17 TV Couples We’re Worried About Going Into Next Season
Love ’em or hate ’em, relationship cliffhangers are a mainstay in the TV world. Shows love to leave us guessing about the fate of our favorite couples, whether the finale sets them up for a seemingly insurmountable obstacle, devastating betrayal, or deadly situation. Though we like to hold out hope that love conquers all, TV romance lovers know that that’s not always the case.
While we’re between seasons of some of our favorite shows, we’re weighing in on some of the pairs that we’re worried about. (Hopefully, we don’t jinx them.) Heated Rivalry’s Ilya (Connor Storrie) and Shane (Hudson Williams) only got a happy-for-now ending in Season 1. Remember, their relationship is still secret. When it comes to Outlander: Blood of My Blood ‘s Julia (Hermione Corfield) and Henry (Jeremy Irvine), we can’t even look to the main series to determine their fate.
We have plenty more TV couples that are in dicey circumstances below. Once you reach the end, let us know your predictions in the comments section!
Dean & Allie, Off Campus
Dean (Stephen Kalyn) and Allie (Mika Abdalla) leave things on a messy note in Off Campus Season 1. Dean’s about to tell Allie he wants a real relationship with her, despite her repeatedly telling him she wanted something casual. Though he agreed at first, he couldn’t complete the outside hookup assignment Allie came up with to cool things off. Allie, on the other hand, did sleep with Hunter Davenport (Charlie Evans), not knowing that Hunter and Dean were enemies.
Even those who have read Elle Kennedy‘s The Score, which follows Dean and Allie’s romance, can’t be sure how the two will find their way back to each other, since the show is going off-book. What’s more, Kalyn told us that the Hunter revelation “absolutely” changes things for Dean and Allie. “I think he experiences jealousy for the first time, and that’s something new to him, and there’s some conflict between him and Hunter,” he explained to Swooon. “And yeah, Allie screwed it all up.”
Will the show give Dean and Allie a slower burn? Will that third act in the book be even rougher for the two? Who knows, but we say bring on the angst. — Morgan Pryor
Gibbs & Lala, NCIS: Origins
We know, we know, Gibbs (Austin Stowell) and Lala (Mariel Molino) just got together in the Season 2 finale, but this series is also a prequel, and we know that they don’t last. Gibbs (Mark Harmon) goes on to have multiple ex-wives, and Lala is not one of them. He even says in his voiceover, “I wish it could have lasted forever.” But so far, Lala’s future has remained a mystery; this prequel is “the story of her” he doesn’t talk about. And as Molino told our sister site TV Insider, “I think there’s a possibility that there was some sort of betrayal on either Gibbs’ end or Lala’s, and I also think there’s potential for a very tragic ending, and that could be the reason that Gibbs has never talked about Lala. I think something definitely has to happen that is pretty pivotal in both their lives for this story about her, right? I mean, it can’t just be that they fell out of touch.” —Meredith Jacobs
Tommy & Angela, Landman
As Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) begins his bold new oil venture, he’s bringing along Cooper (Jacob Lofland) and T.L. (Sam Elliott) to make it a family affair. But could he be putting his relationship with Angela (Ali Larter) on the line in the process? She certainly didn’t seem too thrilled about it at first, and we know she has a penchant for shiny things that he might not be able to give her for a while — if ever — while hanging his shingle. As cantankerous as their ordinary communications are, there’s always reason for concern about Tommy and Angela’s future, but that’s especially true now that he’s taking such a big financial risk with his bag. — Amanda Bell
Sasha & Esther, Nobody Wants This
In the Season 2 finale of Nobody Wants This, Esther (Jackie Tohn) admitted to Sasha (Timothy Simons) that she wanted to take a step back from their marriage, and honestly, we’re worried that they won’t follow through on their separation. After all, Sasha told Morgan (Justine Lupe), “I mean, if she thinks she can just go out there and see what life is on the other side without me, and I’ll just like, wait and take her back… She’s absolutely right.” Stand up for yourself (and start dating Morgan), Sasha! —Rebecca Perlmutter
Shane & Ilya, Heated Rivalry
We feel like it’s common knowledge by now that Shane and Ilya do get a bonafide happily-ever-after in author Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series, which Heated Rivalry is based on. But anyone that has read their sequel book, The Long Game, knows that Shane and Ilya do not have an easy go of it. We won’t get into spoilers, but let’s just say that they face intense internal and external obstacles even after they commit to their secret relationship. What’s more, we know from Season 1 that showrunner Jacob Tierney somehow made devastating book moments even more devastating on screen. We have no doubt that’ll continue to be the case in Season 2. There’s also no telling if the show will follow the book exactly, or if it’ll end on a cliffhanger moment and save the happy ending for another season. Needless to say, we’re scared (but excited). — Morgan Pryor
Dana Sue & Ronnie, Sweet Magnolias
Ronnie (Brandon Quinn) prioritized his job over his family in Season 5 of Sweet Magnolias, so he and Dana Sue (Brooke Elliott) did not end in a good place. After their house burned down in a fire, they were torn even farther apart. In fact, in the finale, Dana Sue told Ronnie that she was going to find her own apartment so they could take some space.
If the show comes back for a Season 6, the issues between Ronnie and Dana Sue will definitely be explored. — Alyssa Norwin
Alberta & Pete, Ghosts
Sure, Alberta (Danielle Pinnock) and Pete’s (Richie Moriarty) romance is relatively sweet and tame by comparison to some of the other haunts at Woodstone, but the Ghosts couple’s fates were uncertain at the end of Season 5, making us anxious for any updates. As fans will recall, when Woodstone was put in danger, Sam (Rose McIver) and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) had to prove their estate was a historically relevant site to keep it from being demolished. Pete accompanied Jay and fellow ghost-seeing “living,” Kyle (Ben Feldman), to help find evidence in England, but his extended absence from the Woodstone property saw him disappear completely, concerning us greatly over his potential demise and what it means for his relationship with Alberta, which had been teased from Season 1, but had only barely just begun. — Meaghan Darwish
Adriana & Freddie, Finding Her Edge
Adriana (Madelyn Keys) and Freddie (Oliver Atkins) may have ended up together at the end of Finding Her Edge Season 1, but their relationship has been anything but smooth sailing. We love a second chance romance, but there were two guys who caught Adriana’s attention, and the fandom clearly wants her to be with Brayden (Cale Ambrozic) instead. Of course, only time will tell which way her heart goes, but Freddie, we fear you’re on borrowed time. —Rebecca Perlmutter
Barney & Grace, Your Friends & Neighbors
Barney’s (Hoon Lee) decision to go in feet first with Coop (Jon Hamm) and Elena’s (Aimee Carrero) thieving enterprise would always be unwise, but now it’s cost him the trust of two of the most important people in his life: his top client, Nick (Mark Tallman), and his wife, Grace (Eunice Bae). Unless he’s willing to bring her — and, by extension, their kids — into the game, chances are, he’s going to continue sleeping in the doghouse for the foreseeable future. — Amanda Bell
Wally & Maddie, School Spirits
Poor Wally (Milo Manheim) and Maddie (Peyton List) have been doomed from the start in School Spirits. We never really saw any way out of their whole living-on-different-planes situation, with Wally being a fully dead ghost and Maddie returning to the land of the living. Even when she escaped from the afterlife in Season 2, Maddie (who could still see ghosts, but not touch them) resolved to keep her romance with Wally alive. But at the end of Season 3, Wally gets stuck on the ghost road, separated from Maddy. Will they find their way back to each other? Is there any way a ghost and a living person can be together long-term? We’ll have to wait and see what Season 4 tells us. — Morgan Pryor
Don & Blythe, 9-1-1: Nashville
Don (Chris O’Donnell) and Blythe’s (Jessica Capshaw) marriage was a bit rocky after Dixie’s (LeAnn Rimes) diss tracks before he agreed to sleep with his ex to make her stop. Then, in the Season 1 finale, Dixie delighted in showing Blythe their texts. And so even though Don didn’t go through with it, he was tempted and almost did — and his wife knows it. We expect things to be shaky between them when Season 2 begins. “It’s going to have a major impact, and I think it’s going to take Blythe — it’s a lot for her to process because it is a betrayal,” showrunner Rashad Raisani told our sister site TV Insider. “Don’s like, ‘Look, I turned around. I called it off,’ but for her, it’s like, ‘You said yes, you were in, and you were on your way.’ And I think that’s going to be a major strain and a place where they’re going to start Season 2.” — Meredith Jacobs
Danny & Baez, Boston Blue
Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) and Baez (Marisa Ramirez) got together romantically in the time between the end of Blue Bloods and the start of Boston Blue, but then their long-distance relationship led to a breakup near the end of Season 1. They reunited in the Season 1 finale, and now Baez is theoretically moving to Boston with her daughter and mother, who is battling Alzheimer’s, in Season 2. Danny is getting them a bigger house for all of them to live in, but Boston Blue co-creator Brandon Sonnier told TV Insider that they will have to “work through the realities of she has a whole life in New York that she sort of needs to unwind from.” Plus, “she has a mom who’s in a professional care facility. She has a daughter,” Sonnier said. “All of those things need to be dealt with and sort of figured out and sorted before she can fully commit to living in Boston with Danny.” This could cause more strife on the relationship, but we have faith that Danny and Baez will be committed to making it work. — Kelli Boyle
Link & Jo, Grey's Anatomy
Four kids would be a lot for any family to grapple with, but now that Jo (Camilla Luddington) may be considering yet another career change — this time, far away from medicine — that might just be too much pressure for Link (Chris Carmack) to take, especially since he’s having to rely on painkillers to deal with the residual pain of his injuries in the explosion. The two have been a rock-solid staple of the show ever since they first became romantic, but we’re worried we might start seeing cracks between them next season. — Amanda Bell
Brady & Brie Virgin River
Just when you think Brady (Benjamin Hollingsworth) and Brie (Zibby Allen) are finally going to get their chance at happiness, the universe throws them another curveball. In the Virgin River Season 7 finale, Brady goes for a motorcycle ride and winds up crashing. As the credits roll, we’re unsure of his fate going into Season 8. Will Brady and Brie’s happily ever after never come to fruition? Only time will tell. If he does survive, someone lock Brady up in a padded room! — Avery Thompson
Jay & Isla, Running Point
Running Point‘s second season finally delivered the Isla (Kate Hudson) and Jay (Jay Ellis) reunion we’d all been hoping for after Season 1’s finale kiss cliffhanger. But it appeared that the bliss was short-lived as the teams faced off against one another in the NBA finals, with the Los Angeles Waves coming out on top. After engaging in a steamy, mostly secret affair following her breakup with fiancé Lev (Max Greenfield), Isla seemed ready to take things in a more serious direction with Jay, only for Season 2 to deliver another cliffhanger, this time in the form of a betrayal as he signed on to coach the Los Angeles Industry team headed by Isla’s brother Cam (Justin Theroux) and Al Fleischman (Ken Marino), which operates in direct opposition to the Waves. Will Isla be able to overlook the competition for love, or has Jay burned the final bridge between them? We’re dying to know. — Meaghan Darwish
Julia & Henry, Outlander: Blood of My Blood
When it came to Claire’s (Caitriona Balfe) parents in Outlander‘s prequel series, Outlander: Blood of My Blood, Henry (Jeremy Irvine) and Julia (Hermione Corfield) really went through some trauma as they found themselves hurtling through time and space following a car accident near Craigh Na Dun. After traveling through time at separate moments, the duo became separated, with Julia forced to live at Castle Leathers under Lord Lovat (Tony Curran), and Henry experienced his own horrors with Clan Grant as he tried searching for her. Ultimately, they were reunited, but Arch Bug (Terence Rae) was hot on their trail as they tried reaching the stones at Craigh Na Dun to travel back to their own time with their newborn son and return to little Claire. The Season 1 finale concluded before we could see the outcome of their predicament, but we fear another separation is on the horizon for these two. — Meaghan Darwish
Matt & Eve, Shifting Gears
Matt Parker (Tim Allen) and Eve Drake (Jenna Elfman) have been on-again, off-again since they started dating. In Season 2, the couple broke up because they couldn’t handle a long-distance relationship as Drake traveled around the world to choreograph a singer’s tour. She returned home during a break in the Season 2 finale, and Parker decided to jet off with her as the tour continued. Until Season 3 airs, it is not clear if the couple is staying together. With her headlining a new show, The Interrogator, Elfman’s time on Shifting Gears may be limited. Filming doesn’t start until July, so things could change between now and then. We’re worried Parker won’t get his happy ending (again). — Brittany Sims
