TV Romance
15 TV Couples That Were Ruined in Their Final Seasons
There are few things worse than being so invested in a TV couple after multiple seasons of buildup, only for them to crash and burn in the final season.
Unfortunately for us romance lovers, it’s not an uncommon occurrence for a show to drop the ball with one (or several) of its endgame couples. Maybe they nearly got their happy ending, only for it to be yanked away by one of their untimely deaths. Or their fire was simply snuffed out after their arc went on for a beat too long. Maybe their downfall was simply a result of poor writing, which took their romance in a direction that made zero sense.
We’re still bitter about said failed romances, if you can’t tell, so we decided to reminisce and roundup some of the worst culprits. Without further ado, here are 15 couples that technically (or nearly) ended up together, but took a turn for the worse in the home stretch. Tell us if you agree with our picks — which include romances from The Vampire Diaries, Suits, and more — in the comments. And suggest your own!
Shawn & Angela, Boy Meets World
When notorious womanizer Shawn Hunter (Rider Strong) started dating Angela (Trina McGee), it was clear he’d found the one. She brought out the best in him. She was smart, sensitive, and beautiful (and a far more fleshed-out character than any of Shawn’s previous one-off love interests). Through all their ups and downs, they were obviously endgame.
Though Boy Meets World ended on an ambiguous note with regards to their relationship, hopeless romantics assumed that they would eventually settle down together. So imagine our surprise when Girl Meets World hit the airwaves and Shawn is single… and Angela is married to someone else! We NEED to know what happened in the years between. This is not the Shawn and Angela we know and love. — Leah Williams
Jackie & Hyde, That '70s Show
You’re telling us Jackie ended up with FEZ?? Fez, played by Wilmer Valderrama, was very cute, but never had a lick of chemistry with Jackie (Mila Kunis).
After her first relationship with Kelso (Kunis’ future husband Ashton Kutcher) ended, Jackie unexpectedly turned to Hyde (Danny Masterson). Kelso, though sweet, was decidedly a very bad boyfriend.
Hyde and Jackie were the perfect grumpy/sunshine dynamic. Jackie could be annoying and intense. Hyde loved that about her. We do NOT acknowledge the final season of That ’70s Show. — Leah Williams
Mulder & Scully, The X-Files
Oh, the slow burn of Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) was painful at times. Every time it seemed like they’d finally get it together, something would inevitably happen (that bee!). But still, even through the second movie and the revival series, I rooted for them. But here’s where I have to be honest: I can barely remember anything about the revival, with only a handful of episodes (maybe) I’ve rewatched, and I do know that by the end of it, I didn’t care if Mulder and Scully were together, got back together, broke up, etc. The slow burn was great, drawing that out after they’d been together (offscreen) was not, and the William of it all (apparently not Mulder’s son, it turned out) was a complicated mess. — Meredith Jacobs
Jenna & Matty, Awkward
On MTV‘s former original comedy, Jenna (Ashley Rickards) and Matty (Beau Mirchoff) were the couple, but Awkward‘s fifth and final season was *awkwardly* spread out and never really provided the endgame this pair really deserved. Starting as a secret romance in Season 1 of the series, which ran from 2011 to 2016, Jenna and Matty’s tumultuous history seemed like it was on the upswing as high school’s end approached. When they finally gathered the courage to admit their feelings to one another, a soccer program pulled Matty away from Palos Hills and Jenna in the summer leading up to their freshman year in college. While Season 5 debuted in 2015, the second half didn’t arrive until 2016, meaning there was a large gap of time between high school graduation and their first summer break after their first year at college. When the story picked back up, Matty and Jenna’s relationship had fallen apart in the six months since attending school on different coasts. Ultimately, by the end of the show they’d made amends, but after so many will-they-won’t-they scenarios, Season 5 didn’t exactly provide the endgame we were hoping for when it came to Jenna and Matty. – Meaghan Darwish
Robin & Barney, How I Met Your Mother
The final season of How I Met Your Mother all leads up to Robin (Cobie Smulders) and Barney (Neil Patrick Harris)’s wedding. In the series finale, they get divorced almost immediately.
One could argue that, from a plot perspective, it’s bold and interesting. But from a we-were-rooting-for-you perspective? Devastating and stupid! Sorry, we can’t hear the sound of your blue french horn over our hearts shattering. — Leah Williams
Bonnie & Enzo, The Vampire Diaries
Say what you will about Bonnie’s (Kat Graham) romances — Bonnie and Ian Somerhalder‘s Damon were a missed opportunity — but I actually liked her and Enzo (Michael Malarkey) together. They didn’t have a complicated history, unlike some of the other characters in the show, and they protected each other in Seasons 7 and 8, with Enzo always putting the self-sacrificing Bonnie first. She brought out the best in him. Still, as much as I liked them, they were a bit underdeveloped, but I suppose that’s an unfortunate side effect of being secondary characters.
That’s why it’s such a shame that their arc ended the way it did. I can’t stand that they didn’t give them a happy ending, after everything. Having a humanity-less Stefan (Paul Wesley) rip Enzo’s heart out in front of Bonnie, and having Enzo watch over her as a ghost from then on? Heartbreaking, and honestly, totally uncalled for. — Morgan Pryor
Sabrina & Nick, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Sabrina (Kiernan Shipka) and Nick (Gavin Leatherwood) had a strong run in CAOS, but the direction they went in that final season left a bad taste in my mouth. Sure, I’m glad that the series stuck with them being endgame, but the way it went about it, having Nick sacrifice himself to be with her in the afterlife, is a little… problematic. I think the show thought it was fan service, but honestly, it didn’t do much for me other than make their relationship less compelling. — Morgan Pryor
Frank & Bonnie, How to Get Away With Murder
Frank (Charlie Weber) and Bonnie’s (Liza Weil) deaths in the final season of How to Get Away With Murder were brutal and unnecessarily so. Look, everyone on the ABC crime drama had some penance to pay, but the world was truly against Frank and Bonnie. These two damaged souls could never catch a win, Their deaths felt rushed and used ultimately for shock value. They died together, so at least there’s that. (Bonnie’s death was downright cruel, though.) Annalise (Viola Davis) had already lost so much and having to watch her lose the two people who dedicated everything to her in mere seconds made me throw my remote. Justice for Frank and Bonnie. Their endgame deserved a better ending. — Avery Thompson
Brienne & Jaime, Game of Thrones
There were many unforgivable things about Game of Thrones‘ final season, but its treatment of Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldeau) and Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) might be the worst of all. Their arc was perfect up until that point: They hated each other, only to form a deep mutual respect and friendship. For Brienne, it turned into unrequited love. Finally, in Season 8, it seemed like Jaime returned her feelings, sharing a kiss and consummating their relationship. But then the show had to go and destroy all of Jaime’s character development by having him go back to die with his sister, Cersei. Seriously, I’m never getting over this one. — Morgan Pryor
Veronica & Logan, Veronica Mars
I like to pretend that Veronica Mars‘ fourth season doesn’t exist, and LoVe shippers know exactly why. As excited as I was to get a fourth season over a decade after the original run wrapped with Season 3, I quickly changed my mind. In the first three seasons, Logan (Jason Dohring) and Veronica (Kristen Bell) didn’t have the most stable of relationships with their love/hate slow burn, but all seemed well in Season 4. They even got married. Yay! Then, a bomb exploded and Logan died. It was an absolute betrayal to fans, and yes, it still stings. — Morgan Pryor
Stiles & Lydia, Teen Wolf
Technically, it was a final season and a movie that ruined Stiles (Dylan O’Brien) and Lydia’s (Holland Roden) relationship in the Teen Wolf universe. Stydia had an excellent arc in the main series: Stiles had a one-sided crush, and then they became each other’s best friends. When they became an item in Season 6, I actually screamed. I can acknowledge it was fan service on the show’s part, but in this case, I didn’t mind. It felt like a natural development. But still, Season 6 separated them for the most part, even though they technically ended up together. I needed more! And then in the 2025 follow-up movie, it’s revealed that Stiles and Lydia broke up. I mean, come on. — Morgan Pryor
Hanna & Caleb, Pretty Little Liars
Pretty Little Liars‘ last season was a bit of a letdown overall, including the direction it took most of its romances. Hanna (Ashley Benson) and Caleb (Tyler Blackburn) had the most disappointing ending out of all of the endgame couples, simply because I loved them together so much in the earlier seasons. They had so much chemistry! But then PLL had to go and put Spencer (Troian Bellisario) and Caleb in a relationship in Season 6, which was completely out of left field. Then, it felt like the show forced Hanna and Caleb back together in its final season. At that point, their magic was all but gone. — Morgan Pryor
Serena & Dan, Gossip Girl
Dan (Penn Badgley) and Serena (Blake Lively) weren’t my favorite Gossip Girl couple, but I also didn’t totally dislike them. Admittedly, they were on-again-off-again, and there was the messiness of their parents’ marriage in Season 5. That already made their romance feel icky, but then Season 6 really put the nail in the coffin of their relationship. The reveal that Dan had been Gossip Girl the whole time was completely absurd, but even more so was the fact that Serena still married him after finding out. How could she forgive him after everything he’d done? Serena was by no means perfect, but she deserved a better endgame romance than Dan. — Morgan Pryor
Nick & Jess, New Girl
I know this one will be controversial, and trust me, I debated whether or not to include Nick (Jake Johnson) and Jess (Zooey Deschanel). They’re one of my favorite all-time sitcom couples, and they definitely have the best TV kiss of all time. (Argue with a wall.) But… Season 7 did them a disservice. I know they got married, which I was happy about, but their wedding simply wasn’t as magical as it should’ve been. Nick and Jess’ whole thing was that they’re not perfect, but still. Why not give them a perfect wedding after everything?
What’s more, Season 6’s finale was perfect. Jess was about to move out of the loft, thinking she and Nick would never work. But then he went after her and kissed her in the elevator. Since the show was originally supposed to stop there, Nick and Jess’ Season 7 ending felt rushed and simply wasn’t on the level it should’ve been. Did it go as far as to ruin Nick and Jess for me altogether? Maybe not entirely, but I don’t view them as fondly as I did pre-Season 7. — Morgan Pryor
Harvey & Donna, Suits
Speaking of rushed endings, I can’t forget about Donna (Sarah Rafferty) and Harvey (Gabriel Macht) in Suits. Their slow burn from ride-or-die friends to lovers was absolutely everything in the legal drama, but we needed approximately a million more seasons to watch their dynamic as an established couple. Unfortunately, we only got Season 9, which made their relationship go down the toilet. By rushing them into marriage, the payoff simply did not hit. Suits should’ve just ended with Season 8, when Harvey ran to Donna’s apartment to give her a swoonworthy love confession. — Morgan Pryor
