Seth Cohen and Summer Roberts were the fun, and unlikely pairing inThe O.C.While Ryan and Marissa may have been the initial romantic draw, Seth and Summer’s growing relationship keptThe O.C.developing a more fun dynamic between the resident nerd and his crush on the popular girl. Seth and Summer won the audience’s hearts as their unexpected connection continued to grow, and as different as they may have been, they also brought out the best in each other. Although Seth and Summer’s romance begins in season one, they have many ups and downs.
Update August 17, 2025: In honor ofThe O.C.’s 20-year anniversary, this article has been updated with even more great couples like Seth and Summer.
But, if Seth and Summer were a favorite couple, then plenty of other couples would have given a similar dynamic or energy.Teen Wolf’sStilesand Lydia exhibit plenty of similarities, from Stiles and Seth’s long-time crush on their respective female counterparts to how they bond through their friends' relationships.Brooklyn Nine-Nineis also one to exhibit the goofy but kind-hearted Jake Peralta with the more serious Amy Santiago. While not every couple is precisely the same, some aspects have made plenty of these couples beloved by fans, especially those that may have latched on toThe O.C.‘sSeth and Summer.
Teen Wolf: Stiles And Lydia
Seth and Summer do not start interacting until after Ryan and Marissa meet. As Seth and Summer are each of their closest friends, the foursome begins getting to know each other, and it finally gives Seth the opportunity he has always wanted to get Summer to notice him. For Stiles and Lydia, it is nearly an identical pattern. Although Stiles has had feelings for Lydia for years, Lydia never sees him until she befriends Allison. Allison and Scott’s budding romance means Lydia and Stiles are getting closer. However,Stiles and Lydia are far more of a slow-burn romancethan Seth and Summer ever were.
Related:The O.C. Cast: Where They Are Today
Stiles and Lydia’s relationship slowly transforms from Lydia ignoring Stiles’ admiration for her to an honest friendship forged in the face of dangerous and life-threatening supernatural activities. Over time, their friendship continues to hold undertones of romantic feelings, but even their first kiss in season three connects them as emotional tethers rather than a romantic couple. Lydia and Stiles finally get together in season six, giving their relationship far more build-up and development before they got together than Seth and Summer received.
Veronica Mars: Veronica And Logan
Logan was the popular kid, rich and with a famous father, while Veronica was the sarcastic, dark, poor detective’s daughter. They used to be friends when she was dating Duncan Kane and he was dating Duncan’s sister, Lily. After Lily was killed, they stopped talking. DuringVeronica Mars’ first season, they start getting closer and closer, as Veronica is investigating Logan’s mother’s suicide, and in episode 17 they surprisingly kiss. And the rest is history; what starts as an adversary relationship ends up being the biggest and most important love story in the whole show.
Love Victor: Felix And Lake
InLove Victor,Felix is a puppy dog-made person, adorable, funny, and eccentric, and Lake is a rich kid, who loves fashion and always cares about what other people think. That’s why it’s a surprise when these two start dating. The thing is, she’s embarrassed about it, and they start their love story in secret as their positions in school couldn’t be more different. Something similar happened when Seth and Summer started dating, although Summer was much more open about her feelings, even if it meant losing her popularity than Lake was. At least, at first.
Skins: Chris And Jal
Chris and Jal’s relationship was one of the better surprisesSkinsever had, as it was one of those plots no one could imagine, and yet once audiences saw it, it made perfect sense. Chris was the dumb, happy, drunk, druggy friend who loved to party, with a lovely personality, while Jal was the A student, who played the clarinet and was usually the voice of reason among their friends.
The good thing about this relationship was how by being together, they made each other better. Jal started getting out of her head and shell and had some fun, and Chris started thinking about the future and what he could do in life, and not only about when the next party would be. Their end might be sad, but they had a great ride along the way.
Sex Education: Otis And Ruby
It looks like Otis and Maeve are endgame inSex Education.That’s why it was so fun to watch Otis have a very different kind of relationship with another girl, Ruby the most popular girl in school. Although at first, they don’t make any sense, she feels protected by him, and she finds her surprising, making for a fun pairing. So much so, that she opens up to him in ways she hasn’t done before and brings him to meet his sick father. The chemistry between them is there, and the fact that they’re having a secret relationship makes for some fun gags, including Ruby’s exasperation with Otis’ thin, almost-not-there mustache.
Normal People: Marianne And Connell
InNormal People, Marianne is the odd, rich, brainy, student with a bad life at home and Connell is the athlete, and popular guy who lives with a single mother that cleans Marianne’s home. That’s how they start talking, getting to know each other and becoming friends. Everything changes when she kisses him, and they start a secret relationship as he doesn’t want his friends to know about it.
Even then, she accepts those terms (she’s the one proposing them, actually). The rest of the miniseries is about their ups and downs, being together and apart during the next few years, and how bad their timing with each other is as they’re never ready at the same time for something real.
The Vampire Diaries: Klaus And Caroline
In all of Caroline’s dynamics, she is the more bubbly character, with Tyler, Stefan, and Klaus each representing the darker side of things. Although Caroline did end up with Stefan, she always had a connection to Klaus and even solidified their undefined relationship before Klaus sacrificed himself.Caroline and Klaus were a relationshipthat never quite came to be. However, they grew to understand each other very well, quicker and easier than most others. It also did not hurt that Klaus recognized and acknowledged his growing feelings for Caroline a while before she admitted to reciprocating them.
Brooklyn 99: Jake And Amy
Brooklyn Nine-Nine’sJake Peralta is the goofy and nerdy side of the relationship. However, that did not mean that Amy could not also dive into her more childlike behavior. Jake realizes his feelings for Amy in season one. However,Jake and Amy’s relationshipdoes not head in a romantic direction until the end of season two and the beginning of season three. Jake and Amy’s back-and-forth banter is a vital part of the series and exists at the show’s heart.
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The Big Bang Theory: Leonard And Penny
Leonard is a dual nerd through comic books and academics when they meet. Meanwhile, Penny is far more interested in the entertainment industry and a hopeful future as an actress. As the series continues, that does not change much. Penny is forced to learn more about science, given how all her new friends work in the field. Meanwhile, Leonard grows to understand a world outside the one he has always lived in. Leonard and Penny do not always have it easy. But they discover more about each other’s worlds and find connections to them. Leonard and Penny have a similar on-again-off-again approach, along with the will they-won’t they that hangs in the air before they get together.
