We all love a good television romance. With that being said, most fans only ship on-screen couples if their backstory and chemistry are well written, making it essential that directors find unique ways in which to do this.
Unfortunately, there have been more than a few cases in which popular television series have included romance arcs that simply do not sit well with fans. In this article, we will be discussing 15 of the worst TV couples of all time.
George And Izzie From Grey’s Anatomy
If you build a relationship to seem completely platonic, sometimes it should stay that way. The director of Grey’s Anatomy clearly didn’t get the memo when he created a romantic arc for George and Izzie.
From the moment this romance started, fans were having none of it. To be fair, there have been so many connections in Grey’s Anatomy over the years that this relationship is merely a blip.
If you ask any long-time fan of the show what the worst pairing has been, this couple would definitely pop up in conversation.
Ted And Robin From How I Met Your Mother
For those of you who have seen How I Met Your Mother, you would know just how frustrating this pairing is.
The show spent a fair amount of time discussing why these two shouldn’t be together. However, after convincing fans that Robin and Barney are destined for one another, the show abruptly tears the two apart.
This leaves fans disappointed by having her return to Ted. This pairing is definitely one of the most frustrating on our list.
Rachel And Joey From Friends
The relationship between Joey and Rachel is just another example of why some TV friendships should just stay friendships.
Ross and Rachel were not the perfect couple. However, the show spends many seasons convincing fans that the pair are destined to be together.
For this reason, it was somewhat cringe-worthy watching Rachel and Joey’s relationship abruptly turn romantic. This romantic arc is the product of a lack of ideas from the producers.
Daenerys And Jon From Game Of Thrones
This romantic pairing was incredibly strange. The ending of Game Of Thrones was bad enough – however, this relationship just seemed like a means to an end.
There was no real chemistry between the two characters. The producers tried very hard to make it seem like Daenerys and Jon were soulmates, but fans just aren’t having it.
To make matters even worse, Daenerys is biologically his aunt, giving the entire ordeal a strange feeling.
Rory And Logan From Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls was an incredibly popular show that stole fans’ hearts all over the world. However, a few pairings made in the show just didn’t make sense.
Many fans debate whether Rory was better suited for Dean or Jess. With that being said, nobody really shipped her with Logan.
Even though the actor may be charming, his character fell short. For this reason, fans had a really hard time accepting them together. More so, the two characters always found ways in which to bring the worst out of each other.
Olivia And Fritz From Scandal
At the start of Scandal, this romantic pairing was everything. Fans loved their scenes together. The characters also got into a lot of trouble together, adding to the excitement of the romance.
However, as the show went on, we came to realize that the characters were pretty terrible. With that being said, they were even worse when put together, making for a difficult romance.
The pair always discuss their dreams of settling down together and starting a quiet life. Fans seem to think this sounds more like a nightmare.
Carrie And Aleksander From Sex And The City
Carrie had her fair share of faults. However, fans always believed that she deserved better than some of the men she dated.
Aleksander Petrovsky was no different. Even though the show tried desperately to convey their chemistry, it never really worked.
It was incredibly difficult to watch Carrie leave her city and friends behind for this man. It honestly just seems as though the two have nothing in common, making it an odd pairing.
Andy And Erin From The Office
The Office was a major success in its earlier years. However, as the show went on, it fell short in a number of aspects. For example, the romance between Andy and Erin just didn’t match up to the chemistry felt between Jim and Pam.
While it is admirable that the producers tried to incorporate another romantic story arc, this relationship just didn’t feel right.
The pairing just doesn’t have the same appeal or chemistry, making fans feel as though it is somewhat forced. While we do love the characters individually, they simply do not work together.
Dawson And Joey From Dawson’s Creek
At the start of Dawson’s Creek, many fans wanted Joey to end up with Dawson. However, as the show went on, we came to realize that she was much better suited for Pacey.
Dawson and Joey just don’t have the same chemistry as Pacey, and she does. For this reason, fans were never truly surprised or disappointed when she ended up choosing him in the end.
Joey and Dawson end up remaining platonic friends. Honestly, they should have stayed this way from the start.
Archie And Veronica From Riverdale
Let’s be honest, do Archie and Veronica actually have chemistry? Over the series, the producers seem to force this romantic pairing on us. However, the characters simply don’t seem well suited for each other.
Other than the fact that the two are constantly caught up in steamy scenes together, there is no romance. More so, it seems that they are constantly together – in the end, this began to annoy fans more than anything.
If they are destined to be together, the producers could at least do us a favor by forcing them apart for a couple of episodes.
Willow And Kennedy From Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Kennedy was an unlikable character. Many fans described her as bratty. This, in turn, led to a ton of backlash after producers paired her off with Willow.
Fans were unhappy after Willow’s previous girlfriend, Tara, was killed off. In order to appease the audience, producers seemed to push these characters together, even though there was no real romance.
This couple had the opposite effect to what producers wanted. Instead of making fans happy, they only grew to dislike the individual characters even more.
Tom And Anne From Parks And Recreation
Most fans still do not see what Anne saw in Tom. From the moment these two characters met, Tom had been pursuing her. For this reason, it rubbed fans up the wrong way when she finally agreed to go out with him.
The message this romance sends to fans is distasteful. More so, there is very little chemistry between the two characters, making the couple even more ill-matched.
On top of this, producers kept the pair together through numerous breakups. Pairing Tom and Anne together was definitely one of their biggest mistakes.
Dexter And Deb From Dexter
Like Dany and Jon’s relationship, this romance just had an odd feeling about it. Even though Deb and Dexter never actually got together, it doesn’t make her crush any less weird.
The two characters were raised as siblings. There was also always an awkward feel to the relationship due to the fact that the actors are actually divorced in real life.
While they are both very professional in what they do, their kiss was extremely cringey to watch. There are numerous reasons as to why these two should’ve remained platonic. However, once again, producers seemed to miss the memo.
Aria And Ezra From Pretty Little Liars
No matter how many episodes the producers spent trying to convince us that this relationship was solid, it always gave off a creepy vibe. The fact that Aria was underage when the pairing got together set this relationship up for failure.
To make matters even worse, him being her teacher gave the entire thing an inappropriate feel. It was also eventually revealed that Ezra knew how old Aria was when he met her.
This made fans dislike him even more. This romantic pairing was definitely one of the show’s worst decisions. Again, there are so many reasons as to why the two should not be together.
Alex And Piper From Orange Is The New Black
There is a fair share of fans who ship this relationship. If you happen to be one of these viewers, you may be upset by the fact that the pairing is included on our list. However, there are a lot of problems with their romance.
Their relationship is incredibly toxic, for starters, and the couple was forced together for far too long. We could see how much the pair grew when they separated. With that being said, the show ends with the possibility of them getting back together.
If it were real-life, the right course of action would be to keep them separated. Instead of sending a good message to fans about avoiding toxic relationships, the producers decided to go with the ratings.
Summary
It is important that producers properly develop romantic backstories in order to have them feel honest.
There are plenty of unpopular TV couples that put fans off of certain shows. A few examples include Rachel and Joey, Jon and Daenerys, Robin and Ted, and Dexter and Deb.
Also read: 20 Celebrity Couples Who Had Secret Weddings