6 TV Breakups That Completely Broke Our Hearts
There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it–breakups absolutely suck.
Destroying any semblance of normality we’ve spent the past weeks, months, or years meticulously constructing, the end of a relationship can feel like the end of the world as we know it. While breakups can certainly prove beneficial in the long run – allowing us each to grow, change, and mature as a result of our heartbreak – in the moment, there’s nothing worse than hearing your partner say “We need to talk” as you brace for the inevitable conversation at hand.
Just as they remain a devastating tragedy in the real world, the end of a relationship amongst beloved TV characters can prove every bit as debilitating as an actual breakup in our personal lives. While some of these couples ultimately ended up back together, the cathartic goodbyes they once shared caused us all to gasp and reach for the nearest tissue box when we first watched their breakup unfold in front of us. Warning: Spoilers ahead!
Eric and Donna (That ‘70s Show)
Everyone remembers their first “real” relationship, as well as the trials and tribulations that came with connecting to our first true love amidst the uncertainty of young adulthood. Playing on this highly relatable theme with candor and sensitivity, That ‘70s Show caught us by surprise when Eric and Donna first broke up in the final episode of Season 3. Expressing conflicting hopes for the future, the two make the rash decision to end their relationship after Donna refuses to accept Eric’s promise ring. While they later reunite as a couple in Season 5, their initial breakup nevertheless caught viewers wholly off-guard, perfectly capturing the fragility of most teenage relationships amidst ordinary high school settings.
Carrie and Aidan (Sex in the City)
It’s hard to say which one is worse: Carrie and Aidan’s first breakup or the end of their engagement in Sex in the City’s fourth season. Given that their second breakup felt like a more conclusive end to their story, however, we’re going to go ahead and say that the latter takes the proverbial cake. As Carrie realizes that she simply isn’t ready for marriage, she and Aidan argue about their immediate and long-term compatibility together, forcing them to call it quits on their upcoming nuptials. A gut-wrenching moment for fans who had hoped to see Carrie wind up in the arms of Aidan over his romantic rival Mr. Big, it’s a frustrating end to their relationship within Sex in the City. Even though they seem poised for another relationship in Sex in the City’s follow-up And Just Like That…, fans still can’t help but wonder what Carrie and Aidan’s lives could have been like if they had gotten back together a tad bit sooner.
Marshall and Lily (How I Met Your Mother)
Like their even-minded sitcom predecessors Chandler and Monica, How I Met Your Mother’s Marshall and Lily provided an air of predictability and comfort for their friends within the series. Highlighting the profound joys that come with finding your soulmate, everyone aspired to one day enter into a relationship as healthy and balanced as Marshall and Lily’s. In spite of their clear connection to one another, their relationship was also not without its occasional difficulties, such as Lily choosing to put their engagement in order to pursue her professional dreams in California. While they later reunite following Lily’s return to the East Coast, we still grow misty-eyed every time we see a devastated Marshall sitting alone in the rain, clutching Lily’s engagement ring in his hand and informing Ted about his seemingly doomed relationship.
Alexis and Ted (Schitt’s Creek)
In an ideal world, everyone knows Ted and Alexis would have ended up together in Schitt’s Creek, cementing their on-again, off-again relationship with as rewarding a wedding ceremony as Patrick and David’s at the very end of the show. Unfortunately, as occasionally happens in the real world, their individual paths in life took them in opposite direction, leading Ted to pursue his veterinarian adventure in the Galapagos and Alexis to chase after a fledgling career in PR. A rare television breakup where both sides left on amicable terms, the hard-hitting realism of Ted and Alexis’s final scene together proves as bittersweet as the ending of La La Land, Annie Hall, or 500 Days of Summer rolled into one.
Ross and Rachel (Friends)
As one of the most compelling will-they, won’t-they couples in sitcom history, fans tuned in on a weekly basis to see whether Ross and Rachel might one day reconcile their differences and become an official couple in Friends. That being said, viewers practically jumped for joy when the two finally started dating halfway through Season 2, marking a serious turning point in Ross and Rachel’s romantic bond within the series. Sadly, this initial phase in their relationship came to naught by Friends’ third season. Following an intense argument that ends with Rachel insisting they need a break, the momentary pause in their relationship quickly becomes something more serious after Ross sleeps with another woman. An avoidable end to one of TV’s most famous couples, it’s also one of the more “serious” scenes in Friends’ 10 seasons, spelling out yet another major change for Ross and Rachel’s individual journeys within the show’s continuity.
Fleabag and the Priest (Fleabag)
Just because two people can’t end up together doesn’t mean their brief time as a couple isn’t life-changing – unless we’re talking about Fleabag and the Hot Priest. We’re sorry, but those two absolutely should have become an official couple. After spending most of Fleabag’s second season forming a meaningful connection with one another, Fleabag and the Hot Priest ultimately decide to go their separate ways, owing almost entirely to the Priest’s overarching commitment to the Church. In spite of their obvious love and affection for one another, some things simply aren’t meant to be, prompting the Priest to walk away and cathartically tell his would-be girlfriend, “It’ll pass,” after she’s confessed her romantic feelings for him. We don’t know about you, but personally, we’re still waiting for the pain of their goodbye to fade away, nostalgically wondering what might have been if they had parted as a couple.
