From meet cutes to sex, our favorite queer TV scenes of the year were almost all about romance. But there were also some great friendship moments! (And a couple confrontations…)
Some of these shows are very popular, some were hidden gems we think deserve more attention, and one show came out less than a week ago. They all have moments that reminded us the vast possibilities of queer television.
Customer Service Top, Fantasmas
There are so many vignettes from this show I could choose, but let me go with the hottest and gayest. Here Julio Torres combines his tragicomic grasp on bureaucracy witnessed in his film Problemista with a sexy, stand-off between Alexa Demie and Ziwe. What happens when two customer service reps who go by the book face off? Here the answer is horny and bless Torres for that. The combination of fun and a sharp critique of our stupid world is exactly what makes this show and all of Torres’ work so great. — Drew
Cam and Rebecca Hooking Up in the Bar Bathroom, Under the Bridge
Rebecca (Riley Keough) and Cam (Lily Gladstone) have a lot to process at Connie’s Bar, about the ghosts from their adolescence that still linger today, but after enough gin Rebecca’s ready to push them down and just wants to dance. She hops around on the dance floor, free and playful, yanking Cam into her orbit until Cam breaks away and heads for the bathroom and Rebecca follows her here. This bathroom is where despair and grief and physical urgency and confusion and ghosts can all exist together at the same time and where for a minute, desire can drown everything else out. The gifs were LIGHTING UP THE WEB immediately. – Riese
The Last Scene of Hacks, Hacks
I don’t want to spoil it but WHAT A MOMENT. — Riese
Agathario Almost Kiss, Agatha All Along
I want to say it was tough to choose between the AgathaRio moments in episode 4 and the kiss from the finale, but episode 4 was a clear winner for me. Having just listened to Rio tell the coven that Agatha was her scar, Agatha storms off for alone time only to be followed by the one person she thought she wanted to get away from. This entire scene was so intimate and familiar that at times it felt like I was intruding on something I had no business seeing. The way Agatha relaxes into Rio’s touch when she feels her behind her, the softness of their voices, the disappointment in Agatha’s face when Rio pulls away from her attempted kiss. So much is said in what isn’t said. I think about this scene more often than I’d like to admit, and so much of it is down to Kathryn and Aubrey giving absolutely everything to these performances. — Nic
RHONY Does Bush, The Real Housewives of New York
I had this scene on my list as a joke, but honestly other than the dykes, this entire season of RHONY feels like a joke so let’s go! Racquel and her hot fiancée Mel took Erin and Abe to Bush in Brooklyn in what I think is only the second time a queer bar has been featured on a Housewives franchise. They even said “dyke bar” out loud! I wasn’t thrilled that Abe was included at first, but it turns out he and Mel are kind of kindred spirits?? She nicknamed him Gabe aka Gay Abe, and Abe even reveals that he questioned his sexuality in college, so the joke’s on me because I guess Abe can hang! We also learn that like many of us, Racquel attributes her leaning into the queer community to watching The L Word and feeling like it’s where she belonged. And look, I love to look at Erin’s face (despite the everything else about her) so I never could have guessed the half of that couple giving me the most dyke bar joy would be her husband, but here we are. — Nic
Caitlyn and Vi Sex Scene, Arcane
I wrote a bit about my reaction to the Caitlyn and Vi sex scene with Valerie, but I think it deserves a bit of a deeper dive here. In the time since Arcane ended, I’ve thought a lot about this scene and not just because it’s a gorgeous and sexy piece of animation. Caitlyn knew that Vi would go to Jinx so she made sure that would happen despite her feelings toward Jinx. And in that, she let Vi know that she sees and hears her. However I don’t think she anticipated that Vi’s response would be to take her right then and there in the cell. It’s all over her face when Vi first lunges to kiss her; Cait is shocked and surprised before she eventually relaxes into Vi’s embrace. It’s no secret that Caitlyn isn’t my favorite character, but for me, this scene went a long way in illustrating just how much of her own pride Cait put aside for the woman she loves. And as far as the sex of it all, yeah y’all, it was as hot as everyone says it was. — Nic
Caitlyn and Vi Kiss in the Tunnel, Arcane
After years of simmering in the ANGST of season one, part of me worried that the moment Caitlyn and Vi finally stopped getting in their own way and KISSED ALREADY would end up being disappointing, but it was anything but. It was somehow both the soft, loving moment that Vi needed, but also a little urgent. It was a kiss and a promise, even though it was one Caitlyn would break, it was one she truly believed she wouldn’t. It was emotional and sexy and the “clunk” of Vi’s gauntlets hitting the ground so she can put her hands on her girl will never cease to make me laugh. The sex scene in the prison was hot and all, but there’s something about the one, two, three times Caitlyn pauses while going in for the kiss to give Vi an out if she wants it that makes my heart do little flips. — Valerie Anne
Pride Party, Pretty Little Liars: Summer School
Listen, no one is as surprised as me that Pretty Little Liars is showing up on my year-end list in the year 2024, but I loved this little show. It was campy and fun and cute, I loved the way it portrayed friendships between the girls, and that their respective relationships were all second fiddle to the core group of them. I loved the horror motifs and homages, I loved the references to the original Pretty Little Liars series. But one of my favorite scenes this year was the Pride-pool-party-turned-protest in episode 206. It’s so cute because all of the Liars are so supportive, and it’s where Noa comes out to her friends, who are not surprised at all. Mouse is glad she’s not the token queer of the group, and it’s just all very sweet and gay. The original series was also very gay, but they never had a pride party about it, and it feels representative of a generational shift. — Valerie Anne
Jules Sits with Mika’s Sister, Grey’s Anatomy
This might be a controversial opinion, but I was obsessed with the Jules and Mika relationship, even knowing it was living on borrowed time. Sometimes things are special BECAUSE you know they won’t last, you know? But Adelaide Kane and Midori Francis have such insane chemistry, I’ve been waiting for this friends-to-lovers arc since they first rolled up. Every scene together has been electric, and that kiss in the elevator, that moment in the scrub room, (and then THAT moment in the on-call room) are so, so great, but I think my favorite moment was when Jules went into the operating room and held Mika’s sister’s hand since Mika wasn’t allowed to. They were fighting at the time, and Mika was pushing her away, but Jules knew this was the clearest way to say “I love you and I’m here for you, no matter what,” and I think it was really beautiful. — Valerie Anne
Francesca Meets Michaela and Sparks Fly, Bridgerton
I know that, technically, nothing has happened…we’ve barely made Michaela Stirling’s introduction…but even that was enough to spark something. The moment that Francesca Bridgerton meets Michaela, her breath catches. Words elude her and she stumbles over her own name. She’d finally experienced it: the love — surprising, forceful, and quick — that her parents once shared and that her siblings share with their beloved.
Francesca thought of herself as being so different from the rest of her family that she’d just assumed that love, when she finally felt it, would feel different too…and it did. The love Francesca shared with John was quiet and accepting and everything she thought she ever wanted until the moment that she meets Michaela Stirling.
It wasn’t much…just a chance meeting…and yet it still excited me as much as anything I saw this year. I can’t wait to see how it plays out. — Natalie
Glass Ceiling Feeling, We Are Lady Parts
They say never meet your heroes but circumstances conspire to allow Saira to share space with her favorite artist, Sister Squire. The Lady Parts lead singer is effusive with praise and is astounded to know that her musical hero has heard her music. But then Squire challenges Saira to do more…to evolve beyond Lady Parts’ “funny Muslim songs” and become a voice for the voiceless in these dark times. She begs Saira, “don’t let your music be empty. Say something real.”
Saira takes the words to heart and spends the night penning song ideas for their album but for the rest of the band, it just feels like too much. Amina reminds Saira that their songs are based on their lived experiences, not coopting anyone else’s. Ayesha worries about running afoul of the label, while Bisma notes that their music has always been political, in their own way. The disagreement causes a rift in the band, leaving Saira to craft a song alone…but she can’t, magical forces conspire to keep her silent.
Sometimes, a storyline comes into your life at exactly the right moment and We Are Lady Parts did that for me this year. Suddenly, the questions I’d been grappling with myself — about being sufficiently political for others, about penning the rhetorical equivalent of “funny Muslim songs” — were being dealt with on-screen and the journey to finding answers felt a lot less lonely. — Natalie
Lesbian Car Fight, No Good Deed
Poppy Liu and Abbi Jacobson are a hilarious pair in No Good Deed, and all of their scenes together are great, but the most exemplary one of their comedy dream team status is the argument they have in the car about murder. — Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya
Kate Moennig and Linda Cardellini in Bed Together, No Good Deed
Linda Cardellini as a slutty, sinister trophy wife having an affair with a character that supposedly is not Shane but basically is Shane feels like a gift from god, in which case I guess Liz Feldman is god! Their literal chemistry is great, but so is their comedic chemistry. “You’re such a slut.” / “Oh I feel so seen.” might just be my favorite piece of dialogue from television in all of 2024. — Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya
Justine and Mikki in Bed Together, Fifteen-Love
Staying true to myself by picking two post-coital scenes here, but I am once again begging you all to watch Fifteen-Love! Justine/Mikki are not exactly a relationship I can get behind, but I love the steamy start of it, and I love seeing Justine feel loose and comfortable in her own skin in a way she doesn’t always get to be. — Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya
great scene pick for the jules/mika storyline on grey’s!