From comedies to dramas, romance plays a huge role in some of the best television shows of all time. Regardless of anything else going on, onscreen relationships have the potential to make – or break – a series.
Sometimes, there's no predicting which couples fans will hate. The relationships viewers are supposed to root for can end up becoming too unhealthy (or too annoying) to support. According to Reddit, these are the worst of the bunch.
Ross And Rachel (Friends)
One of the biggest will-they-won't-theys on television, it takes ten seasons of Friends for Ross and Rachel to get together for good. This follows an explosive break-up after Ross sleeps with another woman while he and Rachel are (in his eyes) on a break, and several stops and starts in their relationship.
For a lot of people, this rollercoaster is what makes the pair so compelling. However, it's why Lazy_Ad_6232 thinks they're "horrible together." They explain that when Ross and Rachel weren't together, they were "screwing up the other one's relationships" and when they were they "always found a way to sabotage their relationship." They definitely have some unhealthy patterns, but it's comforting to think they made it work in the end.
Rory And Dean (Gilmore Girls)
Dean is Rory's first love, and their relationship is incredibly pure in season 1 of Gilmore Girls. However, with time, Dean starts to become increasingly jealous and mistrustful of Rory – especially once Jess hits the scene.
Their relationship is even more problematic the second time around when Rory acts as the "other woman" in Dean's marriage. This is exactly why thisisformyhobbies dislikes the pair so much. "It was cute and heartwarming the first time," they said, "but the second time around – yuck."
Will And Lisa (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)
Of all Will's love interests in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Lisa is by far the most serious. Much to the shock of his family – who disapprove because of his age – Will proposes to Lisa in season 5. However, the pair later call off their wedding at the final hour, splitting for good.
In afsh33n's eyes, this was for the best. They believe there was "absolutely no trust. Lisa was always complaining about everything, and Will was always just a wrong look away from cheating on her." Will does come incredibly close to doing so at one point, proving that these two were really never meant to be.
Britta And Troy (Community)
Separately, Britta and Troy are great characters in Community. The pair even shared a strong bond after discovering they were both taking dance classes, with Troy soon forming a crush. Once their relationship turned romantic, however, not all fans were pleased.
As Jeevess83 explains, the show takes "two interesting characters" and puts them together to make an "uninteresting couple." The result is a pairing that feels unnatural, making it a relief when the two do eventually split.
Aria And Ezra (Pretty Little Liars)
There are plenty of questionable things about Pretty Little Liars. Aria and Ezra's relationship might be the number one concern, considering their seven-year age difference and the fact that he's her teacher – and she's only 15 – when they first meet.
At first, it seems like Aria's age is a surprise to him. Later it's revealed that he not only knew exactly how old she was but purposefully sought her out for his book. As chickydipper points out, the show tries to depict their relationship as "true love" anyway, in spite of these legal and ethical issues. In their own words, "God, that whole relationship was disgusting."
Andy And Erin (The Office)
'Disastrous' is probably the best word to describe the end of Andy and Erin's relationship in The Office. After Andy spends months on his boat, he expects his relationship with Erin to continue as usual. Erin, of course, feels differently.
However, the warning signs are there from the very beginning. To Redditor tryingfalls, the pairing never made sense. Not only is Erin "10 miles out of his league and way younger", but they think "pretty much every conversation they have ends with Andy being absolutely baffled by her stupidity." This isn't exactly conducive to a functioning relationship, making their split an inevitability.
Eleanor And Chidi (The Good Place)
The Good Place is considered one of the best sitcoms of the 2010s, and a large part of that comes down to Eleanor and Chidi. Eleanor's dry wit and Chidi's careful, considered personality make them perfect contrasts. Ultimately, they both improve each other better people in the long run.
But that doesn't necessarily mean they should be together. As Reddit user sammi-blue explains, while it's "always a delight to see them interact with each other", Eleanor and Chidi's chemistry works better platonically and they don't see "any kind of romantic tension" between the two – especially once they return to earth.
Raymond and Debra (Everybody Loves Raymond)
Everybody Loves Raymond depicts the 'normal' life of Ray Barone and his family. While he lives with his wife Debra and their kids, they also have to contend with frequent visits from his brother, father, and (in particular) his mother.
Ray's inability to stand up to the latter is a major point of contention in his relationship with both Debra and the audience. The pair seem to bicker more than they show signs of affection. That's why gjrunner5 believes Ray "doesn’t care at all about her happiness, he doesn’t even seem to like her very much." They also think Debra is "disgusted and contemptuous" over his "constant betrayals in the form of choosing his mother over her."
Jack And Kate (Lost)
Considering that Lost is renowned for its confusing plot and structure, it's no surprise it also features some pretty confusing relationships. Jack and Kate are the prime example, with plenty of fans baffled by what the pair even have in common.
Their relationship gets a lot of screentime but, to sunnybcg, their relationship was "less about them as a couple than Kate’s internal battle between what she wants — stability and a hero with Jack — and what she is really drawn to — chaos and excitement with Sawyer."
Oliver And Felicity (Arrow)
Oliver and Felicity's relationship is a huge part of Arrow. While originally platonic thanks to Oliver's romance with Laurel, their feelings grew over time. Eventually, they end up married with a daughter, Mia.
What makes their romance unbearable for so many fans is that it forced the actual superhero plots to the backseat in favor of romantic drama. For geek_of_nature, Felicity's negative reaction to Oliver's son before the pair got together is proof of their "toxic" dynamic – especially when compared to how Laurel reacts, despite Oliver conceiving the child with another woman during their relationship.