Top 10 Most Awkward TV Hookup Scenes
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for moments of on screen or implied TV intimacy that have us — or the characters — cringing, whether they actually go all the way or not. Spoiler alert: major plot-related awkwardness will abound. What other hookup scenes had you wishing you never turned the TV on? Let us know in the comments below!
#10: Dan, Olivia & Vanessa Makes Three
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“Gossip Girl” (2007-12)
The phrase “two is company, three is a crowd” has never been more apropos. When Dan and Olivia decide to include roommate Vanessa in their threesome, things get predictably…dull? It doesn’t help matters that the scene is brief after weeks and weeks of hype. Also, Hilary Duff of “Lizzie McGuire” fame is involved, so that has the potential to feel strange. “Gossip Girl” has never failed to deliver on sexy, soapy goodness before. But even fans were shrugging at this perfunctory and unmemorable scene. In short, making a fictional threesome this conventional can and should be considered a misdemeanor against television.
#9: Monica’s Parents Get It On
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“Friends” (1994-2004)
Hiding a love affair with your parents’ friend from them? Who hasn’t been there? Arguably worse, however, is hiding your romance from them in a bathtub while they decide to make out…and more. Monica and her older beau Richard may be forbidden lovers tempting fate and social convention. But they were slowly getting ready to come clean! And yes, Monica herself has gotten into her fair share of inopportune situations. Regardless, no one deserves to witness their parents being intimate in the bathroom with no way out. Her reaction says it all. Honestly, we feel the same while watching! This is not an interaction we want to be in the room for.
#8: Polo & Ander Connect While Guzmán Sleeps
“Elite” (2018-)
People these days can be so rude. In the second season of “Elite,” Ander and Polo help an intoxicated Guzmán get to sleep. That’s nice, but then the pair gets a little too cozy. One thing leads to another, and they grow intimate beside Guzmán’s unconscious form. Seriously, guys? Did we mention Guzmán is still mourning the loss of his sister Marina? This is mood whiplash at its worst. Plus, Ander may have had a fight with his boyfriend Omar, but he is still essentially cheating on him. Oh, and also, Polo is Marina’s murderer. Needless to say, this scene is truly unnecessary on all levels.
#7: “Caught in the Act”
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“Modern Family” (2009-20)
An unfortunate walk-in incident has truly awkward consequences. Alex, Haley, and Luke decide to surprise their parents Claire and Phil with breakfast — only to get the surprise of their lives. We know it’s totally natural, but it’s not something any kid wants to see their parents doing. It’s also not something any parent wants their offspring witnessing them do, for that matter! This chaotic, panicked scene, though brief, makes that plenty evident. Funnily enough, the kids later give their mom and dad a lock as an anniversary gift. Now every time they use it, Alex, Haley, and Luke will know what is going down. Our sincerest sympathies.
#6: Marshall & Lily Picture Their Parents
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“How I Met Your Mother” (2005-14)
It might be healthy to marry someone like your parents, but Marshall and Lily didn’t need to know that. Once the power couple hear this common psychological observation, they each start thinking a bit too hard about the other’s habits. Suddenly, neither can look at the other without visualizing their respective fathers. And thanks to this sitcom’s clever narrative device…we can’t either. In order to represent Lily and Marshall’s imaginations, actors Chris Elliott and Bill Fagerbakke actually take the place of their onscreen children. We cringe as much as the characters whenever we watch this forced, vomit-inducing interaction. The “ick” factor is all in their head, but it’s enough to make even the first base of this hookup seem scary.
#5: First Time Flashbacks
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“New Girl” (2011-18)
It’s often romanticized as a momentous, life-altering moment. But sometimes, losing your virginity is just a mess. In this episode, “New Girls”’s ensemble characters talk about their first experiences, and we’re treated to some wild tales. It’s hard to choose the most awkward yet hilarious one. There’s Jess demanding that her prom date rip off her dress, trying to hook up with a musician, and finally getting intimate with a fireman named Teddy. There’s a very greased-up Schmidt struggling, and Nick ultimately having to give him a hand. There’s Winston’s very brief encounter. Oh, and there’s Cece, who’s first time was with Mick Jagger. Let’s just say they all deserve their moment in the Hall of Shame.
#4: Authentically Cringeworthy
“Sex Education” (2019-23)
Speaking of cumbersome sex scenes, here’s a show that opens with one of the clumsiest we can imagine. High school sweethearts Aimee and Adam fool around to typically tricky results. We can't show much of it here, but it ends with Adam faking enjoyment and Aimee catching him out. It’s a horribly uncomfortable situation for the pair, and isn’t a walk in the park for us either. That’s probably because it’s so real. The show does an incredible job of portraying intimacy in all its complications and yes, cringey-ness. In fact, if we were including almost sex scenes, this attempt between Otis and Lily mid-way through season 1 would definitely be up there for second hand embarrassment.
#3: Jaime & Cersei Lannister Are Discovered
“Game of Thrones” (2011-19)
The TV adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s epic novels grew infamous for its graphic sex scenes. Indeed, there is no shortage of embarrassingly frank — and sometimes disturbing — ones of most every kind. Perhaps none is as freakish as seeing twins Jaime and Cersei Lannister’s tryst through the eyes of Bran Stark. Everything from what the siblings are doing, to the way they’re discovered, to the violent way in which they react has us hiding our faces behind a pillow. It’s simply too hard to watch! The shenanigans don’t stop there, either. In season 8, Arya, the Stark we’ve grown up with, seduces Gendry. The things we do for love.
#2: Archie & Veronica in the Shower
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“Riverdale” (2017-23)
As we know, nature’s mating imperative can strike at the most inconvenient of times. One minute you’re washing your dad’s blood off yourself after he’s been shot. The next minute your girlfriend wants to join you and of course the answer is yes. Granted, this scene wouldn’t feel so completely odd under different circumstances. But Fred’s life is literally hanging in the balance, and these two are doing this? Oh, and of course, there’s not a piece of jewelry or hair out of place on Veronica the whole time. Hey, “Riverdale” is going to be “Riverdale,” after all. We wouldn’t call this shower scene steamy – thankfully it’s brief, but it remains oh so awkward.
#1: The Obama Moment
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“Fleabag” (2016-19)
The 44th president of the United States has never been so beloved for all the wrong reasons. Whatever your political persuasion, there are few things that can best watching Fleabag pleasure herself to Barack Obama’s press conference speech. Naturally, her boyfriend is also there, and wakes up at the most inopportune time – yikes. Talk about making an impression in your pilot! Many online couldn’t help but react when Obama later included the show’s following season in his yearly best-of list. Perhaps he felt flattered? Not to be topped, Phoebe Waller-Bridge gave him a cheeky shout-out in her Golden Globes acceptance speech. Fleabag remains Fleabag: incorrigibly inappropriate as always.
