If I had to admit to one thing I’m a shade obsessive about, it’s definitely television.

Actually, “a shade” is probably being too kind to myself. In reality, I’m a chronic binge-watcher who gets way to attached to the characters and storylines of my favorite TV shows. And amidst all my stress regarding fictional narratives that have no impact on me personally, I’m particularly worried about the romantic lives of my favorite characters, as I have very strong opinions about who they should and shouldn’t be with.

Which is why I just don’t understand when shows throw two characters together that are clearly terrible for each other.

If you can relate to my acute pain every time I have to watch a couple that is definitely not meant to be, keep scrolling for seven TV couples that were doomed from the start.

1. Rachel and Joey (Friends)

Literally, what was happening in the writer’s room when Friends decided to throw Rachel and Joey together? Did they have a bad week and decide to make the rest of the world suffer along with them? This odd pairing felt much more like a “we’re running out of material” choice rather than a decision that made sense for the characters. They had zero chemistry, no prior feelings for each other and nothing to bring them together besides their strong friendship.

It played into the idea that there’s always something romantic under the surface, rather than allowing Rachel and Joey to stay in the platonic territory where they so clearly belonged. Of course I knew they weren’t going to end up together, but it was still an annoying period of time for me.

Friends: rachel and joey

(Friends via NBC)

2. Dan and Blair (Gossip Girl)

Again, what?! They literally hated each other throughout the entire series, and then suddenly Dan decided that he was in love with Blair because she read a few books he liked. Now, Dan already proved that his standards for falling in love with someone were very low, so it made sense that at some point he would fall for Blair, but the truly upsetting thing was that Blair decided she liked him back. There was nothing about him that was compatible with her, beyond the fact that he’s a bit of a pretentious snob, and Blair was too classy and smart to settle for someone on such an unreliable basis. Combine their unrealistic feelings for each other with their totally lack of chemistry and voila! you have an onscreen relationship that was totally upsetting and cringe-worthy.

Gossip Girl: dan and blair in the airport after Blair's wedding

(Gossip Girl via The CW)

3. Andy and Angela (The Office)

Andy and Angela were just used a catalyst to explain the attraction and complexities of Dwight and Angela’s relationship, so obviously they were doomed to fail, but that didn’t make the relationship any less upsetting. Honestly, this partnership just made me sad. Andy had little puppy dog eyes and just wanted Angela to act like she cared about him for five seconds, and she spent all her time tearing him down and snapping at him. It made me hate both the characters, as it made Angela’s mean spirit vindictive instead of funny, and Andy’s gullibility sad instead of endearing. There wasn’t a single redeeming moment in this relationship and I really wish they had found some other way to bring Dwight and Angela back together.

THe Office: andy and angela

(The Office via NBC)

4. George and Izzie (Grey’s Anatomy)

Ugh, another friendship-turned-relationship that just didn’t work. Izzie and George were awesome as close pals who helped each other deal with the ups and downs of their romantic and professional lives. In a romantic relationship, however, things were just awkward and very weird. They clearly had no chemistry together, and it really detracted from the sweet innocence of their friendship that they stepped on a bunch of people’s toes trying to make things work. George literally cheated on Callie with Izzie, only to decide about five seconds later that there was nothing that passionate or romantically compatible between them. It was highly uncomfortable and painted both characters in a very bad light, which was just all-around unnecessary.

Grey's Anatomy: Izze and George

(Grey’s Anatomy via ABC)

5. Tom and Ann (Parks and Recreation)

For the entirety of the Parks and Recreation series, Ann was presented as a fairly level-headed, smart woman who knew how to make decently good decisions for herself. Of course, she wasn’t always perfect, but she rarely did things that were completely illogical… except her relationship with Tom. Tom was the opposite of Ann in every way—over-indulgent, impulsive, a little dumb sometimes—which made their relationship totally incomprehensible. Ann was too methodical for such a weird decision, and seeing them together just kind of made me uncomfortable.

Parks and Recreation: tom and ann

(Parks and Recreation via NBC)

6. Archie and Ms. Grundy (Riverdale)

This whole relationship gave me all kinds of “ick” vibes, so I don’t even want to go into too much detail about why it’s so wrong. Suffice to say, Ms. Grundy clearly has some deep-seated issues, and her relationship with Archie should not have been swept under the rug. It made me feel gross and uncomfortable and it really wasn’t all that necessary to the storyline, so I genuinely wish it would have just been left out.

Riverdale: Mrs. Grundy

(Riverdale via The CW)

7. Dean and Rory (Gilmore Girls)

I know that Dean was Rory’s first love and that he played a massive role in her romantic history and blah, blah, blah, but I don’t care—I still hate them together. First, it’s important to establish that Rory has terrible taste (besides Jess Mariano, love you babe). Second, their relationship was just deeply odd. They didn’t have anything in common, they didn’t agree on fundamental principles of how men and women should interact and they didn’t know how to communicate. On top of that, Dean was possessive, manipulative, jealous and was never able to fully let Rory go. They both made a bunch of toxic decisions together and Rory was too smart for all that nonsense. I don’t care if they were young and in love, I wish they would have never been together.

Gilmore Girls: Rory and Dean dancing together

(Gilmore Girls via The CW)

If you want more strong opinions on iconic romances, click HERE for seven Disney relationships that just wouldn’t work IRL.

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