Best of 2024
The 18 Best TV Kisses of 2024, Ranked
Kiss-mas is here, people! There was an abundance of kisses over the course of 2024, and we’re still going to be dreaming about (and rewatching) certain lip locks well into 2025.
From surprise smooches to a makeout that turned into sex on a pool table to a long-awaited kiss after the most delicious slow burn, shows like House of the Dragon, One Day, Bridgerton, Brilliant Minds, Rivals, and more got A+ grades on their kissing report card this year.
The team at Swooon has collaborated to give you the list of best TV kisses of 2024. Prepare yourselves for some serious swooning.
Which TV kiss was your favorite? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
18. Molly & Arthur, Loot Season 2
After being introduced to Molly (Maya Rudolph) and Arthur (Nat Faxon) in Season 1 of Apple TV+‘s comedy Loot, we’ve been rooting for them to get together. The biggest problem is that Molly is Arthur’s billionaire boss, meaning the lines between them are pretty cut and clear, but that hasn’t stopped Molly from catching feelings, and Arthur in equal measure. Realizing it’s important to keep boundaries, Arthur explored other relationship options in Season 2, only pushing Molly to further realize how deeply she’s fallen for him. Unable to deal with the pent-up emotions, Molly visits Arthur in the middle of the night to confess her feelings before sharing a steamy smooch. It’s a super satisfying moment… up until Arthur’s girlfriend interrupts them. Here’s to hoping they get a shot at a second chance kiss in Season 3. — Meaghan Darwish
17. Frenchie & Kimiko, The Boys Season 4
If you’re a fan of the Frenchie (Tomer Capone) – Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) relationship on The Boys, then you were in for a real treat in the finale as the pair finally took their relationship in a more romantic direction. Admittedly, it wasn’t an altogether satisfying story arc for this pair in Season 4, but their sweet kiss in the episode “Season Four Finale” pulled us back in. Unwaveringly loyal to one another since Season 1, they’ve gone through their ups and downs, but Frenchie and Kimiko had a brief glimpse of happiness when he declared that there is no one better than Kimiko, or as Frenchie calls her, “Mon Coeur.” Upon hearing this, Kimiko hesitantly leans in for a kiss before pulling back to look at Frenchie, who pulls her back in for a more passionate moment. It’s a scene that certainly targeted our “coeurs.” — Meaghan Darwish
16. James and George, Mary & George
Is there anything sweeter than seduction? You’d have to ask George Villiers (Nicholas Galitzine), a rather ordinary Englishman who makes it his mission (at the behest of his mother) to become the lover and confidante of King James VI and I (Tony Curran) in Starz’s Mary & George. With a face like Galitzine’s, it doesn’t take much work to get the attention of the horny king. The greater challenge is executing the patience and steely resolve necessary to claw through his court, including his current lover Robert (Laurie Davidson), to cozy up to the crown. But when it finally happens, George is just as taken with lust and adrenaline as James, who invites him to his tent for the two to enjoy their own type of political rendezvous. The kiss is passionate and carnal, as if, even in this world of abundance, they’ve never truly known passion until now. So we will ask again: Is there anything sweeter than seduction? The answer is no, especially when it works so well. — Hunter Ingram
15. Rob and Yasmin, Industry Season 3
Look, Yas (Marisa Abela) and Rob’s (Harry Lawtey) relationship ended in heartbreak (I’m still not over that dinner table look) in the Industry Season 3 finale, “Infinite Largesse,” but we can’t deny their passionate kiss and subsequent hookup had our hearts palpating. After seasons of slow burn and Rob’s pining for Yas, these two finally gave into the feelings they’d been suppressing for so long. Their sweet walk on Henry’s property turned into a tender and intense first time. They poured all of their emotions into each kiss, telling each other how they feel through touch. This love story hurts, but the passion in this moment is just proof this isn’t the final chapter for them. — Avery Thompson
14. Joey Graziadei & Kelsey Anderson, The Bachelor Season 28
On a romantic one-on-one date in Spain, Joey Graziadei and Kelsey Anderson‘s love story truly began to blossom. Although we didn’t see their actual first kiss, the ones the audience were privy to were pretty good. Heck, they even made everyone watching want to fall in love. All of the pecks, smooches, and makeouts were great to witness on The Bachelor. Looking back, it was clear Joey only had feelings for Kelsey. Every time these two were in a room together, the temperature kicked up a few degrees. The romance was romancing. — Lauren Dehollogne
13. Louis and Lestat, Interview with the Vampire Season 2
Louis (Jacob Anderson) kisses Dream-stat (Sam Reid) like it’s the air he needs to breathe here, and every detail of it makes me feel like I’m the one hallucinating. Lestat standing on his toes as he and Louis hold each other’s faces. Louis’ heavy breathing that makes Lestat’s hair blow back. The look of relief to be kissing Lestat again across Louis’ needy face like he’ll die if he doesn’t kiss him more. The biting. Whoever Louis was really kissing must’ve been having a great time. That is, of course, until Louis killed him (sorry to that man, but honestly not a bad last thing to do before you die?). Anderson and Reid must’ve known this was the only Loustat kiss we’d get in Season 2, and they didn’t waste a second. Thank god. — Kelli Boyle
12. Rick and Michonne, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live
Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira have the kind of chemistry that actors dream of conjuring up with a costar. The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live is a zombie show, yes, but it’s also an expansion of Rick and Michonne’s beautiful love story. After years apart, these two find their way back to each other. We love a second chance! After some zombie action in Episode 3’s “Bye,” Rick and Michonne share a downright hot kiss in the woods. And let’s not forget that head touch! Swoon! Those zombies may be dead, but the passion between Rick and Michonne will never die. — Avery Thompson
11. Rhaenyra and Mysaria, House of the Dragon Season 2
Season 2 of HOTD was full of plenty of surprises, but the best one of all was definitely the kiss between Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and her unofficial hand/advisor Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno). It was unexpected, extremely hot, and almost felt like a nod to the fans—maybe some form of compensation for the season’s disappointing lack of major warfare. While the kiss did come as a shock and was a departure from the source material, it wasn’t necessarily out of character for Rhaenyra, who had only been surrounded by doubtful, manipulative men for a majority of the season. She was lacking the support of the leading female friendships in her life for various reasons, until she had Mysaria—who was able to give her more than just a little friendly support. Ultimately, I’m extremely happy for this queen and her queen and can’t wait to see where their relationship goes. — Katie Song
10. Oliver & Josh, Brilliant Minds
The wait is definitely worth it — and not as long as I thought it would be — for Oliver Wolf (Zachary Quinto) and Josh Nichols’ (Teddy Sears) first kiss. (As Sears told us, “Thank God for Wolf’s impulsiveness.”) Everyone was affected by their patient’s story, but no one more so than Wolf after the two spoke and Roman told him he wished he could have kissed his boyfriend in the middle of the street and no one would care (unlike back home). Wolf then walked up to Nichols in the final moments and kissed him. It was surprising and romantic, and it allowed for (arguably) hotter kisses in the episode to follow (in Wolf’s office and the elevator, where his mom then caught them). — Meredith Jacobs
9. Emma and Dexter, One Day
Nothing can beat the emotionality behind the final kiss on the stairs between Emma (Ambika Mod) and Dexter (Leo Woodall), and I am a sucker for emotional baggage when it comes to physical intimacy. The entire series is built around and simultaneously leads up to this moment when Emma and Dexter first spent the night together (but didn’t have sex). Their morning after becomes this long-winded, ambiguous platonic hang out, with clear mutual interest. But the final episode allows these two to live out the alternate reality where they skip all of the inbetween—and get the ending they deserve. I’m not crying, you’re crying. — Katie Song
8. Max, Avery, & Tristan Doctor Odyssey
We here at Swooon are firmly team #ODY3. Doctor Odyssey has been hinting at throuple potential between Sean Teale, Joshua Jackson, and Phillipa Soo’s characters since the pilot (rare!), but what a surprise when they went for it in just the sixth episode. The doctor and two nurses’ chemistry is off the charts, and it doesn’t hurt that all three of them are incredibly hot. Five episodes of foreplay made for one of the sexiest kisses on television this year. Of course, it all falls apart in the next episode, but we have hope for more sexy three-way kisses in 2025. — Leah Williams
7. Colin & Penelope, Bridgerton Season 3
When it comes to the third season of Bridgerton, there are more than a few great kisses between friends-to-lovers, Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin (Luke Newton), but none give off quite the same buzz that their first kiss does. Perhaps part of the magic of this kiss is that it occurs so early on in the season — Episode 2 to be exact. After a failed attempt to help his best friend find a husband, Colin is propositioned by Penelope who asks for a kiss, thinking she’s doomed to live the rest of her days as a spinster. Hesitant at first, Colin eventually steps up to the plate, and it’s his surprising enthusiasm that makes the encounter so special. While Penelope is thankful for the gesture, it’s Colin’s sudden realization that sets off a long bout of delicious onscreen yearning that leads to their second official kiss in the carriage scene (you know which one). If that doesn’t make Penelope and Colin’s first kiss one of the best of the year, then we don’t know what else could. — Meaghan Darwish
6. Joanne and Noah, Nobody Wants This
A podcaster and a hot rabbi go on a date to an ice cream shop…and we still haven’t recovered since. Not only does Noah (Adam Brody) take Joanne (Kristen Bell) on the cutest date, but the way he approaches her for the kiss is kind of unmatched. First, he tells her to give him her ice cream, and then he tells her to put her purse down? The face holding, the passion, the commands. Hands down, the hottest PG kiss of 2024. — Katie Song
5. Brie and Brady, Virgin River Season 6
Every time I see a pool table from now on, I’m going to think of Brie (Zibby Allen) and Brady’s (Benjamin Hollingsworth) super sexy tryst in Virgin River Season 6’s “Love Story.” These two have the on-again-off-again, all-consuming, push-pull relationship that we can’t peel our eyes away from, and the tension between them exploded halfway through the season. When Brady says he only knows about love because of Brie, the walls they’d put up fall away. A hug evolves into a kiss that he pulls away from, only for Brie to yank him right back to her lips. After that, they tumble into the fiery pit of passion and have steamy, button-ripping sex on a pool table. In Jack’s (Martin Henderson) bar, no less! The hottest couple in the town of Virgin River and it’s not even a close race. — Avery Thompson
4. Jane and Guildford, My Lady Jane
There was life before My Lady Jane and life after My Lady Jane. Emily Bader and Edward Bluemel had once-in-a-lifetime chemistry. Jane and Guildford’s romance was the perfect mixture of all our favorite tropes — enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, slow burn, fated mates! After a particularly close call with death, these two finally throw dow their swords and embrace their feelings with a sexy, breathless kiss in Episode 3’s “With a Girl Like You.” They feed the sexual tension they’ve had since the moment they locked eyes. One kiss turns into a heated night of lovemaking, and the rest is history — in My Lady Jane’s world. This brilliant show should have gotten a second season, and we’ll never fully get over being cheated out of the rest of Jane and Guildford’s love story. — Avery Thompson
3. Agatha and Rio, Agatha All Along
Disney+ cast quite the spell this fall with Agatha All Along, reuniting fans with the cleverly diabolical witch, Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn). But pretty quickly, those fans became enchanted by something unexpected: the intense love story between Agatha and Rio (Aubrey Plaza). Stolen glances, sexually charged fights, devilishly romantic gestures. They had it all. The only thing missing was to seal it with a kiss, and that’s what we got in the penultimate episode. After Rio was revealed to be the embodiment of Death, Agatha realizes she is at the end of the road, so to speak, and accepts her mortality by planting one on her true love. The actual kiss between Hahn and Plaza was hot, to say the least, as Agatha hungrily envelopes Rio, who savors every ounce of what will likely be the last time she ever gets Agatha to herself. Talk about the kiss of Death, huh?—Hunter Ingram
2. Gregory & Janine, Abbott Elementary Season 3
After seasons of will-they-won’t-they, Janine (Quinta Brunson) and Gregory (Tyler James Williams) finally settled on their relationship status in Season 3’s pivotal finale episode, “Party.” While they’d decided to keep things professional at the start of the school year, Janine’s return to the classroom revived the spark between this duo who were hesitant to break down that work barrier, especially after various warnings to stay friends from peers like Ava (Janelle James) and Mr. Morton (Jerry Minor). Luckily, they didn’t let the little voices inside their heads prevent them from going all in on promoting their friendship to a romance as Gregory returned to Janine’s apartment after her end-of-school-year party only to plant a kiss on her moments after stepping in the door. While it may not have been their first kiss, this second one was highly memorable and among one of the year’s best. — Meaghan Darwish
1. Rupert and Taggie, Rivals
Sorry, Rupert Campbell-Black. Sometimes, good things do come to those who wait. AngelBlack (the official ship name for Rupert and Taggie) fans were so patient over the course of Rivals Season 1 as Rupert (Alex Hassell) and Taggie’s (Bella Maclean) love story began to unfold. They get off on the wrong foot, but Rupert spends the entire season trying to make up for his dinner indiscretion in Episode 2. Rupert and Taggie see each other for who they truly are — and they ultimately only have eyes for each other. Rupert tries to stay away from Taggie, but when they lock eyes across the room in Episode 8, their resolves bends before it breaks when Taggie confesses her feelings for Rupert. Taggie is the most selfless character on the show, and in this moment, she puts herself first for love. He’s trapped by the franchise and his fragile work/play relationship with Cameron (Nafessa Williams), but he can’t let this moment pass without acknowledging his growing feelings for her. “But she’s not you,” he says before adding, “I can’t breathe without you.” Despite their age difference, they’re both experiencing true love for the first time. Their passionate and achingly tender kitchen kiss is a point of no return. A cosmic event that changes everything. — Avery Thompson
