tatiana Maslany in the lead role of Sarah (also Cosmia), an outsider and orphan whose life changes dramatically after witnessing the suicide of a woman who looks just like her.
Cosima and Delphine share a complicated, intimate, and messy relationship. These two women form a deep connection that is intellectual, emotional, and sexual. Their relationship has been labeled as one of the best LGBTQ couples to ever appear on TV. Plus, Tatiana Maslany who plays Cosima is an amazingly talented actress.
Their Lesbian Relationship: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Watch how their love story begins here:
You can watch Orphan Black on Amazon.
8. Emily and Alison (Emison) from Pretty Little Liars
Pretty Little Liars (PLL) is a mystery-thriller series that follows the lives of four high school girls whose clique falls apart after the disappearance of their leader.
Two of the main characters are Emily and Alison and there’s a whole backstory about these two that you can read about here.
While Emily has always had a crush on Alison all these years, they didn’t get together until much later on.
Even though Emily has other relationships with women throughout PLL, these two end up married in the season finale and raise two adorable baby daughters together.
P.S. In the spinoff after the season finale, it appears that Emily and Alison have divorced. Gosh, can we just get some happily ever after here?
Their Lesbian Relationship: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Watch their love story compiled here:
You can watch Pretty Little Liars on Amazon.
9. Piper and Alex (Vauseman) from Orange is the New Black
Orange is the New Black is based on Piper Kerman's memoir about her experiences at a minimum-security federal prison and the story centers around the stories and lives of a diverse group of women in the prison.
There’s no doubt that two of the main characters, Piper Chapman and Alex Vause, have had a rocky past (Alex is the reason why Piper is in prison), but I love how these two work through their issues throughout the seasons and come out stronger together at the end while staying alive in prison.
Their Lesbian Relationship: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Watch their love story compiled below:
You can watch Orange is the New Black on Netflix.
10. Sara Lance and Ava Sharpe (Avalance) from Legends of Tomorrow
Legends of Tomorrow is another superhero series by the CW based on characters of DC Comics. Sara Lance is the first vigilante known as the Canary, the leader of the Legends, and captain of the Waverider.
Ava Sharpe is a genetically-engineered clone that works for the Time Bureau and later becomes the director of the Time Bureau.
Initially, Sarah and Ava share a disdain for one another, but over time, that contempt manifests into mutual respect and flirtation and finally into a steamy romantic relationship.
Their Lesbian Relationship: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Watch their entire love story compiled below:
You can watch Legends of Tomorrow on the CW and Netflix.
11. Petra and Jane Ramos (Petramos) from Jane the Virgin
Jane the Virgin is a romantic dramedy about a devout 23-year-old Latina virgin, who becomes pregnant after an accidental artificial insemination by her gynecologist.
Petra and Jane Ramos (“JR” as not to be confused with the main character Jane Villanueva) first get together while Jane was Petra's lawyer during the investigation into Anežka's death.
They begin to date after they believe that the case is finally closed. Both women are smart, complex, and multidimensional characters and the writers do a good job showcasing their bisexuality and self-discovery. You can read more about how these two develop their romantic chemistry here.
Their Lesbian Relationship: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Watch their entire love story compiled below:
You can watch Jane the Virgin on Netflix.
12. Santana and Brittany (Brittana) from Glee
Glee is a musical comedy-drama series that centers on the fictional William McKinley High School glee club and its members as they deal with social issues regarding sexuality, race, relationships, and teamwork.
Santana and Brittany are both cheerleaders and have always had an on and off romantic relationship and friendship that was more than just best friends. Both of these characters go through the process of coming to terms with their own sexuality and the fear of being outed in high school while navigating the complexities of being in a relationship.
The series has a happy ending though with Santana proposing to Brittany at the end and the two of them getting married while the entire Glee cast reunites to celebrate their love!
Their Lesbian Relationship: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Watch their entire love story compiled below:
You can watch Glee on Netflix.
13. Lena and Stef (Stena) from The Fosters
The Fosters is a family drama that follows the lives of the members of the Foster family led by lesbian couple Stef and Lana, a cop and school Vice Principal respectively, who raise one biological and four adopted children.
Ever since the beginning of the series, Lena and Stef have shown us what a loving, deep lesbian marriage and relationship looks like. They are both committed to raising their family and working hard on their love and supporting one another in their careers.
It’s such a huge milestone to have an entire show centered around a normal, respectable, married lesbian couple who are also great parents to their kids and showcase such a diverse storyline.
Their Lesbian Relationship: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Watch their entire love story compiled below:
You can watch The Fosters on Netflix here.
14. Casey and Izzie (Cazzie) from Atypical
Atypical is a coming-of-age television series that focuses on the life of 18-year-old Sam Gardner (Keir Gilchrist), who has autism.
His younger sister, Casey–who plays a central role in Sam's life–ends up getting a track scholarship at a prep school where she meets Izzie in Season 2. The have the typical storyline of being enemies at first only to realize that they both have a lot in common. From this, they start developing a friendship, and ultimately, the two enter into a cute romantic relationship together in Season 3.
One of the best parts of this lesbian ship, known as Cazzie, is how relatable yet subtle that their coming out and romantic feelings for each other were. We all can remember that time in high school when we had a crush on a girl who we'd develop a close friendship with and we're afraid of telling her because of the risk of ruining the friendship.
Their Lesbian Relationship: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Watch their love story compiled below:
You can watch Atypical on Netflix here.
15. Jamie and Dani (Damie) from The Haunting of Bly Manor
The Haunting of Bly Manor is "a love story with ghosts in it". The plot centers around the story of a young governess hired by a man to look after his niece and nephew at the family country house after they fall into his care. Arriving at the Bly Manor/estate, she begins to see apparitions that proceed to haunt the premises.
The love story between Dani (the au pair/governess) and Jamie (the manor's gardener) unfolds as they embark on a scary adventure together to discover what is happening at the manor and to save everyone in time.
Despite getting spooked throughout the series, I couldn't keep my eyes off of the chemistry between these two. The only downside about their lesbianship is that it wasn't the type of happily ever after ending that I would've wanted, but it's still worth watching every minute of it.
Their Lesbian Relationship: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Watch their entire love story compiled below:
You can watch episodes of The Haunting of Bly Manor on Netflix.
16. Sterling and April (Stepril) from Teenage Bounty Hunters
Teenage Bounty Hunters is a comedy-drama series about twin sisters, Blair and Sterling, who try to balance teen life at an elite Southern high school with an unlikely new career as butt-kicking bounty hunters.
Sadly, the show was cancelled by Netflix after one season, which is super disappointing because it's actually a very well-done show with great writing, directing, and acting. The storyline is quirky and unique and touches upon so many important topics such as religion, coming out, family, etc. with humor and nuance that is not seen in many other TV shows let alone ones with LGBTQ characters.
Nonetheless, one of the highlights of this series is the lesbian ship between Sterling and April. I love the development of their relationship in this series from rivals to girlfriends–the classic frenemy turned lovers storyline. Like a good lesbian love story, the buildup and context leading up to their first kiss and subsequent desire for each other is believable and heartwarming. Plus, they are aesthetically adorable together and you can't help but root for them to be together in the end.
Their Lesbian Relationship: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Watch their entire love story compiled below:
You can watch episodes of Teenage Bounty Hunters on Netflix.
17. Clarke and Lexa (Clexa) from The 100
The 100 is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi drama series. When nuclear Armageddon destroys civilization on Earth, the only survivors are those on the 12 international space stations in orbit at the time. Three generations later, the 4,000 survivors living on a space ark of linked stations see their resources dwindle and face draconian measures established to ensure humanity's future. Desperately looking for a solution, the ark's leaders send 100 juvenile prisoners back to the planet to test its habitability.
One of the hottest lesbian ships of all time is featured in The 100 between Clarke and Lexa. Though the two started off as enemies at first (there's just something about this frenemy trope), they eventually become allies and work together to save their people from a mutual enemy.
Their relationship was an emotional roller coaster that tugged at your heartstrings. After a heartbreaking betrayal followed by an emotional make-up/I forgive you session, just when you thought things were going well, the show decides to kill off Lexa in a tragic death. Fans were righteously upset about this blatant "kill off your gays" trope and while Clarke never forgets that Lexa was the greatest love of her love in the show, it's just not the same without the two together for the remainder of the series.
Their Lesbian Relationship: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Watch their entire love story compiled below:
You can watch episodes of The 100 on Netflix.
18. Franky and Bridget (Fridget) from Wentworth
Wentworth is like the Australian version of Orange is the New Black. It follows the lives and struggles of the inmates at a contemporary women's prison called Wentworth. The story starts when Bea Smith who is charged with the attempted murder of her abusive husband arrives at the prison and is traumatized by what has happened to her and easily manipulated by others. One person who takes advantage of Bea's state is the beautiful and charismatic Franky Doyle, the facility's top dog, who uses Bea to do her dirty work.
Franky develops a few romantic lesbian relationships throughout the series, the most popular one being with Bridget, who works as the prison’s forensic psychologist (clearly, no conflict of interest there...). As you can imagine, there's a ton of drama and chaos in their relationship, but the two always manage to find a way to get through it together somehow.
Their Lesbian Relationship: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Watch their entire love story compiled below:
You can episodes of Wentworth on Netflix.
19. Maya and Carina (Marina) from Station 19
If you loved Carina from Grey's Anatomy, you're going to love her just as much in Station 19 with her new beau, Maya, who's the sexy captain of Station 19 of the Seattle Fire Department. The two of them are gorgeous together and are both successful, badass, competent women who save lives. To be honest, between all of their steamy romance, I'm not sure how they still have time to be a doctor/firefighter, but watching these two on screen is like eye candy.
Their relationship is still in the beginning stages as the show is still relatively new so there are definitely some rocky moments and at times, you want to tell Maya to stop self-sabotaging her relationship with someone as awesome as Carina, but I trust that the writers will continue to develop a worthwhile story arc for these two lovers.
As for what the show, Station 19 is about, it's the second spin-off of Grey's Anatomy (after Private Practice). Set in Seattle, the series focuses on the lives of the men and women at Seattle Fire Station 19. It's filled with drama, heartbreak and romance reminiscent of the writing and storylines from Shonda Rhimes' Grey's Anatomy.
Their Lesbian Relationship: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Watch their entire love story compiled below:
You can watch all episodes of Station 19 on Hulu.
20. Jean and Sidney (Jeaney) from Gypsy
Gypsy is a psychological thriller series featuring Academy Award-nominee Naomi Watts as Jean, a therapist in New York with a successful practice and a life that seems picturesque. As Jean starts to develop intimate and illicit relationships with the people in her patients' lives, the borders of her professional life and personal fantasies become blurred. Jean descends into a world where reality and the forces of her desires are disastrously at odds, which impacts her life and the lives of those around her.
As you might have guessed, Jean, ultimately develops an infatuation and romantic relationship with one her patients', ex-girlfriend, Sidney. The two embark on a sensual (albeit toxic) romance filled with lies and suspense. But the two do make a steamy pair.
Honestly, this was not the best show we've seen and Naomi Watts deserved a better script and plot given her talents. The show was understandably cancelled by Netflix after one season and while this also means an end to their lesbian ship, it's probably for the better.
Their Lesbian Relationship: ⭐️⭐️
Watch their entire love story compiled below:
You can watch episodes of Gypsy on Netflix.
21. Emily and Sue (Emisue) from Dickinson
Dickinson is a TV series about the real-life story of writer Emily Dickinson who uses her outsider's perspective to explore the constraints of society, gender and family in the 19th century. One of the more well known and interesting details of Emily's life is her relationship with her sister-in-law Susan Gilbert, who many scholars have noted that Emily was in love with. While the exact nature of their relationship isn't 100% certain, the show takes liberties to ship the two together in a romantic relationship and we're not here to complain!
Their Lesbian Relationship: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Watch their entire love story compiled below:
You can watch episodes of Dickinson on Apple TV+.
22. Sol and Ji-Wan (Soljiwan) from Nevertheless,
Nevertheless, is a Netflix Korean drama TV show that features an adorable lesbian couple, Sol and Ji-wan (#soljiwan) who are best friends from the beginning and ultimately fall in love with each other and have a happy ending! While the romantic build-up is slow and nuanced (typical in all Asian dramas), they have a lot of on-screen chemistry and their scenes are always cute to watch.
If you want to just read through and watch their entire love story unfold, we've compiled a collection of the best #soljiwan moments in a 3-part series here.
Their Lesbian Relationship: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Watch their entire love story compiled below:
You can watch episodes of Nevertheless, on Netflix.
23. Marissa and Alex (Alissa) from the O.C.
The O.C. centers around a couple of teenagers and their friends in the wealthy, upper-class neighborhood of Orange County, California.
While most of the show is centered around straight relationships, when one of the main characters, Marissa gets together with Alex, things went from 0 to 100 and then back to negative really quickly.
While these two had a disappointing ending to their short-lived romance–granted, it wasn’t like fans of their lesbian ship were actually expecting a happily ever after (though one can hope)–they were still one of the hottest (not healthiest) lesbian ships of all time to have happened on TV. The characters are played by Olivia Wilde and Mischa Barton after all.
Their Lesbian Relationship: ⭐️⭐️
Watch their entire love story compiled below:
You can watch episodes of The O.C. on Amazon.
Check out our Ultimate List of Lesbian Movies to Watch here.
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Other Posts You Might Enjoy:
- Best Lesbian Movies to Watch on Amazon Prime Right Now
- Top Lesbian Movies of All Time
- All of the Cutest Wayhaught Moments From Wynonna Earp
16 comments
Great compiled list! It catches most of the best :)
It could be expanded to include some younger show couples from the recent years: Such as Raelle and Scylla from “motherland: fort Salem” (seriously one of the cutests couple ever, in super central plot), Toni and Shelbi from “The wilds”, Cheryl and Toni from “Riverdale” and Leighton and Alicia from “The sex lives of college girls”. The past few years have finally granted us some more lovely and happy ending storylines for queer couples
How could you not include Root & Shaw from Person of Interest??? That show is so great in part because of their relationship!
Great compilation! And A+ for taking into consideration older shows
I am so sad that my favorite couple Deanoru from Marvel’s Runaways didn’t make it. They have such a great relationship and they are also the first queer couple to get married in Marvel. Y’all should also add Sydlena from One day at a time, those two are just awesome
Loved the recommendations! Watched ‘Jean and Sidney (Jeaney) from Gypsy’ a while ago. Streamed it by following easy steps on ‘Streaming Digitally’ Do check it out.