Love it or hate it, romance and characters coupling up is a part of the DNA when it comes to TV shows, but there are someTV couples who should have broken upand stayed separate for good. Most sitcoms, whether they be fantasy, a musical, or even animated, all have one thing in common. There is usually at least one, if not more, romantic couple.
Typically, getting romance in a TV show right is incredibly challenging. For one, the writers and creatives behind the show rarely know how many seasons they will continue running. When trying to make a perfect romance arc, with friends to lovers, or enemies to lovers, this requires finesse to get it right. However, some love stories go off the rails quickly, with the individuals involved proving themselves to clearly not be ready for any serious commitment.
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10Amy & Sheldon
The Big Bang Theory
It’s easy to see why people thinkSheldon Cooper and Amy Farrah Fowlerare well-matched. Both are incredibly intelligent and well-educated, they both enjoy obscure hobbies, and they struggle to understand social norms, though both have very different levels of proficiency in this context. However, these surface level similarities aren’t enough. The show spent a long time establishing how Sheldon was comfortable without romance, but due to pressure from the audience, it felt as though Amy was made purely to be his perfect girl.
However, Sheldon’s perfect girl is no one. He has extreme, exact standards that everyone around him fails to live up to, and it causes him great anxiety, and the occasional moment of growth. When the couple got together, Sheldon had his needs for companionship met, and when he didn’t need more, he’d send Amy away. But this completely undervalues Amy as an individual with her own needs, and it took a long time for Sheldon to even acknowledge that that mattered. Realistically, it doesn’t feel like a relationship, and it should have been cut entirely.
9Dwight & Angela
The Office
Dwight and Angela are two of the most unusual characters, in a show about an office full of unusual characters. When their relationship began inThe Officeseason 2, it was sweet to see the couple get together and enjoy each other, but it wasn’t long before things got weird. From Angela’s obsession with keeping it a secret, to her publicly getting into serious committed relationships with other men, things got very problematic, very quickly.
However, even when Angela was engaged to the senator, and later on, Andy Bernard, she continued her secret romance with Dwight.This was a terrible way to conduct a relationship, hiding from others, and actively hurting people. Unfortunately, the show rewarded the shenanigans, and Angela and Dwight get married. That’s nice, but it would have been nicer if they broke up, and then found their way back to each other.
8Kurt & Blaine
Glee
Gleeis one of those guilty pleasure shows that is ridiculously satisfying. From the nostalgic music, to the drama, and the romance, it ticked a lot of boxes. However, one relationship that really didn’t resonate and should have ended for good was with Kurt and Blaine. Not only do the couple have several huge incidents that broke down the trust and love in their relationship, butthey actively brought out the worst in each other.
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Blaine started out as one of the most wonderful, upbeat, cheerful characters on the show who literally lit up his entire school. With Kurt, he became a whiny, clingy, obsessed man-child. While Kurt took time to come out of his shell and feel comfortable in his own skin, letting people in, with Blaine, he generally became a harsher, critical, and cruel person. Being in a relationship shouldn’t make both individuals worse, so why keep up the romance?
7Rachel & Ross
Friends
His love is selfish, and he is determined to get what he wants
Were they on a break? Who cares? Either way,Ross and Rachel couldn’t have been a worse match. Ross was another person who had a tendency to not act his age, and despite multiple committed romances playing out throughout the series, Ross is always pining over Rachel. But, his love is selfish, and he is determined to get what he wants, regardless of how anyone else feels. He destroys multiple relationships for Rachel, and despite Joey proving he was the bigger man, who actually valued Rachel’s feelings over his own, Ross jumped right back to dating her with no regard for his friends.
Rachel, on the other hand, started out onFriendsas a spoiled brat, who couldn’t survive without other people stepping in to support her. But as she makes progress and matures, chasing romance, a career, and the future of her dreams, she is constantly dragged back by the older boy from her high school days who had a long-standing crush.That may feel invigorating and nostalgic, but it isn’t the relationship that brought out the best in her. That was when she was dating Joey, the play boy who changed his childish ways to step up and meet Rachel where she was.
6Aria & Ezra
Pretty Little Liars
There is a long list of reasons why this relationship from the 2010 drama series about teenage girls should never have happened, and when it did, it should have ended, and ended for good. Aria is a 16-year-old girl who attends school at Rosewood High. Meanwhile, Ezra is a 22-year-old man who teaches English at Rosewood High. In many states, this is illegal. But even looking beyond the 6-year age gap which saw an adult in a position of power, and a literal child getting together,there were plenty more problems that cropped up when Aria was of age.
Like the fact that Ezra orchestrated the meeting with Aria on purpose, so he could continue writing a secret book about her and the other girls who were close to Alison when she died. Or the fact that he also dated Alison before she died, which would have been another illegal adult-child relationship. The entire thing was messed up beyond comprehension, and they never should have dated, let alone get married and live happily ever after.
5Spike & Buffy
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Buffy Summers is the one and only vampire slayer, before she is briefly killed and another slayer is activated at least. Meanwhile, Spike is a famous vampire who has killed multiple slayers in his lifetime. Despite the clear contradiction in their life goals, somehow, Spike and Buffy find their way into a romantic relationship that spans the entire run ofBuffy the Vampire Slayer. Yes, they are conflicted, and they acknowledge it’s wrong, but somehow, their love conquers their supernatural differences.
But why? The coupling doesn’t make much sense, and there were plenty of other romantic prospects for both. It doesn’t feel natural, or normal for the ancient vampire to chase the teenage girl, atone for all his murdering, and have a happily ever after… with the slayer. It’s mostly just weird and forced. AndSpike has been responsible for incredible terror, damage, and destruction around Buffy’s home. It would have been better to go without this awkward romance.
The Vampire Diaries
Stefan and Caroline had a moment before Caroline’s mother died
Stefan may be seen as the “good” brother by default, but he is arguably worse whenever he flicks his switch, and becomes the full-blown ripper. While everyone inThe Vampire Diarieshas had reasons to struggle and made the choice to forget their conscience for a while, Stefan repeatedly allows himself to transition back to this awful state. And while there is always a good excuse, a lot of the time, the reason behind it all can be traced back to him. For example, Stefan and Caroline had a moment before Caroline’s mother died.
While this came at a challenging time, Caroline wanted reassurance that it meant something, and when Stefan left her hanging, at her mothers funeral, she decided to turn off her morality switch. Despite the switch being off, Caroline showed remarkable restraint, and she made it clear that she wanted some time to be free of grief, but if anyone messed with her, she would react badly.Stefan, as he always does, ran head first into this and decided to do what he thought was best. A repeated pattern, that showed off how short-sighted, and often selfish, Stefan could be.
3Ted & Robin
How I Met Your Mother
Ted and Robin are a cute couple, who compliment each other, and help round out each other’s weaknesses, but their relationship was never good romantically. Both Ted and Robin wanted very different things from life, and this caused them to break up initially. That all made sense, and the pair were able to go and pursue the things that made them happy, like Ted dating Tracy and having kids, and Robin marrying Barney and living their child-free career focused lives together.
But when the final episode gave both Ted and Robin a tragic fate with the lives they pursued, such as the love of Ted’s life dying, and Robin and Barney splitting up,HIMYMpushed them back together. But the motivations for their lives never changed. Presumably,Robin still wanted to have flexibility and freedom, and Ted still wanted to focus on family. Yeah, the kids grew up, so they had less need for their dad to be around all the time, but Ted and Robin still feel incompatible, and it came out of two tragic romances.
2Homer & Marge
The Simpsons
Homer and Marge remain happily married, with their children stuck in a time loop where no one ever gets any older. However, if the clock started ticking, and the couple could take a look back at everything they have gone through, it might not be the happy memories and nostalgia that most relationships hope for. Homer has almost cheated on Marge on numerous occasions. He spends all of his time getting drunk at the bar, and he physically attacks their son.
Marge, happy in her trad wife role, always forgives him, and moves on. However, as much as no one should side with Patty and Selma, they really do have their sister’s best interests at heart. Homer is lazy, thoughtless, and frequently insincere.The couple doesn’t match at all, and maybe they want to stay together for the kids, but honestly, the kids would do better being raised in a home where this relationship fades out of existence.
1Haley & Dylan
Modern Family
Haley may not be the smartest girl in her family, and she certainly has some sort of attachment issues, but the fact thatHaley keeps on going back to Dylan makes no sense. Unless she was looking for someone with some of the quirkiness of her dad, Phil, but none of the charm. Dylan is a terrible guy, and it needs to be said, a terrible singer. Regardless of if the pair were high school sweethearts,Haley would have been a lot happier and more fulfilled with someone else.
In fact, she found others who really helped her come out of her shell, and become the best version of herself. Haley found genuine happiness and fulfillment when she dated Andy. She was a better version of herself, and she was more confident. But, instead of a happy ending, Haley got stuck with her airheaded ex to live a life of putting up with things that made her miserable. Another victim of a terrible TV romance that should have been snuffed out way sooner.
