21 Romances That Were Over Before They Began
Lindsay MacDonald
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Grab your tissues and a box of chocolates, shippers, because this slideshow is about to put you on your knees yelling "Whyyyy?!?!"
Yes, it's a sad fact, but TV isn't always perfect, and some storylines don't exactly end up where you think they will. It's especially painful when those storylines turn out to be romantic ones. Maybe someone dies, or an actor leaves for greener pastures. Maybe the show even gets canceled too soon!
Whatever it is, there are a host of couples that just never really got their time in the sun thanks to unforeseen circumstances. And it's a damn shame, too.
Take a look at our top 21 Romances That Were Over Before They Began and brace yourself to feel that crushing disappointment all over again.
1. Klaus & Caroline (The Vampire Diaries)
We can practically hear the agonized wailing of Klaroline fans already. This couple was to die for, but before they could take the leap, our favorite Original was off to New Orleans for his spinoff, while Caroline stayed put in Mystic Falls. As far as couples who never got their shot, Klaroline is a particularly brutal case.
2. Jaime & Brienne (Game of Thrones)
After a full season of watching Jaime and Brienne travel around Westeros together, fans fell in love with this topsy turvy beauty and the beast dynamic. Sadly, romance just wasn't in the cards for these two, and they've been on separate paths for over a year now. A tragic case of bad timing if there ever was one.
3. Daryl & Beth (The Walking Dead)
Speaking of tragic, who else is STILL not over Beth Greene's death? There were only a few hints of romance between Daryl and Beth here and there, but that's all the internet needs to be sent into a full on shipping panic. Fans barely had time to get excited about Bethyl before Beth was mercilessly killed off in the Season 5 winter finale.
4. Neal & Emma (Once Upon a Time)
Poor Neal. He and Emma seemed so happy together in their younger years, but magic (and a really confusing bodyswap subplot) conspired against them in the end. Maybe they never would have reconciled – she had a very dashing pirate waiting in the wings after all – but now we'll never know!
5. Isaac & Allison (Teen Wolf)
Here we have another couple that lost their chance thanks to an untimely death. Isaac and Allison were just getting started on their little journey towards romance, when Allison took a katana to the stomach and went gently into that good night. We lost a fan favorite character and a fan favorite couple in one blow. The struggle is real.
6. Oliver & Laurel (Arrow)
Remember way back in Arrow Season 1, when Oliver and Laurel were still trying to work things out? Us neither! Laurel might be his one and only in the Green Arrow comic books, but Oliver's feelings for his leading lady didn't last very long before this couple was over and done with.
7. Harry & Madeleine (Downton Abbey)
How rude is it to introduce an adorable potential relationship like Harry and Madeleine during a Christmas special and then NEVER address it again? If there is one thing we're dying to see in the last season of Dowton Abbey, it's some closure on this romance that never was.
8. Donna & Harvey (Suits)
Now, this couple was truly over before they began. They were over before the show even began! We've only seen hints of their night together in flashbacks, but whatever happened between them, they agreed that it could never happen again. Which is awful for Darvey shippers, who just want these two crazy kids to fall into each other's arms already!
9. Marcel & Cami (The Originals)
Any scene that provides a shirtless Charles Michael Davis is a good scene, and his few love scenes with Cami were no exception. Nearly everything we saw between these two happened off screen during a summer hiatus, and then they up and called it quits because... why again? Cami and Marcel aren't likely to get a second chance at love, which is a real bummer.
10. Denny & Izzie (Grey's Anatomy)
We will never be okay with this one. Never. Denny and Izzie flirted around each other and played footsie under the hospital beds for the majority of Grey's Anatomy Season 2, and they even got engaged in the finale! Right before Denny died of a blood clot in his brain, of course. How could you, Shonda Rhimes?!
11. Barry & Felicity (The Flash)
These damn spinoffs just put so many kinks in so many relationships! Barry and Felicity met during what was essentially The Flash's backdoor pilot in Arrow's second season, and there were instant sparks between the two brainiacs. Being on separate shows isn't exactly conducive to passion though, so their burgeoning romance was short-lived.
12. Malcolm & Inara (Firefly)
This one was due to some really poor cancellation luck more than anything else. Mal and Inara barely got to start their little dance before Firefly was dropped like a hot potato. You might think the movie they got to wrap things up would have been a great opportunity to get these two together, but sadly... not so much.
13. Maggie & Jim (The Newsroom)
The constant will they, won't they of Maggie and Jim pretty much kept the romantic aspect of the Newsroom afloat most of the time. But a super short final season meant they had to get these two reporters together in the blink of an eye before essentially separating them again in the series finale. Long distance? Yeah, that will work out...
14. Clarke & Lexa (The 100)
Are we crazy for hoping that these girls will one day work things out? Probably, considering Lexa left Clarke and her people to die at the hands of Mount Weather. Not exactly a great way to follow up your first kiss, right? Nothing shuts down a relationship faster than betrayal and mass murder.
15. Skye & Ward (Agents of SHIELD)
Should we be calling her Daisy now? Probably. Skye and Ward had about 20 seconds of happy couple time before he was revealed as a Hydra agent working within SHIELD, effectively ending their cute little attempt at puppy love. We're not sure how Skye would ever be able to trust him again after that, so another chance at love might not be in the cards for them. So sad.
16. Stephen & Abby (Scandal)
We all know that if Stephen hadn't left the show after the very first season, he and Abby would have had the on-again, off-again romance that was eventually given to David. You could plainly see Abby's crush and Stephen's complete obliviousness in every episode, and it's a shame that their romance never got to play out. Oh well, c'est la vie!
17. Dean & Jo (Supernatural)
It should be no surprise to anyone that a romantic interest died on Supernatural, but Jo's death was particularly painful for fans of her flirtation with Dean Winchester. The romance between the two hunters burned bright and then fizzled out during Supernatural Season 2. Cut to Season 5, where they're sharing their first kiss as Jo slowly bleeds to death. These writers are cruel.
18. Dan & Blair (Gossip Girl)
We might be poking a sleeping bear with this one, but Dan and Blair's relationship seemed pretty doomed from the start to us. First she was in love with Chuck, then she was married, then she was in love with Chuck again. These two crazy Upper East Siders just never could work out their timing.
19. Sookie & Eric (True Blood)
Does a relationship count if most of it happened while one party was an amnesiac? Probably not. Sookie took her inevitable walk on the dark side with Eric, during True Blood Season 4. Those love scenes were crazy hot, but as soon as he got his memories – not to mention his old personality – back it was so long, Sookie.
20. Peyton & Jake (One Tree Hill)
Whether you were a die-hard Brucas fan, or you just loved Leyton, you have to admit that Jake was pretty awesome boyfriend material. But for some reason, Jake kept bouncing in and out of town with his baby girl, Jenny, making his romance with Peyton nearly impossible. We'll miss you Jake Jagielski!
21. Peggy & Steve (Agent Carter)
We saved the most painful for last. Technically, Steve Rogers never made a cameo on Agent Carter, no matter how much we wanted him to. It's kind of hard to swing by New York City when you're frozen in the North Atlantic! But the series deals with Peggy's grief over her almost-relationship with Steve very well. So well, we actually shed a tear or two.
