These TV Couples Broke Our Hearts More Than Our Exes Did
The past half-century has given us some of the most relatable and heartfelt characters in television history, predominantly due to the complicated relationships each series seems to revolve around. Falling in love has never been a walk in the park. Watching these relationships unfold made us feel normal. But living vicariously through our most beloved TV characters comes at a pretty price. With great writing and performance quality, sometimes they hurt us more than real people do. Here are the TV couples we could only watch with a gallon of Ben & Jerry's and a fully stocked tissue box by our side.
The Vampire With A Heart Of Gold
Back before the days of Twilight, an even more dramatic vampire story stirred the hearts of teens across the country. Rather than a vampire and his prey falling in love, creators of Buffy The Vampire brilliantly made them each other's prey. In a way, it’s kind of feminist.
Buffy was far from the damsel in distress. The whole point of the show was that she killed vampires. On the flip side, Angel had the soul of a, well, an angel, and was capable of love and remorse. Their relationship gave validity to anyone who’s had to reply to inquisitions about their relationship status with a frustrated “it’s complicated.”
The Nerd And The Hot Girl
Watching a guy who is known for his brains get the girl who is known for her looks is just downright satisfying. How many times have we seen the best friend not end up with the girl because the popular kid is just too darn attractive? Cough, cough Pretty In Pink.
Finally, thanks to The Big Bang Theory, the tension we felt from the start didn’t go unrequited. But it was a mess getting there. The real insecurities between Penny and Leonard kept us spinning in circles until, finally, they got married. Too bad we can’t say the same thing about the couple in real life.
The Wounded Boy Who Tamed The Edgy Girl
Actor Johnny Galecki just knows how to break our hearts so good. Long before his portrayal of Leonard in The Big Bang Theory, Galecki was the adorable boy helplessly in love with a rough around the edges girl. Of course, we’re talking about Darlene and David on Roseanne.
The worst part about their multiple breakups was the fact that David had no one to lean on. The Connors took him in like a stray puppy, and every time they bickered our stomachs tensed because of it. Fortunately, they did get married. Unfortunately, the series reboot showed us a very single, very divorced Darlene.
Sometimes The Big Guy Just Wins
Aidan was a shoo-in for Sex And The City’s adored protagonist Carrie. They were all cozied up and ready to get married when Carrie just had to smash her foot right into puppy-eyed Aidan-- figuratively, of course.
Easygoing and handsome is hard to find, especially for a bundle of emotions like Carrie in the middle of New York City of all places. They always say that we attract what we’re used to, though. For some oddball reason, for Carrie that meant suave, clean-cut Mr. Big. It just sucks we had to watch it crumple Aidan.
This Supermom Needed Her Coffee
Lorelai became the single mom superhero in the early 2000s in Gilmore Girls, sporting a corky but sincere mother-daughter relationship. But her focus on her efforts with daughter Rory didn't put a halt in her dating life.
Most of Lorelai's relationships fizzled out to no avail, which left us constantly wondering about the handsome coffee shop owner she'd always loved to banter with. Finally, after five seasons, the two ended up together only to be squashed by Lorelai's ex, Christopher. Thankfully Lorelai, being the supermom she is, saw straight through his nonsense and went back to her true prince, Luke.
These Nurses Tortured Us
J.D. and Elliot were the great teases of sitcoms. Right off the bat, the two had a fling, only to call it quits prematurely and start seeing other people. Then we struggled through their back and forth as friends with benefits, which we all know never works.
Again and again, they would realize, as we knew all along, that their feelings exceeded a platonic relationship. The on-again, off-again saga finally ended in the last season of Scrubs when the pair was married and had a baby. It only took nine years of torture for us to get there.
Friends Turned Lovers Turned Enemies
Long-time friends who fall in love can be the most endearing thing to watch, or the most tragic. Unfortunately for this pair from Dawson's Creek, the latter won out. After Joey's chaotic relationship history, Dawson seemed like the ultimate fit. Sadly, the drama queen couldn't hold on to the simple life for long.
When Joey canceled her year-long trip to Paris to be with Dawson, we thought she was really taking this one seriously. Sadly, she ended up cheating on him. Not only was their relationship destroyed, but their friendship also took a severe hit.
This Couple Was Thrown Off Balance
A Different World's most obvious couple was Dwayne Wayne and Denise Huxtable until Whitley came into the picture. Average Dwayne brought out the chill in Whitley, while southern Whitley brought out the charm in Dwayne. They balanced one another, so we thought.
Maybe it was self-sabotage that led Dwayne into the arms of another woman. While he may not have exactly cheated, he did confess to going to coffee with another woman. Not wanting to feel second rate, Whitley parted from Dwayne until the final season, when he proved himself worthy of a takeback.
They Made It To The Alter, But Not To The Marriage
Watching Will grow up from a naive, girl-obsessed teen into a responsible man was inspiring to see. It's said that boys mature slower than girls, but Will certainly hit the fast-forward button when Lisa Wilkes stepped into The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air's life.
After going through so many serious life events together, the top being Will's gunshot wound, it seemed like there was nothing this couple couldn't get through. Sure enough, the season finale boasted their wedding. Shockingly, Lisa shot Will through the heart when she left him at the altar and called everything off.
Why Do The Good Girls Always Want The Bad Boys?
Beverly Hills, 90210 captured an aspect of American culture that is still hopelessly irresistible. The good girl always wants the bad boy. Maybe it’s as simple as opposites attract, or maybe it’s a lot deeper than that, playing on notions of adventure mixed with responsibility, or natural talent mixed with a hard work ethic.
However you want to psychoanalyze it, Dylan cheating on Brenda was juicy stuff. Of course she was studying abroad, and of course, it was her best friend. If there’s one thing this couple taught teenage girls, it’s that no, you can not change him.
The Boy Next Door We Never Thought Would Leave
That '70s Show connected generations by proving to us that when our parents say, "I was your age once," they actually aren't lying. We saw the cast go through relatable adolescent scenarios, including various breakups and new romances. The most devastating to watch was the relationship that seemed strongest of them all, struggle.
The hottest couples certainly do have the coldest end, as is evident in the way this pair split after seven seasons of devotion. Eric, lost and bewildered by issues in his personal life, left Wisconsin, leaving heartbroken Donna behind.
This Couple Grew Up And Almost Apart
Arguably the most adorable couple outside of The Little Rascals, Cory and Topanga set fire to the 90s teen love craze in Boy Meets World. The best part of their relationship wasn't just that the love affair started in their tweens and continued through college, it was that they acted like little adults the whole time.
Topanga was the smart-gone-gorgeous girl and Cory was way too wise for his age, having the set of priorities of a fifty-year-old man. Until he kissed another girl, and confident Topanga left him in the dust. She eventually let him back into her heart, though.
Puppy Love Is Hard To Hold On To
Before younger brother Ben Savage was stealing hearts, Fred Savage set the trend in The Wonder Years. Kevin was the quintessential boy after the girl of his dreams. When all of his hard work finally paid off, we were sure the two kiddos would never split.
True to teen relationships, lack of experience left these two with a flurry of insecurities that would take more than their childhood history to solve. After all the blinding jealousy, the two finally called it quits. However, they did have enough puppy love to get back together in the show's final season.
Nice Guys Come In Last
Full House watched three female siblings grow up, and fans knew that would eventually mean boy drama. DJ, being the oldest, was the first to encounter the trials and tribulations of adolescent love. Thankfully, most of the struggle ensued between her and nice-guy Steve.
Steve was the young man who more than likely doesn't actually exist, having the patience of a neurosurgeon and the respect of Mother Teresa. Once he won over the trust of DJ's dad, it seemed like they would never part. Unfortunaly for Steve, DJ lost interest and moved on until the show's last episode.
Saved By The Marriage
The 90s puppy love was never quite as intoxicating as it was between the popular duo on Saved By The Bell. Kelly Kapowski was on top of the high school food chain when Zack and Slater raced to win her over. Like a truly suave teen heartthrob, Zack won and the turbulent relationship between these two began.
While Zach may have captured Kelly's heart, he was reluctant to keep it. Things were always falling apart thanks to another mess-up by Zach. Each breakup was harder than the first until writers finally got the hint and got these two married.
The Freak Who Fell For The Geek
Freaks and Geeks was a relief to 90s kids who found it hard to identify with the squeaky clean, gorgeous kids that most of the other shows boasted. The sincere Lindsay was destined for geeky Nick, and their relationship was endearing to us all.
As sweet as their start was, it only made their breakup even harder to take. Both being sweethearts, there wasn't a clear antagonist which left the friend group as torn as we were on what side to choose. Ultimately, they healed like genuine people always do, and Nick found a new girl while Lindsay found The Grateful Dead.
A Quick Split Is Still A Hard One
Actor Jason Segel grew up from the geeky Nick and into the more respectable man in How I Met Your Mother. Out of all their friends, Lily and Marshall were the clear power couple from the start. But a show wouldn't be a show without every character getting into at least a little bit of trouble.
Fortunately, the heartache between this couple came early and ended fast, like ripping off a bandaid. Watching Marshall stand in the rain in Season 1 may have misted our eyes, but not like the heartfelt renewal of their wedding vows did in the final season.
TV Chemistry Turned Real-Life Soul Mates
It's always exciting to watch the charming bachelor get hooked by an intelligent woman who sets herself apart from the rest. That's what happened in the show Family Ties when Alex met Ellen at university, and fans couldn't wait to see how these two would end up.
Sadly, Ellen left Alex when a dance scholarship landed her in another country. The devastating news can be assuaged by the fact that actors Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollen ended up getting married just two years after their sitcom romance, and are still together today.
So An Athlete And An Intellect Walk Into A Bar...
When Sam and Diane first appeared together on Cheers, they seemed far from meant for each other. Former ballplayer Sam could hardly stand the quick-witted Diane. But where there's tension there's magnetism, and before long these two couldn't stay apart.
Their differences foreshadowed a rocky relationship and a rough ending. Once the pair finally agreed to get married, Diane -- of course-- got the chance of a lifetime. She left Sam in the dust in order to pursue her career, breaking her promise to return and all of our hearts.
Ross and Rachel
Of course, we had to save this one for last. Friends takes the cake in relatable sitcoms, becoming one of the most popular television shows of all time. That makes Rachel and Ross one of the most popular television couples ever to be aired. It makes sense considering all of the tropes these two represented.
They grew up together, Ross the nerd pining after popular Rachel. Then Ross "cheated" on Rachel (or were they on a break?) leaving a sticky mess that eventually included having a baby. Fortunately for everyone who lived vicariously through this couple, they ended up together.