And for many, the answer finally clicked. The "best friend and boyfriend" dynamic is not a fantasy reserved for Xprime scripts. It is a conscious choice. The 2021 Xprime Originals simply gave it a soundtrack, a lighting scheme, and a perfect closing line:
Enter Xprime Originals. While "Xprime" often evokes Amazon Prime Video, in the context of fan forums and social media (Reddit, Twitter, and Tumblr), "Xprime Original 2021" became a catch-all term for high-concept romantic dramedies that premiered on premium streaming services in 2021. These shows specifically tackled the "best-friend-to-lover" arc with unprecedented nuance.
"You were my best friend first. That means no matter what happens, I’ll never lose you. But I’d really like to keep you as my boyfriend, too."
Let’s break down why the intersection of friendship and romance became the defining relationship goal of 2021, and how the Xprime Original lineup that year gave us the ultimate blueprint. The year 2021 was unique. We had spent over a year in isolation, stripped of casual dates, bar meet-cutes, and office romances. When dating resumed, people weren’t looking for surface-level attraction. They were looking for safety, comfort, and familiarity – in other words, they were looking for their best friend.
But what exactly did this phrase refer to? Was it a specific show? A trope? Or a cultural zeitgeist captured perfectly in streaming form?
In the chaotic landscape of 2021, as the world slowly emerged from lockdowns and re-learned how to socialize, one question dominated the search bars of confused romantics everywhere: Can your best friend truly be your boyfriend?