10 Most Disappointing TV Breakups, Ranked

The worst part of falling in love with a new show is getting way too attached to the romances that form between characters, even when they're never meant to last. It doesn't matter if your favorite show is a comedy or drama, fantasy or sci-fi, miniseries or procedural; relationships between characters on TV can be hit or miss with fans. 

For the TV romances that really hit, it can be as devastating as a real-life breakup when the writers take things in a heartbreaking direction. There are plenty of TV couples we wish never got together, but breakups between couples that audiences love are a way for shows to resemble real life, where not every split is a dramatic chain of events involving infidelity, murder, or secrets. 

In the case of these 10 TV couples, seeing them split up feels like a knife twisting in every audience member's heart. Though the stories may have been more poignant and resonant with these lovers parting ways at the end, that doesn't make it any less disappointing to see these breakups play out every time we soldier through a rewatch. 

Maybe it was unrealistic to put our hopes in a romance between two high schoolers, but "Sex Education" Season 1 clearly telegraphs an inevitable spark between Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield) and Maeve Wiley (Emma Mackey). The show mainly centers on Otis and Maeve teaming up to start a sex therapy clinic at their secondary school, and while Otis crushes hard on Maeve early on, by Season 2 he's moved on. Meanwhile, Maeve becomes the one harboring feelings for him. 

Other romances in "Sex Education," like the one between Eric (Ncuti Gatwa) and Adam (Connor Swindells), fall apart because of their incompatibility. However, Otis and Maeve spend so much of the show missing out on being the perfect couple due to miscommunication. It's not until Season 3 that they finally kiss for the first time, and they don't consummate the relationship until the series finale. 

All this will-they-won't-they should've paid off had the two ended up together at the end of the series. In the end, they decide it's better to part ways than maintain a long-distance relationship as Maeve pursues school in America. For one of the sexiest TV shows streaming on Netflix, the long-awaited culmination of entire seasons' worth of pining didn't end up being very steamy at all. 

If you're a fan of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," odds are you're tuning in for the characters and their relationships, not just the vampire butt-kicking. Sarah Michelle Gellar's Buffy Summers is an average teenager dedicated to ridding her new hometown, Sunnydale, of evil, while trying to live a normal life. This destiny is further complicated by the introduction of Angel (David Boreanaz), a vampire cursed with a conscience, who allies himself with Buffy's cause out of love for her.

The feeling is quickly reciprocated by Buffy, but it's not until their first kiss that she even discovers Angel's true vampiric look. Their budding relationship continues to hit snags; Angel's curse is temporarily lifted after they sleep together for the first time, returning him to a (literally) bloodthirsty killer. There's clearly deep love and attraction between them by the third season, as Buffy even lets Angel feed on her blood after he's poisoned by Faith Lehane.

Though there are obviously "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" episodes to skip on a rewatch, the ones that further Buffy and Angel's romance are often fan favorites. It's the ultimate star-crossed lover story, and given how young Buffy is when they meet, it's no surprise Angel makes a big impact on her. Angel ultimately leaves Sunnydale, feeling he could never give Buffy the normal life she deserves, in spite of his selfless love for her. 

It's even more devastating that Jonathan Byers and Nancy Wheeler don't end up together at the end of "Stranger Things," now that the rumor mill claims their actors, Charlie Heaton and Natalia Dyer, have also split up in real life. In Season 1, Jonathan and Nancy were an unlikely duo who fans shipped way more than Nancy and then-boyfriend Steve Harrington (Joe Keery). In each other, they found kindred spirits whose devotion to their loved ones made them brave enough to face horrible threats. 

Jonathan and Nancy's partnership remains a staple of "Stranger Things" throughout the next several seasons, but in Season 5, things take a turn for the worse for "Jancy" fans. Though an early moment in the final season suggests Jonathan plans to propose to Nancy, their near deaths in the Upside Down convince them not to tie the knot, but instead break up to set each other free. Sure, their relationship was initially the result of trauma bonding, but fans were certain that apart from lingering feelings for Nancy on Steve's part, Jonathan and Nancy were endgame. 

Though the "Stranger Things" series finale does feature happy endings for couples like Lucas and Max and Joyce and Hopper, Nancy and Jonathan parting ways was especially disappointing for fans who had been rooting for them to be together since Season 1. We'll always mourn their all-too-sudden breakup, but at least their last scene shows them still being close friends with Robin and Steve. 

Dan Harmon is never one to give the fans exactly what they want, but the chemistry between Donald Glover's Troy Barnes and Gillian Jacobs' Britta Perry throughout the first three seasons of "Community" is undeniable. Knowing "Community" scripts regularly told Glover to improvise his lines, it's not surprising the show took such a detour from the originally planned romances. From the moment the two signed up for dance class in Season 1, they became the preferred ship among fans compared to early romantic pairings involving Jeff (Joel McHale) and Britta, or Troy and Annie (Alison Brie). 

Their affection for one another becomes evident in Season 3, especially given Troy's reaction to Britta obsessing over her ex Blade in "Origins of Vampire Mythology." At the start of Season 4, the two are officially a couple, but given the absence of Harmon in the writers' room, their chemistry is rarely taken advantage of throughout. 

By the time they break up in "Basic Human Anatomy" (or rather, when "Troy" breaks up with Britta in Abed's body), it feels like the entire romantic experiment between the two was wasted potential. For the one season where Troy and Britta actually couple up to also be the show's most hated was poor luck for longtime fans of the characters. At least they have a sweet goodbye when Troy departs from the show in Season 5. 

Before "Cheers," audiences weren't as invested in the characters on their television screens, but that all changed thanks to the chemistry between Ted Danson as Sam Malone and Shelley Long as Diane Chambers. The first episode sees Sam take pity on an abandoned Diane by offering her a job at the titular bar, but their differences cause them to frequently get on each other's nerves. Although the sitcom hinges on the characters' romantic tension, the reality of Sam and Diane pairing up never felt quite right, even for fans who wanted them to end up together. 

After several attempts by the two to date other people and simply remain friends, they get engaged in Season 5. Even their proposals are contentious, with Sam initially proposing over the phone and Diane being picky about how he pops the question, all the while continuing to date. Since Shelley Long quit "Cheers" early in the sitcom's run at the end of Season 5, Sam ends up left at the altar while Diane chases her dream of being a published author.

While "Cheers" continued for six more seasons without the Sam and Diane dynamic, their will-they-won't-they tension was sorely missed. Diane does return for the series finale, where she and Sam nearly elope, before realizing their romance is better left in the past. The fact they got so close to a happy ending must've driven fans crazy in 1993. Sometimes, a romance that seems so obvious just isn't meant to be.

For a show called "Normal People," it shouldn't be too surprising that the issues plaguing Connell Waldron (Paul Mescal) and Marianne Sheridan (Daisy Edgar-Jones) are pretty typical for modern young adults. The show, based on a novel by Sally Rooney, follows the on-and-off relationship between Connell and Marianne through secondary school, university, and post-grad life. Connell's social anxiety and depression cause him to frequently keep his loved ones at a distance, while Marianne deals with PTSD from familial abuse and self-loathing. 

In spite of all their flaws, when things are good between Connell and Marianne, they truly bring the best out of one another. Namely, Connell is at his most self-assured and confident when he's protecting Marianne from abuse, and similarly, Marianne finds pleasure in making Connell happy and easing his worries. Even though things seem to be heading in the right direction in the show's finale, life has different plans for the two Irish lovers. 

When Connell is offered a year-long MFA program in America, Marianne encourages him to go, even though the long distance would essentially end their relationship just as it's hit a stride. Fans were decidedly not happy with the ending, as well-written as it is, given that we all just wanted to see Connell and Marianne finally make things work. Maybe at some point in the future, the characters give it another shot. 

"Schitt's Creek" is a masterclass in character development, spending six seasons turning the overprivileged Rose family from a wealthy dynasty into members of a small rural community. No character on the show better exemplifies that development than Alexis (Annie Murphy), who spends most of the series fighting her flighty, toxic instincts as she falls for local veterinarian Ted (Dustin Milligan), breaking his heart in the process. Alexis spends several seasons winning back his trust as his office receptionist before they finally rekindle their romance in Season 4.

However, when Ted travels abroad for a research experience in the Galapagos Islands, Alexis opts to stay behind in Schitt's Creek and make their relationship work via long distance. During that time, Alexis' public relations career takes off. When Ted returns to tell Alexis he's been offered a full-time job in the Galapagos Islands, they have to sadly part ways in spite of all the love and growth they've experienced together.

Although the series finale of "Schitt's Creek" sees David (Dan Levy) and Patrick (Noah Reid) tie the knot in a very beautiful ceremony, the fact that Alexis didn't end up with Ted after they'd proven to be so good for each other was sad, to say the least. If only Alexis had gone to the Galapagos with Ted, they'd have lived happily ever after. 

Simply uttering the words "Hot Priest" is enough to bring any television fanatic flashbacks to the time a show broke their heart like no other. The first season of "Fleabag" was already a masterpiece in comedy, grief, and womanhood, but in 2019, Season 2 elevated Phoebe Waller-Bridge's show by pairing her foul-mouthed titular anti-heroine with a perfect foil in Andrew Scott's unnamed priest, whose devotion to God and creative outlook on life challenges Fleabag's cynical worldview.

Though it begins as yet another self-destructive flirtation on the part of Fleabag, their inability to consummate it results in an intimacy forming between them that's genuinely among the best TV romances. We all remember where we were when we heard the Priest, after hearing Fleabag's confession about feeling alone, tell her to "kneel." Sadly, even though they spend a night together and seemingly are primed to walk off into the sunset together, God calls the Priest back to the Church, telling Fleabag of her sustaining love for him: "It'll pass." 

While it may pass at some point for Fleabag, for us fans of the BBC show, it has not. The opportunity to see Fleabag receive the love she deserves after so much loss and hardship in her life was sadly not meant to be. However, at least she walked away from the relationship with a new outlook on life, faith, and love — so much so that she doesn't need the audience to follow her anymore. 

From the moment "Better Call Saul" was greenlit, audiences anticipated seeing the fall from grace for Bob Odenkirk's Saul Goodman, or as he's known in the past, Jimmy McGill. However, no one could've anticipated that fall would also include the equally fascinating Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn). A fellow lawyer with a strong work ethic, Kim initially seems the perfect foil to Jimmy, but it becomes clear she's just as enticed by the thrill of a scheme as him.

There are times when their relationship is on the rocks, but oddly, the thing that brings them closer together is breaking bad (pun intended). When one of Saul's schemes on behalf of a client nearly destroys Kim's legal career, they don't break up, but double down and get married to spare each other from having to testify against the other. Their love especially blossoms throughout their scheme to tarnish the reputation of Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian), but when that scheme results in spilled blood, Kim finally runs. 

The devastating break-up scene between Jimmy and Kim, though inevitable, hurts all the same, as Kim's conscience finally wins over her love for Jimmy. It was the final nail in the coffin for Jimmy's transformation from "Better Call Saul" to "Breaking Bad," and ruined all hope that Kim may have been a silent participant in the events of the predecessor. Thankfully for "McWexler" fans, Jimmy and Kim reconcile in the series finale following Jimmy's incarceration. 

Of the many crimes committed in the series finale of "How I Met Your Mother," its biggest might be breaking up Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders) and Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris). Their slow-burn romance had become a fan-favorite pairing, rivaling the compatibility of other "How I Met Your Mother" couples, like Marshall (Jason Segel) and Lily (Alyson Hannigan). In fact, most of the show's ninth and final season takes place during the weekend of Robin and Barney's wedding, which sets in motion Ted's (Josh Radnor) meeting of the mother (Cristin Milioti).

However, where "How I Met Your Mother" messed up is having the ending planned long before the series finale ever aired. Because the creators intended for Ted to ultimately end up with his kids' "Aunt Robin," the finale had to shoehorn in Robin and Barney's marriage not working out. Although the DVD alternate ending implies they stay together, the official ending of the series sees Barney return to his womanizing ways, and Robin live alone until a widowed Ted comes back into her life. 

Among the many reasons why fans hated this abrupt breakup, aside from the fact that their problems are never seen on-screen, is that Robin genuinely made Barney a better person. She's the only partner of his to challenge his misogynistic worldview, so for him to return to his old ways the second they're divorced was rather disappointing for long-time fans of the series.