Sometimes, it is downright frustrating for TV fans towitness two characters with undeniable chemistryfail to ride off into the sunset together. After seasons of subtle flirtations, witty banter loaded with innuendo, longing glances, and moments of heavy sexual tension, certain TVromanticcouples just don’t end up together. Turns out, for every Ross and Rachel that finally utter those three magical words, there are a dozen couples that never make the leap from friends to more than friends.
Sitcoms and long-running dramas with ensemble casts love to tease viewers by pairing the characters up with different love interests over the years. Through it all, a single duo just seems tofit in like a power couple. But more often than not, the writers and showrunners simply do not intend for them to be the endgame. In justifying the same, they add countless artificial obstacles or never make the characters communicate how they really feel.
When it is time for the series finale and the tension is left maddeningly unresolved, fans are left wondering what might have happened if the story of their favorite almost-couple had continued. In this list, we are counting down 20 pairs from your beloved TV shows that drove you wild with their chemistry and came painfully close to “making it” but, for some reason or another, never ended up together.
20Emily and Maya
Pretty Little Liars
Shay Mitchell and Bianca Lawson played Emily and Maya, two regular high school girls with contrasting interests. Emily is the “jock” among the group of liars, a competitive swimmer who discovers her sexuality after meeting Maya, the carefree new girl in town. Maya was also Emily’s first girlfriend and her first love. From their first official date at the Rosewood Movie Theater to Maya being sent to rehabilitation, the two had several forces acting against them.
None were as strong as the writers and creators ofPretty Little Liars, who decided to kill Maya off in the third season at the hands of her crazy stalker ex-boyfriend. Emily manages to get revenge, but it still leaves a bitter taste because none of Emily’s future relationships come even close to being as magnetic and deserving.
19Logan and Veronica
Veronica Mars
InVeronica Mars, Logan is a rich, tough guy from the wrong side of the tracks, living his best life in California. Played by Jason Dohring, Logan has a bad boy reputation but a softer side that he only lets Veronica see.Kristen Bell’s most memorablebreakthrough character was a smart and fearless private investigator. Despite their constant clashes, it is obvious that Veronica evokes a protective side of Logan, and she sees past his actions into the person within.
At first, Logan and Veronica torture each other with insults and pranks. But over the seasons, they survive high school, challenging military schedules, family troubles and so much more. Showrunner Rob Thomas, however, had something else in mind.
ToThe Hollywood Reporter, he explained, “I would have been happy to land on them being married and living happily ever after. But our hope is that we get to tell more Veronica Mars mysteries. And doing that with a boyfriend or a husband just felt less interesting, less sexy, less noir.” Isn’t it ridiculous that a TV couple with the ship name ‘LoVe’ does not end up together?
18Eve and Villanelle
Killing Eve
Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer shared a beautiful yet psychotic relationship with each other. The former was a bored British intelligence analyst assigned with one big task and the latter was an assassin who enjoyed toying with her prey… and Eve. She even left her gruesome presents every now and then, which fans took as a sign of her affection.
From their first encounter, the two women displayed intoxicating chemistry. They were so obsessed that they stalked each other across the globe. Each confrontation elevated their desires and transformed their erotic tension into a twisted yet utterly compelling dynamic fans could not get enough of. After sharing three-and-a-half years’ worth of elaborate and difficult relationship, Eve and Villanelle shared a kiss but the finale decided to steer away from the books and kill Villanelle.
Related:Killing Eve: Eve & Villanelle’s Toxic Dynamic, Explained
17Glenn and Maggie
The Walking Dead
The Walking Deadran for over a decade and featured a large ensemble cast who played the roles ofsurvivors stuck in a zombie apocalypse, living under constant threat of being attacked by the undead, also known as “walkers.” Before he was thrust into a life of survival, Glenn was a pizza delivery boy, always bright and resourceful. Maggie, also strong and independent, was the eldest daughter of the Greene family.
Based on one of the most successful and popular comic books of all time, AMC’s The Walking Dead captures the ongoing human drama following a zombie apocalypse. The series, developed for television by Frank Darabont, follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), who are traveling in search of a safe and secure home. However, instead of the zombies, it is the living who remain that truly become the walking dead. The Walking Dead lasted for eleven seasons and spawned several spinoff shows, such as Fear the Walking Dead and The Walking Dead: World Beyond.
Glenn and Maggie, like many couples on this list, initially clash and then warm to the other’s spirit. They battle with the zombies and each other but find comfort in their growing closeness.
The pair’s healthy relationship was one of the reasons whyThe Walking Deadwas so widely popular. They got married, built a life together and became parents in Alexandria before moving to the Hilltop for a safer future. But the show tore Maggie away from Glenn’s arms and didn’t let them live happily ever after.
16Ned and Chuck
Pushing Daisies
Created by Bryan Fuller for ABC,Pushing Daisiesis an unusually impressive comedy drama about a young pie-maker who has the ability to bring dead things to life with his touch, and he uses the ability to solve murder cases. The protagonist, Ned, is played by Lee Pace. He gives Chuck, his childhood crush, a second chance at life by reviving her. Even though it means that Chuck must never be touched again, they fall in love.
With a premise that comes with stipulations, their love was bound to fail. But Ned and Chuck shared such a gorgeous, playful and romantic chemistry that it was impossible not to hope for a fairy tale ending. Loopholes in Ned’s plan to let Chuck remain alive denied them happiness and to make matters worse, the show ended on a cliffhanger.
15Clarke and Lexa
Portrayed onThe 100by Eliza Taylor and recurring cast member Alycia Debnam-Carey, Clarke and Griffin and Lexa started off as enemies. There was an ongoing war between Clarke’s people and Lexa’s people for the better part of season one and season two before Clarke approached Lexa, waved the white flag and called a truce. Both women had to forge an alliance in order to protect their clans, which made them alike.
Their tentative start stopped them from growing close because Clarke wasn’t over Finn’s death, which was ordered by Lexa. But as they navigated threats, battle and politics, the animosity between them faded and they found trust and purpose. Naturally, the fandom was thrilled. An amazing arc was treated unjustlywhen Lexa was killed offand fans were left wondering what empires they could have built.
14Dexter and Hannah
Dexter Morgan may seem like a typical Miami forensics expert, but he is a deliciously evil serial killer with a code of only murdering other murderers who bypassed the system and got away unscathed. Hannah McCay is a beautiful and cunning woman who isjust as complex as Dexter himself. A fellow serial killer, she is known for tricking wealthy men and stealing their money.
When they two meet, it is obvious that the darkness within them is what draws them together. Instead of trying to fight it or fix it, Dexter and Hannah understand one another in a way nobody else does. Their on-again-off-again relationship takes them several adventures and the love between them becomes tragically real. Dexter protects her by sending her away and fakes his own death as a distraction. Hannah eventually dies of cancer before the revival seriesDexter: New Blood.
13Rory and Jess
Gilmore Girls
When one brilliant and weird bookworm meets another brilliant and weird bookworm, you’d think they were meant to be. But in Jess and Rory’s case, that is not the whole story.
Played by Alexis Bledel, Rory was the light of Stars Hollow. Enter Milo Ventimiglia’s Jess Mariano, the brooding bad boy who moves into town and shakes Rory out of her shell. Beyond sharing their passion for classic books, Rory and Jess also shared a great sense of humor and had cute nicknames for each other before they even started dating.
Despite pushing each other’s buttons, it was obvious that they were the right fit. Their sporadic relationship had chemistry, banter, intellect, and heavy emotions. Rory inspired Jess to get his act together and Jess supported her ambitions. When Jess leaves abruptly, Rory is heartbroken. But she never stopped loving the one who got away. Even when he returns years later as a changed man and published author, it’s their missed connection that pulls them apart.
Related:These Are the Most Frustrating Will-They-or-Won’t-They Relationships in TV Shows
12Sam and Diane
A smooth baseball player–turned–bartender, Sam Malone, was played with gleeful charm by Ted Danson. On the other hand, Shelley Long vibrantly played Diane Chambers, a sophisticated academic who took the job as a cocktail waitress at the Boston bar despite not fitting in. The very definition of polar opposites, they argued as if they couldn’t stand each other.
But from the moment Sam and Diane meet, their battles of wits establish them as TV’s original, beloved, and somewhat frustrating will-they-won’t-they couple. After years of push and pull, they realize that their affection and respect runs deeper than bar room jabs. Vicariously living through their enemies-turned-lovers, fans were underwhelmed when they actually got together because there was nothing more left to explore. Either way, Sam and Diane shaped sitcom relationships.
11Willow and Tara
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
For one of themost honest and early LGBTQ couples’representation on a televised network to end so devastatingly was simply ridiculous. A shy and loving best friend, official sidekick to Buffy Summers, and a witch native to Sunnydale, Willow had magical strength. Also a member of the Scooby Gang, Tara was a rebellious and passionate woman. Together, Willow and Tara shared a love that was so powerful it helped them face fear and prejudice.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
They were both going through inner battles and the weight of having to save the world, but as two formidable women in their own right, they taught fans about love and acceptance. After Oz left, Tara was the missing piece to complete Willow’s journey and fans waited eagerly for them to be the endgame. When, in season six, they reunite after a traumatizing fallback, the show’s creators take Tara out of the picture and leave Willow shattered.
