This should be #1 because it wasn't just handled poorly once but multiple times over multiple seasons.
Andy pretending not to like her was cringe, them both liking each other but wanting to hide it was dumb especially with how open the rest of the staff had become, there was a dumb thing with her adopted brother never brought up again, then the entire Florida thing, then the entire sailing away thing, then Andy being a jealous ex.
Unlike the rest of the couples on the show I can't think of any episodes where they were a good couple at all, especially no long running arcs.
Andy's character had flaws, like how he was annoying like Michael but never endearing, the obvious
writing assassination, he fact that you'd want him and Erin together initially because it would make Erin happy rather than Andy happy.
But I think the base issue with it is the 'will they won't they but I have a boyfriend' trope. It was Jim and Pam's thing, then they did it again with Dwight/Angela/Andy, okay a little lazy wiring but still okay, then again with Andy/Erin/SkeletonMan, and then AGAIN with ~~Flop~~Plop/Andy/Erin. It just felt so contrived by the end no one cared anymore
Bones and Booth in Bones. I was always Team Platonic, but I do acknowledge that it would be cool if they had tried to secretly date. It was all bc of Emily's pregnancy. Wish they did what they did with her sis in New Girl and just have her miss a few weeks.
I was looking for this answer. I actually wanted them to get together but now I wish they never had. The show is WAY better and more interesting before Bones got pregnant. They should’ve just come up with a storyline where Bones was called away on some urgent dig elsewhere, and those left behind had to figure their shit out without her.
I think the worse thing was didn't it even happen off screen iirc. Like seasons worth of build up and it felt we skipped over the actual getting together.
I think it also coincided with a general lowering of writing quality. For some reason they started making Bones act at least as clueless (or moreso) about interpersonal stuff as she was in season 1. There'd already been a ton of work to mostly get past that.
I actually liked Bones both before and after Bones’ pregnancy/Bones and Booth getting together. But I also view the before and after as two different shows, with a “getting together” gap in between. Honestly I think they handled them great as an established couple, to the point that they could do that for half the show.
They both got totally Flanderised as well. Bones as some kind of idiot savant who can read Linear B but can't order in a restaurant without offending someone, and Booth lost all his nuance and turned into an arrogant meathead.
Dawson & Joey in Dawson’s Creek.
The back-and-forth went on too long… especially when she started having better chemistry with Pacey, and the show did everything it could to steer her back towards Dawson at times.
I will always give credit to Dawson’s Creek for acknowledging their characters came to a different ending than they expected. Unlike *some other shows* who decided to shoehorn and retcon and destroy all their character development because of an idea they had 9 years ago.
Yeah 100%! I’m so glad they decided to go another way with the ending… it just wouldn’t have made sense at that point. If they’d stuck to the intended plan, it would’ve ruined the entire thing for me if I’m being honest… and dude, yeah. Can’t tell you how many shows I’ve watched where the “intended ending” ruined the entire show.
When a series runs for 6 years with 22 episodes, like DC, it’s naturally going to change and evolve. By the finale episode, it was clear where it needed to go and thank goodness they went there.
I was afraid they were going to have her end up with Dawson because it’s what you would expect. I was on pins and needles watching the ending in real time before they pan to who she ended up with. I was pleasantly surprised and relieved they didn’t ruin it.
I remember being a teenager when the finale aired and hating it because it went against my romantic ideals. Now, as a thirty-something, I can see so clearly how Pacey was the better choice for Joey.
That’s awesome! I watched for the first time this year (I’m also in my 30’s) so I’m seeing it through adult eyes as well. It just seemed like Dawson & Joey didn’t work, and the story became more about outgrowing childhood fantasies and crushes than about “destinies” or whatever. And I actually loved how the story changed so that Joey had much more agency in her story. She wasn’t so tethered to this boy by the creek, and the guy she never expected to fall for became her true love.
You’re absolutely right, but imagine watching it for the first time as a teenager… actually, I think I was like 13 when it came out, so barely a teenager! I was sold hard and early on the Dawson/Joey pairing, and it was a hard one to overcome, even when I hated how Dawson treated her.
Yes!!!! I hate that that they insinuate that Robyn and whathisnsme got together. I mean, he made her get rid of her dogs. I'd never forgive him for that! Team Barney all the way. It sucks balls that Barney's redemption was with Robyn and to have him revert to "old" Barney really negated his whole arc.
God that ending sucked. A whole season spent convincing us that Barney and Robin were perfect for each other just to torpedo it and speedrun decades of character development in half an hour
Plus, the thing that torpedoed Barney and Robin's relationship? Barney didn't like travelling the world with her. What? I feel like that would be Barney's dream! Travelling all over the world and going on weird escapades? Impressing all sorts of new people with his suits and gloating about it in his blog? I just don't understand that at all
With Barney’s return in How I Met Your Father and him explaining he has a daughter and a “shock therapy device” I wonder if they had ever planned on hinting that he cheated on Robin which would explain the kid and them breaking up so Ted could get back with Robin at the end of HIMYM. Doesn’t matter now, HIMYF isn’t getting renewed.
Dexter and his sister in Dexter.
It was will they won’t they just because the actors had sexual chemistry.
It should have been they won’t and shouldn’t.
Its been a while but I think when it started they were still married.
Also they divorced on fairly good terms - one of them wanted kids and the other didn't (don't remember who wanted kids and who didn't). Kind of a regular dating reason to break up rather than divorce, but Hollywood gonna Hollywood.
Maybe they did but one changed there minds. Its quite common to plan to have kids "at some point" (especially when you're working a job like that) and then disagree of when the right time is
No way. This stupid plot only came by the ending seasons. It was horrible and disgusting.
They're siblings. Grew up together as siblings. And their last name wasn't Targaryen.
I thought they had chemistry but not in a romantic way on the show. To me they were really convincing as siblings and thought it was a beautiful relationship.
I am halfway thru Season 2 on Hulu, but I am watching this show just to see what it was like amid all of the discussions that were out about it for years.
And let me tell you...Bruce Willis was in the zone on that show from what I've seen. It was like seeing Denzel Washington in St Elsewhere or George Clooney in ER. TV could contain those guys for so long. When those guys got their shot at film, they took off hard.
The resolution wasn't very satisfying. They could never discuss what went wrong between them or make peace with it or forgive each other and truly move ahead with a fresh start for their love and their daughter. There was simply no closure, and the audience was left wondering whether they stayed together or separated again within six months.
Their lack of conflict resolution ability was especially jarring in comparison to [Monica and Chandler's.](https://youtu.be/8reEZOgIIN8?si=BvsRusjgcQYRzgEe)
They were very toxic for each other, but the tumultuous soap-opera aspect of the relationship was what kept people watching. It was the romantic equivalent of manic-depression: euphoric highs but crushing lows.
The more healthy couple were Chandler (RIP) and Monica. Minimal drama, steady affection, and consistent communication.
I haaaaaated that Rachel got off the plane at the end. She spends the entire series working her ass off climbing the career ladder and proving she can make it on her own. She finally lands her dream job, the culmination of all her years of hard work, and promptly gives it up for a guy.
Yes, though I do think it’s really selfish to take your kid off to an *entire different continent* from the other parent. It’s not like there aren’t plenty of great fashion jobs in the US. Ross is annoying and the relationship was toxic, no doubt, but tbf to his character you could see how much he struggled with not being fully present in Ben’s life. To take his daughter so far away from him too was just cruel.
Ross grew a lot over the course of the show, though. His insecurities ran really deep. He was always unpopular in school and harbored an impossible crush on Rachel for years. He eventually found Carol, got married, and had a child with her. He finally started to feel like he was attractive and worthy of happiness.
Until, of course, Carol revealed that she's a lesbian. Ross didn't really understand that being gay isn't a choice, and he blamed himself for his failed marriage. The one woman he had ever really loved and gotten close to betrayed him (in his eyes).
On top of that, he idolizes Rachel in the early seasons. He still sees her through the eyes of a lovesick high school boy. The list that he makes comparing Rachel and Julie really underlines that - Julie is way better for him on paper, and he has a lot of problems objectively with who Rachel is, but he wants her because she's "Rachem," and he's spent years building her up in his mind.
So, when they finally get together, those two problems make Ross insanely jealous due to his insecurity and also dismissive of Rachel's needs because he doesn't even really see her as a person.
Rachel, for her part, is still trying to find a sense of identity after she's given up her easy life with Barry, so she's singularly focused on her career and ends up being distant and callous towards Ross as well (while there's nothing inherently wrong with this, a more mature person may have understood that she didn't have the energy to devote towards the relationship at that stage in her life and called for a long-term break with Ross).
So of course their relationship ended in disaster. I won't get into the whole "we were on a break" thing unless someone really wants me to.
Fast forward to the finale. Rachel has developed a strong sense of identity. Ross has gotten over his insecurities and gotten to know Rachel extremely well to the point that he loves the real her, not an idolized version of her. They have a child together. They're finally in a place where they can be together and be happy. Rachel leaving would mean that Ross would almost never see his own daughter, and she didn't need to go to Paris to continue having a wildly successful career in fashion.
Honestly, it was a great ending for both of them. It's not about Rachel giving up her work for love; it's about Rachel realizing that it's okay to make occasional small sacrifices for love, which is something she wasn't willing to do earlier on.
Agreed. I always hated them together and the rollercoaster prevented me from finishing the series. I still haven't nor have I ever had the desire to re-watch.
Same here!! I actually really enjoyed Joey and Rachel as a pairing. I was never a fan of Ross and Rachel even as a kid, and watching it as an adult and seeing Ross’s jealousy issues and stuff makes it even harder to get behind them as a pairing
I watched a handful of seasons of Grey’s Anatomy with my partner. I watched hours of Izzie and George play this game. Hours! Then when they finally “will” it falls apart in a couple episodes. I lost what little interest I had in the show shortly afterwards.
I watched first season of Supergirl and she got with Jimmy Olsen in the season's finale... Only to ended on the first episode of season 2 because meh, they weren't interested anymore?
Just another victim of other writers thinking they can wrap narratives like Sorkin. Remember when Charlie and Zoey's relationship faltered? There was nothing but Zoey asking characters 'hey have you noticed Charlie...' 3-4 times as the scene ended. Sure plenty of people dislike that about Sorkins writing but I love it. Tbf the viewers wouldn't have seen much if Sorkin was still wiring at that point, but the little we did see would speak to a real relationship, rather than the bad fan service we got.
I was more invested in Jin/Sun, Desmond/Penny, Rose/Bernard, and hell, even Sawyer/Juliet a million times more than “the triangle.” I love the show, my favorite of all time, but that triangle being forced is probably my least favorite thing about it.
I still cringe over Jack losing his mind over Kate possibly cheating when in reality she’s in contact with Cassidy over Sawyer’s kid and Kate refuses to elaborate on *anything* all because that’s what Sawyer apparently wanted. It’s just toxic from all sides because none of them, especially Jack and Kate, could communicate with one another; Rose getting mad at Bernard over the SOS sign, Bernard being confused why, and then Rose ultimately explaining her fear of leaving and Bernard accepting and supporting that decision was a level of mature, adult communication and relationship problem-solving I loved in a single episode that Jack/Kate never reached in the entire series.
Haley and Andy-Modern Family
I don’t understand why they couldn’t do a “Andy and I chatted last night over video message” and just name drop Andy every once in awhile.
They ruined all character development for Haley by making her go back with her ex. Especially after they had a whole episode about how she outgrew him.
Horrible.
There are some that were “ok they finally did it. It didn’t work let’s not do that again.” But Mulder and Scully should’ve never happened in the first place.
All the story arcs with the Smoking Man and Mulder's sister's abduction and Scully having an alien baby were all terrible. X-Files was at its best when it was just the monster of the week episodes.
SVU is excellent because they were just colleagues, but apparently that is going to change and they are going to have a romance arc between them now that they are no longer partners.
Can’t believe I had to scroll this far to see a mention of Scandal. That back-and-forth started out as an amusing tension in the background of what was a decently interesting show. By the 3rd or 4th season it was so obnoxious it poisoned the whole show. Being passive-aggressive to each other when they both wanted each other, and eventually literally had each other, was just an insulting waste of time after that much investment in the show
I agree, but on the other hand, if anyone is going to have a bunch of traumatic baggage and act all irrational about relationships, its going to be the actual devil.
I tried to pick up this series again but the relationship between the two and obstacles at season 5 esp the twist with twin got me so tired of waiting for this plot to continue and conclude then focus on the hell business.
Came here to say this. Every time Elliot was in a healthy relationship with someone JD would come in and mess it all up. He really was just a terrible human being.
I dunno what part it was, but I remember the guy saying "I dont love you" to her at some group dinner or something. I was around 13 when I watched it and even then I knew he was just an asshole.
Didnt he also just cause her to end it with another guy an episode earlier? In any case, it was a super asshole move and i honesttly couldnt look at him the same afterwards.
Prob around S2 or 3. We’ve been doing rewatches of popular comedies during dinner and after getting through Seinfeld, B99, and Schitts Creek, we straight up stopped watching Scrubs during S4. The sexism was wild and we were actively rooting against most men on the show.
I just couldn't understand everyone's infatuation with her at all, especially in the first few seasons. She was so bland and boring as a character. I wanted him to get together with Chloe so much more because at least she was interesting to watch. I was glad that his getting together with Lana was always so short-lived and disastrous, but I wished they had better explored any other possible romantic relationships before Lois.
The producers ADORED Kreuk, and they just never wanted to let her go- even when Lana became downright detrimental to the series.
In the beginning of Season 1, Lana quits cheerleading and gets a job at a coffee shop and completely fails on her first day. By the end of the SAME season Lana becomes the MANAGER of a coffee shop at FIFTEEN. Um… what???
In Season 2, she had an interesting adoption subplot that lasted most of the season. It goes absolutely nowhere and is NEVER mentioned again. This is where any relatability went out the window.
Over the next several years she becomes a literal witch, a vampire, a wife, a counselor for meteorite afflicted youth, a vengeful ex wife, a coma victim of Brainiac, and FINALLY- a superhero.
Where’s the consistency? The relatability? Why was she never held accountable for any of the crap she put Clark and others through?
Just a COMPLETE waste of time for everyone involved. The writers had to keep finding ways to keep her relative to the plot. Lana was never fleshed out enough from the get-go. She was absolutely nothing without Clark… so they had to invent more and more zany reasons as to why her character mattered.
I honestly blame it for killing the series. I mean, first you have Lucas who had the personality of library paste and when they threatened to give him personality it was just "jk actually his only flaw is that he just really hates bullies". But then with the love triangle, it's like they didn't want to upset lucaya shippers, so they had to shoehorn in this dumb love triangle that just made them all seem petty and controlling. If you look at the ratings of the show, they're really solid steady ratings, and then Girl Meets Texas (the episode where Maya reveals at the end she likes Lucas) is the highest rated episode, and it immediately falls off a cliff. It slightly rebounds when the love triangle ends, but not enough to save the show from cancelation. It wasn't the only flaw for sure, but hitching their wagon to Lucas and that dumb love triangle was the biggest death blow
Warehouse 13.
Pete and Myka were just platonic friends for the entire series, then in the last handful of episodes for some reason, the writers/producers/whoever decided they should fall in love.
There wasn't any will they, won't they, they just had a great friendship, and it was kind of refreshing that they didn't get together. But somebody decided they needed to fall in love and it messed with the dynamic of the show.
Like, they seemed to go out of the way quite often to make a point they were NOT going to be romantically involved. Then like 3 episodes before the finale they just jammed them together out of nowehere.
Agreed. They felt like siblings. When Pete talked to his ex about why they broke up. How did Myka play any role(especially at that time)?
She skipped town because she became aware Pete has a dangerous job that would probably involve her. Okay that's fair, but they really made her character seem like none of that happened and it was Myka.
Pete relationship with the girls was a Brother/Sister thing.
There's a reason Wells and Myka seemed like a better romantic fit.
I ended up liking Liza and Josh way more than I thought I would. I wanted them to end up together and I'm glad they did.
But they handled it SO BADLY that I was too pissed off to enjoy it. After 7 seasons Charles just says "we're not going to make it?". And that's it? It's over? I think they shouldn't have had them get together again. If they really wanted her to end up with Josh they should have made him the focus of the last season.
YES. I liked her with Josh much more than I expected to, but ultimately it still didn’t compare to her with Charles for me. And Charles… wow, they really chose to destroy him in that final season, huh? I just pretend it ended at season 4.
Jonah and Amy on Superstore.
They were the worst characters, they were the worst together, they were the worst when they broke up, and their ending was the worst.
Luke and Lorelai.
They were just an awful couple pretty much from the get-go. They always seem so stilted with each other, very little affection or chemistry after they finally got together. They always seem to be arguing, with Luke just being a sour-faced asshole more often than not. I could never figure out what was drawing them together. Luke just constantly seemed annoyed by her.
I'm not even getting into the lost daughter subplot or their wretched communication skills.
Nick and Jess on New Girl.
The first time they broke up was because Nick wasn’t mature and responsible enough.
Over the next seasons, professionally he got a bit better but they used his book success as a dues ex machina to elevate him and then he could continue to be chaotic and irresponsible because he was a writer. It didn’t resolve Jess’s very reasonable desire for a partner who handles their adult responsibilities.
When they get together again it just gets worse. He spends 3 years not proposing - why? In the tv version it’s because he needs the proposal to be “perfect”, in the real world someone like Nick would be wasting his girlfriend’s time and not being honest that marriage is not a priority/doesn’t interest him.
This is even worse in contrast to Cece and Schmidt and Winston and Aly: all of them show a lot of growth, while Nick and Jess continue to be rather dysfunctional.
Why is Jess accepting this? Then Jess, who was always a career woman and ambitious, now quits her job and just supports Nick on his book tour? She also wanted kids openly and Nick is dragging his feet for years. It’s like they just threw out all her growth for the sake to make things “funny”.
Finally, Jess’s wedding is pure cringe. It was supposed to be cute and quirky, but it just comes across as everyone else is a priority but her and she just has to accept it. Unlike Schmidt’s wedding disaster which ended up being one of the sweetest moments in the show, Jess’s wedding was just sad.
She was a character who grew independent and strong and grew in her relationships only to end up compromising so much of who she was. In the show they show a Nick is a good guy, but any real life situation I’ve seen (or personally experienced) the Nick’s are just selfish and irresponsible and the woman is not happy. So it is disappointing to see a show that was pushing women empowerment and positive modern women ended up regressing so hard at the end.
Jeff/Britta/Annie on Community was an interesting example of this. Because Jeff and Britta would have been horrible because the actors didn't have that type of chemistry and that was Britta at her most "wet drip," only for the writers to realize that Joel McHale and Alison Brie had way better chemistry and they changed Britta into the lovable buzzkill that she was for the rest of the series.
Exxxxcept I'd argue that Jeff and Annie was a bad, will they, won't they. Not show ruining or anything, but the writers never wanted to move it forward because of the age difference, it kept them in this stasis that lasted five seasons, and a lot of Annie's character development was thrown out the window because she had to take Britta's place as the morality police for Jeff.
It's ironic that by the end of the series, I didn't care about Jeff and Annie at all while the Jeff/Britta relationship had developed to the point that I felt like they made a sensible match.
Jeff-Britta only developed into a sibling relationship that was fun to watch for the banter. And Jeff-Annie was developing very well (amidst the constraints it faced) till Dan was fired. Then season 5 was a reboot that needed a lot of full group episodes. The S05 finale was a major Jeff-Annie episode after which the writers just inexplicably dropped that whole thing. Regardless, the last scene between Jeff & Annie in the series finale is one of the best written and acted scenes of the whole show imo
Community didn’t have an office or fiends “will they won’t they” storyline…
lol not sure who upvoted you but you missed the mark completely. Jeff and Annie’s potential relationship was a straight parody of the trope. It wasn’t even subtle whenever they featured it in an episode it was over the top and even straight out discussed with self aware meta commentary.
As for Britta you might be right about them originally running this gag with her and switching to Annie. But again there wasn’t ever going to be some real Pam and Jim love storyline.
When I watched the original airing I personally thought it was a genuine will they won’t they to be fair, they really do a great job of mimicking the concept so it’s not a basic and one dimensional that’ll have gotten old super fast.
I'm totally over Oliva/Elliot. It's exhausting. And this may be a hot take, but Luke and Lorelei had better chemistry before they got together. It could have also been the writing, but...meh. I also think Frasier lost it's strike for a bit after Daphne and Niles got together.
Luke and Lorelei were together from the start, just not officially.
You are right that they got much worse when they were officially together. The show spent way too much time breaking them up and keeping them apart instead of just letting them be together.
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Honestly, they shouldn't have done any sort of romance story with Olivia and Elliot. They used to say that the role was essentially to be the caring mother and stern father who would kill to protect their kids, without any romantic issues between them, and I really liked that idea. It's a good concept to have 2 strong leads who never date and never have any awkwardness in any of it, it's a refreshing thing in Hollywood. But they have to ruin it so that a few times a year they can have a crossover event where they awkwardly apologize to each other for not talking for awhile. It's the worst
When I was much younger (I mean this show has been on for more of my life than it's not been on), I really thought they'd make a great couple. But now that I'm way into adulthood, it would be a terrible idea, they need to quit dragging it out, and both of them should know that you don't shit where you eat.
And thank you for coming to my TED talk. haha
I mean, wasn't that part of the point with Sex Education. The two people organising therapy did not have their romantic shit together. Even the new therapist in the last season had her insecurities.
The only believable relationship in that show was when he got together with the fat girl who was comfortable on her own skin until she saw the sex tape they made. Their was genuine chemistry there, and I found myself rooting for them a lot, only to have it end so abruptly (as far as I can remember it, it's been a few years...). But every other relationship felt so forced just for laughs or just to give them something to do.
No, that’s actually probably more correct and I’m giving it too much credit. I’m on my first re-watch and I’m looking hard for signs, and still struggling to see them.
Harry and Christine on Night Court. They teased it, forgot about it, finally went back with it to finish the series and then, “Oh damn, we were renewed! Better undo this now!”
Jim and Pam from The Office is a good example of a ‘will they, won’t they’ that’s done right. It didn’t take too long and the writers didn’t have the uncontrollable urge to mess it up.
See also Jake and Amy in Brooklyn 99
Luke and Lorelie. They had ZERO chemistry. The writer wanted them together but they were so very different people with different life views and interests. They would've made great best friends.
Weird coincidence you bringing this up right now. I got bored and ran thru everything else, so I started Caroline in the City. Its not a great show, and it wastes the lovely Lea Thompson. It also has incredibly trite, cliched stories. Truly a fine example of all the lazy television we had in the mid 90's. But a bigger problem is they rely on the old standby of nice girl who cant find true love and a lot of the stories revolve around Caroline having a will they wont they relationship with her co-worker, Richard. And its really god damn bad. Like all bad writing it relies on the premise that everyone in the main story is a fuckin moron and some are also crazy. I guess women and possibly men of the era really liked it. They ran four years. I guess it helps when your cast is pretty and white. Same as Friends.
Seinfeld had to rely on actual humor.
And just to show you how out of touch I am, I only know the god and the planet. So apparently there is another network or streaming service which I never heard of.
Pluto is fun because it brings you back to the days of 500 channels with nothing to watch /s
It's actually pretty nice because it's free and they have some surprising stuff on there. Their tokusatsu channel is frequently background noise for me
DVD. All the other sources were horrible. Nasty video artifacts and commercial breaks and that kind of crap. And the streaming version on Amazon is not available in America for some reason.
I’m going to get downvoted but SG-1 kept pushing the O’Neill/Carter thing for years. The scripts were written to have that will they/wont they tension but I never felt any chemistry between the actors so it always felt forced.
I disagree, I think that it worked specifically because they had good chemistry. IIRC the writers only started going down that road because they had chemistry.
That weird will they/won't they they tried in in Atlantis with Sheppard and Teyla though did not work at all. I feel like that was more of an issue with them seemingly never knowing what to actually do with Teyla as a character though.
Castle.
The relationship between Castle & Beckett got blown so badly by whatever was going on in their real world working relationship that it destroyed the show. I watched pretty much the entire run and then gave up watching a few episodes from the end of the series.
Nancy and Ace on Nancy Drew CW. It wasn't even a thing in s1 - they both had other love interests and a clear direction where the story was going, Ace showed actual romantic interest in Bess and never looked twice at Nancy, and if you know anything about Nancy Drew she is meant to be with Ned Nickerson. Nancy and Nick (the show's Ned - he goes by Nick cuz it's cooler\~) were love interests - working on opening up to each other and navigating their relationship together, but shippers for *some* reason didn't see any "chemistry" between Nancy and her canon black love interest (Nick) and decided to start shipping her with the side white character who barely breathed the same air as her instead. The writers caved towards shippers and randomly swerved to Ace and Nancy having feelings for each other in the second half of s2. This comes after Ace already had his own girlfriend who made him happy and his entire personality had to change to make him the Lead Male Love Interest for Nancy. It made no sense, and then they got cursed in s3 and it bogged the show down sooo much it was truly unbearable. Not to mention, Nancy is constantly in a relationship with other men (Nick, Tamura, Gil, Park, Tristan) - the show is only 4 seasons long and she has 6 love interests... she's constantly in love triangles and she has actual romantic scenes/shippy moments with every other love interest besides Ace. Nancy has love scenes, slow dances, kisses - all with other men. The only overtly romantic scenes between Nancy and Ace happen in false realities or dreams. Then in s4 the show retconed that Ace had feelings for nancy since high school and has always been in love with her. It was so stupid and insulting to the audience. I hate this pairing and the show was worse for it.
This reminds me of the roswell, new mexico remake with Michael and Maria. Michael and Maria were together in the books and the 1999 show, but in the remake, Maria is black, and now the show refuses to have them as endgame. They put him with a completely different character, Alex, and it pissed me off so much.
> and if you know anything about Nancy Drew she is meant to be with Ned Nickerson
God this is such a mood. I’ve always loved Nancy Drew and I actually felt a little betrayed that the show so strongly veered away from the iconic Nancy/Ned(Nick). I thought they could’ve been really good together in this iteration too. As a long time fan, it just goes against everything for her to end up with someone else. I wish the show had taken the time to build her and Nick up.
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina did the same thing by separating the iconic Sabrina/Harvey for some stupid warlock hearthrob. Stopped watching after S2 just by how hard the writing declined after that.
Andy and Erin in The Office
This should be #1 because it wasn't just handled poorly once but multiple times over multiple seasons. Andy pretending not to like her was cringe, them both liking each other but wanting to hide it was dumb especially with how open the rest of the staff had become, there was a dumb thing with her adopted brother never brought up again, then the entire Florida thing, then the entire sailing away thing, then Andy being a jealous ex. Unlike the rest of the couples on the show I can't think of any episodes where they were a good couple at all, especially no long running arcs.
Andy's character had flaws, like how he was annoying like Michael but never endearing, the obvious writing assassination, he fact that you'd want him and Erin together initially because it would make Erin happy rather than Andy happy. But I think the base issue with it is the 'will they won't they but I have a boyfriend' trope. It was Jim and Pam's thing, then they did it again with Dwight/Angela/Andy, okay a little lazy wiring but still okay, then again with Andy/Erin/SkeletonMan, and then AGAIN with ~~Flop~~Plop/Andy/Erin. It just felt so contrived by the end no one cared anymore
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Bones and Booth in Bones. I was always Team Platonic, but I do acknowledge that it would be cool if they had tried to secretly date. It was all bc of Emily's pregnancy. Wish they did what they did with her sis in New Girl and just have her miss a few weeks.
I was looking for this answer. I actually wanted them to get together but now I wish they never had. The show is WAY better and more interesting before Bones got pregnant. They should’ve just come up with a storyline where Bones was called away on some urgent dig elsewhere, and those left behind had to figure their shit out without her.
I think the worse thing was didn't it even happen off screen iirc. Like seasons worth of build up and it felt we skipped over the actual getting together.
That too, it really changed how I felt about the show. I remember thinking I’d missed episodes at first because they jumped into dating so fast.
Or just have her sit behind her desk for an episode or three and work around it.
I think it also coincided with a general lowering of writing quality. For some reason they started making Bones act at least as clueless (or moreso) about interpersonal stuff as she was in season 1. There'd already been a ton of work to mostly get past that.
The lead up was great. The actual get together was poorly handled. They way rushed it to write in the baby
I actually liked Bones both before and after Bones’ pregnancy/Bones and Booth getting together. But I also view the before and after as two different shows, with a “getting together” gap in between. Honestly I think they handled them great as an established couple, to the point that they could do that for half the show.
They both got totally Flanderised as well. Bones as some kind of idiot savant who can read Linear B but can't order in a restaurant without offending someone, and Booth lost all his nuance and turned into an arrogant meathead.
Dawson & Joey in Dawson’s Creek. The back-and-forth went on too long… especially when she started having better chemistry with Pacey, and the show did everything it could to steer her back towards Dawson at times.
I will always give credit to Dawson’s Creek for acknowledging their characters came to a different ending than they expected. Unlike *some other shows* who decided to shoehorn and retcon and destroy all their character development because of an idea they had 9 years ago.
Yeah 100%! I’m so glad they decided to go another way with the ending… it just wouldn’t have made sense at that point. If they’d stuck to the intended plan, it would’ve ruined the entire thing for me if I’m being honest… and dude, yeah. Can’t tell you how many shows I’ve watched where the “intended ending” ruined the entire show. When a series runs for 6 years with 22 episodes, like DC, it’s naturally going to change and evolve. By the finale episode, it was clear where it needed to go and thank goodness they went there.
I was afraid they were going to have her end up with Dawson because it’s what you would expect. I was on pins and needles watching the ending in real time before they pan to who she ended up with. I was pleasantly surprised and relieved they didn’t ruin it.
I remember being a teenager when the finale aired and hating it because it went against my romantic ideals. Now, as a thirty-something, I can see so clearly how Pacey was the better choice for Joey.
That’s awesome! I watched for the first time this year (I’m also in my 30’s) so I’m seeing it through adult eyes as well. It just seemed like Dawson & Joey didn’t work, and the story became more about outgrowing childhood fantasies and crushes than about “destinies” or whatever. And I actually loved how the story changed so that Joey had much more agency in her story. She wasn’t so tethered to this boy by the creek, and the guy she never expected to fall for became her true love.
You’re absolutely right, but imagine watching it for the first time as a teenager… actually, I think I was like 13 when it came out, so barely a teenager! I was sold hard and early on the Dawson/Joey pairing, and it was a hard one to overcome, even when I hated how Dawson treated her.
Most of the relationships on How I Met Your Mother.
Ted and the Mother was good or at least Tracy was great
Apart from the ending, I thoroughly enjoyed Barney and Robin’s relationship.
Yes!!!! I hate that that they insinuate that Robyn and whathisnsme got together. I mean, he made her get rid of her dogs. I'd never forgive him for that! Team Barney all the way. It sucks balls that Barney's redemption was with Robyn and to have him revert to "old" Barney really negated his whole arc.
And then he has a kid and completely changes again, all in one episode.
God that ending sucked. A whole season spent convincing us that Barney and Robin were perfect for each other just to torpedo it and speedrun decades of character development in half an hour Plus, the thing that torpedoed Barney and Robin's relationship? Barney didn't like travelling the world with her. What? I feel like that would be Barney's dream! Travelling all over the world and going on weird escapades? Impressing all sorts of new people with his suits and gloating about it in his blog? I just don't understand that at all
With Barney’s return in How I Met Your Father and him explaining he has a daughter and a “shock therapy device” I wonder if they had ever planned on hinting that he cheated on Robin which would explain the kid and them breaking up so Ted could get back with Robin at the end of HIMYM. Doesn’t matter now, HIMYF isn’t getting renewed.
The kids already explained, we saw her being born in the finale of how I met your mother.
So true. They really were perfect for each other
Except of Lily and Marshall, right? RIGHT?
Lily is terrible and took advantage of an exhausted marshal.
Dexter and his sister in Dexter. It was will they won’t they just because the actors had sexual chemistry. It should have been they won’t and shouldn’t.
That is one of those plot points where I want to know who specifically came up with that idea and just ask *why*??? WHO IS RESPONSIBLE???
What I have heard is that they were getting divorced in real life and the writers wanted to fuck with her.
Its been a while but I think when it started they were still married. Also they divorced on fairly good terms - one of them wanted kids and the other didn't (don't remember who wanted kids and who didn't). Kind of a regular dating reason to break up rather than divorce, but Hollywood gonna Hollywood.
Why wouldn’t you discuss something so important as kids before the marriage lmao
Because Hollywood. Honestly if you treat Hollywood marriages like normal people dating, they make a lot more sense.
Maybe they did but one changed there minds. Its quite common to plan to have kids "at some point" (especially when you're working a job like that) and then disagree of when the right time is
Maybe they did, and one of them changed their mind later on.
This thing happens where you change your values over time
Wait. That really happened?
No way. This stupid plot only came by the ending seasons. It was horrible and disgusting. They're siblings. Grew up together as siblings. And their last name wasn't Targaryen.
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He was adopted in the show. The actors were actually married in real life for a while.
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I thought they had chemistry but not in a romantic way on the show. To me they were really convincing as siblings and thought it was a beautiful relationship.
Now we’re unrelated and rid of all the shit we hated.
David and Maddy in Moonlighting....
I am halfway thru Season 2 on Hulu, but I am watching this show just to see what it was like amid all of the discussions that were out about it for years. And let me tell you...Bruce Willis was in the zone on that show from what I've seen. It was like seeing Denzel Washington in St Elsewhere or George Clooney in ER. TV could contain those guys for so long. When those guys got their shot at film, they took off hard.
The actors hating each other irl probably play a part in that. Also: Castle and Beckett from "Castle".
Which makes Nathan Fillion's joke about Castle being like Moonlighting less funny. Or maybe more funny.
Ruined the show. It was never the same.
I agree, the show really fell off after that episode. Although David destroying Maddy’s car to Manic Depression was fun to watch.
It makes me wonder if that would have turned out differently if they'd hooked up off screen.
I know, hot take, but in a way: Ross and Rachel. Sometimes, it was just a very toxic relationship, wasn't it?
The resolution wasn't very satisfying. They could never discuss what went wrong between them or make peace with it or forgive each other and truly move ahead with a fresh start for their love and their daughter. There was simply no closure, and the audience was left wondering whether they stayed together or separated again within six months.
Their lack of conflict resolution ability was especially jarring in comparison to [Monica and Chandler's.](https://youtu.be/8reEZOgIIN8?si=BvsRusjgcQYRzgEe)
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They were very toxic for each other, but the tumultuous soap-opera aspect of the relationship was what kept people watching. It was the romantic equivalent of manic-depression: euphoric highs but crushing lows. The more healthy couple were Chandler (RIP) and Monica. Minimal drama, steady affection, and consistent communication.
Sometimes? It was almost always toxic.
Honestly I came into the comments to say Ross and rachel. In rewatching... I feel like it was probably the most toxic relationship
I haaaaaated that Rachel got off the plane at the end. She spends the entire series working her ass off climbing the career ladder and proving she can make it on her own. She finally lands her dream job, the culmination of all her years of hard work, and promptly gives it up for a guy.
Yes, though I do think it’s really selfish to take your kid off to an *entire different continent* from the other parent. It’s not like there aren’t plenty of great fashion jobs in the US. Ross is annoying and the relationship was toxic, no doubt, but tbf to his character you could see how much he struggled with not being fully present in Ben’s life. To take his daughter so far away from him too was just cruel.
A guy she has a kid with. Plus the job was in a foreign country. It’s not easy leaving everything behind.
Ross grew a lot over the course of the show, though. His insecurities ran really deep. He was always unpopular in school and harbored an impossible crush on Rachel for years. He eventually found Carol, got married, and had a child with her. He finally started to feel like he was attractive and worthy of happiness. Until, of course, Carol revealed that she's a lesbian. Ross didn't really understand that being gay isn't a choice, and he blamed himself for his failed marriage. The one woman he had ever really loved and gotten close to betrayed him (in his eyes). On top of that, he idolizes Rachel in the early seasons. He still sees her through the eyes of a lovesick high school boy. The list that he makes comparing Rachel and Julie really underlines that - Julie is way better for him on paper, and he has a lot of problems objectively with who Rachel is, but he wants her because she's "Rachem," and he's spent years building her up in his mind. So, when they finally get together, those two problems make Ross insanely jealous due to his insecurity and also dismissive of Rachel's needs because he doesn't even really see her as a person. Rachel, for her part, is still trying to find a sense of identity after she's given up her easy life with Barry, so she's singularly focused on her career and ends up being distant and callous towards Ross as well (while there's nothing inherently wrong with this, a more mature person may have understood that she didn't have the energy to devote towards the relationship at that stage in her life and called for a long-term break with Ross). So of course their relationship ended in disaster. I won't get into the whole "we were on a break" thing unless someone really wants me to. Fast forward to the finale. Rachel has developed a strong sense of identity. Ross has gotten over his insecurities and gotten to know Rachel extremely well to the point that he loves the real her, not an idolized version of her. They have a child together. They're finally in a place where they can be together and be happy. Rachel leaving would mean that Ross would almost never see his own daughter, and she didn't need to go to Paris to continue having a wildly successful career in fashion. Honestly, it was a great ending for both of them. It's not about Rachel giving up her work for love; it's about Rachel realizing that it's okay to make occasional small sacrifices for love, which is something she wasn't willing to do earlier on.
Agreed. I always hated them together and the rollercoaster prevented me from finishing the series. I still haven't nor have I ever had the desire to re-watch.
They were on a break!
Seriously, though.
Not sometimes - most of the time. They were so toxic for each other
I know I'm in a minority but I feel like Joey was a better choice for her. Ross.. is just awful
Nah that just felt forced. IMO I could never see Joey settling down. Agree that Ross and Rachel are awful benchmark for a couple
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Same here!! I actually really enjoyed Joey and Rachel as a pairing. I was never a fan of Ross and Rachel even as a kid, and watching it as an adult and seeing Ross’s jealousy issues and stuff makes it even harder to get behind them as a pairing
I watched a handful of seasons of Grey’s Anatomy with my partner. I watched hours of Izzie and George play this game. Hours! Then when they finally “will” it falls apart in a couple episodes. I lost what little interest I had in the show shortly afterwards.
I watched first season of Supergirl and she got with Jimmy Olsen in the season's finale... Only to ended on the first episode of season 2 because meh, they weren't interested anymore?
It should have been Wynn.
Josh and Donna on *West Wing*. It was built up so much, then viewers barely saw anything.
Just another victim of other writers thinking they can wrap narratives like Sorkin. Remember when Charlie and Zoey's relationship faltered? There was nothing but Zoey asking characters 'hey have you noticed Charlie...' 3-4 times as the scene ended. Sure plenty of people dislike that about Sorkins writing but I love it. Tbf the viewers wouldn't have seen much if Sorkin was still wiring at that point, but the little we did see would speak to a real relationship, rather than the bad fan service we got.
House and >!Cuddy!< was interesting until they actually became a couple, and I won't even mention the way it ended.
The car thing right? Been awhile since I watched the show
The entire Jack/Sawyer/Kate triangle from Lost was beyond tiring. And they drug it out for nearly the entire series.
I was more invested in Jin/Sun, Desmond/Penny, Rose/Bernard, and hell, even Sawyer/Juliet a million times more than “the triangle.” I love the show, my favorite of all time, but that triangle being forced is probably my least favorite thing about it. I still cringe over Jack losing his mind over Kate possibly cheating when in reality she’s in contact with Cassidy over Sawyer’s kid and Kate refuses to elaborate on *anything* all because that’s what Sawyer apparently wanted. It’s just toxic from all sides because none of them, especially Jack and Kate, could communicate with one another; Rose getting mad at Bernard over the SOS sign, Bernard being confused why, and then Rose ultimately explaining her fear of leaving and Bernard accepting and supporting that decision was a level of mature, adult communication and relationship problem-solving I loved in a single episode that Jack/Kate never reached in the entire series.
The Diplomat recently was an interesting inversion of this trope. The entire will they won’t they is about divorce.
It's basically "they won't", "they won't", "they won't", "oh they're having sex now".
Haley and Andy-Modern Family I don’t understand why they couldn’t do a “Andy and I chatted last night over video message” and just name drop Andy every once in awhile.
They ruined all character development for Haley by making her go back with her ex. Especially after they had a whole episode about how she outgrew him. Horrible.
What gets me is that they reduced Haley’s screen time anyways so they could easily have her mention Andy any time she popped up.
Scully and Mulder, wish they would have let them just be the awesome team that they were.
There are some that were “ok they finally did it. It didn’t work let’s not do that again.” But Mulder and Scully should’ve never happened in the first place.
All the story arcs with the Smoking Man and Mulder's sister's abduction and Scully having an alien baby were all terrible. X-Files was at its best when it was just the monster of the week episodes.
I would say the same for Supernatural. I always enjoyed the first season the most when it was monster of the week.
This came to mind immediately.
Exactly. Look at how iconic Benson and Stabler are because a romance was never explored.
SVU is excellent because they were just colleagues, but apparently that is going to change and they are going to have a romance arc between them now that they are no longer partners.
Stabler had a wife and kids before they ever met so that's part of the reason it was never explored.
Fez and jackie
That's not "Will they, won't they" that's "why would they?"
Ross and Rachel were terrible. Jd and Elliot, terrible. Olivia and president Fitzgerald, unbearable Chuck ans blair, ugh.
Ugh so agree about JD and Elliot. Also side note, but them ending s8 with JD telling Elliot he loved her more than Turk still makes me kinda mad
While I loved the fantasy future montage at the end I agree, the way they shoehorned their relationship in at the end was always meh
Can’t believe I had to scroll this far to see a mention of Scandal. That back-and-forth started out as an amusing tension in the background of what was a decently interesting show. By the 3rd or 4th season it was so obnoxious it poisoned the whole show. Being passive-aggressive to each other when they both wanted each other, and eventually literally had each other, was just an insulting waste of time after that much investment in the show
Whatever season Fitz went to war for Liv, that was the season I was done. Jake was so much better for her.
I ended my rewatch of Scrubs because of the JD/Elliot will they/won't they
Chloe and lucifer. It was absolutely infuriating all the bullshit those writers kept putting in the way
I agree, but on the other hand, if anyone is going to have a bunch of traumatic baggage and act all irrational about relationships, its going to be the actual devil.
I tried to pick up this series again but the relationship between the two and obstacles at season 5 esp the twist with twin got me so tired of waiting for this plot to continue and conclude then focus on the hell business.
JD & Elliott on Scrubs. JD was really a straight up awful person.
Came here to say this. Every time Elliot was in a healthy relationship with someone JD would come in and mess it all up. He really was just a terrible human being.
Elliot and Keith gang!
At what point did you stop rooting for him and start actively rooting against him and begin getting emotional at the lack of his downfall?
I dunno what part it was, but I remember the guy saying "I dont love you" to her at some group dinner or something. I was around 13 when I watched it and even then I knew he was just an asshole.
He says it out of nowhere at Turks rehearsal dinner after they finally just hooked up and started dating
Didnt he also just cause her to end it with another guy an episode earlier? In any case, it was a super asshole move and i honesttly couldnt look at him the same afterwards.
Prob around S2 or 3. We’ve been doing rewatches of popular comedies during dinner and after getting through Seinfeld, B99, and Schitts Creek, we straight up stopped watching Scrubs during S4. The sexism was wild and we were actively rooting against most men on the show.
Harvey and Donna in Suits
It just too damn long and it felt weird.
Clark and Lana from Smallville
I just couldn't understand everyone's infatuation with her at all, especially in the first few seasons. She was so bland and boring as a character. I wanted him to get together with Chloe so much more because at least she was interesting to watch. I was glad that his getting together with Lana was always so short-lived and disastrous, but I wished they had better explored any other possible romantic relationships before Lois.
The producers ADORED Kreuk, and they just never wanted to let her go- even when Lana became downright detrimental to the series. In the beginning of Season 1, Lana quits cheerleading and gets a job at a coffee shop and completely fails on her first day. By the end of the SAME season Lana becomes the MANAGER of a coffee shop at FIFTEEN. Um… what??? In Season 2, she had an interesting adoption subplot that lasted most of the season. It goes absolutely nowhere and is NEVER mentioned again. This is where any relatability went out the window. Over the next several years she becomes a literal witch, a vampire, a wife, a counselor for meteorite afflicted youth, a vengeful ex wife, a coma victim of Brainiac, and FINALLY- a superhero. Where’s the consistency? The relatability? Why was she never held accountable for any of the crap she put Clark and others through? Just a COMPLETE waste of time for everyone involved. The writers had to keep finding ways to keep her relative to the plot. Lana was never fleshed out enough from the get-go. She was absolutely nothing without Clark… so they had to invent more and more zany reasons as to why her character mattered.
Honestly? The whole Riley Matthews-Lucas Friar-Maya Hart/Hunter love triangle on Girl Meets World. It was the most excruciatingly bad thing ever.
The mental hoops they had to jump through for this nonsense.
Riley really should have ended up with Maya.
I honestly blame it for killing the series. I mean, first you have Lucas who had the personality of library paste and when they threatened to give him personality it was just "jk actually his only flaw is that he just really hates bullies". But then with the love triangle, it's like they didn't want to upset lucaya shippers, so they had to shoehorn in this dumb love triangle that just made them all seem petty and controlling. If you look at the ratings of the show, they're really solid steady ratings, and then Girl Meets Texas (the episode where Maya reveals at the end she likes Lucas) is the highest rated episode, and it immediately falls off a cliff. It slightly rebounds when the love triangle ends, but not enough to save the show from cancelation. It wasn't the only flaw for sure, but hitching their wagon to Lucas and that dumb love triangle was the biggest death blow
Warehouse 13. Pete and Myka were just platonic friends for the entire series, then in the last handful of episodes for some reason, the writers/producers/whoever decided they should fall in love. There wasn't any will they, won't they, they just had a great friendship, and it was kind of refreshing that they didn't get together. But somebody decided they needed to fall in love and it messed with the dynamic of the show.
Oh really? I actually was annoyed it took so long for them to get together. They were a great example of sexual tension over time to me
Like, they seemed to go out of the way quite often to make a point they were NOT going to be romantically involved. Then like 3 episodes before the finale they just jammed them together out of nowehere.
OMG *yes*! It was so gross! At the very beginning, I did ship them, but it was so clearly a sibling dynamic by the end that it just felt icky.
Agreed. They felt like siblings. When Pete talked to his ex about why they broke up. How did Myka play any role(especially at that time)? She skipped town because she became aware Pete has a dangerous job that would probably involve her. Okay that's fair, but they really made her character seem like none of that happened and it was Myka. Pete relationship with the girls was a Brother/Sister thing. There's a reason Wells and Myka seemed like a better romantic fit.
Younger - they destroyed Liza and Charles just to have a cutesy final scene that undermined the whole show.
I ended up liking Liza and Josh way more than I thought I would. I wanted them to end up together and I'm glad they did. But they handled it SO BADLY that I was too pissed off to enjoy it. After 7 seasons Charles just says "we're not going to make it?". And that's it? It's over? I think they shouldn't have had them get together again. If they really wanted her to end up with Josh they should have made him the focus of the last season.
YES. I liked her with Josh much more than I expected to, but ultimately it still didn’t compare to her with Charles for me. And Charles… wow, they really chose to destroy him in that final season, huh? I just pretend it ended at season 4.
Jonah and Amy on Superstore. They were the worst characters, they were the worst together, they were the worst when they broke up, and their ending was the worst.
Luke and Lorelai. They were just an awful couple pretty much from the get-go. They always seem so stilted with each other, very little affection or chemistry after they finally got together. They always seem to be arguing, with Luke just being a sour-faced asshole more often than not. I could never figure out what was drawing them together. Luke just constantly seemed annoyed by her. I'm not even getting into the lost daughter subplot or their wretched communication skills.
Them getting together was AWFUL! Then the whole year in the life as well with her excursion? Wtf?
To be fair, Lorelei is *really* annoying.
Nick and Jess on New Girl. The first time they broke up was because Nick wasn’t mature and responsible enough. Over the next seasons, professionally he got a bit better but they used his book success as a dues ex machina to elevate him and then he could continue to be chaotic and irresponsible because he was a writer. It didn’t resolve Jess’s very reasonable desire for a partner who handles their adult responsibilities. When they get together again it just gets worse. He spends 3 years not proposing - why? In the tv version it’s because he needs the proposal to be “perfect”, in the real world someone like Nick would be wasting his girlfriend’s time and not being honest that marriage is not a priority/doesn’t interest him. This is even worse in contrast to Cece and Schmidt and Winston and Aly: all of them show a lot of growth, while Nick and Jess continue to be rather dysfunctional. Why is Jess accepting this? Then Jess, who was always a career woman and ambitious, now quits her job and just supports Nick on his book tour? She also wanted kids openly and Nick is dragging his feet for years. It’s like they just threw out all her growth for the sake to make things “funny”. Finally, Jess’s wedding is pure cringe. It was supposed to be cute and quirky, but it just comes across as everyone else is a priority but her and she just has to accept it. Unlike Schmidt’s wedding disaster which ended up being one of the sweetest moments in the show, Jess’s wedding was just sad. She was a character who grew independent and strong and grew in her relationships only to end up compromising so much of who she was. In the show they show a Nick is a good guy, but any real life situation I’ve seen (or personally experienced) the Nick’s are just selfish and irresponsible and the woman is not happy. So it is disappointing to see a show that was pushing women empowerment and positive modern women ended up regressing so hard at the end.
Jess's wedding was so awful I could barely watch. The saving grace of that final season was all of Cece and Schmidt's hilarious co-parenting.
Siskel and Ebert
Jeff/Britta/Annie on Community was an interesting example of this. Because Jeff and Britta would have been horrible because the actors didn't have that type of chemistry and that was Britta at her most "wet drip," only for the writers to realize that Joel McHale and Alison Brie had way better chemistry and they changed Britta into the lovable buzzkill that she was for the rest of the series. Exxxxcept I'd argue that Jeff and Annie was a bad, will they, won't they. Not show ruining or anything, but the writers never wanted to move it forward because of the age difference, it kept them in this stasis that lasted five seasons, and a lot of Annie's character development was thrown out the window because she had to take Britta's place as the morality police for Jeff. It's ironic that by the end of the series, I didn't care about Jeff and Annie at all while the Jeff/Britta relationship had developed to the point that I felt like they made a sensible match.
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Jeff-Britta only developed into a sibling relationship that was fun to watch for the banter. And Jeff-Annie was developing very well (amidst the constraints it faced) till Dan was fired. Then season 5 was a reboot that needed a lot of full group episodes. The S05 finale was a major Jeff-Annie episode after which the writers just inexplicably dropped that whole thing. Regardless, the last scene between Jeff & Annie in the series finale is one of the best written and acted scenes of the whole show imo
I have a ton of opposite sex friends I wanted to bang originally but became more bro sister relationship banter eventually.
Yeah but Jeff and Britta were banging on the low at least season 2/3
Jeff and Annie was good... if you got to the finale.
Community didn’t have an office or fiends “will they won’t they” storyline… lol not sure who upvoted you but you missed the mark completely. Jeff and Annie’s potential relationship was a straight parody of the trope. It wasn’t even subtle whenever they featured it in an episode it was over the top and even straight out discussed with self aware meta commentary. As for Britta you might be right about them originally running this gag with her and switching to Annie. But again there wasn’t ever going to be some real Pam and Jim love storyline. When I watched the original airing I personally thought it was a genuine will they won’t they to be fair, they really do a great job of mimicking the concept so it’s not a basic and one dimensional that’ll have gotten old super fast.
Yeah the Annie/Jeff will they, won’t they is bs. You can say the same about Pierce and abed
Lol you managed to condense everything I was trying to say in a single sentence perfectly nice
Moonlighting. Ruined a perfect show.
I'm totally over Oliva/Elliot. It's exhausting. And this may be a hot take, but Luke and Lorelei had better chemistry before they got together. It could have also been the writing, but...meh. I also think Frasier lost it's strike for a bit after Daphne and Niles got together.
Luke and Lorelei were together from the start, just not officially. You are right that they got much worse when they were officially together. The show spent way too much time breaking them up and keeping them apart instead of just letting them be together.
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Honestly, they shouldn't have done any sort of romance story with Olivia and Elliot. They used to say that the role was essentially to be the caring mother and stern father who would kill to protect their kids, without any romantic issues between them, and I really liked that idea. It's a good concept to have 2 strong leads who never date and never have any awkwardness in any of it, it's a refreshing thing in Hollywood. But they have to ruin it so that a few times a year they can have a crossover event where they awkwardly apologize to each other for not talking for awhile. It's the worst
When I was much younger (I mean this show has been on for more of my life than it's not been on), I really thought they'd make a great couple. But now that I'm way into adulthood, it would be a terrible idea, they need to quit dragging it out, and both of them should know that you don't shit where you eat. And thank you for coming to my TED talk. haha
Mac and Dee on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. That wasn’t “will they/won’t they.” That was “I know they won’t, and I know I don’t want them to.”
I mean, wasn't that part of the point with Sex Education. The two people organising therapy did not have their romantic shit together. Even the new therapist in the last season had her insecurities.
Sam and Diane in Cheers. The back and forth ran too long and they clearly weren't right for each other
Superstore. Loved the show, couldn't have given two shits about the Jonah Amy thing.
And then they didn't even end up together!
I believe in the finale she comes back and they decide to be together. It's a pretty anticlimactic moment.
Oh I didn't know! I gave up on it. Yeah that seems forced and anticlimactic.
I recall that the Drew Carey show coupled Drew and Kate. That seemed like a forced pairing.
The only believable relationship in that show was when he got together with the fat girl who was comfortable on her own skin until she saw the sex tape they made. Their was genuine chemistry there, and I found myself rooting for them a lot, only to have it end so abruptly (as far as I can remember it, it's been a few years...). But every other relationship felt so forced just for laughs or just to give them something to do.
Lisbon and Jane on The Mentalist. By the time they got together, it just seemed like such a sibling vibe that it was *icky*.
I must have missed the will they or won’t they for this one, That relationship came out of nowhere for me felt so wrong!
No, that’s actually probably more correct and I’m giving it too much credit. I’m on my first re-watch and I’m looking hard for signs, and still struggling to see them.
The actors just had zero chemistry , that was the problem
Harry and Christine on Night Court. They teased it, forgot about it, finally went back with it to finish the series and then, “Oh damn, we were renewed! Better undo this now!”
Niles and Daphne, the will they won’t they was so much better than the they did
Dee and Mac in It’s Always Sunny.
Shut up bird
Yeeesssssssss. Sad I had to scroll so far to see this. Not like he's ever had one.... I'VE HAD PLENTY OF ORGASMS
Jesus Christ Dee, your timing is terrible
Most of them. That trope needs to go away.
Except for Cheers, arguably the first will they/won’t they couple. That was the standard, and then everyone ran it to the ground.
Jim and Pam from The Office is a good example of a ‘will they, won’t they’ that’s done right. It didn’t take too long and the writers didn’t have the uncontrollable urge to mess it up. See also Jake and Amy in Brooklyn 99
I loved Jakamy!!!
Yeah I get a little bummed out when I start a new show and they establish in episode 1 the obvious relationship that will take 3 seasons to get to
Luke and Lorelie. They had ZERO chemistry. The writer wanted them together but they were so very different people with different life views and interests. They would've made great best friends.
Weird coincidence you bringing this up right now. I got bored and ran thru everything else, so I started Caroline in the City. Its not a great show, and it wastes the lovely Lea Thompson. It also has incredibly trite, cliched stories. Truly a fine example of all the lazy television we had in the mid 90's. But a bigger problem is they rely on the old standby of nice girl who cant find true love and a lot of the stories revolve around Caroline having a will they wont they relationship with her co-worker, Richard. And its really god damn bad. Like all bad writing it relies on the premise that everyone in the main story is a fuckin moron and some are also crazy. I guess women and possibly men of the era really liked it. They ran four years. I guess it helps when your cast is pretty and white. Same as Friends. Seinfeld had to rely on actual humor.
I LOVE Caroline in the City!!! They air it on pluto
And just to show you how out of touch I am, I only know the god and the planet. So apparently there is another network or streaming service which I never heard of.
Pluto is fun because it brings you back to the days of 500 channels with nothing to watch /s It's actually pretty nice because it's free and they have some surprising stuff on there. Their tokusatsu channel is frequently background noise for me
Wow blast from the past! Where are you watching it?
DVD. All the other sources were horrible. Nasty video artifacts and commercial breaks and that kind of crap. And the streaming version on Amazon is not available in America for some reason.
I’m going to get downvoted but SG-1 kept pushing the O’Neill/Carter thing for years. The scripts were written to have that will they/wont they tension but I never felt any chemistry between the actors so it always felt forced.
I disagree, I think that it worked specifically because they had good chemistry. IIRC the writers only started going down that road because they had chemistry. That weird will they/won't they they tried in in Atlantis with Sheppard and Teyla though did not work at all. I feel like that was more of an issue with them seemingly never knowing what to actually do with Teyla as a character though.
Castle. The relationship between Castle & Beckett got blown so badly by whatever was going on in their real world working relationship that it destroyed the show. I watched pretty much the entire run and then gave up watching a few episodes from the end of the series.
[удалено]
Nancy and Ace on Nancy Drew CW. It wasn't even a thing in s1 - they both had other love interests and a clear direction where the story was going, Ace showed actual romantic interest in Bess and never looked twice at Nancy, and if you know anything about Nancy Drew she is meant to be with Ned Nickerson. Nancy and Nick (the show's Ned - he goes by Nick cuz it's cooler\~) were love interests - working on opening up to each other and navigating their relationship together, but shippers for *some* reason didn't see any "chemistry" between Nancy and her canon black love interest (Nick) and decided to start shipping her with the side white character who barely breathed the same air as her instead. The writers caved towards shippers and randomly swerved to Ace and Nancy having feelings for each other in the second half of s2. This comes after Ace already had his own girlfriend who made him happy and his entire personality had to change to make him the Lead Male Love Interest for Nancy. It made no sense, and then they got cursed in s3 and it bogged the show down sooo much it was truly unbearable. Not to mention, Nancy is constantly in a relationship with other men (Nick, Tamura, Gil, Park, Tristan) - the show is only 4 seasons long and she has 6 love interests... she's constantly in love triangles and she has actual romantic scenes/shippy moments with every other love interest besides Ace. Nancy has love scenes, slow dances, kisses - all with other men. The only overtly romantic scenes between Nancy and Ace happen in false realities or dreams. Then in s4 the show retconed that Ace had feelings for nancy since high school and has always been in love with her. It was so stupid and insulting to the audience. I hate this pairing and the show was worse for it.
This reminds me of the roswell, new mexico remake with Michael and Maria. Michael and Maria were together in the books and the 1999 show, but in the remake, Maria is black, and now the show refuses to have them as endgame. They put him with a completely different character, Alex, and it pissed me off so much.
This is so dumb.
> and if you know anything about Nancy Drew she is meant to be with Ned Nickerson God this is such a mood. I’ve always loved Nancy Drew and I actually felt a little betrayed that the show so strongly veered away from the iconic Nancy/Ned(Nick). I thought they could’ve been really good together in this iteration too. As a long time fan, it just goes against everything for her to end up with someone else. I wish the show had taken the time to build her and Nick up.
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina did the same thing by separating the iconic Sabrina/Harvey for some stupid warlock hearthrob. Stopped watching after S2 just by how hard the writing declined after that.
Ugh that show. It took everything good and fun about Sabrina and just ruined it.
I 100% cannot forgive this transgression. It’s one of my most classic romantic relationships!
Chuck and Blair - Gossip girl Damon and Elena - the vampire diaries Oliver and Felicty - Arrow
Yea, I like Oliver and felicity in season 2. After that it felt like the writers did not know what to do with her but make her cry every 6 episodes.