Sterling Point is two for two with incredible romances and the build-up leading to each respective couple’s first kiss. We get a gorgeous one between Ramona and Oona in “I’m Not a Shots Girl Either” that I still can’t stop thinking about, and the first kiss between Annie and Ellis in the closet is slow burn perfection.
For starters, what’s so easy to appreciate about Sterling Point is that even while there’s somewhat of a love triangle between Annie, Ellis, and Rory, it’s almost instantly clear where the bigger connection lies and why it’s going to hit so hard when we finally get to see them together. Plus, the pining on Ellis’ end? Exceptional. Jacob Whiteduck-Lavoie delivers yearning gorgeously, making it abundantly clear how and why he’s Annie’s perfect match as he acts alongside Ella Rubin.
By the time we reach the debut season’s penultimate episode, we’re at a tipping point right alongside the characters. The air is thick in the closet, intimate, and haunting almost. A whirlwind of emotions is playing on both their faces as they try to grapple with the family secrets they’re now aware of, which in turn makes the conversation they’re having feel louder despite the mellow tone they both have. You don’t expect their first kiss to happen here, which is part of the reason why it sticks the landing so well.
Because really, I was ready to write a whole scene breakdown just on the hug, because seeing a good hug on TV feels like a lost art these days. A moment where two people simply hold each other in the silence can be so powerful when it’s done with care, and in Sterling Point that’s exactly what we get.
There’s a raw simplicity in the teleplay from Jared Lopez and Raffi Donatich that, coupled with the warmth in Andrew Ahn’s directing, brings to life a tenderness in the scene that’s indescribable. Rubin and Whiteduck-Lavoie also elevate the tension with a distinct vulnerability in their performances that allows every emotion to come alive in the small space before anything even happens. That’s why, when Annie and Ellis do finally kiss, and the longing reaches that captivating boiling point, the air naturally feels lighter. The softness in their kiss is so palpable that it also makes the weight of what they’re both going through on their own a bit lighter.
“Maybe It’s Mackerel” does plenty as a penultimate episode, and Annie and Ellis’ kiss is part of its charm. The build-up to the moment in prior episodes makes it feel more earned, allowing the chemistry to leap off the screen gorgeously. There’s a sweetness in how they move together, how they fit so seamlessly that it’s staggering to watch them at that moment.
In more ways than one, the kiss feels like something we haven’t seen on our screens in a while. There’s a classic, rom-com pull coupled with the kind of eye contact that involves a conversation that’s theirs and theirs alone, which makes it all the more intimate in its softness. And here’s the thing: we write about first kisses a lot here at Lady Geeks because the magic of them is close to our romance-loving hearts. And while Annie and Ellis aren’t my couple of the year (that title belongs to Hannah Wells and Garrett Graham from Off Campus), this kiss might actually be my favorite first of the year if I were to do some sort of ranking. And much of it boils down to this tenderness that’s almost impossible to describe.
A closet isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing place to have a moment like this when the entire show is brimming with exquisite scenery, and yet the warmth here is singular. The sunlight cascading through the window, casting them in a glow. Their body language. The moments after. It’s a new beginning in the sweetest way. The intimacy feels so raw, almost like it’s reminding us that in the midst of haphazard things and the mess surrounding them, their closeness is the favorite blanket you carry everywhere. It’s the favorite sweatshirt you throw on when you need a little comfort. It’s the deep breath you remember to draw when everything else is a little wonky, and you’re trying to ground yourself.
Sterling Point isn’t based on a romance novel where we have the guarantee of a couple ending up together, so it’s unclear whether Annie and Ellis are endgame, but even if they aren’t, this moment is so special that it’s clear they’ll always mean a lot to each other, even if they don’t last.
Now streaming on Prime Video: What are your thoughts on Annie and Ellis’ first kiss in Sterling Point? Let us know in the comments below.
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