It's hard to overstate the appeal of the 'will they, won't they' trope. We just love it when two characters who seem ideal for each other tiptoe around each other and can't find the courage to take the big romantic leap. This is what made shows like Friends and The X-Files beloved by millions.
But this trope is not an easy one for writers to handle. Basically, they have two choices – they will, and they will not (which, frankly, is not an option). But the longevity of some shows, controversial creative decisions, or behind-the-camera factors can create this overcomplicated mess that ruins the couple for viewers. Here are five examples.
Otis & Maeve (Sex Education)
The chemistry between Otis and Maeve was what got viewers invested in the Netflix show in the first place. And over the course of the show, their relationship developed. But the actual dating part turned out to be an unmitigated disaster.
Every time they tried to get together, they ended up hurting each other or other people. It got to the point where Ruby started to feel like a better partner for Otis, and the final break-up did not even feel that shocking at all.
Andy & Erin (The Office)
The Office gave us one of the best couples in modern television - Jim and Pam. But it also featured the hot mess that was the relationship between Andy and Erin. In fact, their love arc was mishandled time and time again.
First he pretended not to like her, then they both hid that they liked each other, then when they finally started dating, Andy sailed away and soon became a jealous ex. Unlike other couples on the show, Andy and Erin got zero happy arcs together and that was disappointing to say the least.
Bones & Booth (Bones)
The romantic tension and touching bond between Bones and Booth was palpable, and viewers quickly began rooting for the pair. But when Bones got pregnant in Season 6 and the show jumped into the relationship out of the blue, the magic disappeared.
The rushed get-together storyline was caused by Emily Deschanel's real-life pregnancy. But many fans still think it was poorly handled and should never have happened.
Barney & Robin (How I Met Your Mother)
Barney and Robin turned out to be this unexpected but exciting couple who were perfect for each other. Even those invested in the Ted-Robin endgame had to admit, after a brilliant buildup, that Barney was better for Robin.
But clinging to the original endgame idea ruined the couple and the show's finale, devaluing everything that happened in the last season and the character development that preceded it.
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JD & Elliott (Scrubs)
From the beginning, JD and Elliott feel like a medical comedy endgame. But the more we witnessed their relationship, the more we realized it was nothing short of a disaster. JD became this horrible person who would come in and mess everything up every time Elliot found herself in a healthy partnership.
Eventually, the majority of the audience had to accept that they stopped rooting for JD and started actively rooting against him, which made the final love arc cringe-worthy.