TV showromancecan be hard to pull off, as fans have polarizing opinions about what characters should end up together. However, it’s always gratifying when an unexpected romance turns out to be a hit with fans, proving that the characters have a spark. Whether it’s an enemies-to-lovers relationship or the two characters seem like polar opposites, the last thing any viewer thinks is that these people would get together and that the romance would be good for them. However,it’s often the most unpredictable romance that turns out to be the most effective.
However, in some cases, audiences did see these relationships coming and opposed them from the beginning because they felt the characters didn’t fit together. While someTV show couples never should have dated, these couples successfully proved audiences wrong by overcoming their differences and making amends for the ways they hurt each other in the past.In some TV series, romance is a central part of the plot,and the writers can spend time developing the relationship. For others, the romance is secondary and must be slowly built up over time, subtly encouraging the characters to be together.
10The Tenth Doctor & Rose
Doctor Who (2005–Present)
Before David Tennant became the Doctor,romances onDoctor Whowere few and far betweenand almost never involved the Doctor. However, Tennant’s changes toDoctor Whowere difficult to ignore from the start. He was a younger, more classically handsome actor, and his chemistry with Billie Piper, who played Rose Tyler, the first companion of the new era, was undeniable. Though Rose had a more familial dynamic with Nine, it didn’t take long to see that she felt differently towards this changed version of the Doctor.
10 Split TV Couples Who Should Have Got Back Together
While some TV couples are better off apart than together, other relationships deserve another chance after a breakup to let the characters try again.
Rose and the Doctor’s relationship timelinegets a little murky as the seasons progress, as they’re seemingly separated forever when Rose travels to a parallel universe. However, the devastation over Rose’s exit and the deep love that the characters have for each other allowedDoctor Whoto give them a happier ending by the conclusion of Tennant’s tenure, even if the real Doctor could never be with Rose forever. Thoughlove stories are still polarizing inDoctor Who,Ten’s relationship with Rose transcends this rule.
Doctor Who
Cast
An alien from the planet Gallifrey travels through time and space to explore, solve problems and fight injustice while also making friends with human beings. His spaceship, called TARDIS, resembles a police box, but it is much more than it appears to be.
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9Ariana & Cooper
Landman (2024–Present)
SinceLandmanpremiered on Paramount+, the West Texas-set series has been keeping audiences guessing about who will live and who will end up together. At first,it seemed that Ariana and Cooper, played by Paulina Chavez and Jacob Lofland, were moving too quicklyafter the blowout accident that caused the deaths of so many characters. Ariana was married to Elvio (Alejandro Akara), one of the characters who died in the accident. Cooper worked with Elvio since he survived and shared her trauma.
However, the pair have been proving that they’re aware of the circumstances that brought them together and aren’t going to let this cloud their overall judgment. Taking things day by day and recognizing that right now, they’re leaning on each other in their grief is a healthy way for their relationship to progress. As long as they remain self-aware and are ready to call it quits if things aren’t working out,there’s no reason why the couple shouldn’t take comfort in each other.
Landman
Set in West Texas, this series explores the world of oil rigs and the fortunes they create. It portrays a modern upstairs/downstairs narrative of roughnecks and billionaires, highlighting the profound impact on the climate, economy, and geopolitics in these boomtowns.
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8Eric & Adam
Sex Education (2019–2023)
There’s a good reason why Eric (Ncuti Gatwa) and Adam (Connor Swindells) were such a controversial couple, asAdam began the series repressing his sexuality and bullying Ericfor expressing his. This is a familiar trope for LGBTQ+ couples, but it can be harmful, as it feeds into the idea that when someone hurts you, it means they like you. Or that all homophobia is misplaced desire, which isn’t true. However, as the seasons progressed,Sex Educationworked to combat these issues and directly addressed them.
Adam eventually makes amends and shows full support for Eric while delving into the deeper problems that made him express his anger aggressively.
Otis (Asa Butterfield) expresses how concerned he is about Eric’s relationship with Adam and pushes Eric to question Adam’s intentions and ensure that he’s changed. Adam eventually makes amends and shows full support for Eric while delving into the deeper problems that made him express his anger aggressively. Though they didn’t end up together, their relationship was an important stepping stone for both of them, and they parted ways with kindness and affection.
Sex Education
Sex Education is a comedic-drama series that follows various students, parents, and staff of Moordale Secondary School and their awkward sexual dilemmas. The series primarily focuses on student Otis Milburn with a dour outlook on sex due to his mother’s occupation as a sex therapist who has several affairs with zero attachments. Seeing an opportunity to capitalize on his second-hand knowledge and ambivalence to sex, Otis and his friend Eric set up an in-school clinic to advise other students with sexual issues. This clinic becomes compromised when Otis begins to have feelings for one of his clients.
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7Veronica & Logan
Veronica Mars (2004–2019)
The chemistry between Kristen Bell and Jason Dohring quickly made the love-hate relationship between Veronica and Logan onVeronica Marsone of thebest teen romance TV showcouples of all time. However, sparks aren’t flying in a good way between Logan and Veronica at the start of the series. Following the death of Veronica’s best friend and Logan’s girlfriend, the pair are at odds, withLogan treating Veronica terribly at school and ostracizing her from her old friends.
Despite the animosity, it’s difficult to ignore the tension between the two of them, which finally erupts toward the end of season 1 when they share an unexpected kiss. While things aren’t easy for the couple,Logan proves to the audience and Veronica how serious he is about her,showing a tender side that makes him a boyfriend worth rooting for. Though their happily ever after isn’t what viewers might have wanted, there’s no question that they were made for each other.
Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars is a drama mystery series that stars Kristen Bell as the titular teen detective who learns the ropes from her father, a California police sheriff. Following a “crime-of-the-week” episode format, each episode sees Veronica tackling new cases while carrying on her High School life, with a more significant, overarching plot carrying between episodes. Veronica’s side career begins following the death of her best friend, which sets off a chain of events leading to several smaller cases.
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6Bonnie & Enzo
The Vampire Diaries (2009–2017)
Bonnie (Kat Graham) is a character inThe Vampire Diarieswho deserves a lot better throughout the series, especially when it comes to love. Time and again, Bonnie saves the day and has to sacrifice everything to do so, rarely getting more than a brief thank you from the people she saves. When Enzo (Michael Malarkey) enters the picture,he’s not Bonnie’s typical love interest,as she doesn’t trust vampires, and they grudgingly work together despite their initial dislike.
Since Bonnie is doomed to always get her happiness ripped away, their relationship is tragically cut short.
However, they slowly develop a mutual respect and admiration that eventually blossoms into love, opening them both up to the possibility of a happy ending. Of course, since Bonnie is doomed to always get her happiness ripped away, their relationship is tragically cut short. Despite this, their relationship was a bright spot in the later seasons ofThe Vampire Diariesand was a pleasant surprise, considering how much they both have struggled in the past.
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5Dan & Blair
Gossip Girl (2007–2012)
As one of the mostcontroversial TV show couplesof all time, Dan (Penn Badgley) and Blair (Leighton Meester) were never a favorite endgame couple. However, despite their rocky start, Dan and Blair earned respect from fans who came to recognize that this opposites-attract couple had more in common than meets the eye. After despising each other for years in high school,Blair and Dan found themselves on a more level playing field in adulthood,with Dan appearing during some of Blair’s darkest moments to support her.
With similar tastes in classic books and movies and a shared intellectualism,Dan brought out the best in Blair, and Blair pushed Dan to be ambitiousand want more for himself. Though it was clear that the pair didn’t have the fireworks they did with others, there was a comfort and companionship between them that most viewers would never have seen if their relationship hadn’t developed. While it seemed like a random relationship at first, it justified itself well and became a sweet part of the show.
Gossip Girl
Set among Manhattan’s elite, this drama series follows wealthy teenagers whose scandalous lives are exposed by an anonymous blogger. The show delves into themes of betrayal, ambition, and the complexities of high-society friendships, as the characters navigate interpersonal conflicts and personal aspirations.
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4Sawyer & Juliet
Lost (2004–2010)
There were many overlapping love triangles inLost,and while it seemed that the Kate-Sawyer-Jack dynamic would be the most significant of the series, this changed when Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell) entered the picture. Sawyer (Josh Holloway) is a troubled and violent con man, something he had in common with Kate (Evangeline Lilly), while Jack (Matthew Fox) and Juliet are both doctors and level-headed leaders. However, of all the mixing and matching within these relationships, Sawyer and Juliet turned out to be the best.
When Juliet and Sawyer are sent back in time, they form a bond based on trust and love, a first for both of them.
When Juliet and Sawyer are sent back in time, they form a bond based on trust and love, a first for both of them. WhileLosthad built up the chemistry between Sawyer and Kate for most of the show, Sawyer and Juliet’s relationship was less tumultuous and had a stronger foundation. While the many time jumps and external circumstances made it hard for them to be together, Sawyer and the audience forgave Juliet for helping the Others and recognized how perfect they were together.
Lost
Lost is a mystery drama series created for TV that follows a group of survivors of a plane crash and tells its story between the past, present, and future via flashbacks. When Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 crashes and lands on a mysterious island in the pacific ocean, the castaways discover their new temporary home may have a mind of its own, as strange supernatural events keep them locked to the island. From an unknown black smoke creature to dangerous islanders, the passengers must work together to survive the island’s seemingly deadly intentions.
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3Peggy & Stan
It wasn’t just fans who were unsure of the budding relationship between Stan (Jay R. Ferguson) and Peggy (Elisabeth Olsen). Though Ferguson had been hinting at the possibility of them getting together since he was cast inMad Men,Matthew Weiner, the show’s creator, was firmly against the characters ever being together(viaVanity Fair). However, by the series finale, it was clear that the pair deserved to express their feelings for each other, with Stan admitting that he loves Peggy in a deeply romantic scene.
When Stan first joinedMad Men, he was a combative and sexist coworker that Peggy had to work around rather than work with. However, as he grew to respect Peggy and evolved as a person, the show allowed Stan to demonstrate a different side of himself that would be worthy of Peggy. Thoughtheir relationship is a true slow-burn,by the time they make their love confession, it is clear that this is the right decision for both of them.
Mad Men
Mad Men is a drama series set in 1960s New York, focusing on the lives of competitive men and women working in Madison Avenue’s advertising industry. The show explores the social mores and cultural dynamics of the era while delving into the personal and professional challenges faced by its characters.
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2Mickey & Ian
Shameless (2011–2021)
Few characters onShamelesscome as far as Ian (Cameron Monaghan) and Mickey (Noel Fisher),two angry and struggling young men who fall in love and make their relationship work. Their first interactions are violent and intense, as Mickey is the terrifying older brother of Ian’s friend Mandy (Emma Greenwell). This makes it all the more shocking when Mickey kisses Ian, and it’s made clear that he’s been keeping his sexuality a secret.
At first, Mickey pushes Ian away, but eventually, Ian struggles to be the kind of man that Mickey can rely on.
For a long time, it was hard to root for Ian and Mickey, as they don’t treat each other well, and they bear the brunt of the other’s struggles and lows. At first, Mickey pushes Ian away, but eventually, Ian struggles to be the kind of man that Mickey can rely on. However, they can’t stop coming back to each other and their relationship, proving to themselves and the audience that it isn’t just physical chemistry but a deep emotional connection that sustains their romance.
Shameless
Shameless is a Black Comedy, Family Drama created by Paul Abbott and starring William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum, and Justin Chatwin. The premise follows the Gallagher family and their closest friends as they deal with a not-so-helpful father, Frank Gallagher. His children each find their own path, growing into their own flawed people without much guidance or help from the family patriarch.
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1Colin & Penelope
Bridgerton (2020–Present)
Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin (Luke Newton) have had the most build-up of any couple inBridgerton. Afterthree seasons of Pen pining after Colin and him treating her as a friendat best and as an emotional crutch at worst,Bridgertonhad its work cut out for itself to convince audiences that Colin deserved her love. Though Pen was keeping a few secrets of her own, this didn’t change the fact that Colin had been rebuffing her for years, and this had made both Pen and viewers sick and tired of waiting for him to wake up.
The 4 Bridgerton Moments Where The Main Couple Fell In Love
From the forming of the monarchy to Lady Whistledown leaving spinsterhood, the blossoming of love in Bridgerton can be pinpointed to an exact moment.
However,Bridgertonseason 3 successfully changed people’s opinions of Colin as he stepped up and changed, becoming a man worthy of Penelope. He realized that not only was he in love with her, but she was also her own person and a successful writer that he admired. Throughout the season, theirromancehad to weather some serious challenges, but it made their love even stronger and gave Colin the chance to become a better partner.
Bridgerton
Bridgerton, released on Jun 23, 2025, is set in Regency-era England and follows the lives of the influential Bridgerton family. The series explores themes of wealth, lust, and betrayal, portraying societal dynamics through a blend of romance and intrigue.
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