5 TV Couples That Were Actually The Literal Worst For Each Other

There are some TV couples that we just love and are obsessed with. TV couples that are made for each other and give us hope that true love exists and it’s out there for all of us. And then there are plenty of bad TV couples. So many bad Tv couples. The bad TV couples that we can’t stand and don’t understand why people ever thought the two should’ve ended up together in the first place. That’s right, the bad TV couples that show writers tried to convince all of us were perfect for the story and everyone would love, but really, we all kinda ended up hating.

Some of the couples that are supposed to be the best and make you want to root for them are actually really bad TV couples who make you wish that they would just break up already so the story can develop without them. Here are 5 bad TV couples that the industry tried to convince us were the best but were actually the literal worst for each other. There are some spoilers, so if you haven’t watched any of the shows below and are planning to I’d skip this one.

1. Ross and Rachel (Friends)

Oh Ross and Rachel. Bad TV couple #1. You wanted to root for them in the beginning because you thought it was cute that Ross finally landed the pretty girl that he’s had a crush on for forever, but as time went on you just started to wish that the Ross and Rachel thing would just go away. Everyone will always remember “the break” that started the demise of this bad TV couple. Not only was Ross annoying, extremely jealous, and didn’t respect Rachel’s drive towards a career she actually wanted to pursue, but he cheated on Rachel and tried to play it off as something that wasn’t devastatingly important. And she eventually forgave him creating a bad TV couple.

The constant on-again-off-again between these two made for interesting television but was it really good for the two characters in the end? Sure they got Emma and ultimately ended up together, but at what cost? Rachel gave up her dream job in Paris to be with Ross and while the scene was pretty cute, it just seems like Rachel’s dreams didn’t matter when Ross was involved. The two strung each other along for way too long, got married and divorced, and ruined other relationships because of each other making them a pretty bad TV couple. You can say it was because they were meant to end up together from the jump and would do whatever to make that happen, but that made them a bad TV couple, not a good one.

2. Damon and Elena (The Vampire Diaries)

Bad TV couple #2. A lot of people might say they aren’t a bad TV couple, but I could go on for hours about why these two are such a bad TV couple. Again, Damon and Elena were a bad TV couple that the show’s writers wanted you to believe were perfect for each other and the chaos that ensued from their relationship was just proof of their love for one another, but come on. Damon and Elena screamed “toxic” from the moment they met in the show making them a pretty bad TV couple. Let’s start with the fact that Damon stole Elena from his own brother – Stefan; the better Salvatore brother (you can fight be on this but my opinion will never change). And we can’t forget all the times Damon compelled Elena’s friends so he could hook up with them. Yes, he was the handsome bad boy that we all knew would eventually change for Elena, but let’s be honest, Damon was an asshole and his best seasons were honestly the ones when Elena was “asleep” and the bad Tv couple wasn’t the focus.

And Elena has to be one of the worst protagonists in all of TV history. She’s whiny, only thinks about herself really, constantly has her friends putting themselves in danger for her, and kinda just blazes through men throughout the show. Pair that with Damon’s toxicity and you get a really bad TV couple. In the end, I’m glad that Elena ended up with Damon because I thought Stefan was too good for her anyway, but if you seriously thought that Damon and Elena were a couple to look up to, it might be time to watch the show again and rethink your fascination with this bad TV couple.

3. Dan and Serena (Gossip Girl)

Bad TV couple #3. Once again, at the beginning of the show you want Dan to land Serena because you think that he is just this middle-class Lonely Boy pining over the rich girl who just wants someone to love her. And then you sit through six seasons of the show and you realize that you were wrong; Dan and Serena are a bad TV couple. Dan was Gossip Girl the whole time and he tormented and stalked Serena for years just so he could “write himself into her story” and when Serena turned a blind eye to this they really became a bad TV couple. Whenever they were actually dating, Dan never seemed to trust Serena because his insecurities about himself and the relationship always convinced him that she was going to choose someone else. And Dan even dated Blair at one point which was weird and should’ve convinced Serena to move on.

But Serena, wasn’t completely innocent. She really only cared about herself and continuously made bad decisions throughout the show. She just created so much drama within every single one of her relationships. Her biggest flaw though was constantly going back to Dan. I don’t know if Serena thought she needed to be with Dan because he was the only one who continuously put up with her crazy (I mean even Nate couldn’t stand it after a while and he was obsessed with Serena) and Dan just needed to be with her because he acquired a jewel no one ever thought he would – including himself – but whatever it was the two were just not good together making them one bad TV couple.

4. Ezra and Aria (Pretty Little Liars)

Bad TV couple #4. No one should have ever thought this one was a good idea, but again, the show writers made it so that people who watched PLL would ultimately ship this bad TV couple. They were toxic, but I guess they were one of the lesser toxic relationships in this show. These two should’ve been doomed from the beginning. Ezra was Aria’s teacher and even after they discovered that, it didn’t stop them from continuing to see each other. Then we find out that Ezra started dating Aria so that he could learn more about her and her friends so that he had material for a book he was writing! His intentions were bad from the jump and she still stayed with him! Bad TV couple party of two.

Then as the show continued we see that Ezra is still pretty sketchy and just not that good of a boyfriend. But Aria isn’t just someone who succumbs to Ezra’s toxicity. She constantly puts Ezra in danger because of all the A stuff and stays with a man who hooked up with her under false pretenses. She was way too forgiving up until the end when they got married and everyone was just fine with how their relationship started. While we were given glimpses that they could’ve had a solid relationship, it is no mystery that Ezria was a bad TV couple. Maybe not the worst of the PLL couples, but a pretty bad TV couple nonetheless.

5. Lucas and Peyton (One Tree Hill)

And lastly, we round out the list of bad TV couples with couple #5. Lucas and Peyton both ended up being pretty shitty people throughout the entirety of One Tree Hill so maybe it wasn’t a wonder that they ultimately ended up together. Each of them had their own personal issues and mixing them just turned them into a bad TV couple. First of all, they hooked up when Lucas was dating Peyton’s best friend Brooke; immediately a red flag. And they did this to poor Brooke more than once. Plus, Peyton was seeing Nathan when she met Lucas and started taking an interest in him. Again, they’ll try to convince you it was because they were destined for each other but hurting their partners just doesn’t seem like the best way of getting together.

Then the two finally get together but something stupid drives a wedge between them and they break up. Jump to a few years later and Peyton comes in and ruins another one of Lucas’ relationships. He ditches his new fiancée for Peyton because it could never be anyone else for him. Lucas was constantly “saving” Peyton and majority of the time she didn’t appreciate it and just left him out to dry; clearly signs of a bad TV couple. When they finally got together, had their baby, and left the show we could focus on the true best couple of the show, Nathan and Haley. Lucas and Peyton’s toxic relationship made them a bad TV couple but they were both equally bad characters so I guess it worked. And Brooke ended up with Julian who was way better for her anyway.