Top 10 TV Couples With the Worst Chemistry
#10: Joey Potter & Dawson Leery
“Dawson’s Creek” (1998-2003)
Top 10 Pacey & Joey Moments from Dawson’s Creek
The story of the childhood besties who grow up and fall in love is a classic. That doesn’t mean it’s the best path for two characters though. Early on it was hard not to root for Joey’s crush on Dawson. After they became a couple though, it was increasingly difficult to root for, well, Dawson in general. His entitled and smothering behavior sent Joey running, and with good reason. Oh how we wish that had been the end of it. Alas, this couple would play a drawn out game of will-they-won’t they. This only became increasingly tiresome as it became clearer that they didn’t belong together, especially in contrast to Joey’s superior relationship with Pacey. Thankfully she makes the right choice in the end.
#9: Lane Kim & Zack Van Gerbig
“Gilmore Girls” (2000-07)
MsMojo Can Fix It: Rewriting Lane Kim's Story on Gilmore Girls
Was there any character on this show who got a worse deal than Lane? Things started to go downhill for her after her spectacular first boyfriend, Dave Rygalski, left for California. With the writers clearly stumped over what to do with her character, Lane was subsequently thrown into a relationship with Zack instead. Zack was fine as a friend and a bandmate, but it was mystifying to figure out what Lane could possibly see in him. Even Zack didn’t get it, though that’s not saying much. There had been zero attraction between these two until the second they decided to start dating. Add to this Zack’s ongoing manchild antics, and the result is a frustrating couple created for the sake of convenience.
#8: Buffy Summers & Riley Finn
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1997-2003)
Top 20 Most Badass Buffy Summers Moments
On paper this couple seemed like they should have worked out great. The Slayer and a demon hunter? Match made in Hellmouth, right? Not exactly. Though Riley started off okay, he quickly turned into a jealous chore of a character. By his exit from the series no one was the least bit sorry to see him go. Still, in the grand scheme of things Riley wasn’t really all that bad, he was just boring. He couldn’t help but suffer in comparison to Buffy’s previous love interest, Angel. Ultimately, Riley was destined to be a palette cleanser between much more exciting romances. He might not deserve all the hate he gets from the fans, but we can’t deny that his relationship with Buffy left us cold.
#7: Daenerys Targaryen & Jon Snow
“Game of Thrones” (2011-19)
Top 10 Badass Daenerys Targaryen Moments
The latter seasons featured a lot of plotting problems, with numerous story arcs unfolding because they had been planned, not because they made sense. This pairing was a prime example. As strategic allies, Dany and Jon definitely needed one another, that much is indisputable. When it came to their romantic relationship, though, the series just never sold us. Both Emilia Clarke and Kit Harrington had their share of steamy scenes with other partners throughout the show. When they were coupled up together something just didn’t click. It was kind of like watching two people kiss their sibling. Well, not exactly like, given Game of Thrones’ track record, but we definitely felt the family bond more than the romantic one.
#6: Rachel Berry & Sam Evans
“Glee” (2009-15)
Top 10 Unforgettable Rachel & Finn Moments
Rachel had considered Sam in the past, it’s true. That aside, she was never serious about him. She was always dead set on Finn, and Sam was busy...dating almost every other female character on the show. We guess he had to get around to Rachel eventually. When Sam moved to New York the two started to become closer while Rachel supported Sam’s modeling ambitions. We wish that friendship could have continued to strengthen rather than turning romantic. Honestly, nothing about this ever rang true. Sam was clearly not over Mercedes, and Rachel was clearly just in need of a distraction. Thankfully this relationship fizzled out pretty quickly and they went back to being friends. Friends who can appreciate each others’ dark pasts.
#5: Ann Perkins & Tom Haverford
“Parks & Recreation” (2009-15)
Top 10 Greys Anatomy Couples with the Worst Chemistry
The term out of left field comes to mind whenever we think of this couple. Ann never seemed particularly impressed by Tom, but he is an acquired taste. Fair enough. However, even after they were dating she didn’t seem to even like him, let alone feel attracted to him. That’s probably why she could rarely go more than a few hours without calling for a breakup. If we thought Andy was an odd match for Ann it was nothing compared to how ill-suited she and Tom were. There is nothing about this pairing that doesn’t feel random and poorly thought out. But at least it gave April the chance to be the hero we all need.
#4: Rachel Greene & Joey Tribbiani
“Friends” (1994-2004)
Top 10 Rachel Love Interests on Friends
We loved Joey and Rachel’s dynamic, we really did. When they were just friends. It was genuinely sweet the way he supported her during her pregnancy. But no one, and we do mean no one, was sitting around waiting for them to fall in love. When they suddenly developed a romantic attraction late in the series’ run it just felt weird. We all knew who Rachel was really meant to be with after all. Pairing her up with Joey just seemed like a transparent ploy to put one more obstacle between Rachel and the inevitability of Ross. It’s nice that Rachel and Joey came through with their friendship intact, but it makes this bizarre pairing seem even more pointless.
#3: Blair Waldorf & Dan Humphrey
“Gossip Girl” (2007-12)
Top 10 Blair Waldorf Quotes to Live By
We’re not saying there wasn’t a spark of something between these characters. Contempt definitely. Grudging respect sometimes. But nothing remotely implying that they would ever have romantic feelings for each other. When these two paired off it seemed wrong in every way. After years of open disdain, liking the same museums and movies just isn’t enough to convince us that two people have couple potential. Plus there’s the fact that Blair only settled for Dan because she wouldn’t let herself be with Chuck. This plotline played less like an organic development and more like a stalling tactic on the relationship we all really wanted. You know it’s time for a show to end when writers start using tricks like this.
#2: Izzie Stevens & George O’Malley
“Grey’s Anatomy” (2005-)
In a show where the characters’ love lives often feel like a revolving door, there are bound to be a few matches that ruffle feathers. Few Grey’s Anatomy couples are as widely disliked as Izzie and George though. Part of what makes this couple so contentious is the fact that they started off as truly great friends. When they develop deeper feelings for each other and share a drunken hook up the results are disastrous. The writers damaged a solid platonic relationship for the sake of a romantic one that nobody wanted. Afterwards it was impossible to look at either character the same. Even the scenes they shared in their final episodes don’t hit as sweetly as they should have.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Echo & Bellamy Blake, “The 100” (2014-20)
Six Years in Space Would Not Make Bellamy Forget This Key Detail.
Rebecca Bunch & Josh Chan, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” (2015-19)
What Did These Two Have in Common, Again?
Lisa Braeden & Dean Winchester, “Supernatural” (2005-20)
A Normal Life Doesn’t Have to Mean Settling For a Bland Relationship
Maggie Pierce & Jackson Avery, “Grey’s Anatomy” (2005-)
From Beginning to End This Was Just One Big Mess
#1: Jackie Burkhart & Fez
“That ‘70s Show” (1998-2006)
Top 10 Kelso & Jackie Moments on That '70s Show
Jackie was no stranger to male attention. Over the eight seasons of “That ‘70s Show” she enjoyed significant relationships with both Michael Kelso and Steven Hyde. Fans may be split on which guy they preferred her with, and Jackie herself was going back and forth until the middle of the final season. So it was baffling when the writers randomly paired her with Fez at the last minute. To say this development felt forced is an understatement. Fez had nurtured a crush on Jackie since the beginning, and even he didn’t think the match was a good idea. Sadly, he didn’t hold his ground on that one. The series ended with Jackie and Fez as a couple and viewers shaking their heads.
