A defining trend of 2021 was the subversion of romantic comedy staples. This was perhaps best exemplified by Joachim Trier’s The Worst Person in the World

If you're referring to a specific show or series from 2021, there are several that had notable romantic storylines. For instance:

So, the next time you revisit the media of 2021, do so with a critical eye. Check the relationships. Examine the storylines. You might find that the healthiest couple wasn’t the one with the grand gestures, but the one who simply sat in comfortable silence, waiting for the world to open up again.

Before diving into the specific storylines, it is essential to understand the context. By 2021, audiences had spent over a year in various stages of emotional isolation. When production resumed, writers didn’t write standard meet-cutes. They wrote about proximity, anxiety, and the terror of transmission—both emotional and viral.

We checked 2021 relationships because we needed to know that love was still possible—but we were terrified of the risks.

. Nearly 17 years after calling off their original engagement, the pair rekindled their romance in April/May 2021. The Storyline ended her engagement to Alex Rodriguez in April, she and