11 of television's most memorable motel moments

01 of 11

Damon and Elena, The Vampire Diaries

Damon (Ian Somerhalder) loved Elena (Nina Dobrev). That much we knew. But Elena's feelings for the "bad" Salvatore brother were much more complicated and therefore, took longer to evolve. But when Stefan (Paul Wesley) left town in season 3 of The Vampire Diaries, she started to see Damon in a new light, and when Stefan finally made his way back to her, he couldn't deny what was right in front of him: Elena loved Damon, too. Cue the road trip! Stefan suggested Elena accompany his brother on a road trip to figure out her feelings, but what he didn't anticipate is that it would all culminate at a motel. As Florence + the Machine's "Never Let Me Go" played, the sexual tension started to build, until ultimately, Elena kissed Damon like she'd never kissed him before. After seasons of tension, she could no longer deny her feelings. It's arguably one of the couple's greatest moments, though it'd take a little while longer for their romance to really begin. —Samantha Highfill

02 of 11

Victor and Benji, Love, Victor

Victor (Michael Cimino) spent much of Love, Victor's first season trying to figure out exactly how he felt and ultimately, what (and who) he wanted. Sure, Benji (George Sear) was great — and super hot — but was there romantic potential there? It wasn't until Victor and Benji found themselves on a road trip that forced them to spend the night at a motel that Victor found his answer ... and the courage to act on it. As the two of them shared a bed, Victor reached over and kissed Benji, acknowledging his feelings for the first time and launching their love story. —Samantha Highfill

03 of 11

Chuck and Sarah, Chuck

While on the run from their CIA/NSA bosses and the evil Fulcrum in the penultimate episode of the NBC dramedy Chuck's second season, nerd-turned-super computer Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi) and his super-spy handler/fake girlfriend Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) stop off at a motel for the evening and end up sharing a bed together. Even though they clearly had feelings for each other, they'd resisted taking that next step because of their professional relationship; however, those concerns flew out the window when they woke up the next morning in each other's arms and finally succumbed to their feelings. What makes the moment work so well, though, is Bon Iver's "Creature Fear," which perfectly captures each beat of the scene, from the initial calm, to the catharsis of them really kissing (this is what Chuck and the fans had wanted for so long), to the moment where the pair pause to consider what's happening as the drums vamp before continuing on right as the chorus resumes. In classic Chuck fashion, though, things don't go exactly as Chuck hoped because his best friend stole the condom from his wallet, which means things kind of stop there. —Chancellor Agard

04 of 11

Seth and Summer and Ryan and Marissa, The O.C.

The O.C.'s first mid-season finale was full of major character moments, most notably ending with Marissa (Mischa Barton) overdosing in Tijuana. But first, on the way to T.J., thanks to Summer's (Rachel Bilson) impatience for Seth's (Adam Brody) slow driving — he got passed by a van full of nuns! — car trouble landed the core four in a sketchy motel for a night. It doesn't seem like much of a moment on the surface because no one kissed. But both of the couples shared moments, from Ryan admitting the he spent "every day" wondering why Marissa came to the pool house when she caught him with someone else, to Seth and Summer sharing a bed. The final shot of them paired off with their sleeping arrangements sparked hope for future romance and previewed the foursome they'd become. —Samantha Highfill

05 of 11

Mulder and Scully, The X-Files

Dingy, small-town motel rooms were such a pivotal part of The X-Files that they were practically a third lead character. As David Duchovny's Mulder and Gillian Anderson's Scully canvassed the country and investigated strange phenomena, their travels landed them in all sorts of backwoods establishments. Each motel may have been in a different zip code, but they all still rocked the same wood-paneled walls, creaky bedsprings, and debatable levels of hygiene. (The FBI's expense account didn't exactly cover five-star accommodations.) As Mulder and Scully grew closer over the years, there were plenty of awkward flirtations and stolen glances in motel rooms — the season 9 finale even ends with them cuddling on a motel bed — but perhaps the most memorable moment came in the show's pilot episode. The pair's very first X-File together involves alien abductees with strange skin bumps, and when Scully notices similar bumps on her back, she knocks on Mulder's door in the middle of the night, half-dressed, so he can examine her by candlelight. It's a disarmingly intimate moment between two supposedly platonic colleagues, and it set the tone for the next 200-plus episodes of sexual tension. —Devan Coggan

06 of 11

Dawson and Jen, Dawson's Creek

Despite his many relationships, including the classic soulmate back-and-forth with Joey (Katie Holmes), Dawson Leery (James Van Der Beek) held onto his virginity for five seasons of Dawson's Creek. It wasn't until he and Jen (Michelle Williams) headed to New Hampshire for the Hookset Film Festival that the time was right. Because sometimes, the extra push needed is sharing a room with someone away from the familiar settings of home. Or perhaps he was just a teenage boy who was tired of waiting. Either one works. —Samantha Highfill

07 of 11

Chandler and Monica, Friends

Chandler (Matthew Perry) and Monica (Courteney Cox) were just friends before London. But when they headed overseas for Ross's wedding at the end of Friends' fourth season, things changed. In a moment every Friends fan remembers, Monica pops out from under Chandler's sheets and just like that, Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) aren't the only romantic pairing worth rooting for. All it took was a trip to London and a stay in the right hotel. —Samantha Highfill

08 of 11

Luke and Lorelai, Gilmore Girls

So this isn't technically a hotel or a motel, but it's an inn, and seeing as how Luke (Scott Patterson) and Lorelai (Lauren Graham) hadn't kissed in four seasons of Gilmore Girls, clearly they needed a special occasion to push them along. And they got just that in the season 4 finale when Lorelai and Sookie (Melissa McCarthy) opened the Dragonfly Inn and invited friends and family to stay the night. Luke was on that list, and when the timing was right, he made his feelings for Lorelai known with a passionate kiss on the inn's front steps. Fans had been waiting years for the two Stars Hollow residents to acknowledge their feelings for each other, and from that point on, there was no denying that Luke and Lorelai were the perfect match (though they'd hit a few bumps on their journey). —Samantha Highfill

09 of 11

Will and Alicia, The Good Wife

After two seasons of "will they or won't they," second year-associate Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) and her boss Will Gardner (Josh Charles) finally went there in the CBS legal drama's season 2 finale, "Closing Arguments." Following a break-neck last-minute case (and some drama in Alicia's life), the two of them celebrated their win over drinks at a hotel, which led to a weighty discussion about how they've never had good timing romantically... But, what if they did just once? Thus begins their journey upstairs to a hotel room, during which they face several comedic obstacles that ratchet up the tension and anticipation, from the hotel being fully booked except for the most expensive suite, to an elevator that stops on every floor. Each time the elevator doors open, we see the pair move closer and closer to each other until they're fully making out as Mika's "Any Other World" (a perfect song choice) soars. The entire sequence is extremely hot because it's less about nudity — there isn't any — and more Alicia and Will's mounting adrenaline. —Chancellor Agard

10 of 11

April and Jackson, Grey's Anatomy

After years of being friends, April (Sarah Drew) and Jackson (Jesse Williams) unexpectedly took things to the next level toward the end of Grey's Anatomy's eighth season ... and all it took was a stay at a hotel. As all the residents headed to take their boards — the exam that would ultimately get them out of residency — they booked their rooms at a hotel. And as the pressure of the test mounted, April finally let herself have some fun, and that included losing her virginity to Jackson, the night that would spark a seasons-long romance for the couple. —Samantha Highfill

11 of 11

Leslie and Ben, Parks and Recreation

Leslie (Amy Poehler) and Ben's (Adam Scott) first kiss technically didn't happen during their road trip thanks to Chris crashing the party, unknowingly ruining what could have been the perfect night for them to finally get together. But that fateful trip to Indianapolis changed everything for Parks and Rec's iconic couple. No matter how hard Leslie tried to kill the mood on the drive up because of Chris' "no workplace dating" rule, no amount of awkward conversation topics or unromantic music could stop this couple from happening. It was Ben's incredibly heartfelt speech about how he feels about Pawnee (a.k.a. Leslie) that sealed the deal, and their first kiss happened the very next day — thankfully while Chris was out of the office. —Sydney Bucksbaum

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Sydney Bucksbaum,