All or Nothing: The key to
“will they / won’t they” romance in procedurals.
Set against the backdrop of a police station, a hospital, the courtroom, or in space, procedurals present a problem and convene the main characters to solve it using their technical expertise. This formulaic structure can quickly become predictable and boring to viewers after being around since the 50’s. Enter, the procedural romance. Whether it’s between sexy doctors, begrudged detective partners, or a vampire and its slayer - procedural romances tend to exist and thrive in the plain of “will they/won’t they”.
Alternatively, an example that rewards audiences in the show’s final season is the case of shark lawyer, Harvey Specter and his secretary, Donna Paulson in Suits. The two are given a spontaneous but fairytale-esque wedding, after toying with other love interests, complicated and questionable work dynamics, and romantic fallouts over 9 seasons.
Keep Audiences Coming Back For More …
Although there is consistency in self-contained conflicts that resolve at the close of each episode, the addition of a “will they/won’t they” romance between two or more of the main characters creates the opportunity for longevity, with a larger story arc that can be picked up and dropped across seasons, or even stretched over the entirety of the show.
One of TV’s longest “will they / won’t they” is The X-Files’ Fox Mulder and Dana Scully - two FBI special agents with opposite outlooks on investigative work and the supernatural. Their ‘on the road’ romance baited audiences for 143 episodes before finally getting together in the seventh season - only for them to break up by the series’ tenth season.
The Evolution of the Slow Burn …
The slow burn allows procedurals to capitalize on “will they/won’t they” relationships by playing on multiple romantic tropes over time. The case of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons demonstrates a romantic development more grounded in realism than the show’s content. The two start as the platonic, scientific duo ‘FitzSimmons’ (with a hinting of unrequited love), but intergalactic threats and constant sacrifice eventually reveal the depth of their feelings for one another. Finally, the relationship evolved into star-crossed lovers, with FitzSimmons fighting to be together after being separated across time and space time and time again, in efforts to save the universe.
Lucifer follows Lucifer and Detective Chloe Decker as they solve crimes around Los Angeles, using his devilish charm to pry out people’s truest desires. But despite the titular character being immortal, his powers seem to be nullified around Chloe - forcing him to literally become vulnerable around her, and sacrifice himself repeatedly in efforts to reveal his true character.
Life & Death Stakes …
These “will they/won’t they” relationships often succeed because of the depth of connection established between the main characters - separate from their romantic feelings for one another. As is the nature of procedural material, characters are put into life-and-death situations on an almost unprecedented level. The high stakes of their work predispose them to high emotional investment and position them to lay the foundations for a profound, and at times trauma-bonded level of trust, vulnerability, and sacrifice.
Forbidden Love …
However, being set in a work environment also introduces an element that threatens to stifle these romances at every turn. Just as Grey’s Anatomy’s Meredith Grey and her attending Dr. McDreamy force themselves apart for the sake of professionalism, among other things (ahem... him being married) - the workplace forces characters to choose between their love and their careers.
Every choice brings our forbidden lovebirds closer or further apart from week to week, leaving the audience with no choice but to wait and see, will they or won’t they...