Oh, TV couples. Where would we be without them? Seriously, while there are so many elements that make up a good TV show, we’d definitely argue that a truly captivating fictional couple is one of the strongest ingredients in the recipe for success. Whether it’s a simmering ‘will-they-won’t-they’ situation or a fiery ‘love-or-lust’ duo, these onscreen pairings have often been the absolute core of some of the most popular series in history, single-handedly reeling us in and keeping us hooked, season after nail-biting season.
But let’s be real for a sec: a ‘good’ onscreen couple doesn’t always mean a ‘healthy’ relationship. And honestly, why should it? Real life is packed with imperfect relationships, and a hefty dose of drama is precisely why we tune in, right? We’re all here to escape, to unwind, and sometimes, to shout at our screens because, let’s face it, our favorite characters are making *questionable* life choices. It’s all part of the fun!
However, much like those questionable TV show finales that still manage to perplex us to this very day, there are a number of onscreen couples that leave us simultaneously cringing, confused, and sometimes, just plain enraged. We’re not always sure the ‘drama’ was worth the emotional rollercoaster. So, because nostalgia (and nostalgic TV shows, especially) are totally the entertainment du jour right now, we’ve rounded up some of the most controversial TV couples to have ever graced our screens. Prepare to share in our collective frustration towards fictional people – no shame, of course!
1. **Izzie and George from Grey’s Anatomy**Okay, let’s kick things off with a pairing that genuinely made us scratch our heads and wonder, ‘What in the medical drama just happened?’ We’re talking about Izzie and George from *Grey’s Anatomy*, a relationship so cringe-worthy that we’re still recovering. Thank the TV gods (A.K.A. the writers, you brilliant, chaotic beings!) that this messy entanglement was blessedly short-lived.
Okay, let’s kick things off with a pairing that genuinely made us scratch our heads and wonder, ‘What in the medical drama just happened?’ We’re talking about Izzie and George from *Grey’s Anatomy*, a relationship so cringe-worthy that we’re still recovering. Thank the TV gods (A.K.A. the writers, you brilliant, chaotic beings!) that this messy entanglement was blessedly short-lived.
Seriously, where do we even begin to make sense of this? Before their ill-fated hook-up, Izzie and George had what was essentially the perfect onscreen friendship. It was sweet, it was supportive, it was everything you wanted in a platonic bond. But then, as if on cue, the showrunners decided to play into a classic, overused trope: turning best friends into lovers, and often, not in a good way.
Their entire dynamic quickly devolved into something utterly awkward, devoid of all the things a thriving relationship needs. There was no believable chemistry, just a forced narrative that left viewers uncomfortable. To add insult to injury, George was actually married at the time. This chemistry-free, ill-advised fling pretty much ruined his marriage for a relationship that was doomed from the start.
Yikes is right! It was a spectacular train wreck that left a sour taste, making us wonder why such a strong friendship had to be sacrificed for a romantic pairing that offered absolutely nothing in return but a collective groan from the audience. We may love a bit of drama, but this felt like drama for drama’s sake, with no real payoff.
2. **Willow and Kennedy from Buffy the Vampire Slayer**Moving on to another pairing that left a lot of fans feeling a deep sense of ‘no bueno,’ we have Willow and Kennedy from *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*. After the truly heart-wrenching, gut-punching loss of Tara – a tragedy made even more frustrating by the show playing right into the infamous ‘Bury Your Gays’ trope – it seemed like a post-grief relationship for Willow would be just the thing to help us, the audience, heal alongside her.
But instead of a carefully crafted, organically developing romance, what we got was arguably one of the most forced relationships in the entire history of TV romance. Kennedy, the self-proclaimed ‘brat,’ felt parachuted into Willow’s life, more like a narrative obligation than a genuine connection. It was as if the show was ticking a box, saying, ‘Here, a happy ending, be happy,’ without putting in the emotional legwork to earn it.
This rushed, lazily tacked-on romance emerged less than a year after Willow’s great love was tragically shot right in front of her, an event that pushed Willow to her darkest, most powerful, and even evil, limits. To then introduce such a starkly different, less compatible partner so quickly just didn’t sit right. It felt dismissive of the profound love story that came before and the incredible journey Willow had been on.
The relationship with Kennedy never truly resonated with fans, often feeling like a placeholder rather than a destined connection. It served as a stark reminder that some losses are too profound, and some healing processes too complex, to be simplified or rushed for the sake of a quick new romance. We deserved better for our beloved witch.
3. **Alex and Piper from Orange Is The New Black**Alright, let’s talk about a duo that truly defined the phrase ‘not good for each other. Periodt.’ Alex and Piper from *Orange Is The New Black* were a whirlwind of toxicity, a relationship that somehow managed to be both captivating and utterly infuriating for anyone watching. Their dynamic was a constant, exhausting game of cat-and-mouse, a cycle of push and pull that never seemed to break.
Individually, they were a cocktail of neurotic and narcissistic behaviors, but together? They amplified each other’s worst traits, becoming terrible influences on one another. Seriously, their messed-up relationship isn’t just a plot device for drama; it’s one of the actual, foundational reasons they both ended up in jail in the first place! Talk about a red flag visible from space.
What truly got under our skin was that despite all the chaos, the betrayals, and the very real consequences, Alex and Piper just couldn’t seem to learn from their mistakes. They continued to hook up throughout the series, perpetuating their dysfunctional cycle and frustrating us all to no end in the process. We watched, we sighed, we sometimes yelled at our screens, begging them to just… stop.
Their relationship was a constant, tumultuous storm, fueled by obsession and co-dependency rather than genuine, healthy love. It was a prime example of how two people can bring out the absolute worst in each other, leaving a trail of destruction, both personal and legal, in their wake. They might have been captivating, but healthy they certainly were not.
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4. **Carrie and Aleksandr from Sex and The City**For *Sex and the City* fans, the introduction of Aleksandr Petrovsky in season six felt like it *should* have been a romance palate cleanser after years of Mr. Big’s emotional gymnastics. Carrie Bradshaw deserved a mature, passionate artist, right? Initially, there was a glimmer of hope, a new, sophisticated world for our fashionista to explore. But alas, it eventually became glaringly, painfully apparent that he and Carrie were a resounding ‘no-no’ in the love department.
They were fundamentally different from one another in almost every conceivable way, proving that while ‘opposites attract’ can be a fun trope, it can also lead to utter misery. Petrovsky quickly revealed himself to be overbearing, emotionally distant, and entirely self-absorbed. Carrie, bless her stylish heart, tried *way* too hard to change herself, to fit into his high-art, European world, sacrificing pieces of her own identity in the process. It was painful to watch her dim her own sparkle.
The relationship was a slow-motion car crash, building to its inevitable and dramatic climax in Paris. Petrovsky’s ‘my-way-or-bust’ attitude, his profound selfishness, and that infamous slap – yes, *that* slap – cemented the fact that this was not just a bad relationship, but an awful one. It was the final, undeniable proof that this grand, European romance was nothing more than a gilded cage.
Carrie’s journey was supposed to be about finding herself, her friendships, and her voice, not losing them in the shadow of an arrogant artist. Petrovsky represented everything Carrie *thought* she wanted in a sophisticated love, but in reality, he was an emotional black hole, ultimately affirming what many fans already knew: Big, for all his faults, understood her in a way Aleksandr never could, and that her true love was actually New York.
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5. **Cersei and Jaime Lannister from Game of Thrones**Alright, let’s be real. Do we *really* need to explain this one? Cersei and Jaime Lannister from *Game of Thrones* weren’t just controversial; they were arguably the most inherently, fundamentally wrong pairing in TV history. While GoT certainly had its fair share of incestuous relationships throughout the years (hello, Targaryens!), the brother-sister duo of Cersei and Jaime was arguably the worst of them all. And what makes it so incredibly chilling is that they both knew full well they were brother and sister, yet persisted in their twisted romance.
Their relationship was a masterclass in toxic co-dependency, shrouded in secrecy and fueled by a shared hunger for power and their children. Nothing good, absolutely nothing, ever came out of their illicit affair. In fact, one only needs to point to the vile King Joffrey, their eldest child, as Exhibit A of the rotten fruit their union bore. His cruelty and psychopathy could almost be seen as a twisted reflection of his parents’ own dark bond.
The Lannister twins’ lifelong affair caused nothing but heartache, destruction, and at least one attempted murder – all within their own family, no less. It was a partnership built on forbidden desires, manipulation, and a ruthless ambition that often put their own needs above all else, even the well-being of Westeros itself. Their twisted love was the catalyst for so much of the series’ drama and despair.
And let’s be honest, the entire thing still makes our skin crawl. It’s a relationship that challenges every societal norm, every moral boundary, and every ounce of comfort. Cersei and Jaime weren’t just a controversial couple; they were a living, breathing testament to the depths of human depravity and the horrifying consequences of unchecked, forbidden desires.
6. **Robin and Ted from How I Met Your Mother**Oh, Robin and Ted. Seriously, if there’s one couple that epitomizes the phrase “just stop already,” it’s these two from *How I Met Your Mother*. Their annoyingly persistent dance felt like it went on for eons, finally culminating in one of the most infamously divisive (and let’s be real, often hated) TV finales of all time. We were forced to watch them try to make it work, over and over, despite all evidence pointing to a resounding ‘no.’
The core issue? These two just fundamentally wanted different things out of life, constantly pulling in opposing directions. Robin, a fiercely independent career woman, almost always put her ambitions and global reporting gigs ahead of Ted, and honestly, good for her! But on the flip side, Ted often veered into this intensely overbearing, sometimes even stalkerish, territory when it came to his pursuit of Robin. It was a suffocating dynamic, riddled with pressure that made us want to scream at our screens.
What really got us was the emotional rollercoaster the writers put us through. We were compelled to invest deeply in their ‘will-they-won’t-they’ saga for *nine seasons*, only to have them split, watch the “mother” die a tragic, off-screen death, and then — *bam!* — our dreams for a true happy ending for Ted were dashed, just so he could end up with Robin anyway. It felt like a bait-and-switch, a cruel joke after years of emotional investment. For that reason alone, their spot on this list is absolutely undeniable.
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7. **Chuck and Blair from Gossip Girl**Alright, *Gossip Girl* stans, prepare yourselves. Do not @ us, but we’re just going to say it: Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf were, for a very, *very* long time, pretty darn bad for each other. We know, we know, the electricity between them was undeniable, the kind that could power a small nation, and no teen TV drama is complete without that intense, magnetic pull. But let’s be honest about the journey to their eventual, highly anticipated union.
Individually, especially in those early seasons, both Chuck and Blair were quite devious. Chuck, let’s not forget, was downright creepy in his initial actions, displaying some seriously questionable behavior. Both characters were highly self-serving and, frankly, often terrible people. Their combined manipulative tendencies created a chaotic vortex, making their relationship less about healthy love and more about power plays and schemes that often hurt everyone around them, including each other.
Of course, because they were Chuck and Blair, and because we were all so utterly captivated by their dark glamour and undeniable chemistry, we collectively forgave them for a lot. We rooted for their redemption, hoping they’d evolve beyond their toxic patterns. And by the end, one could argue they *did* redeem themselves, growing into slightly (emphasis on slightly!) less terrible versions of themselves. It might be a bit of a reach to call their relationship ‘healthy’ even then, but hey, we’re fine with reaching when it comes to the iconic Chair!
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8. **Joey and Rachel from Friends**Alright, let’s talk about a relationship that felt like it came out of left field, even for a show as beloved as *Friends*. We’re, of course, referring to the truly unexpected, and let’s be honest, slightly bizarre, pairing of Joey and Rachel. For all the “never should have happened” relationships on this list, this one is a unique blend of both the best and the worst, simultaneously making a strange kind of sense and absolutely no sense at all.
On paper, if you squint and tilt your head just right, Joey and Rachel actually had some potential. Hear us out! Joey pining after Rachel was especially convincing, showcasing a sweet, genuine affection that could have been the foundation for a compelling romance. If they hadn’t been built up for several seasons prior in such a distinctly brother-sister, platonic way, perhaps, just perhaps, we might have bought into their romantic hook-up. Their friendship was so deeply established that transitioning it into something romantic felt incredibly forced.
However, that was most certainly not the case, and the fact remained that these two getting together was ultimately the most awkward of all the *Friends* relationships. It felt less like a blossoming love and more like a narrative detour. Thankfully, even the characters themselves realized the inherent discomfort and lack of genuine romantic spark, and they wisely broke it off. It was a collective sigh of relief for fans who cherished their platonic bond and just couldn’t quite wrap their heads around them as a couple. Some connections are just meant to be best friends forever, and that’s okay!
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9. **Blair and Dan from Gossip Girl**Get ready to shudder with us, because this is one couple from *Gossip Girl* that still makes our skin crawl to this very day. We’re talking about Blair Waldorf and Dan Humphrey, a pairing that, no matter how many times we re-binge the iconic series, just remains all kinds of wrong in our hearts. The very thought of Lonely Boy and Queen B together? Nope. Absolutely not.
Our grown-up brains, with the benefit of hindsight and perhaps a bit too much analytical thinking, could probably construct an argument for why Dan and Blair *made sense* together. They both had intellectual pursuits, a love for literature, and a certain kind of snarky wit. They could challenge each other on an academic level, and in some ways, they saw parts of each other that others didn’t. They had a brief period where they could have been portrayed as equals.
But here’s the thing: our teenage selves are still absolutely not over it. The emotional investment we had in other pairings, the years of narrative buildup, and the sheer stylistic incompatibility of their worlds just made their romance feel like a forced detour. It broke established character dynamics and felt like a desperate attempt to create new drama where none was needed. We’re not even going to dignify it with a detailed explanation beyond that. Case closed. Our hearts, and frankly, our sense of *Gossip Girl* canon, simply refuse to accept it.
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10. **Ryan and Marissa from The O.C.**Oh, Ryan and Marissa from *The O.C.* Just mentioning their names together instantly transports us back to Newport Beach, where every moment was steeped in dramatic tension. Putting a brooding outsider from Chino, Ryan Atwood, together with the ultimate ‘It’-girl from Newport, Marissa Cooper, as the show’s core couple was always going to result in maximum drama. It was the classic “poor-boy-meets-rich-girl” trope, a tale as old as time, but elevated to an explosively toxic level.
These two were, to put it mildly, explosively bad for each other. Their relationship was defined by an exhausting on-and-off arc that left them, and frankly, us too, utterly spent. It felt like Ryan’s entire existence revolved around constantly trying to “save” Marissa from herself, from her family, from her own destructive tendencies. This savior dynamic meant their relationship was never truly balanced or healthy; it was always in crisis mode.
Despite the fact that they never managed to maintain any semblance of stability throughout their three-season romance, there was a strange, undeniable pull that kept viewers hooked. We couldn’t help but want them to find happiness together, to somehow overcome their chaotic circumstances and find peace. That’s why their tragic ending, with Marissa’s untimely death, was all the more gut-wrenchingly sad. It felt like a brutal conclusion to a love story that was always doomed, yet we held out hope for.
11. **Ross and Rachel from Friends**Excuse us while we take a ‘break’ to mentally prepare ourselves for this one! Honestly, where do we even begin with Ross Geller and Rachel Green? Their tumultuous, will-they-won’t-they relationship was, without a doubt, the very backbone of *Friends* for all ten seasons, keeping us on the edge of our seats and often yelling at our televisions. But let’s be real, there was so much about these two — and we’re looking at you, Ross — that just wasn’t good, especially in the early stages of their endless saga.
In the beginning, Ross was, to put it mildly, a lot. He came across as whiny, often annoying, manipulative, and incredibly jealous. Remember Mark from Bloomingdales? Ross’s possessiveness was a constant, simmering issue. He consistently failed to give Rachel the kind of respect she deserved, especially when she was trying to build a career out of her passion. It felt like her ambitions were always secondary to his insecurities, which is a major red flag in any relationship.
So much of his problematic behavior was often blamed on his previous divorce with Carol, but honestly, Ross really should have worked all that out before he drove Rachel away and, crucially, before he slept with someone else. And let’s not reopen that “were they on a break?” debate, but for the record, many of us are still firmly on Rachel’s side! To make matters worse, even though the show’s ending technically gave us what we *thought* we wanted – all the friends happy together – Rachel gave up a dream job in Paris to be with Ross. Something about how that all went down just doesn’t sit well with us.
It’s not that women can’t or are wrong for turning down jobs for relationships; that’s a personal choice. But in this specific context, it felt like Rachel’s career aspirations and independence stopped mattering the moment Ross decided he wanted to be together again. Once they officially reunited, it was almost as if her job became a total afterthought, echoing his dismissive attitude from early in their relationship. It undermined years of character growth and left a bittersweet taste, suggesting that even our most beloved TV romances can sometimes miss the mark on empowerment.
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12. **Damon Salvatore and Elena Gilbert from The Vampire Diaries**Alright, prepare for some serious “face-palm” moments as we wrap up our list with a couple whose romance had some truly dark, unacknowledged undertones: Damon Salvatore and Elena Gilbert from *The Vampire Diaries*. Their epic romance may have followed the classic “bad-boy-turned-hopeless-romantic-because-of-one-girl” arc that so many viewers swooned over. But trust us, there was a whole lot more to this coupling that was just plain wrong, and we need to talk about it.
When we were first introduced to Damon, he was, to put it mildly, an absolute jerk. A villain, even. But what many people conveniently (or maybe intentionally) forget is that he also utilized his vampire powers of hypnosis, or “compulsion,” to commit truly heinous acts. We’re talking about him essentially sexually assaulting, and literally drinking the blood of, Elena’s friends. Yes, you read that right. These acts put a profoundly dark, and frankly, criminal spin on what was later packaged as a grand, passionate romance.
The most disturbing part? These horrific acts of violence and manipulation seemingly went unacknowledged for the vast majority of the show. Worse yet, he even ended up *befriending his victims*! This narrative choice sends a truly terrible message, almost suggesting that past transgressions, no matter how severe, can simply be swept under the rug if the perpetrator is charming enough or falls in love. We wholeheartedly disapprove of this whitewashing of Damon’s initial depravity. Their relationship, while popular, represented a deeply problematic narrative that, upon closer inspection, should have had us all running for the hills, not shipping them into the sunset.
**An Unforgettable Legacy of Love (and Chaos)**
So there you have it, folks! From the shockingly incestuous to the just plain infuriating, our journey through the annals of controversial TV couples has been quite the ride. We’ve laughed, we’ve cringed, and let’s be honest, we’ve probably yelled at our screens more than once. These pairings, for better or worse, have carved out a permanent space in pop culture, sparking debates, igniting fan theories, and proving that sometimes, the most talked-about relationships are the ones that defy every expectation of what ‘love’ should look like on screen. They might be toxic, they might make us rage-quit, but darn it, we can’t stop watching. And isn’t that just the magic of television?
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