Couples on TV Shows That Fans Couldn’t Stand
Some TV romances start with sparks and end with fireworks. Others start with detours, misunderstandings, and story threads that tie the whole cast in knots. These pairings often change the direction of long running shows, pull characters into new arcs, and reshape how ensembles interact week to week.
When these relationships unfolded, they brought new jobs, new settings, and new conflicts into play. They also created ripple effects that touched best friends, roommates, coworkers, teammates, and even political alliances. Here are fifteen couples that left a big footprint on their series, how they came together, how they parted, and what those choices meant on screen.
Rachel and Joey in ‘Friends’
Joey develops feelings for Rachel after years in the same apartment circle, which sets up a run of episodes where they try to date without unsettling the group dynamic. The attempt plays out around Emma’s arrival and puts Joey’s loyalty to Ross under a spotlight, with several scenes built around secret conversations and careful timing in shared spaces.
The story runs through late season arcs and resolves with both of them agreeing that the chemistry works better as friendship. The change restores the familiar living arrangements and holiday traditions, and it lands back inside the usual rhythm of the NBC sitcom schedule without breaking the show’s ensemble balance.
Ted and Robin in ‘How I Met Your Mother’
Ted and Robin meet in the pilot and begin a relationship that lasts through major milestones, including a long summer abroad storyline and a breakup that frames the end of an early season. They reconnect in fits and starts, crossing paths during career moves, family events, and the lead up to the wedding weekend that anchors the final stretch.
Their thread links New York landmarks and recurring jokes to the framing device of the story being told to Ted’s kids. The on and off pattern keeps intersecting with Barney’s arc and with Robin’s journalism career, and it remains a central fixture of the CBS comedy from the first episode to the last.
Aria and Ezra in ‘Pretty Little Liars’
Aria meets Ezra at a bar before the school year begins, then discovers he is her English teacher, which sets up a secret relationship that drives much of the early mystery. The couple navigates hidden phones, coded messages, and the pressure of a small town where everyone watches everyone else.
As the series expands, the romance weaves into investigations, family pressure, and career choices for both leads. The pairing moves through breakups and reconciliations and eventually a wedding, and it unfolds on Freeform, which introduced the show back when the channel was still known as ABC Family.
Dan and Serena in ‘Gossip Girl’
Dan and Serena begin with a chance meeting that bridges Brooklyn and the Upper East Side, then cycle through several reunions shaped by anonymous blog posts and family entanglements. Their relationship maps to school dances, internships, and scandals that pull in both sets of parents and siblings.
The final chapters reveal new information about who was behind the blog, which reframes earlier conflicts and explains several near misses. Their story threads through the core cast across all six seasons on The CW, touching storylines at school, at work, and inside the building lobbies of Manhattan.
Dawson and Joey in ‘Dawson’s Creek’
Childhood neighbors Dawson and Joey start with late night movie marathons and move into a relationship that spans school years, college decisions, and competing ambitions. Their stops and starts shape Pacey’s role in the triangle and shuffle friendships as everyone tries to stay close while dating within the group.
By the finale, choices about film careers and travel align the endgame for the main three. The resolution closes out years of small town settings and rowing dock conversations, and it does so within the teen drama slate that The WB built in that era.
Jon Snow and Daenerys in ‘Game of Thrones’
Jon travels south to Dragonstone to negotiate an alliance against the threat beyond the Wall, and the partnership grows into a romance that threads through battles and political councils. Late season revelations about family ties change the stakes and put their goals at odds with each other.
The relationship connects fleets, dragons, and Northern loyalties, and it reaches a turning point in King’s Landing during the final episodes. The story closes with decisions that reshape the map and the ruling structure, and it unfolds on HBO with large scale set pieces and winter locations.
Michael and Jan in ‘The Office’
Michael and Jan begin as a regional manager and corporate executive who start dating after a business trip goes wrong, which creates an awkward workplace environment for the entire branch. Their time together includes mandatory meetings, an infamous dinner party, and an office deposition that pulls HR into the mix.
The breakup leads to changes in Michael’s living situation and a long stretch of personal reflection that crosses over with Holly’s arrival. The romance is one of the show’s most detailed portraits of managers dating, and it plays out across several seasons of the NBC mockumentary.
Lorelai and Christopher in ‘Gilmore Girls’
Lorelai and Christopher share a long history as Rory’s parents, and they move from co parenting to dating after years of missed chances. Their marriage comes at a point when career moves and family responsibilities pull them in different directions again.
The end of their marriage clears the way for Lorelai to address unfinished business in Stars Hollow. The relationship connects Hartford society events with diner breakfasts and Friday night dinners, and it spans the original run across The WB and then The CW.
Willow and Kennedy in ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’
Kennedy arrives with the Potential Slayers and meets Willow at a time when the house is full and the city is under siege. Their relationship grows as Willow rebuilds her confidence after earlier grief and learns to control magic in high pressure situations.
Key moments include a spell that rewrites appearances and a mission to infiltrate a military facility, both of which test trust and focus. The romance plays through the final year of the series, which moved from The WB to UPN for its last seasons.
Olivia and Fitz in ‘Scandal’
Olivia Pope and President Fitzgerald Grant begin with a relationship that intertwines national politics and personal loyalty. Their connection drives plots about elections, media strategy, and security briefings, and it brings the Cabinet and the Supreme Court into the edges of the story.
Their status changes repeatedly as crises unfold in Washington and abroad. The arc threads through covert operations, campaign buses, and White House corridors, and it anchors several season finales on ABC.
Archie and Ms. Grundy in ‘Riverdale’
Archie’s first season storyline includes a secret relationship with music teacher Geraldine Grundy, which complicates the investigation into a classmate’s shooting. The connection forces Archie to choose between football, music, and telling the truth to his friends.
The situation ends when Ms. Grundy leaves town under scrutiny, which allows the show to refocus on the murder case and on the Lodge family arrival. The early plotline sets a darker tone for the town’s secrets on The CW.
Jack and Kate in ‘Lost’
Jack and Kate meet after the crash and take on leadership roles for the group, which puts them together during searches, medical emergencies, and negotiations with the Others. They learn to trust and then question each other in caves, in jungle hideouts, and in abandoned stations.
Off the island, they attempt a life that includes raising Aaron and then face a split as the guilt and the pull of the island return. Their story weaves through flashbacks, flashforwards, and sideways narratives on ABC, touching almost every major mystery.
Leonard and Priya in ‘The Big Bang Theory’
Priya visits from India and begins dating Leonard, which creates tension with the rest of the friend group and especially with Penny. The relationship fires up storylines about long distance communication, time zone calls, and apartment rules that test roommate agreements.
It ends after a discovery about boundaries and honesty, resetting the social balance in the building. The pairing gives the show a way to explore culture, family expectations, and career travel within the setup of the CBS sitcom.
House and Cuddy in ‘House’
Gregory House and Lisa Cuddy shift from years of professional friction to a romantic relationship that begins with a surprise confession and a change in House’s recovery path. Their time together influences hiring decisions, hospital budgets, and patient care as House tries to manage addiction and responsibility.
The breakup triggers one of the show’s most dramatic finales, which sends House away from Princeton Plainsboro and reshuffles the diagnostic team. The romance plays through a mature professional lens on Fox, with medical cases mirroring personal choices.
Andrea and The Governor in ‘The Walking Dead’
Andrea is rescued and brought to Woodbury, where she meets the town’s leader, known as the Governor. Their relationship develops as she searches for safety and tries to understand the true cost of peace inside the walls.
When the Governor’s methods come to light, Andrea attempts to broker a truce between Woodbury and the prison group, which leads to a final stand in the season’s closing chapters. The storyline maps power, trust, and survival, and it runs through the AMC drama’s early conflicts.
Share the pair you think changed its show the most in the comments.
