Love it or hate it, romance undoubtedly remains one of the most important aspects of a long-running television series. Giving us all a reason to tune in on a weekly basis, countless TV series have relied on storylines rooted around whether their main leads will end up together. Facing repeated challenges in their prospective relationships, these TV couples typically overcome the odds and end up uniting (or reuniting) by their series’ conclusion, drawing their shows to a close on a satisfactory final note.
Sadly, not every TV series ends with the couple we’ve all spent years rooting for in each other’s arms. Defying viewers’ expectations when it came to their doomed relationships, here are seven TV couples that should have ended up together – but somehow never did. Warning: Spoilers ahead.
Ted and Tracy (How I Met Your Mother)
In a show called How I Met Your Mother, most people might justifiably expect the main character to end the series in the company of the eponymous mother. Unfortunately, How I Met Your Mother’s final episode swerved left when everyone expected it to calmly veer right, writing off Ted’s wife Tracy with an unexpected illness that ultimately claimed her life. If that weren’t bad enough, HIMYM’s creators then paired Ted with Robin, which – by that point – was just adding insult to injury.
Jackie and Hyde (That ‘70s Show)
At the end of the day, we’d rather have Jackie reunite with her on-again, off-again boyfriend Kelso than her poorly conceived romance with Fez. But even then, there was something uniquely special about the pairing of Jackie and her temperamentally polar opposite, Steven Hyde. Though they possessed no shortage of insurmountable differences in their personalities, ideologies, and contrasting worldviews, Jackie and Hyde simply seemed made for each other, appearing like a younger version of Red and Kitty within the framework of That ‘70s Show.
Haley and Andy (Modern Family)
Haley had many humorous relationships in the course of Modern Family, from her dysfunctional relationship to Dylan to her ill-advised tryst with the far older Rainer Shine. As many relationships as Haley took part in, it’s safe to say that most viewers were hoping to one day see Haley choose Andy as her ideal romantic counterpart. Perfectly balancing Haley’s chaotic energy with his quirky, dad-like personality, Andy and Haley seemed like a literal match made in heaven, making it all the more disappointing when Haley once again reunited with Dylan in Modern Family’s final season.
Jess and Rory (Gilmore Girls)
In a perfect world, Rory would have wound up in the arms of her all-too-brief boyfriend, Jess, in the series finale of Gilmore Girls. As it is, however, she ended her narrative journey in the show as a single mother to be, with Jess nowhere in sight. While the Gilmore Girls revival revitalized hopes of a potential relationship once again blossoming between these two star-crossed lovers, viewers can only wonder what might have been if Jess had stayed around in Stars Hollow a little while longer.
Andy and Erin (The Office)
We have no idea what happened, but Andy Bernard experienced one of the most egregious character devolutions in television history in The Office’s later seasons. Having overcome the selfish, impulsive attitude he displayed in his earliest appearances, Andy became a far more likable and sympathetic character halfway through The Office, making him a perfect candidate for Dunder Mifflin’s office manager. In season 9, however, all of the organic growth he experienced inexplicably came undone, costing him his job, his dreams of professional acting, and his long-building relationship with Erin.
Klaus and Caroline (The Vampire Diaries)
Discussing it plainly, Klaus and Caroline’s romantic relationship in The Vampire Diaries is so complex and multi-dimensional, you can fill a Dostoevsky-sized book describing it. Though she remained a subject of romantic admiration for Klaus, Caroline always seemed to concern herself with disastrous relationships to Damon, Tyler, Stefan, Alaric and Matt. While the two eventually shared a moment of brief intimacy in The Vampire Diaries’ fifth season, fans never saw a long-standing relationship develop between these two passing ships in the night (much to their utter chagrin).
