TV Romance
13 TV Couples That Got Canceled Far Too Soon
In recent years, TV shows seem to be getting axed left and right. It hurts when we fall in love with the first season or two of a new show, only to find out that the story will never end properly. (Seriously, this is why we have trust issues now.) Even more painful is when that show features a stellar romance or two, and we get zero closure or clarity about the future of the characters’ relationships. Or we don’t get the chance to see this romance through to its final chapter.
There are far too many swoonworthy TV love stories that were cut short — far more than the 10 we listed below. However, there are a few standouts that we can’t get off our minds. From My Lady Jane to Pushing Daisies to The Society, check out which TV relationships we think should’ve had much longer lifespans. Let us know your favorite canceled romances in the comments below!
Stede & Ed in Our Flag Means Death
Technically, Stede and Ed (Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi) get a happy ending, retiring from piracy to run an inn together. Still, their conclusion feels slightly rushed in the grand scheme of things. We hope they would’ve eventually taken their romance back to seas if they’d had another season. There was so much more story to tell!
Jane & Guildford in My Lady Jane
My Lady Jane is a romantasy lover’s dream, with a fiery enemies-to-lovers arc between Lady Jane (Emily Bader) and Guildford (Edward Bluemel). They enter an arranged marriage, but by the end of the series, they confess their love for each other — in the middle of their execution no less. They escape by the skin of their teeth, and that’s where its first and only season ends. We can’t help but wish the series got to see the rest of their love story through.
Edwin & Charles in Dead Boy Detectives
The relationship between ghosts Edwin (George Rexstrew) and Charles (Jayden Revri) never actually turns romantic. Edwin confesses feelings for his partner-in-crime as they’re trying to escape Hell, but Charles turns him down. However, the show hints that Charles’ stance might change down the line, but alas, we’ll never know. Ugh!
Anne & Gilbert in Anne with an E
Anne With an E wraps up Anne’s journey nicely, and we’re not complaining that she (Amybeth McNulty) and Gilbert (Lucas Jade Zumann) finally get together in the finale. Still, they wind up getting married and having a family in the books, which we would’ve loved to see play out on the show. Maybe one day!
Kaz and Inej in Shadow and Bone
Shadow and Bone‘s best romances are between the Crows, in our humble opinion, but they didn’t get nearly enough time to shine throughout the show’s two seasons. Kaz and Inej (Freddy Carter and Amita Suman) are another pairing who don’t actually get together (nor do they in the books), but there are so many romantic undertones to their dynamic. We were hoping to see more of them whether or not they became an official item.
Nina and Matthias’ (Danielle Galligan and Calahan Skogman) relationship also deserves a moment of silence. In Season 2, Nina saves Matthias by imprisoning him, and he’s starting to understand why she did what she did by the end. Non-readers never know if they would’ve reconciled. Though, if future seasons followed the books, Matthias would’ve eventually died. At least we were spared from that pain!
April & Sterling in Teenage Bounty Hunters
April (Devon Hales) and bounty hunter Sterling (Maddie Phillips) are rivals, but they were once childhood friends. Working on a project for their Christian private school, they reconnect and give in to their attraction to each other. However, April isn’t ready to come out yet, so they break up. Another season of Teenage Bounty Hunters would have given us the complete arc of their rivals-to-lovers dynamic.
Phil & Keely in Phil of the Future
Remember this one? We still think about Phil of the Future‘s cliffhanger. Phil and Keely (Raviv Ullman and Aly Michalka) confess their feelings for each other, but Phil ends up having to return to the present, leaving Keely in the 21st century. Would he have returned to see their romance through? We won’t ever know unless the show’s rebooted. Bring it back, Disney! Even though we’re adults now, we promise we’ll tune in.
Cal & Juliette in First Kill
First Kill is another sapphic romance that had a premature death. Created by author V.E. Schwab, the show depicts a Romeo and Juliet-style love story between a vampire (Sarah Catherine Hook) and a vampire hunter (Imani Lewis). Even though it was pretty cheesy, we still think it deserved a Season 2. It’s such a great premise for a romance! By the end, Cal vows to kill Juliette, so we’re left wondering if they would’ve found their way back to each other eventually.
Lucy & Anthony in Lockwood & Co.
Lockwood & Co. features another love story that didn’t get a chance to fully develop, though we like to imagine ghost hunters would’ve been endgame. The slow-burn tension is tvotally there. Technically, they never kiss in the books, so it makes sense that they don’t get together in Season 1. Might they have in future seasons? Who knows, but even if they didn’t, they still deserved more time to shine.
Ned & Chuck in Pushing Daisies
Ned (Lee Pace) has the power to bring the dead back to life with his touch. The only catch? Touching them again kills them for good. He revives his childhood sweetheart, Chuck (Anna Friel), and they fall hopelessly in love with each other, despite not being physical. The show had advance warning of its cancellation, so it has a nice enough ending. However, the stellar premise could’ve easily been extended for a few more seasons. We’re still holding out hope for a reboot!
Dash & Lily, Dash & Lily
There’s a reason we rewatch Dash & Lily every Christmas: The romance is top-tier. Granted, it hinged on the two leads not knowing each others’ identity and communicating via letters, but we didn’t get nearly enough time to watch Dash and Lily (Austin Abrams and Midori Francis) be an actual couple. We want to start a petition for Season 2.
Allie & Harry, The Society
We’ll never get over The Society’s Season 2 renewal and then surprise cancellation. The Netflix teen drama was unfairly axed before it had a chance to go full speed. In this modern take on Lord of the Flies, a group of teens, including Allie (Kathryn Newton) and Harry (Alex Fitzlan), wind up in a facsimile of their small New England town. With no parents around, chaos is king. Allie and Harry are the very definition of enemies-to-lovers. They just can’t quite shake each other and love to push each other’s buttons. It’s honestly a crime that this show was canceled. Allie and Harry’s romantic arc would have been immaculate and filled with unbelievably good tension.
Samuel & Bess, Little Voice
Apple TV+‘s short-lived romance series Little Voice put performer Bess King (Brittany O’Grady) in the spotlight as she attempted to find success in New York City’s music scene. Along with her musical journey, Bess crosses paths with two romantic interests, including Ethan (Sean Teale) and Samuel (Colton Ryan), the latter of whom we were rooting for. While Bess connected with Samuel over their shared interest in music, she was hesitant to jump into a relationship as her personal life was rather complicated, but by the end of the season, Bess and Samuel shared a kiss, hinting at the sparking of a full-on romance. Sadly, we never got to see it come to fruition. — Meaghan Darwish
