Looking for something to keep you cozy as 2012 comes to a chilly close? TVLine hereby kicks off its two-part review of the year in TV with this heartwarming (and perhaps other body parts-warming) rundown of the year’s most notable sex- and love-related moments on TV.
This gallery captures what and who we loved, hated and couldn’t shut up about for the past 12 months. Best Love Story? Most Kick-Ass Parent? Sex Scene That Made Us Most Uncomfortable? Yeah, it’s all in here.
Click through the gallery below, then hit the comments with your thoughts. Which of our picks do you like? Also, in Part 2 of our review: Most Disappointing Show, Most Underrated Actor, Best Show No One Watched, Wackiest Twist and 36 other categories.
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Best Couple (Romantic)
Snow White and Prince Charming, Once Upon a Time
Runner-Up: Rick and Kate, Castle
Least Sexy Hook-Up Attire
Julia's hospital-patient-like pajamas, Smash
Runner-Up: Kit and Grace's actual hospital-patient pajamas, American Horror Story: Asylum
Best Couple (Non-Romantic)
Sherlock and Watson, Sherlock
Runner-Up: Ryan and Esposito, Castle
Best Love Story
Ben and Leslie, Parks and Recreation
Runner-Up: Jax and Tara, Sons of Anarchy
Worst Love Story
Don and Megan, Mad Men
Runner-Up: Sam and Amelia, Supernatural
Sex Scene That Made Us Most Uncomfortable
Homeland's Carrie and Brody in the motel room… as Saul, Quinn et al listened in, facepalms everywhere.
Runner-Up: The Good Wife's Kalinda and Nick… and that ice cream cone
Most Scandalous Sex Scene
Scandal's Olivia Pope and the freshly minted President Grant, on the Oval Office desk
Runner-Up: Dexter's Dexter and Hannah, mid-murder
Best Female Bonding
Emma and Snow White, Once Upon a Time
Best Female Feuding
Rayna and Juliette, Nashville
Cutest Non-Couple
Erin and New Jim, The Office
Best Parent
Phil Dunphy, Modern Family
Runner-Up: Cooper, Private Practice
Worst Parent
Sarah Linden, The Killing
Runner-Up: Gillian, Boardwalk Empire
Most Kick-Ass Parent
The Woman in Black/Kelly, Grimm
Runner-Up: Olivia, Fringe
Most Unexpectedly Romantic Reality Show
Love in the Wild
Least Expected Wedding
Jessa and Thomas John, Girls
Best Proposal
Barney and Robin, How I Met Your Mother
Runner-Up: Michael and Nikita, Nikita
Teenager You'd Be Proud to Call Your Own
Zach, The Good Wife
Most Indispensable Partner
Lucy Liu, on both SouthlandandElementary
Best Siblings
Ben and Kate, Ben and Kate
The Jordan Catalano Dreamy Award
Matty, Awkward
Worst Boyfriend
Adam, Girls
Worst Girlfriend
Marnie, Girls
Best Display of Skin
Oliver's salmon ladder scene, Arrow pilot
Best Couple (Romantic)
Snow White and Prince Charming, Once Upon a Time
Runner-Up: Rick and Kate, Castle
Least Sexy Hook-Up Attire
Julia's hospital-patient-like pajamas, Smash
Runner-Up: Kit and Grace's actual hospital-patient pajamas, American Horror Story: Asylum
Best Couple (Non-Romantic)
Sherlock and Watson, Sherlock
Runner-Up: Ryan and Esposito, Castle
Best Love Story
Ben and Leslie, Parks and Recreation
Runner-Up: Jax and Tara, Sons of Anarchy
Worst Love Story
Don and Megan, Mad Men
Runner-Up: Sam and Amelia, Supernatural
Sex Scene That Made Us Most Uncomfortable
Homeland's Carrie and Brody in the motel room… as Saul, Quinn et al listened in, facepalms everywhere.
Runner-Up: The Good Wife's Kalinda and Nick… and that ice cream cone
Most Scandalous Sex Scene
Scandal's Olivia Pope and the freshly minted President Grant, on the Oval Office desk
Best Couple: Olivia & Fitz (Scandal)
Best Non Romantic Couple: Mike & Harvey (Suits)
Best Love Story: Carrie & Brody (Homeland)
Worst Love Story: Klaus & Karoline (The Vampire Diaries)
Sex Scene that Made us the Most Unconfortable: Agree with yours
Most Scandalous Sex Scene: Agree with yours
Best Female Bonding: Agree but I have to give an honorable mention to Penny & Ammy (The Big Bang Theory)
Best Female Feunding: Deb & Hannah (Dexter)
Best Parent: Phil Dunphy all the way
Worst Parent: Gotta agree
Most Kick-Ass Parent: Agree as well
Best Proposal: I agree
Teenage you would be proud to call your own: Agree, but also Dana (Homeland) and Alex (Modern Family)
Best Siblings: Deb & Dexter (Dexter)
Dana (Homeland)??? I’m sorry but NO FREAKING WAY!! that kid ruined every episode she was in. It got to the point her character started reminding me of Jack’s daughter on 24.
Yes i do, the problem is the character is annoying. I’ll admit the hit and run story line was good and I’m happy they cut that short. But Dana is a pain the butt character.
i got to agree scandal has the best couple and sex scenes
Comment by maxisatroll123 – December 26, 2012 10:10 AM PDT Reply To This Post
The chemistry and love between Liv and Fitz on Scandal is the hottest on TV today.
Comment by Deena Braun – December 26, 2012 05:09 PM PDT Reply To This Post
the best female bonding is snow and emma on once upon a time and if revenge just had more backstabbing scenes between emily and victoria then it would have the best female feud
Comment by maxisatroll123 – December 26, 2012 10:12 AM PDT Reply To This Post
Agree with Klaroline for worst love story LOL.
what love story lol, more like an abusive/victim non relationship.
Amen to that…worst couple ever with the most contrived and undeserved “happy” ending considering what we saw of their relationship throughout the series.
Agreed, gotta love that the Sherlock and Watson pair, no matter how they re-imagine the characters, usually always works out great. They’ve made Watson a nurse, a woman, a pharmaceutical rep, a sober companion, a oncologist, a former lawyer turned bar owner, etc., and still Doyle’s work makes for good TV.
Sherlock and Watson of Sherlock are great for non-romantic, but they are not tied with Shawn and Gus for me because I’ve loved them much more for much longer.
I like barney’s proposal even it was in a manipulative way before the big moment but my favorite proposal was Grayson for Jules in cougar Town with Ed’s Sheeran musica! AMAZING, the show is so underrated
and worst proposal it’s definitely chuck and blair, still laugh
Yep…I’ve never felt a passion between them. A destiny, yes, a love and commitment, absolutely, but it’s never felt like they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Guess that’s what makes it a fairytale romance – rated “G.” Fritz and Olivia have really hot scenes but the whole affair thing makes it difficult to see them as the “best couple.” In that sense, Snow & Charming have them beat. I’d say Castle & Beckett for best couple, because it combines a level of hotness with a sense of rightness and destiny.
I think Leslie–Parks and Rec should’ve gotten Best Reaction to a Proposal. I don’t watch that show but i saw the video you guys posted and i was all teary eyed. It was one of the sweetest moments from television this year.
There really is no contest for “Sex Scene that Made us the Most Uncomfortable.”
Thankfully Brody didn’t die so the writers can make up for it in season 3
@Cokes, even though the Dana subplot helped frame the father-daughter relationship breakdown, Dana definitely became insufferable towards the end.
Milk carton is leaking? Better THROW IT ON THE GROUND. She was literally crying over spilled milk. I mean, WTF child??
Comment by Saint Alicia – December 26, 2012 08:01 AM PDT Reply To This Post
You don’t have teen kids, do you? That scene was SO SPOT ON. That’s exactly what they do: deal with the big crap by shutting down, then erupting over minute annoyances. As for the sex scene – totally agree. They should just retire the whole category right now. What could ever TOP that for awkwardness? Anything MORE cringe-tastic, I wouldn’t be able to sit through.
I think Booth and Brennan deserve at least a little respect from this review, (not at the expense of Ben and Leslie, but maybe at the expense of Snow and Charming), if for no other reason than the fact that they were totally about to go at it on a washing machine. Best Interrupted Sex?
Just wondering, if you had to include Kristen Wiig’s farewell/exit in your best/worst list. Would you make it worst, because she left and she shouldn’t have left or would you make it best, because her farewell was the most heartwarming event on tv?
Really? Once Upon a Time is a great show, but the Charming/Snow relationship is just so boring and cliched. Also, how can Michael and Nikita not be the best proposal? “Give me the damn glock!”
ya i agree their relationship just seems so bland its just sooo forced normally a good tv relationship is you would actually have to feel the tension between to characters and for some reason we dont feel anything between charming and snow. dont get me wrong i love the show i just dont like their relationship but i got to admit whenever thier with emma you could feel the chemistry that they have with their daughter
I loved Robin & Barney’s proposal, but Ben and Leslie’s had me sobbing and in shock, whereas the former’s did not. Hope to see P&R win more ‘awards’ next round!!
I was sobbing at Barney and Robin’s proposal. I had almost given up on the show after all of the lackluster episodes this season, but I was crying my eyes out for the last 5 minutes of that episode.
Umm…no. LOL. If you think that Chuck and Blair were anywhere near a good love story you need…help. There ain’t NOTHING about Chuck and Blair that was good.
My picks-
Best Couple: Caskett (Castle)
Best Non-Romantic Couple: Ryan & Esposito (Castle)
Best Love Story: Belle & Mr. Gold (Once Upon a Time)
Worst Love Story: Aiden & Emily (Revenge)
Best Female Bonding: Snow & Emma (Once Upon a Time)
Best Female Feuding: Emily Thorne & Victoria Grayson (Revenge)
Best Parent: Frankie Heck (The Middle)
Worst Parent: Marion Harper (aka Victoria’s mom) (Revenge)
Most Kick-Ass Parent: Jocelyn Carter (Person of Interest)
Teenager you would be proud to call your own: Alex (Modern Family)
Best Siblings: Ben & Kate Fox (Ben & Kate)
CHAIR definitely should have been among BEST COUPLE, BEST LOVE STORY, BEST PROPOSAL, & BEST SEX SCENES!!! Chuck&Blair/EL always bring the HEAT & STEAMINESS to their love scenes–6.01 was AMAZING & the 1st CHAIR love scene we had since 4.22–That’s a LONG drought 4 CB!! The CB proposal & wedding was 6 years in the making–it was not everything it could/should have been, BUT it was still VERY SWOONWORTHY & delivered a great PAYOFF to fans!!! We EARNED our CHAIRYTALE ENDING 1,000X over & GG PTB delivered the goods!!! Long Live our CHAIRFAMILY & Waldass Babies
Chuck and Blair…are you serious? I’m not even sure why any CW shows are on here…except to show utter failures and flop. Chuck and Blair = a big fat EPIC FAIL. Lol.
Scandal ftw! I just knew it’d be in this countdown! and rightfully so. as Naomi Campbell said on Twitter: the passion between the Pres and Liv is sick! and their love story is both beautiful and heartwrenching. i’m definitely obsessed and can’t wait for Jan. 10th!
It was! And the proposal was so Barney. I’m glad they didn’t have to betray his character while having him do something that is so against his player ways.
Most Sizzling Older TV Couple: Nero Padilla and Gemma Teller. The chemistry between Jimmy Smits and Katey Sagal took me by surprise. They were amazing together, so sad to not see this mature couple (He is 57 and she is 58) being more appreciated.
*on Sons of Anarchy, btw. One of the highlights of a somewhat messy and unstable season 5 was definitely the Smits/Sagal duo. Hope Jimmy comes back for season 6.
Several of these shows mentioned I have thought about checking out on Netflix: Castle, Once Upon a Time, The Good Wife, Arrow. Just not sure which to start with.
Watch The Good Wife. As for the others, Castle is always fun; Arrow hasn’t been as great as I expected but it looks like it might start ramping up; and don’t watch OUAT, a.k.a. the show that endlessly squanders its potential. FRUSTRATION.
Depends what you’re looking for. Castle is a good mix of all-out fun, romance and serious drama. Think 1940′s romantic comedy meets noir films like “Chinatown.” It has enough of a thruline that watching it in chunks can be move like watching a movie than just individual episodes. OUAT is a really creative way of revisiting fairytales. Some of it is brilliant, The relationships – romantic or not – are complex and interesting – the same with The Good Wife. Good Wife has all that political power and office politics drama happening. If you like alot of triangles and power plays that’d be the one to start with. Castle and Good Wife have the tightest writing in terms of story continuity. All are well acted. I haven’t watched Arrow, but since it’s the one that’s been on the least it’s the easiest to catch up on and decide if you like it or not.
Am I the only person who remembers that Housewives had it’s finale this year? I’ve read so many of these 2012 in TV lists and nobody mentions them! I get that it wasn’t a great season, but Housewives was such an extraordinary and iconic show and the finale was a big deal. One TV moment of 2012 that I will never forget is saying goodbye to those ladies. Can somebody please stop pretending that it never happened?
Totally agree! I watched every episode from day one and I’m still mourning the end of this show. The finale was extremely well written and the perfect ending to 8 years of a huge cultural phenomenon and always entertaining show. I miss it terribly and wish it was getting the attention it deserved!
Bwaahahahaha, Megan and Don as the worst love story. Nailed it! That Homeland sex scene too…egad, that is the most awkward sex scene I have ever seen on television in my entire life. It was such a great scene that was totally ruined by seeing poor Saul covering his face in horror. I disagree with worst parent, I mean, come on…Gillian had sex with her own son, that is way worse than anything Linden did on The Killing. Plus I didn’t think Linden was that bad, she obviously cared about her kid, she was just having a difficult time with time management. I say worst parent goes to Gillian and runners up should be Lori and Rick from Walking Dead, or Jax and Tara on SOA. Oh, and best parent I would have given to Saul for his fatherly relationship with Carrie on Homeland. He makes me wish he was my dad. Runner up should be Louie just for that Christmas episode alone where he was trying to fix the doll. Also, Carrie and Brody were my favorite romantic couple this year, even if things always seemed to be a little tragic for them. They’ve just got that great chemistry, even when she’s clearly 8 months pregnant in real life.
Comment by Britta Unfiltered – December 27, 2012 01:29 AM PDT Reply To This Post
Best Parent Bert Hummel on Glee by far
Best Non Romantic Couple Ryan and Esposito on Castle and Harold and John on Person of Interest
Best Couple Beckett and Castle So much more believable than charming and Snow
How Shawn & Gus (Psych) are not on this list if or best non romantic couple or at the very least best partner is really a travesty. At the very least Mike & Harvey (Suits) or even the Supernatual boys should have been on this list. Their stakes have been mug higher and each of these duos have been through far much more for far longer. While I like Sherlock & Watson in both incarnations I just don’t think these guys have earned their stripes the way the others have just yet. Dean went to hell to save his brother for Pete’s sake.
Comment by CherokeeRose – December 27, 2012 10:42 AM PDT Reply To This Post
I agree Sam & Amelia were boring with zero chemistry. And that’s why Sam left Dean for dead without trying? Not impressed, Jeremy Carver. Just end it and have Sam want to hunt with Dean. I’m so annoyed.
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My picks would be almost completely different.
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