When it comes to the Dick Wolf universe, there are plenty of characters we would love to see together.
Some of those couples happen, and we get a big buildup to life events. And then there’s nothing.
Those big life events are overshadowed by episodic storylines, or the characters don’t stay happy together for long, which raises the question of why.
Happy Couples Happen Off-Screen in the Dick Wolf Universe
When you look at the happy couples, most of them have happened off-screen.
I think Chicago Fire and Chicago PD are rare instances where we actually get to see the couples thrive on the screen.
Severide and Kidd have had their ups and downs, but they’ve made it through and now have what looks to be a successful marriage.
We constantly get to see Christopher and Cindy Herrmann, and while Mouch and Trudy have had their problems now and then, they are there for each other and deeply love each other.
While it’s great to see all this, it’s rare to see the good moments on-screen.
Just look at how Cindy was brought back to the show for a lung cancer storyline, and then her house burned down!
I understand happy moments don’t make for good drama, but can we just get some as we used to when Cindy would pop by the firehouse?
As for other couples, they are happy off-screen.
Most of Burgess and Ruzek’s relationship happens without us watching, and it took Upton and Halstead both leaving Chicago PD for a hint that they could make things work — and that only happened at the end of the 2026 One Chicago crossover.
Even on Chicago Med, Will Halstead had to leave and move across the country to be happy with Natalie Manning.
We had no idea that the two were still in touch, and suddenly, Will is moving to be with her and her son.
There’s been one chance to see them back and happy, but the only way Dick Wolf couples seem to work well is when we don’t get to see them.
Even on the FBI front, there’s been little show of happy couples.
When FBI: Most Wanted was also on the air, we did get to see a little more, as there was more time spent with Scola and Nina.
However, ever since FBI: Most Wanted’s cancellation, we’ve just had to assume that the couple is still happy. Nina has barely even been mentioned!
Law & Order: SVU has kept Amanda and Carisi separate most of the time.
When Kelli Giddish was written out of the show, this did make some sense, but now that she’s back, there’s barely been a look at how they can make a marriage work.
FBI Continued a Trend of Hyping a Wedding for No Reason
It’s not even just about seeing the couples on the screen. When we get to see them, the Dick Wolf universe doesn’t highlight much about what makes them work.
Yet shows know that we love watching couples reach particular milestones. One of those milestones is weddings.
Over the last few seasons of Chicago PD, there has been a strong push for Ruzek and Burgess to get married, and that was promised in Chicago PD Season 12.
In fact, the entire season highlighted the wedding, with the two regularly mentioning plans and discussing logistics.
So, when the Chicago PD Season 12 Finale rolled around, we were ready to see their epic wedding, and what did we get? What felt like two seconds at the wedding, with the rest of the time focused on a crying Chapman.
The same thing happened when it came to Halstead and Upton marrying. We had waited years for it to happen, and then suddenly it was over in minutes.
It’s not like Chicago Fire has been any better.
Kidd and Severide’s wedding was overshadowed by emergencies and other personal storylines, and I’m not even sure I remember Casey and Dawson getting married; that’s how much of a blip it was.
FBI Season 8 has been the latest offender of this trend.
At the end of FBI: Most Wanted, Nina had made it clear to her dad that she and Scola were happy living together. They didn’t need to be married to know that they loved each other.
However, as FBI Season 8 returned from its winter break, we were told that we’d get the Scola/Nina wedding. CBS pushed the promotional images of this wedding, making sure we didn’t miss it.
In the end, it wasn’t the event of the season. It almost felt like an afterthought at the end of the episode, leaving many disappointed.
It’s not even like some of these couples stay together.
The aforementioned Casey and Dawson broke up, Halstead and Lindsay tried to start a relationship that failed, and there have been the odd crossover relationships in the One Chicago universe, such as the recent one with Novak and Frost, that have gone nowhere.
Even couples who were happy at the start of the series, such as Barnes and her wife Charlotte on FBI: Most Wanted or Jamie and Forrester on FBI: International, ended up divorcing or separating.
We’ve watched characters get together only to break up due to creative reasons behind the scenes.
Yes, I’m still salty at Violet and Carver finally getting together, only for Carver to leave!
Sure, relationships are hard, but it’s almost like the Dick Wolf universe is allergic to happy couples. Or maybe they just have no idea how to write about them. I’m not sure which is worse.
This is where you get to sound off.
We know that drama comes from conflict, but isn’t it time we got some happy moments? Has the Dick Wolf universe disappointed you when it comes to this? You get the chance to join the debate, and we want to hear your thoughts!
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