Chemistry isn’t always sexual.  Although, sometimes it is and it’s just not acted upon, or sometimes it’s just projected on to an on-screen duo by hopeful fans. Television is fast becoming the go-to spot for diverse, challenging and fun roles for women, which means that on a given night channel surfing pays off with any number of amazing actresses on the heating up the small screen and often together.

Inspired by a recent Criminal Minds episode in which Emily (Paget Brewster) and J.J. (A.J. Cook) interrogated and captured a suspect together -- and did so in the sexiest way possible-- and as the 2011/12-television season draws to a close, we thought we’d take a look at some of the hottest non-couple on-screen duos of the past nine months.

From near-miss love interests like Kalinda (Archie Panjabi) and Dana (Monica Raymund) on The Good Wife to frenemies like Smash’s Karen (Katherine McPhee) and Ivy (Megan Hilty) to lesbian favorites Rizzoli (Angie Harmon) and Isles (Sasha Alexander)  here are our top 11 hottest non-couple couples. 

Parks and Recreation - Leslie Knope and Ann Perkins:

How adorable are Leslie (Amy Poehler) and Ann (Rashida Jones) together? Leslie may be dating Ben (Adam Scott) but she’s got undeniable chemistry with her bestie Ann Perkins! Watch Leslie attempt to instruct Ann on how to dress sexy. 

The Good Wife - Kalinda Sharma and Dana:

Archie Panjabi’s Kalinda is the queen of getting what she wants. For the better part of The Good Wife’s third season Kalinda and ASA Dana Lodge shared information, furtive glances and tequila shooters. They never did get to the getting it on stage but it sure was fun watching the endless foreplay.

Smash - Ivy Lynn and Karen Cartwright:

Smash’s dueling Marilyns Ivy Lynn and Karen are the quintessential frenemies. With Ivy painted as a mostly unrelenting climber it’s tough to find those tender moments but Hilty and McPhee are never better than when their characters play nice. Here are Ivy and Karen drunk and singing In Time’s Square. 

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Criminal Minds - Emily Prentiss and Jennifer "JJ" Jareau

J.J. and Prentiss have always been smoking hot in their own right but once Criminal Minds producers wised up and rehired them after essentially laying them off for the 2010 / 11 season they brought J.J. back and put her in the field. She and Prentiss uncovered clues together, chased down un-subs and became arguably the hottest non-couple couple of the season strapping on weapons and packing (guns that is). 

GCB - Amanda Vaughn and Heather Cruz:

GCB is the guilty pleasure late-season hit of the year, and while most of the GCB women have made former mean girl Amanda Vaughn’s (Leslie Bibb) life a living hell since her fall from grace and subsequent return to Dallas, GCBer Heather Cruz (Marisol Nichols) has been her eyes, ears and occasional friend. Here they are in action. 

Law & Order: SVU - Olivia Benson and Amanda Rollins:

There are too many Olivia (Mariska Hargitay) and Alex (Stephanie March) mash-ups on YouTube to name but this season SVU’s shake up with veteran Christopher Meloni unceremoniously getting the boot resulted in the stalwart procedural stealing the excellent Kelli Giddish away from The Good Wife. The pair have been working more closely together over the course of the season but more than a few fantasies were met during last week’s episode when Benson and Rollins (Giddish) went undercover as a lesbian couple at a sperm bank. Just watch the interplay between these two! They almost seem like a real-life TV lesbian couple!  

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2 Broke Girls - Max Black and Caroline Channing:

The opposite sides of the track attraction totally holds true for Max (Kat Dennings) and Caroline (Beth Behrs). Since shacking up together –out of necessity—last September the duo have totally become a couple minus the whole sex part. 

Grey's Anatomy - Christina Yang and Teddy Altman:

It’s been a rollercoaster season for Drs. Altman (Kim Raver) and Yang (Sandra Oh) on Grey’s. Yang, the un-teachable brilliant student and Altman the pedagogue the pair has performed surgery, manipulated hospital policy, endured infidelity, boards and death together this season. If there were a special Emmy for best acting by a couple it would go to Raver and Oh. 

Don't Trust The B---- in Apt 23 - June Colburn and Chloe:

Another late season entry, Don’t Trust the B---- in Apt. 23 features yet another pair of opposites attract types thrust together in a roomie situation. It really is delicious fun to watch Breaking Bad’s Krysten Ritter as Chloe torment the sweet new city dweller June (The Good Wife’s Dreama Walker). But never fear, June can play ball. Here they are in action. 

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True Blood - Sookie Stackhouse and Tara Thorton:

True Blood kicked off the 2011 summer season with Bon Temps’ Tara (Rutina Wesley) as a newly minted Sapphic lady. Alas, her love affair with a woman wasn’t with best friend forever Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin). While Sookie and Tara have certainly faced their challenges since vampires, werewolves and shapeshifters (oh my) took over the sleepy Louisiana town they’re bond is one of the most enduring on the HBO series. 

The Big Bang Theory - Penny and Amy Farrah Fowler:

Clearly Amy is attracted to Penny, and her attempts at “pair bonding” with her “bestie” have been the season’s best, including gifting her with a giant couple’s portrait.  In “The 21-Second Excitation” Amy, Bernadette, and Penny are at Amy’s first sleepover when acknowledges that acts of lesbianism are common at sleepovers, and enters Penny's bedroom. From the front room Bernadette listens to Penny's reaction and reading the rest of Amy's list of sleepover activities says she would've gone with eating raw cookie dough.

Rizzoli & Isles - Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles:

Do we even need to explain why Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles made the cut? The tension between Det. Rizzoli and M.E. Isles has been palpable since the show's premiere inspiring Tumblr pages, fansites, lesbian-themed recaps and more. Here they are! 

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