Top 20 Most Unexpected TV Kisses

Over the course of nine seasons, “Suits” gave us plenty of romantic tension to parse through between Harvey Specter and Donna Paulsen. Despite the strong chemistry between the two that’s apparent from the start of the show, it took seven seasons for this couple to get things moving. Throughout the series, Donna has a strict “no dating coworkers” rule that keeps Harvey out of the running for her romantically. So, even though the passion between them was palpable, their first kiss still came as something of a surprise. After seven long years, Donna finally broke her rule.

Some romances begin with a bang, but others take time. Jonah and Amy definitely didn’t start off the strongest. While he clearly had feelings for her from the jump, it was also pretty obvious that she didn’t return them right off the bat. Also, she was married. So, for Jonah, that door was closed fairly quickly. Over the course of the second season, the two fell into a comfortable friendship, even if there was always with the question of something more hanging in the air. And then, like the swirling storm itself, their first kiss came out of nowhere, very much to the delight of fans. Who knew all it took was one teensy tornado to get things rolling?

On “Grey’s Anatomy,” there’s always a new relationship to get fans talking. But, this is one we never saw coming. Jackson and April join the hospital team in season six and, while the two are friendly, they could not be more different. Jackson is pretty laid back (for a surgeon, anyway), and April is extremely intense and anxious, sometimes to a fault. Then, in season eight, the two did the unthinkable. The night before they took their medical boards, April decided to let loose a bit, and the two slept together. This impulsive, surprising decision ultimately leads to a whirlwind romance that’s one of the most beloved on the show.

If you told us at the beginning of “Dawson’s Creek” that Joey and Pacey would end up being the couple we would have unfailingly rooted for, we would have told you that was completely looney. Throughout the teen drama’s first couple seasons, Joey and Pacey are constantly at odds with one another, and the only thing keeping them tied together is their friendship with Dawson. In season three, however, things changed forever. As Dawson and Joey grow apart, Pacey becomes more involved in her life and eventually falls in love with her. Joey, as oblivious as ever, has no idea. This one might not have been so surprising for the audience, but it definitely caught Joey off guard!

Enemies to lovers is an invaluable trope in the teen show canon. And yet, something about Spike and Buffy actually happening on our screens still took us by surprise. Not so much because of the pairing, but because of the way it happened. Spike and Buffy’s first kiss takes place during the incomparable musical episode of the series. “Once More, With Feeling” sees our main characters expressing their feelings through the power of song. This little inconvenience causes Buffy and Spike to share a confessional interlude that wouldn’t be out of place in a classic Hollywood film. It’s not what we expected for this duo, but it’s incredibly romantic. And few things beat romance.

From the very first season of “Shameless,” Mickey and Ian have one of the most complex relationships on the show. They have sex for the first time very early on in season one, but it’s much longer before the intimacy of a kiss. What’s even more surprising, is that it’s Mickey who makes the first move. Mickey’s not originally a very expressive guy, but it’s clear that he is bothered by Ian’s involvement with an older man. Mickey, not one to be trifled with, doesn’t take this lightly. Cue the romantic music.

If we’re being honest, it’s staggering to us that the devil himself is capable of holding down a successful relationship. But the first kiss between Lucifer and Chloe is staggering for other reasons too. The kiss happens well into season two, just after Lucifer has admitted to Chloe that he thinks things would be better left platonic between them. He’s even got a very compelling argument to back up his decision. Chloe seems to agree, but mere moments after she tells him he’s right, she leans in to plant a steamy smooch on a man who is, quite literally, Satan. Even Sam Hill gets his happily ever after… So, where does that leave us?!

From the moment “The Office” started, we knew that Jim and Pam would probably have a romantic endgame in the series. But what we didn’t realize was how quickly that spark would ignite and how long it would take for the show to see it to the end. When the series begins, Pam is with Roy while Jim pines after her from afar. Kissing a woman who is with someone else doesn’t seem like Jim’s MO, but that doesn’t stop him in the episode “Casino Night.” During the season two finale, Jim tells Pam how he feels about her and kisses her, leaving her in complete confusion. Not only was it a turning point for the couple, but for the show as a whole too!

In 2011, MTV introduced viewers to Teen Wolf, a supernatural teen drama inspired by the 1985 Michael J. Fox movie of the same name. Fans were treated to many surprises throughout the series’ 6 season run and one of the most unexpected moments happened between the characters, Stiles and Lydia. After experiencing a panic attack, Lydia helps calm down Stiles by kissing him on the lips. The moment, while not intentionally romantic, changed what was originally only an unrequited crush on Stiles’ part by helping to set the foundation for one of the series’ favorite later couplings. The pair are affectionately referred to as “Stydia” by fans.

One of the greatest things to come out of “The Big Bang Theory’s” lengthy series run was that we got to see romantic moments between characters who wouldn’t usually be given that sort of passion on screen. While this particular kiss might not have been Sheldon and Amy’s first, speaking technically, it is the first true moment of passion between the two, and that must be celebrated. Throughout the series, Sheldon is extremely anti-romantic attachment of any kind. Even when he and Amy begin dating, he still has a hard time showing his affection for her. That’s what makes this moment so surprising and exciting. Sheldon finally is able to let go of his hang-ups and give Amy the kind of kiss she deserves.

On ABC’s Once Upon A Time, adventure and romance are fixtures of the fairytale themed fantasy series. But the fan favorite pairing of the charming outlaw, Captain Hook aka Killian Jones and protagonist, Emma Swan, is by far the most hot and passionate. In season 3, after learning that Hook saved her father, Emma thanks him by planting one on him. While fans may have had an inkling that the pair would pucker up eventually, no one could have expected just how red hot their lip lock would be. The kiss ends with Emma making it known that it’s nothing more than a “one time thing”, but it sparks an epic romance between the two that is nothing short of a fairy tale.

Of course, any Parks and Rec fan knows that for Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt, their first interaction with each other was not a great start. When the former teen mayor, played by Adam Scott, joins the Pawnee gang in season 2, he has his work cut out for him, but he eventually gets on Knope’s good side. However, it's not until season 3 in the episode “Road Trip” that the two finally plant one on each other. What’s surprising about this kiss is that although fans had their suspicions, they had to wait a long time before it happened, making the moment even more unexpected and satisfying. That - and the fact that city manager Chris Traeger has a strict no-dating policy of course. Eventually though, this kiss becomes the catalyst for one of television comedy’s favorite couples and proves that love isn’t always at first sight.

Like many teen-centered narratives, Glee never shied away from depicting the harsh realities of high school life. From slushie facials to dumpster tosses, the New Directions dealt with some seriously disturbing behavior at the hands of their peers. Kurt Hummel had an especially hard time, being physically and verbally mistreated by homophobic student, Dave Karofsky. In a season 2 twist, Kurt confronts Dave, who ends up kissing him. As it turns out, the football player is struggling to accept his own sexuality, which plays out later in the season. Unlike the other kisses on this list, it is not romantic or consensual. Rather the kiss is used to explore the difficult realities LGTBQ+ youth face and the responsibility of educators to protect their students.

From “The Office’s” Jim and Pam to “Cheers” Sam and Diane, staff romances are a staple of the workplace sitcom and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”’s Jake and Amy are no exception to the fan favorite trope. In the season 2 finale, the partners go undercover as a couple named Johnny and Dora. To protect their aliases, the two share their first kiss. But it’s not until later in the episode where they revert back to themselves and they share a private “real” kiss. Though they’d both confessed feelings for each other earlier in the series, Amy had also stated she didn’t want to go out with a police officer. This expression of affection is so unexpected that it left both them - and the audience - a little speechless, to say the least.

From the get-go, there was a spark between Stars Hollow’s resident bad boy, Jess, and studious intellectual, Rory. However, Gilmore Girls fans were never quite sure when, how and if the pair would ever become more than just friends. Between Jess' attitude and Rory’s relationship with Dean, their budding attraction had a lot of obstacles in its way. By season 2, fans got their wish when the two finally locked lips right before Sookie’s wedding. Although they weren’t end game, their kiss lived up to the age old notion that opposites attract.

There certainly is a fine line between love and hate. And if there ever were two television characters to prove it, it’s Veronica Mars and Logan Echolls. During the majority of the first season of “Veronica Mars,” the two are sworn enemies. So, when Logan asks for Veronica’s help with finding his mom, his slow start of kindness toward our main character shocked a lot of fans. Then, the ultimate shock came just mere episodes later when the two shared an extremely passionate kiss moments after Logan saved Veronica’s life. We’re not sure who was more stunned by this spectacular television moment; Logan, Veronica, or the audience.

Ah, first kisses. Sometimes, they’re romantic but most of the time, they’re just downright awkward. However, for iCarly’s Sam Puckett and Freddie Benson, their first smooch was kind of perfect. In the season 2 episode, aptly titled “iKiss”, Sam publicly reveals that Freddie has never been kissed, leaving him so embarrassed that he starts skipping school. She later confesses on their web show that she hasn’t been kissed either and the former frenemies share not only their first with each other, but also their first kiss ever. Earning them the couple name of Seddie by fans, a young romance blossoms between the pseudo-enemies-turned friends, with this moment going down as one of the most surprising in the history of the Nickelodeon comedy.

Yes, Ross and Rachel’s first kiss will go down in television history, but given their “will they or won’t they” dynamic, it was inevitable. However, not even the most dedicated Friends fan could have foreseen what transpired between Chandler and Monica in the season 4 finale. After waking up together on the morning of Ross’ infamous wedding to Emily, the two BFFs are just as shocked as viewers by their hookup. It becomes clear that their tryst is far from being just a fling when the two share their first onscreen kiss in the first episode of season 5 and solidifies them as the romance that we never saw coming.

In a series filled with surprising moments, Fleabag’s Hot Priest kiss takes the cake. In the final and second season, Fleabag finds herself facing her most challenging romantic prospect ever: an attractive and charming religious man, played by Andrew Scott. The stakes are high as he not only breaks his holy and sacred vow by kissing her, but he also does it in a confession booth! While the smooch might be forbidden, there is no denying that it filled the mold of the series’ signature shock value while also managing to show depth and solid character development.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Barney & Robin, “How I Met Your Mother” (2005-14)
One Could Have Never Expected That These Two Characters Would Hook Up

Will Gardner & Alicia Florrick, “The Good Wife” (2009-16)
Took Place in a Potentially Very Public Place: His Office

Elena Gilbert & Damon Salvatore, “The Vampire Diaries” (2009-17)
The Beginning of a Love Triangle for the Ages

David Rose & Patrick Brewer, “Schitt’s Creek” (2015-20)
Just As Sweet As It Is Surprising

Chuck Bass & Blair Waldorf, “Gossip Girl” (2007-12)
The Upper East Side Would Never Be the Same

Among all the surprising and exciting kisses in recent memory, New Girl’s Nick and Jess’ first lip lock is a definite crowd pleaser. It’s full of shock and passion, but above all else, exceeds expectations. In the season 2 episode, “Cooler”, after spoiling his guys' night out, Jess promises to help Nick win over Holly. She’s a girl he met at the bar, played by model turned actress, Brooklyn Decker. After a drinking game goes awry, Jess and Nick find themselves being peer pressured into kissing by their pals, however. The time spent with their friends ends without the pair kissing, but then, what starts off as a normal “good-night” turns into a full on makeout session between the roomies. It’s a sweet and satisfying moment that still sweeps New Girl fans right off their feet years later.