Yes, Devin Tomb knows that TV isn’t real life. That “Sex and the City” never explicitly promised her anything. And yet, it was hard not to believe in the future the show presented. Devin figured she, too, would have a squad of single women for adventurous nights and opulent brunches well into her 30s. So what happened? Email us at [email protected].

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When Margaret hit her early 30s, she felt like one of those collectible toys you keep in a box – in mint condition, untouched. She wondered: What am I saving myself for? So she said yes to a throuple that seemed romantic and daring and exhilarating. It turned out to be all of those things and more. Email us at [email protected].

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Meredith sits down with two smart people who have spent a lot of time studying relationships – how we make them, what we look for in other people, and the “rules” that color these big decisions. Lamont White is a dating coach and matchmaker. Angela Bahns is a social psychologist whose work raises an important question: Is it actually true that opposites attract? Email us at [email protected].

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Ayesha Mattu was supposed to marry a man whose background mirrored hers: Pakistani, Muslim, and from a certain caste. For a time, that was the plan. Then, one night in a dimly lit club, she saw a cute guy dancing. And thus their adventure began. Email us at [email protected].

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When the pandemic hit, Iz was a junior in college with a vibrant social and academic life. They also had a serious partner, with whom they’d been in a monogamous relationship. COVID turned all of that upside down. So Iz decided to try something radical: to forego app dating and look for love IRL. Email us at [email protected].

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Just about everybody in a long-term partnership worries they’re not having the right amount of sex. It’s easy to wonder: What is “normal?” For Katie and her husband, this became a central question in their marriage – until she realized she should just stop asking. Email us at [email protected].

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When Ian Coss talks about the legacy of divorce in his family, he’s not kidding. Everybody split up -- parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, multiple aunts and uncles. So when Ian fell in love himself, understanding these broken commitments became his way of avoiding the same fate. Plus, writer and podcaster Christina Tucker on whether universal rules even exist in love and dating. Email us at [email protected]. (Next episode: Jan. 4)

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Naomi and Chandler didn’t know each other before deploying to the same air base in Afghanistan. But they had much in common — they both came from big families and small towns, and neither was looking for love. They also knew the military frowned upon relationships on base. And yet… Email us at [email protected].

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Welcome to Season 6! Our theme for this season is “Breaking the Rules.” It’s all about people who went against the grain, challenged convention, or ignored those relationship myths and tropes we’ve all heard. In the first episode, Meredith tells the story of fellow journalist Kimberly Atkins Stohr, who made an unexpected choice upon getting married. Email us at [email protected].

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Meredith talks to fellow advice columnist John Paul Brammer on the occasion of his new book, “Hola Papi: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons.” Email us at [email protected].

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