Have you ever finished a TV show and felt dissatisfied with how things played out? The anonymous gossip columnist isn’t who you thought it would be, the murder suspect was someone completely unrelated, and the couple that you’ve been rooting for didn’t end up together. While a lot of these endings make sense regardless of how viewers may feel about them, sometimes there are instances when certain pairings just embody a blatant lack of logic.
It’s clear as day why some couples on TV shows just belong with each other. Viewers have relentlessly invested in their journey season after season, watching them grow together and individually as their relationship pans out. So naturally, it’s frustrating when the show yanks them apart merely for impact or storyline progression. Let’s dive into an incredibly satisfactory rant on why these seven beloved TV show couples were done dirty and deserved to have fairytale endings.
1. Ted & Alexis | Schitt’s Creek
An accurate depiction of how getting ripped and sporting an f-boi fade can make any woman reconsider her feelings for the ‘nice’ guy, we start off strong with Ted (Dustin Milligan) and Alexis (Annie Murphy) from the critically acclaimed Canadian sitcom Schitt’s Creek. The couple had their meet-cute in Season 1, followed by an abrupt proposal, brutal breakup, and heartwarming reconciliation, making them one of the most shipped couples in television history. Throughout the series, the duo underwent significant character development as individuals and together.
So it’s no surprise that fans couldn’t help but have an “Ew, David!” moment when they didn’t get a happy ending at the end of Season 6. Their relationship involved adorable moments like Ted removing lice from Alexis’ hair and her cracking a dad joke when he was leaving for the Galápagos Islands. How dare the writers not let them be endgame!
Premiered in 2015, Schitt’s Creek was created by the dynamic father-son duo, Dan Levy and Eugene Levy. The show boasts six unhinged seasons filled with a hilarious cast, bizarre wardrobes, and the most sincere storyline. It takes viewers through the tumultuous life of the privileged Rose family, who lost their fortune due to managerial embezzlement in the family business, Rose Video. The series explores themes of family bonding, character growth, and celebration of life’s simple pleasures.
2. Fleabag & The Hot Priest | Fleabag
“Being a romantic takes a hell of a lot of hope,” — kill us now because this is brutal. The fact that Fleabag (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) and The Hot Priest (Andrew Scott) don’t end up together is possibly among the saddest TV moments ever. Save for the fact that The Priest is the only person on the show who sees Fleabag for who she is, the knowledge that they couldn’t be together even though they loved each other is unimaginably painful. When the chemistry with a man is so strong that just the word “kneel” uttered from his mouth can get one flustered, it adds to viewers’ empathic feelings toward the eccentric protagonist.
Seeing that The Priest could break through the fourth wall and get through to Fleabag as she finally opened up to someone was endearing. When he said, “I can’t have sex with you because I’ll fall in love with you,” one could feel the misery in his voice as he battled between his feelings for her and his relationship with God. Based on her one-woman show, Fleabag, a British comedy series created and written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, follows the journey of a free-spirited woman in London as she deals with being single, angry, and confused with the added burden of a dysfunctional family. The fourth wall break plays a significant role in the show’s unique storytelling style.
3. Serena & Nate | Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is one of those shows that gradually lost its spark as the story took ridiculous turns, the characters turned vile, and the ending left viewers feeling lackluster. The greatest sin of all was to have Serena (Blake Lively) and Dan (Penn Badgley) get married — which also hindered the path for Rufus (Matthew Settle) and Lily (Kelly Rutherford) to have a happy ending. Fans of the show would agree that Serena and Nate (Chace Crawford) were meant for each other, given their undeniable chemistry and healthy communication skills — not to forget their hot makeout at the white party that left audiences gaping in awe.
Their energies are perfectly synchronized as his compassionate and gentle nature bounces off her fiery and dominating spirit. The duo ending up together would’ve been the ideal course of action to portray character growth, and it doesn’t hurt to think they’d have had the most adorable blonde babies! Based on Cecily von Ziegesar’s novel of the same name, Gossip Girl is a teen drama series that premiered on September 19, 2007. The show consisted of six seasons and followed the privileged lives of upper-class adolescents living in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The series is filled with drama, betrayal, and everything in between, and it continues to appeal to young adults to date.
4. Phoebe & David | Friends
Every woman would love for a man to ‘sweep and throw’ them (if you know, you know). This may be a controversial opinion, but Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) and David (Hank Azaria) from Friends should’ve been endgame. His awkward and nerdy personality splendidly paired with her ditsy and downright eccentric wackiness. While Mike (Paul Rudd) was a decent chap who treated her right, there was forced chemistry between him and Phoebe. On the other hand, David was incredibly sexy in an educated way, which made viewers feel that he was a much better match for her in terms of vibe, character, and compatibility. Witnessing the duo together would’ve been infinitely more entertaining than watching Mike exist without impacting the storyline.
Friends is a cult classic TV show created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman and aired on September 22, 1994. The show boasts ten glorious seasons and continues to entertain viewers of a dynamic age range. The show stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer in titular roles.
5. Haley & Andy | Modern Family
Possibly the only thing Modern Family got wrong was to kill Andy (Adam DeVine) and Haley’s (Sarah Hyland) romantic storyline. After a painstaking journey of will-they-won’t-they, viewers were elated when the two finally came together and had the healthiest relationship, similar to that of Phil (Ty Burrell) and Claire (Julie Bowen). Moreover, their relationship embodied Haley’s character development, so something as trivial as distance hindering their dynamic was distressing.
Haley ending up with Dylan (Reid Ewing) takes away from her growth as an individual, and even the circumstances that pushed her to take that step were unfavorable. Andy pushed Haley to live up to her potential, and she, in turn, helped him gain perspective. In our heads, she leaves Dylan after a couple of years and finally finds solace in being with Andy.
Modern Family is a classic TV sitcom, created by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan. The show follows the lives of three unconventional family set-ups, interrelated through patriarch Jay Pritchett (Ed O’Neill). The series aired for 11 seasons and its final episode premiered on April 8, 2020.
6. Rory & Jess | Gilmore Girls
Rory (Alexis Bledel) and Jess’s (Milo Ventimiglia) relationship is the perfect example of ‘right person, wrong time.’ Gilmore Girls butchered the life out of Rory’s character as the seasons progressed, and she turned into an entitled, spoiled girl who had a long history of adultery. One could even say Jess was probably too good for her, but she is the protagonist, so objectively speaking, their dynamic would’ve worked wonders. He was the only person who could read Rory like a book and call her out for her out-of-pocket behavior. He shared her interests, was an intellectual, and helped her gain perspective when she was aimlessly following Logan (Matt Czuchry) around.
Of all her romantic interests on the show, Jess was the only one who truly cared about Rory — he even remembered her birthday when they met years later. She was probably the only person Jess said “I love you” to, which makes the whole ordeal infinitely frustrating. Viewers felt a rush of satisfaction when he questioned her decision to date someone like Logan, delivering the iconic “Why did you drop out of Yale!?”
Jess will always be one of the best characters from the show, and let’s be honest, Ventimiglia, in any form, is always a delight. Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, Gilmore Girls is a comedy-drama TV series that follows the life of the hilarious mother-daughter duo Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory Gilmore. The show consists of seven seasons and has received widespread acclaim for its chucklesome dialogues, humorous turns, and engaging drama.
Watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix
7. Na Hee-do & Baek Yi-jin | Twenty-Five Twenty-One
Ending this list on a strong but painful note with the lead couple in the K-drama Twenty-Five Twenty-One, Na Hee-do (Kim Tae-ri) and Baek Yi-jin (Nam Joo-hyuk). Viewers are still not over their heart-wrenching breakup, as even the thought conjures tears and angst. The duo shared what can best be described as the purest form of love in television history. Their gradual progression from friends to lovers to acquaintances was beautiful and unimaginably sad, all at the same time.
The duo’s labeling of their association as a rainbow was innocent and sincere. Their romantic relationship was filled with growth and upliftment. Even their breakup was poetic! There’s no reason why Na Hee-do and Baek Yi-jin shouldn’t have ended up together, and fans will continue to be bitter about it till the end of times!
Twenty-Five Twenty-One is a K-drama directed by Jung Ji-hyun that aired in 2022. The show follows the romantic lives of five characters from 1998 to 2021. It was one of the highest-rated dramas in Korean television history and is so impactful that it would take audiences a different level of emotional growth to have the strength to rewatch it. Also don’t forget to check out 10 most memorable reality tv couples.
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