Top 10 Most Realistic TV Portrayals of Relationships

Michael B. Jordan had a brief stint on “Parenthood” just before his break into mega stardom, but what really surprised us about the actor’s time on the show was just how believable the relationship was between his character, Alex, and series regular Haddie, played by Sarah Ramos. The two young lovers had a passionate but tumultuous and ultimately brief relationship; one that came to a close with Alex telling Haddie the two were just at different points in their lives and it wasn’t going to work out. The storyline was disappointing, but isn’t that kind of the point? Young love doesn’t usually turn out the way we hope it does.

Those early relationships don’t always turn out so bad, though. From the very first episode of “The Wonder Years,” it seemed like Kevin and Winnie were destined to wind up together. Over the course of the series, as their relationship slowly developed, we saw Kevin and Winnie go through so many of the same awkward issues we remember from growing up. Through their ups and downs, and ons-and-offs, it seemed like it was still inevitable the couple would end up together, only for the finale to reveal it wasn’t meant to be for the two. Theirs wasn’t a story about eternal love, but about first love, and how valuable that can really be.

Despite the slapstick humor and utter absurdity of “Malcolm in the Middle,” the real heart of the series always shined through when it came to Hal and Lois. No matter how stressed and wound up Lois would get, how completely distracted Hal would become, or how chaotic Francis, Reese, Malcolm, Dewey and eventually Jamie could make things around the house, the loving marriage between the two was what held everything together. Of course, the show was a comedy, and fittingly never missed a chance to playfully poke fun at some common marriage and parenting issues, especially concerning husbands who may be a little more on the playfully immature side.

Whether through personal experience or by watching it happen, we all know that the workplace can foster memorable and lasting romantic relationships. Combine that with a couple whose love is built upon constantly messing with one another, and you’ve got the perfect pair in Detective Jake Peralta and Sergeant Amy Santiago. As the show has gone on, the couple has moved from mutual attraction, through a budding relationship, all the way to their marriage! The show has given a realistic portrayal of a workplace romance that has progressed in a mostly appropriate way, keeping audiences laughing all the while.

We know it’s rare, but sometimes your first love is your only love, and no couple has been able to act out a lifelong television love story the way Cory and Topanga have. Over its seven seasons, “Boy Meets World” slowly but surely built up the relationship between the two, with it eventually becoming pretty much the main storyline of the entire series. We saw the crushes, the early kisses, the jealousy and heartbreak, and the way love can grow when two people really get close to one another. We even got to see how the couple is doing in recent years with the short-lived spin-off “Girl Meets World.”

One of the many fascinating things about the genre-defying FX series “Atlanta” is the way the show manages to blur the line between harsh reality and surreal fantasy. When it comes to the relationship between Earn and Van, however, the series definitely skews towards the real. “Atlanta” uses the relationship between Donald Glover’s Earn and Zazie Beetz’ Vanessa to portray some of the day-to-day complications of modern dating, life as a single mother, poverty and more. While many TV series feel the need to nail down and define all the relationships between characters, “Atlanta” has shown the relationship between Earn and Vanessa to be fluid and complicated, a refreshing change from the norm.

“Modern Family” is a show built entirely on the relationships between its characters, and as much as we love Claire and Phil, none is as heartwarming as Mitchell and Cameron’s. Though at first they may seem like polar opposites (and they do still clash from time to time), eventually it became clear that their two personalities complement one another perfectly, with Cameron’s outgoing exuberance tempered by Mitchell’s more reserved and uptight demeanor. From their adoption of Lily all the way through their lovely wedding and beyond, Mitchell and Cam have helped raise the bar for positive portrayals of LGBT relationships on TV, and we hope to see them continue in the years to come!

Few shows have tackled the topics of mental health, addiction and modern dating as well as Netflix’s “Love.” The series told a funny but dark love story over three seasons; one where the main characters didn’t always make good decisions or even seem very likable. That understandably turned some people off from the show, but those who stuck around got to see a light at the end of the tunnel as Gus and Mickey eventually worked through their issues and, maybe unexpectedly, found a happy ending together. The stark and upfront way “Love” tackled serious relationship topics wasn’t always easy to watch, but without a doubt it had a strong basis in reality.

Another show heavily built around familial relationships, “This Is Us” features several couples we absolutely love, but if we’re talking about realism, it’s hard to argue against Randall and Beth. Through the show so far, we’ve seen Randall and Beth support each other through financial and workplace troubles, family drama and eventually communication problems. Despite their best efforts, it all takes a toll on their marriage. No matter what they’re going through as a couple, though, parenting remains their first priority. We’ve yet to see where Randall and Beth’s marital problems take them, but we have faith the couple will stay together for the foreseeable future.

Before we reveal our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Lincoln Rice & Ilana Wexler
“Broad City” (2014-)

Virginia Slims Chance & ‘Burt’ Jebbidiah Chance
“Raising Hope” (2010-14)

Veronica ‘V’ Fisher & Kevin ‘Kev’ Ball
“Shameless” (2011-)

No couple on TV has been able to bring to life the small, day-to-day moments of living as a married couple the way Eric and Tami Taylor did on NBC’s critically acclaimed high school football drama “Friday Night Lights.” Tami and Coach Taylor, as he’s commonly known, are the perfect example of what a partnership should look like: full of love, mutual respect, open communication and understanding. The series never resorted to injecting cheap drama into the relationship to grab viewers, instead focusing on more minor disagreements and conflict. The result is a down-to-Earth portrayal of a happy married couple; something that’s surprisingly rare on TV.