Sometimes, it is downright frustrating for TV fans to witness two characters with undeniable chemistry fail to ride off into the sunset together. After seasons of subtle flirtations, witty banter loaded with innuendo, longing glances, and moments of heavy sexual tension, certain TV romantic couples just don’t end up together. Turns out, for every Ross and Rachel that finally utter those three magical words, there are a dozen couples that never make the leap from friends to more than friends.
Sitcoms and long-running dramas with ensemble casts love to tease viewers by pairing the characters up with different love interests over the years. Through it all, a single duo just seems to fit in like a power couple. But more often than not, the writers and showrunners simply do not intend for them to be the endgame. In justifying the same, they add countless artificial obstacles or never make the characters communicate how they really feel.
When it is time for the series finale and the tension is left maddeningly unresolved, fans are left wondering what might have happened if the story of their favorite almost-couple had continued. In this list, we are counting down 20 pairs from your beloved TV shows that drove you wild with their chemistry and came painfully close to “making it” but, for some reason or another, never ended up together.
20 Emily and Maya
Pretty Little Liars
Shay Mitchell and Bianca Lawson played Emily and Maya, two regular high school girls with contrasting interests. Emily is the “jock” among the group of liars, a competitive swimmer who discovers her sexuality after meeting Maya, the carefree new girl in town. Maya was also Emily’s first girlfriend and her first love. From their first official date at the Rosewood Movie Theater to Maya being sent to rehabilitation, the two had several forces acting against them.
None were as strong as the writers and creators of Pretty Little Liars, who decided to kill Maya off in the third season at the hands of her crazy stalker ex-boyfriend. Emily manages to get revenge, but it still leaves a bitter taste because none of Emily’s future relationships come even close to being as magnetic and deserving.
19 Logan and Veronica
Veronica Mars
In Veronica Mars, Logan is a rich, tough guy from the wrong side of the tracks, living his best life in California. Played by Jason Dohring, Logan has a bad boy reputation but a softer side that he only lets Veronica see. Kristen Bell’s most memorable breakthrough character was a smart and fearless private investigator. Despite their constant clashes, it is obvious that Veronica evokes a protective side of Logan, and she sees past his actions into the person within.
At first, Logan and Veronica torture each other with insults and pranks. But over the seasons, they survive high school, challenging military schedules, family troubles and so much more. Showrunner Rob Thomas, however, had something else in mind.
To The Hollywood Reporter, he explained, “I would have been happy to land on them being married and living happily ever after. But our hope is that we get to tell more Veronica Mars mysteries. And doing that with a boyfriend or a husband just felt less interesting, less sexy, less noir.” Isn’t it ridiculous that a TV couple with the ship name ‘LoVe’ does not end up together?
18 Eve and Villanelle
Killing Eve
Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer shared a beautiful yet psychotic relationship with each other. The former was a bored British intelligence analyst assigned with one big task and the latter was an assassin who enjoyed toying with her prey… and Eve. She even left her gruesome presents every now and then, which fans took as a sign of her affection.
From their first encounter, the two women displayed intoxicating chemistry. They were so obsessed that they stalked each other across the globe. Each confrontation elevated their desires and transformed their erotic tension into a twisted yet utterly compelling dynamic fans could not get enough of. After sharing three-and-a-half years’ worth of elaborate and difficult relationship, Eve and Villanelle shared a kiss but the finale decided to steer away from the books and kill Villanelle.
17 Glenn and Maggie
The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead ran for over a decade and featured a large ensemble cast who played the roles of survivors stuck in a zombie apocalypse, living under constant threat of being attacked by the undead, also known as “walkers.” Before he was thrust into a life of survival, Glenn was a pizza delivery boy, always bright and resourceful. Maggie, also strong and independent, was the eldest daughter of the Greene family.
Glenn and Maggie, like many couples on this list, initially clash and then warm to the other’s spirit. They battle with the zombies and each other but find comfort in their growing closeness.
The pair’s healthy relationship was one of the reasons why The Walking Dead was so widely popular. They got married, built a life together and became parents in Alexandria before moving to the Hilltop for a safer future. But the show tore Maggie away from Glenn’s arms and didn’t let them live happily ever after.
16 Ned and Chuck
Pushing Daisies
Created by Bryan Fuller for ABC, Pushing Daisies is an unusually impressive comedy drama about a young pie-maker who has the ability to bring dead things to life with his touch, and he uses the ability to solve murder cases. The protagonist, Ned, is played by Lee Pace. He gives Chuck, his childhood crush, a second chance at life by reviving her. Even though it means that Chuck must never be touched again, they fall in love.
With a premise that comes with stipulations, their love was bound to fail. But Ned and Chuck shared such a gorgeous, playful and romantic chemistry that it was impossible not to hope for a fairy tale ending. Loopholes in Ned’s plan to let Chuck remain alive denied them happiness and to make matters worse, the show ended on a cliffhanger.
15 Clarke and Lexa
The 100
Portrayed on The 100 by Eliza Taylor and recurring cast member Alycia Debnam-Carey, Clarke and Griffin and Lexa started off as enemies. There was an ongoing war between Clarke’s people and Lexa’s people for the better part of season one and season two before Clarke approached Lexa, waved the white flag and called a truce. Both women had to forge an alliance in order to protect their clans, which made them alike.
The 100
- Release Date
- March 19, 2014
- Seasons
- 6
Their tentative start stopped them from growing close because Clarke wasn’t over Finn’s death, which was ordered by Lexa. But as they navigated threats, battle and politics, the animosity between them faded and they found trust and purpose. Naturally, the fandom was thrilled. An amazing arc was treated unjustly when Lexa was killed off and fans were left wondering what empires they could have built.
14 Dexter and Hannah
Dexter
Dexter Morgan may seem like a typical Miami forensics expert, but he is a deliciously evil serial killer with a code of only murdering other murderers who bypassed the system and got away unscathed. Hannah McCay is a beautiful and cunning woman who is just as complex as Dexter himself. A fellow serial killer, she is known for tricking wealthy men and stealing their money.
Dexter
- Release Date
- October 1, 2006
- Seasons
- 8
When they two meet, it is obvious that the darkness within them is what draws them together. Instead of trying to fight it or fix it, Dexter and Hannah understand one another in a way nobody else does. Their on-again-off-again relationship takes them several adventures and the love between them becomes tragically real. Dexter protects her by sending her away and fakes his own death as a distraction. Hannah eventually dies of cancer before the revival series Dexter: New Blood.
13 Rory and Jess
Gilmore Girls
When one brilliant and weird bookworm meets another brilliant and weird bookworm, you’d think they were meant to be. But in Jess and Rory’s case, that is not the whole story.
Played by Alexis Bledel, Rory was the light of Stars Hollow. Enter Milo Ventimiglia’s Jess Mariano, the brooding bad boy who moves into town and shakes Rory out of her shell. Beyond sharing their passion for classic books, Rory and Jess also shared a great sense of humor and had cute nicknames for each other before they even started dating.
Despite pushing each other’s buttons, it was obvious that they were the right fit. Their sporadic relationship had chemistry, banter, intellect, and heavy emotions. Rory inspired Jess to get his act together and Jess supported her ambitions. When Jess leaves abruptly, Rory is heartbroken. But she never stopped loving the one who got away. Even when he returns years later as a changed man and published author, it’s their missed connection that pulls them apart.
12 Sam and Diane
Cheers
A smooth baseball player–turned–bartender, Sam Malone, was played with gleeful charm by Ted Danson. On the other hand, Shelley Long vibrantly played Diane Chambers, a sophisticated academic who took the job as a cocktail waitress at the Boston bar despite not fitting in. The very definition of polar opposites, they argued as if they couldn’t stand each other.
Cheers
- Release Date
- September 30, 1982
- Seasons
- 11
But from the moment Sam and Diane meet, their battles of wits establish them as TV’s original, beloved, and somewhat frustrating will-they-won’t-they couple. After years of push and pull, they realize that their affection and respect runs deeper than bar room jabs. Vicariously living through their enemies-turned-lovers, fans were underwhelmed when they actually got together because there was nothing more left to explore. Either way, Sam and Diane shaped sitcom relationships.
11 Willow and Tara
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
For one of the most honest and early LGBTQ couples’ representation on a televised network to end so devastatingly was simply ridiculous. A shy and loving best friend, official sidekick to Buffy Summers, and a witch native to Sunnydale, Willow had magical strength. Also a member of the Scooby Gang, Tara was a rebellious and passionate woman. Together, Willow and Tara shared a love that was so powerful it helped them face fear and prejudice.
They were both going through inner battles and the weight of having to save the world, but as two formidable women in their own right, they taught fans about love and acceptance. After Oz left, Tara was the missing piece to complete Willow’s journey and fans waited eagerly for them to be the endgame. When, in season six, they reunite after a traumatizing fallback, the show’s creators take Tara out of the picture and leave Willow shattered.
10 Angela and Shawn
Boy Meets World
Cory Matthews’ best friend, Shawn, had a tough upbringing but a good heart. For seven seasons, he kept chasing what Cory and Topanga had, only to meet with a heartbreaking and complex end. Season 5 of Boy Meets World introduced Shawn and the audience to the smart and kind girl-next-door, Angela. The two actually had better chemistry than the main couple because of their shared interests and broken pasts.
Boy Meets World
- Release Date
- September 24, 1993
- Cast
- Rider Strong , Danielle Fishel , Maitland Ward , Ben Savage , William Daniels , Will Friedle , Matthew Lawrence , Lindsay Ridgeway
- Seasons
- 7
For two seasons, Angela was the only one who truly understood Shawn. She helped him become the best version of himself. Despite their narrative being TV’s most relatable and authentic teen romance, it was cut short when Angela broke up with Shawn, claiming she would inevitably end up hurting him. The series leaving their future ambiguous and reducing Angela to a “high school ex-girlfriend” in the spin-off series, Girl Meets World, disappointed fans greatly.
9 Brooke and Lucas
One Tree Hill
One of the most compelling love triangles in One Tree Hill was shared by Brooke, Lucas and Peyton. Ever since he joined the Tree Hill Ravens varsity basketball team in Season 1, Lucas had Brooke’s undivided attention, who would go out of her way to flirt with him. But Lucas, on the other hand, wanted to pursue her best friend and fellow cheerleader Peyton Sawyer.
One Tree Hill
- Release Date
- September 23, 2003
- Cast
- James Lafferty , Bethany Joy Lenz , Paul Johansson , Sophia Bush , Robert Buckley , Austin Nichols , Shantel VanSanten
- Seasons
- 9
Brooke and Lucas eventually developed feelings for each other, with Brooke going from being a high school queen to a deeply caring, independent woman, and Lucas getting into a near-fatal car accident that left him unconscious. What followed were some rocky moments in their relationship and a volatile chemistry that exposed the two to betrayal and hurt. Brucas ended when Lucas chose Peyton over Brooke. It is still a sore point for One Tree Hill fans.
8 Caroline and Klaus
The Vampire Diaries
The ancient, unforgiving, menacing vampire Klaus, brought to life by Joseph Morgan, harbored wounds that went deeper than his immortality and hybrid status. On the other hand, Caroline Forbes was an unwitting prey to a life of insatiable thirst for blood. She went from being a shallow cheerleader to a self-assured leader. Together, they two found the strength to see past fears and peel back layers of empathy.
The Vampire Diaries
Based on the novels by L.J. Smith, The Vampire Diaries is a story about the developing love triangle between Elena Gilbert and two vampiric brothers, Stefan and Damon Salvatore. Set in the town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, the show follows the trio from high school through college as they battle for one another’s affection.
- Release Date
- September 10, 2009
- Seasons
- 8
The ultimate will-they-won’t-they couple in the entire The Vampire Diaries universe, Caroline and Klaus were star-crossed enemies who fell deeply in love with each other. But the show never gave them enough of a narrative. From Klaus saying. “He’s your first love. I intend to be your last, however long it takes,” to the two getting the chance to reunite in their own series, audiences never really understood why their passionate romance had to end.
7 Ryan and Marissa
The O.C.
Ryan and Marissa were two of the main characters in the beloved Fox drama, The O.C. The former was a brooding bad boy and the latter was a teenager who seemed to have it all. But Orange County was prone to people hiding pain beneath the beauty and Ryan and Marissa were no different. They met in the pilot episode and hit it off immediately. But it wasn’t until the tenth episode that their platonic friendship transformed into a full-blown romantic relationship.
The O.C.
- Release Date
- August 5, 2003
- Seasons
- 4
Despite upheavals like Ryan having an illegitimate child with Theresa Diaz and promising to help raise him or Marissa going back to her old drinking habits, the two find their way back to each other. Sensitive and passionate scenes between them made their love stronger. But when Marissa is abruptly killed in Ryan’s arms by a drunken Kevin Volchok, it meant a tragic end to their chance at happiness.
6 Nate and Serena
Gossip Girl
Both Nate and Serena came from a powerful background, with beauty and wealth in abundance. Their relationship on Gossip Girl began with them having an affair, following which Serena leaves town because she didn’t want to upset her best friend, Blair. While it is no way to start a relationship, there is no denying the fact that Nate and Serena had more chemistry than any other couple on the show.
Their fraught history did nothing to harm their sincere friendship, and they helped each other weather the strongest and cruelest storms. Gossip Girl teases their relationship when Serena has her accident and Nate visits her at the hospital, but they eventually break up. Had the show let them rekindle their love, it would have been a love story that inspired all the Upper East Siders.
5 Lane and Dave
Gilmore Girls
TV dramas that suffer from secondary characters’ injustices are aplenty. One of them is Gilmore Girls, which sees Rory’s best friend Lane Kim coming into her own over the course of seven seasons. She lives for music, has a ton of CDs hidden on the floorboards of her room and has an intellectual worldview. Dave Rygalski, another musician who joins her band, Hip Alien, was not Lane’s first love interest. But he was a charmer.
Somewhere in the third season, Lane and Dave get together. Lane is still dealing with her strict mother. But as it turns out, Dave manages to impress Mrs. Kim (by reading the entire Bible in a single night!), who loves that he is so dedicated towards his music. It feels symbolic for two to have met and stay devoted. It was sad when the show did not even give them a proper breakup and just sent Dave to California, with Lane staying back to focus on her music.
4 Haley and Andy
Modern Family
Haley Dunphy was the oldest daughter of the Dunphy clan. Sweet, extremely gorgeous and sometimes out of control, she spent most part of the show exploring life’s ups and downs like any teenager (and later, a 20-something) would. Andy was her nephew’s babysitter. Caring and supportive, he brought an unusual charm and stability to Haley’s life for the brief period that they dated. Haley broke up with Andy to get back together with Dylan though.
Andy was the definition of a green flag. He adored Haley for who she was and was always laid back but fun. Their relationship faced mishaps because of Haley’s adventurous spirit, but it was always humorous. Haley even admitted that Andy was the first guy she ever truly loved. Fans were truly heartbroken when the two didn’t get to be together in the end because, clearly, the two were just like younger versions of Claire and Phil.
3 Dawson and Joey
Dawson’s Creek
Played wonderfully well by James Van Der Beek and Katie Holmes, Dawson and Joey have shared a profound connection with each other since they were children. Dawson simply wanted to understand life better and Joey was learning to land on her feet. She also had an insatiable crush on Dawson and was always overwhelmed by his presence. The two embraced their evolution into teenagers with each other, their chemistry being impossible to deny.
Dawson’s Creek
- Release Date
- January 20, 1998
- Seasons
- 6
Fans were convinced that Joey would end up with her best friend and lover despite the show going through love interests because it was the epic first love that redefined teen drama for an era. But showrunner Kevin Williamson had other plans. To Entertainment Weekly, he revealed, “To me, Dawson and Joey are soul mates. And then I kept thinking, one thing I’ve learned in my life is that my soulmate isn’t necessarily my romantic love.”
2 Barney and Robin
How I Met Your Mother
For four seasons of How I Met Your Mother, we witness Barney Stinson practicing his shameless tricks on women to get laid with them and then bragging about it to his friends. Brought to mischievous Life by Neil Patrick Harris, Barney’s character was simply irredeemable. As for Robin, she had had Ted be in love with her throughout the series, but somehow the two could never make it work.
In season 5, when Barney and Robin became a real couple, they had clashes and were trying desperately to get past each other’s walls. Ultimately, fans were able to see past their games and into their care and affection for one another.
From comforting each other to getting drunk together, their bond was just as profound as it was surprising. The show managed to turn our minds around and believe that Barney was Robin’s soulmate. Later, we had no choice but to mourn the disservice done to an epic relationship by the finale.
1 Alexis and Ted
Schitt’s Creek
Outspoken and outrageous, as soon as she arrived in the rural town of Schitt’s Creek, Alexis was on the lookout for a shoulder to lean on. It was when she began working at Paul’s veterinary office that she met Ted. Professionally a veterinarian, he grounded the adventurous and jaded Alexis with his kindness and patience. They started dating despite their differences and saw a couple of tribulations in their relationship throughout the show.
Towards the end, both Alexis and Ted had fallen into a healthy and stable place in their individual lives because they brought the best out of each other. Alexis’ journey from a socialite to a resilient businesswoman mirrored Ted’s own growth. Moreover, their palpable chemistry was off the charts. Which is why, when the two went separate ways, fans were more than disappointed. The portrayal was bittersweet and message but also quite beautiful.
