15 Toxic TV Couples We Still Love Anyway
We may avoid toxic relationships like the plague in real life, but on TV, it’s a different story. Tell Me Lies is proof of that. As much as we wanted to pull our hair out watching Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White) emotionally terrorize Lucy (Grace Van Patten), we quite simply couldn’t look away over the course of its three seasons. Rest assured, it’s not because we were at any point rooting for Stephen and Lucy to be together — Stephen shows his irredeemable qualities too quickly for that.
However, we’d be lying if we said we haven’t rooted for a toxic TV couple or two in our day. Though Tell Me Lies doesn’t fit the bill, its recent ending did get us thinking about all of the unhealthy pairings that we shipped anyway. In some cases, like Killing Eve‘s agent-assassin matchup, they were so toxic that they literally tried to kill each other at one point. Did that stop us from obsessing over Eve and Villanelle? Nope! Check out our thoughts on them and 14 other toxic-yet-lovable TV couples below.
Carrie Bradshaw & Mr. Big, Sex and the City
Fans watched Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) chase an on-and-off relationship with Mr. Big (a.k.a. John, played by Chris Noth) for 10 years, and things were dicey at best. Their dynamic paired her craving for commitment, insecurity, and occasional narcissism with his emotional unavailability and absolute dumpster fire communication skills. Carrie routinely bent herself into knots to win him over, even sidelining her friends, while Big kept her dangling with just enough affection to keep her hooked before inevitably pulling away, most memorably when he left her to move to Paris alone after hinting at a future together. The nightmare couple thrived on emotional whiplash until they finally married in the Sex and the City film, only for him to die suddenly years later, in the worst Peloton ad ever. — Erin Maxwell
Jimmy/Steve & Fiona, Shameless
Jimmy/Steve and Fiona’s relationship suffered from a case of extreme romantic turbulence. Fiona needed someone who would never leave her, and Jimmy/Steve constantly was, despite his love for her. His feelings could never outweigh his own selfishness and impulsivity. The once-in-a-generation chemistry between Justin Chatwin and Emmy Rossum made you root for Jimmy/Steve and Fiona through all the mess and chaos. When he returned to Chicago (again), Fiona had finally recognized the danger of a man like Jimmy/Steve. He loved her, and she loved him, and they could destroy each other. Rossum’s delivery of “you have to let me let you go” will never not feel like a gut-punch, even though it was the right thing for Fiona to do. And yet, I’m still hoping these two found each other again, and I’ll never stop hoping. — Avery Thompson
Fitz & Olivia, Scandal
Scandal‘s leading couple is a perfect example of right person, wrong time, as political fixer Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) meets Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn) on the campaign trail. By the time the show kicks off, they’re already deep into the throes of a steamy affair. The catch? He’s married, and she’s got a hand in sorting out most of Washington, D.C.’s problems. But when you become the headline, it turns the heat down a notch. While Olivia and Fitz’s undeniable chemistry may have caused those around them some serious pain, both mentally and physically, they weren’t immune to hurting each other either. With covert stolen moments in the Oval Office (out of sight of cameras), it’s difficult not to point out the contradictory metaphorical high horses Olitz sits upon. Being a gladiator with a white hat doesn’t negate the moral grey areas these two were willing to occupy. Still, we can’t help but hold out hope that Olivia and Fitz found their happy ending in Vermont. — Meaghan Darwish
Harley Quinn & Joker, Batman: The Animated Series
The “Mad Love” story of Dr. Harleen Quinzel (Arleen Sorkin) and her patient, the Joker (Mark Hamill), began at Arkham Asylum, where the intern psychologist volunteered to treat Gotham’s most dangerous criminal. During their sessions, he manipulated her with sob stories and twisted charm, slowly pulling her into his orbit until she fell in love with him, helped him escape, and reinvented herself as his devoted accomplice. Once she served his purpose, the relationship became brutally one-sided, with Harley worshipping “Mr. J” while he responded with indifference, abuse, and/or constant gaslighting. She tried to leave him at least once, but they reconciled after a violent spat and a visual gag, trapping her in a toxic cycle. Eventually, in the larger DC Universe, Harley broke free, forging her own identity and criminal legacy outside of the man who created her. — Erin Maxwell
Tom & Shiv, Succession
When it comes to the romance between Succession‘s Shiv Roy (Sarah Snook) and Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen), it was tough to define its shape. Already a couple when the series began, they couldn’t have appeared more mismatched as Tom proposed marriage at one of the most inopportune times in Season 1. Despite plenty of reasons not to move ahead in their engagement, the pair wed by the end of Season 1, which only brought more issues to the surface as he faced legal cross-examination connected to her family’s conglomerate in Season 2. When it looked like he’d end up in prison as a fall guy in Season 3, Shiv’s lack of care only gave Tom better insight into the Roy family dynamic, allowing him to implement his inherent good-guy nature to warm up to prickly father-in-law Logan (Brian Cox). This made way for the backstabbing of all backstabbings, when Tom essentially sold his soul to the devil by cutting a secret deal with Logan to take a top position at Waystar Royco. Understandably, the show’s final season opened with Tom and Shiv’s intention to divorce, but Logan’s death briefly brought them back together, as did a surprise pregnancy. Despite their toxicity, we can’t help but feel like the duo could go the distance if they’re willing to look the other way when it comes to romance within their marriage and the occasional game of “bitey.” — Meaghan Darwish
Joe & Love, You
To be clear, Joe (Penn Badgley) deserved to die alone after all the devastation he caused, but in looking back at his twisted relationship history, there was only one woman for him: Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti). She matched him on every single wicked level, and that terrified him. When they worked together, it was chaotic magic. But when their obsessions weren’t aligned, their marriage became a hellhole. They were mirrors of each other, and when Joe finally realized that, he had to take her out. And yet, there was a part of me that secretly wanted Love to pull one last trick on Joe, rise from the dead, kiss him, and then kill him. — Avery Thompson
Piper & Alex, Orange Is the New Black
When Piper Elizabeth Chapman (Taylor Schilling) met Alex Vause (Laura Prepon) at a bar, little did they know that their whirlwind relationship would lead to drug smuggling, imprisonment, emotional manipulation, betrayal, and the occasional mutual destruction of both women on an emotional level. Alex threw Piper under the bus, landing her in prison, and Piper returned the favor, getting Alex sent back. Their relationship was built on dishonesty and self-preservation, where love was often weaponized and trust easily broken. Yet despite the betrayals and damage, neither could fully walk away, their bond defined by a magnetic pull that was as destructive as it was irresistible. — Erin Maxwell
Buffy & Spike Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Pretty much every relationship Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) had in Buffy the Vampire Slayer was toxic, but none more so than her enemies-to-lovers arc with vampire Spike (James Marsters). They were one of those pairings that were solid in the build-up, even when Spike became unhealthily obsessed with Buffy. He desperately pursued her and constantly showed he wasn’t a good guy, but I could still see the vision (until that scene in Season 6, which I choose to forget). When she returned from the afterlife, a darker Buffy got with Spike as an act of self-destruction. They hurt each other over and over, but even anti-Spuffy fans have to admit that Spike understood Buffy in a way no one else really did. Looking at the whole picture, I’m glad Spike and Buffy weren’t endgame, but I’ll admit that certain moments had me rooting for them. — Morgan Pryor
Don & Betty, Mad Men
Don (Jon Hamm) and Betty (January Jones) made each other miserable. The womanizing advertising genius consistently lied and manipulated Betty, wanting her to be content with the privileged life he provided. The longer Betty was trapped in the “perfect” Draper life, the more spiteful she became. Even though their marriage became a mangled mess, they did love each other as much as they could. Betty protected Don’s secret, and while she claimed she was doing so to protect their children, she really did it out of the love she had for Don. When Don called the three most important women in his life, his call with “Birdie” was proof that, despite everything, these two never stopped loving each other. In another life with different circumstances, these two would have made it work. — Avery Thompson
Chuck & Blair, Gossip Girl
From the moment these two had sex in the back of the limo, Chuck (Ed Westwick) and Blair (Leighton Meester) were endgame. Sure, they did a lot of terrible things to each other, but the backstabbing and all those power plays were the world they were living in on Gossip Girl. Their chemistry was explosive and passionate and unparalleled. Their relationship was intense and messy and obsessive. Chuck and Blair loved each other ferociously, and sometimes you hurt the people you love the most. And they did… often. No matter what they did and who they were with, we were all just waiting for Chuck and Blair to find their way back to each other. After that night in Victrola in Season 1, the twin flame coursing between them ignited, and it was game over. — Avery Thompson
Eve & Villanelle, Killing Eve
I can’t blame Eve (Sandra Oh) for falling for the ruthless serial killer (Jodie Comer) she was hunting down. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t charmed by Villanelle, too, even knowing full well that she was a horrible person. Though Eve’s moral compass worked better than Villanelle’s, viewers learned that she was seriously messed up, too, and that only made their tension-filled game of cat and mouse more compelling. They were two sides of the same obsessive, codependent coin. When they did get together, they had already tried to kill each other, repeatedly proving that they brought out the worst in each other. But that’s why it worked, up until their tragic ending. As much as I wanted them to ride off happily into the sunset, a relationship like theirs couldn’t have ended any other way. — Morgan Pryor
Cookie & Lucious, Empire
Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) and Lucious (Terrence Howard) were the definition of messy. They fell in love as teenagers and were united in a dream of making music together. They were a team until it all fell apart. Cookie went to prison for 17 years after helping build the foundation for Empire Entertainment. She lost out on raising their three kids. She still helped Lucious with his music when she was behind bars. And when she got out? Lucious had made her a footnote in the family legacy. Over the years, Cookie and Lucious fought and schemed – never forget Cookie’s baseball bat moment — but they could never get over each other and always rallied for their family. Henson and Howard were a match made in TV heaven, and I loved every second of watching these two and their drama. – Avery Thompson
Rory & Dean, Gilmore Girls
I’m not going to stand 10 toes down and say that I’m Team Dean, but I will say that Dean Forrester (Jared Padalecki) and Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) were right for each other as teens. While watching them come back together was tarnished by, well, the fact that he was married, I’d be lying to say I didn’t empathize with Rory for wanting to experience the high of her first love again. Was he still her Dean? No. But they both made their choice, and while they could have gone about their reunion better, Rory and Dean were not my least favorite of Rory’s relationships in Gilmore Girls by far. — Rebecca Perlmutter
Ciara & Oliver, 56 Days
While it’s clear that Ciara Wyse (Dove Cameron) and Oliver Kennedy (Avan Jogia) from 56 Days both had ulterior motives heading into their definitely-not-accidental meet-cute, it was hard not to root for the couple. Sure, they both have dark pasts, and at least one of them was heading towards an even darker body-decomposing-in-a-bathtub future, but if anyone matched their creepy partner’s creepy freak, it was Ciara and Oliver. — Rebecca Perlmutter
Cam & Mitch, Modern Family
Cameron Tucker (Eric Stonestreet) and Mitchell Pritchett (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) were a hilarious duo, but I have to admit their relationship was a little toxic. Nearly every episode, one would lie to the other, and then catch their partner in the act. Seriously, can you think of an episode of Modern Family where either Cam or Mitchell didn’t pull a fast one on the other? As a whole, I adore the Tucker-Pritchetts, but it’s a fact that their relationship was not healthy, and we still ate up every minute. — Rebecca Perlmutter
