There is nothing like a good romance story on a TV show. Viewers love seeing beloved characters slowly fall in love, becoming closer and closer over time as their connection develops in a way that feels both believable and well-deserved. Watching this play out can be a hugely satisfying experience for the viewer. The problem, however, is that not every love story shown on TV is handled with this much attention and care, regardless of whether it’s an intense drama or a long-running sitcom.
Unfortunately, many TV romances end up doing little more than annoying the fans of their shows. This negative reaction is bound to happen when the relationship feels unnatural, unrealistic, or simply unnecessary. After all, no one wants to have the quality of an otherwise great series diminished by dedicating too much time to an unwanted romance. Regardless of whether they offered happy endings to the show’s characters, these TV romances irritated their fans more than they enticed them.
10
Five & Lila
The Umbrella Academy
Released in August 2024, the fourth and final season of The Umbrella Academy ended up being quite a roller coaster for fans who had been waiting for a satisfying conclusion for years. The season appeared to be off to a rocky start before it was even released, with the announcement that it would only include six episodes coming as a major letdown to many. To make matters worse, a chunk of the very limited time in the final season was dedicated to showing the completely unexpected beginning of a relationship between Five and Lila, something no one had been asking for.
There were an assortment of reasons why fans of The Umbrella Academy opposed this short-lived relationship. For one, it was only introduced in the second-to-last episode, meaning it would do little beyond distract from the finale of the main storylines. Second, it made no sense for the characters to get together. After all, Lila was married to Five’s adopted brother, not to mention the fact that they also had a significant age difference. The last season of The Umbrella Academy received mixed reviews, and this romance certainly did not help.
9
Luke & Lorelai
Gilmore Girls
In the early 2000s, tons of people tuned in to watch the comedy-drama series, Gilmore Girls, which followed the lives and relationships of a single mother, Lorelai, and her bright daughter, Rory. One storyline that troubled many fans, though, was the romance between Lorelai and Luke, the owner of a local diner. The two began as friends, but their connection gradually evolved into an on-again-off-again relationship that spanned many seasons.
Although the relationship between Luke and Lorelai was often at the center of Gilmore Girls, many fans could never fully get behind it. The two worked well together as friends but appeared to lack the necessary chemistry and communication skills to have a relationship that would be enjoyable for viewers to watch. Each of them constantly seemed to be wanting different things out of their relationship, with neither being able to reliably approach their problems in a healthy way. Overall, this was simply not the love story that many Gilmore Girls fans wanted to see.
8
Ann & Tom
Parks and Recreation
Throughout its seven-season run, the NBC sitcom, Parks and Recreation, offered many enjoyable romance storylines. Many of the show’s beloved characters were eventually given happy endings with the people they love. Even some of the show’s unsuccessful relationships still managed to be very entertaining to watch, while also teaching the characters some valuable lessons about themselves. One romance, however, achieved none of these things. Parks and Recreation may have had many good romances, but the storyline involving Ann and Tom was not one of them.
Related
One Of Parks & Rec’s Best Couples Wouldn’t Exist Without The Worst Character In The Entire Show
Parks and Recreation couple Ann and Chris would not be together without the horrific actions of Councilman Jeremy Jamm at the Gala for Lot 48.
Their relationship mainly played out during the popular show’s fourth season. Even with the season overall being hailed as one of the show’s best, fans couldn’t help but feel annoyed by the seemingly random inclusion of a short-lived relationship between Ann and Tom. The two had practically nothing in common outside their ties to the Parks and Recreation department and seemed to be constantly at odds with each other. This particular storyline felt as though it only existed because the writers needed to do something with their characters while the others were involved in the town council election.
7
Ross & Rachel
Friends
Another NBC sitcom that featured more than its fair share of romantic subplots is Friends. Being on the air for ten full seasons, it isn’t much of a surprise that not every storyline used in the show sat particularly well with fans. Although the series did explode in popularity over time, some elements of Friends still irked its viewers even years after it came to an end. In particular, the relationship between Ross and Rachel felt like a swing and a miss to many.
Even though plenty of Friends fans were rooting for Ross and Rachel to get together when the show was still in its early days, opinions on their connection seemed to change drastically once they actually became an item. Their relationship felt rather toxic, with neither person feeling a great match for the other. If anything, lots of viewers felt as though their romance was merely getting in the way of better potential love stories. Some devoted fans may support their relationship, but many others like them better as friends.
6
George & Susan
Seinfeld
It is difficult to determine whether George and Susan’s relationship in the beloved comedy, Seinfeld, can really even be described as a romance. The two were first introduced to each other in season four, briefly getting involved with each other, before ultimately going their separate ways by the end of the season. Years later, in season seven, the pair get engaged out of the blue. They live together as fiancés for a while, up until an absentminded decision by George results in her unceremonious death in the season finale.
Related
Why Seinfeld’s Ending Is So Hated (& Why It’s Actually Great)
Seinfeld’s finale is one of the most divisive episodes of TV ever; however, the two-part season 9 finale is a fitting end to the long-running sitcom.
Seinfeld was never the type of show to have long-lasting relationships, so George and Susan’s engagement felt completely out of place to many. It was also incredibly underdeveloped, seeming to only be included as a means of working in jokes about married life and George’s unhappiness with the idea. Resolving the issue by simply killing off the character felt like an odd, heartless choice, one that didn’t sit too well with many viewers. George and Susan’s relationship was a storyline that many Seinfeld fans would agree did not need to happen.
5
Debra & Dexter
Dexter
It is not exactly a secret that the quality of Dexter fluctuated rather significantly throughout its eight-season run. The popular drama series made several questionable decisions during its later seasons, with a particularly glaring one surfacing in season six. As the season progressed, it became increasingly apparent that the writers were trying to introduce a new storyline that revolved around Debra falling in love with Dexter.
For those who have seen the show, it is immediately clear why this romantic subplot was not something anyone wanted to see. The explanation for this is simple; Debra and Dexter were adoptive siblings. Their close bond had never been romantic in any sense up until the sixth season, making his storyline all the more shocking. Needless to say, fans were not overly excited about the potential of the two siblings beginning to date each other.
4
Penny & Leonard
The Big Bang Theory
One recent TV show that seems to have strongly divided audiences is The Big Bang Theory. Running for an impressive twelve years, this CBS sitcom highlighted the lives and relationships of a group of highly intelligent scientists and their more down-to-earth friend, Penny. Much of the series is dedicated to exploring the growth and development of Penny and Leonard as a couple. While their relationship did feel wholesome at times, many fans of the show began to find it increasingly grating.
A major reason for the waning interest in their relationship was the lack of similarities between the characters. Penny and Leonard were incredibly different in just about every regard, to the point that the writers even had to drastically change Penny’s character for their connection to make sense. To make things even more unpleasant, Leonard became increasingly whiny as the show progressed, making it seem as though he hardly even wanted to be in the relationship at all. Their bond may have been cute at first but felt more irritating as time went on.
3
Oliver & Felicity
Arrow
One of the easiest ways for a show to make a romance storyline unenjoyable for the audience is by forcing one where it doesn’t need to happen. The CW superhero series, Arrow, is one show that fell victim to this poor decision-making. Arrow did this through its sloppy handling of the relationship between Oliver and Felicity. Although the show did find a loving audience, this particular storyline fell flat, even for some of the most dedicated fans.
Not only did Oliver and Felicity’s relationship feel completely forced, but it also did little more than play into countless tropes. Practically every aspect of their romance felt like something the audience had already seen many times before in other shows, with very little to make their story feel fresh or exciting. Some romance plots can add new layers of depth to their shows, but Oliver and Felicity’s romance felt like it was only there to check some boxes.
2
Haley & Dylan
Modern Family
In the early years of the critically acclaimed sitcom, Modern Family, the relationship between Haley and Dylan consistently felt lighthearted and humorous. Neither character was the most intelligent or well-rounded by any means, but they seemed to fit together with each other well enough. As the series progressed, though, Haley grew up and became much more mature. She went on to have much more serious relationships, most notably with Andy, whom many viewers believed she would end up marrying.
This is why it came as such a disappointment to fans when Haley seemingly erased all of her character development, getting back together with Dylan (who hadn’t changed at all), and even starting a family together. Their relationship made sense when they were teenagers, but as a grown, mature woman, it was much harder to see why Haley would still be turning to Dylan. Praise for Modern Family became much less strong in the later seasons, and decisions like this one were definitely a contributing factor.
1
Troy & Britta
Sometimes, all it takes is two characters dating to make people realize that they were better as friends. This proved to be the case for Troy and Britta, two of the main characters on the sitcom, Community. Their relationship didn’t come entirely out of the blue, as it was hinted at in the early seasons of the series, even prompting many fans to begin rooting for them to get together. Once they finally became open about their feelings for each other, though, fans began to have second thoughts.
Related
The 50 Best Sitcoms Of All Time
Sitcoms are one of the most popular formats of TV shows, and the best sitcoms of all time showcase exactly why they continue to dominate.
Troy and Britta’s relationship wasn’t particularly awful, but many fans found that it merely contributed very little to the series. It seemed like the writers spent so much time focusing on the build-up to their relationship that they forgot to think about what they would actually do once they got together. The romance quickly seemed to fizzle out, leaving fans underwhelmed that the entire storyline seemed to amount to very little. Most viewers would have preferred that Troy and Britta had just stayed friends.
