We’ve seen the dynamic play out time and time again: Honorable, by-the-book investigator gets paired up with a rule-flouting rookie. It’s the worst thing to ever happen to them, until it’s not. First comes a grudging respect, then true admiration, and then–often, at least–an enduring love. Castle and Beckett, Bones and Booth, and Linden and Holder are just a few beloved examples of this delicious partners-to-lovers arc. Because, you see, no matter how many times we watch this dynamic play out, it’s never enough. There will always be room in our hearts for a variation of this endlessly fascinating theme. Good thing, too, since Max and Ellis from Wild Cards are offering us the chance to fall in love with it once more.
Following in the footsteps of Castle, the CW’s crime dramedy Wild Cards* invents a flimsy excuse for a cop to investigate crimes with a civilian for maximum humor and adventure, not to mention tension. In this case, the cop in question is a demoted detective, Cole Ellis. The chief of police assigned him to boat patrol as punishment for, long story short, being a stand-up guy. The civilian, meanwhile, is Max Mitchell, a born-and-bred con artist with a heart of gold–and a knack for solving mysteries.
The two meet when Max gets arrested for robbery (it was for a good cause!) and Ellis is ordered to bring her into the station for booking. While waiting to be escorted to a cell, Max overhears a briefing on a series of jewelry heists. She uses her own experience in that arena to strike a bargain with Ellis: In exchange for an educated guess about where the thief will strike next, he will give her credit for assisting in the arrest, which she hopes will lead to leniency in her own sentence. Naturally, when it turns out they make an ace team, Chief Li demands they continue working together for the mutual benefit of all parties. A beautifully messy partnership is born.
Of course, even the most entertaining setup for a new ship is nothing without the right chemistry. I’m here to tell you, though, Ellis and Max (a.k.a. Ellimax) bring the heat from the start. Like, from the pilot! Better yet, the show takes full advantage of the pair’s charm by leaning hard into the ship teases we know and love. In only 10 episodes of Wild Cards, Max and Ellis nail classic TV tropes like:
Grumpy x Sunshine
Max Mitchell is a tough heroine to dislike. She’s witty, clever, loyal, brave, and warm. Pure sunshine to the people who know and love her, but also to the victims and criminals she meets and puts at ease on a weekly basis. Over the course of the first season, she even manages to melt the heart of her reluctant new partner. Cole Ellis is understandably suspicious of Max at first, with little patience for her bright, chatty nature, probably assuming it’s all part of a long con. The dude is a grump, basically. But as he comes to trust Max more and more, Ellis lightens up enough to willingly banter with her, much to her obvious delight (and ours). He even answers her call with a cheerful, “Good morning, sunshine” by the end of the season. It just drives the point home: Their personalities complement each other beautifully.
Heads-up: Spoilers for season 1 ahead!
The Fake-Out Kiss
Wild Cards proves it’s not messing around in the very first episode, when fast-thinking Max pulls Cole in for a kiss to protect their cover. Cole’s clearly shocked by the move, but quickly recovers, kissing her back. Except, it doesn’t exactly seem like he’s acting…
Undercover as a Couple
Speaking of tropes usually reserved for later seasons, the fan-favorite “pretending to be married for a case” gets deployed by episode 8! And oh, Cole and Max really do slip right into their roles as a bickering couple seeking counseling to expose a therapist-turned-killer. There are endearments and everything! In fact, that closeness seems to come naturally to them. So naturally that fans can surely be forgiven for starting to daydream about an Ellimax endgame…
“She’s Not My Girlfriend!” (a.ka. Everyone Can See It)
Nothing says “I like Max a perfectly normal amount” like vociferously denying you’re dating her, then getting offended when your brother’s friend concedes she’s too cool for you anyway. Great work, Cole! Now, if only you could also convince your favorite coffee-cart owner, boss, co-workers, and ex-fiancée that your feelings for her are 100% platonic.
Working with the Ex
Seasoned shippers know it is on when an old flame comes to town, and the episode 5 drop-in by Ellis’s ex-fiancée, Rachel, does not disappoint. Rachel, a fellow cop, ostensibly calls Ellis for help tracking down a missing witness, yet seems awfully keen on getting back together with him. Which is kinda funny, because they’re clearly all wrong for each other, despite lingering attraction. Rachel’s obsessed with climbing the career ladder, for one thing. She simply can’t believe Ellis is content as a detective living on his late brother’s houseboat. It turns out she’s an ideal foil for Max, who likes Ellis, his boat, and his cat just the way they are. Ellis doesn’t spend much time angsting over choosing his partner over a second-chance romance, either, which is an interesting development. Thanks for stopping by, Rachel, really.
Heroic Rescue (with bonus tropes Rescue Reversal & After-Action Patchup )
Angst bunnies, this one’s for us! The penultimate episode of season 1 finds Max taken hostage during a bank robbery and Ellis breaking all the rules to (attempt to) rescue her. There’s drama, suspense, action, and romance. Nothing can stop Ellis from finding Max when he fears his partner’s in danger. Not his boss accusing him of “overreacting,” and not an explicit order to stay outside the bank. It’s very sexy of him to risk his life (and job) to sneak into the bank in hopes of ending the standoff. Of course, Max gives as good as she gets. When she hears a gunshot from down the hall from where she’s being held, Max sprints toward the sound, heedless of the danger, fearing (correctly) one of the robbers discovered Ellis. Suddenly Ellis is the one in need of saving, which is where the bonus tropes come in.
Max switches into protector mode when she realizes Ellis is alive but wounded from taking a bullet to his vest. First, she makes the baddie back off by confirming he just shot a cop. Then, back in the conference room with all the other hostages, she plays doctor, pulling up Ellis’s shirt and prodding at his injury. (Did I mention they’re in a room full of people at the time?!) The pair go on to exchange loaded glances, whisper clues into each other’s ears, and frankly act very couple-like. Even after being reprimanded for letting his concern for his partner’s safety override his duty, Ellis tells Max he’d “do it again, a hundred times.” Swoon.
Unresolved Sexual Tension
If we’re lucky, this one will be with us for a while. After all, it’s a truth universally acknowledged that TV shows with potential for multiple seasons must be in want of a good will-they-or-won’t-they ship. And since the Wild Cards writers obviously know they’ve got an ace up their collective sleeve with Ellimax, we shippers should prepare for lots more almost-kisses and longing looks before that UST becomes RST. Settle in for a slow burn!
The first season of Wild Cards is a veritable feast of tropey goodness straight from the partners-to-lovers guidebook. I can hardly wait to see what tropes Max and Cole encounter next. Will Season 2 bring us “just one bed”? An awkward double date? There’s gotta be some mutual pining, right? Maybe a convenient slow dance, or a road trip? Honestly, I am here for any and all of it.
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*While the CW takes credit for Wild Cards in the U.S., the show is actually Canadian in origin. It’s joint-produced with CBC Television.