Just because fans want to see two TV characters get together, this doesn’t mean that a relationship is what’s best for the show. “Shipping” is a long-running TV fandom tradition, but fans rarely get what they want in these scenarios. Part of the reason for this is that writers don’t want to go for the most obvious idea, and if fans are asking for it online then it wouldn’t surprise anyone. Another key reason is that fans don’t always know what’s best, and shippers might not see the problems with forcing their favorite characters into a couple.
Fans can influence writers into pushing characters together, but this often backfires. Messing with a show’s dynamic can have unforeseen effects, which is why writers think carefully before caving to fan pressure. In most cases, an on-screen relationship can never live up to the conflicting expectations of every fan. Even though some TV couples seemed destined to happen at some point, it’s best that writers resisted pressure from the fans.
10 TV Couples Who Lost Their Spark Once They Finally Got Together
A good deal of the interest around a TV couple is if they’re ever going to get together, but sometimes that’s when their chemistry falls apart.
The BBC’s adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’sSherlock Holmesnovels brought the characters into the 21st century. This changed them in many ways, and fans suddenly started to pick up on some potential romantic chemistry that had been lying dormant for over a century. This largely stems from the fact that Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock is antisocial, but he forms a close personal bond with Martin Freeman’s John Watson.
The “Johnlock” trend stems from the fact that Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock is antisocial, but he forms a close personal bond with Martin Freeman’s John Watson.
Many fans wanted to see “Johnlock,” even after Watson’s marriage to Mary, but this wouldn’t have been such a great idea. Firstly,it would have cheapened the only important social bond that Sherlock had managed to form in his adult life. It also would have changed the entire complexion of the show. Sherlock’s fascination with Irene Adler could be seen as romantic, but he’s primarily obsessed with his work. Forcing him into a relationship would have sent him on a trajectory that inevitably would have pulled focus from the show’s mystery elements.
Benson and Stabler have been fighting crime together for decades. Even after Christopher Meloni leftSVUand got his ownLaw and Ordershow,Organized Crime,there were enough crossovers to keep his chemistry with Mariska Hargitay alive. In the early seasons ofSVUthere wasn’t any hint of romance, since the show didn’t really delve into the personal lives of the detectives very much. This gradually began to change, and Stabler’s family and Benson’s traumatic upbringing became more than just backstory.
Benson and Stabler are so important to each other because they are there for one another in the squad’s most desperate moments, but this doesn’t mean they should be romantically linked.
Since Stabler has returned to theLaw and Orderuniverse, his wife Kathy has died, opening the door to a potential romance with his former partner. There has been endlessspeculation about Benson and Stablerin the show’s future, but a relationship between the two would distract from the true nature of their dynamic.Both detectives need some separation between their work and their personal lives.Benson and Stabler are so important to each other because they are there for one another in the squad’s most desperate moments, but this doesn’t mean they should be romantically linked.
Jessie and James are the faces of Team Rocket in thePokémonseries. The incompetent duo are always coming up with absurd schemes and elaborate contraptions to try and kidnap Ash’s Pikachu and get rich quick, and these plans invariably backfire. Jessie and James spend a lot of time together, and their comedic back-and-forth suggests that they could be a fun couple.
In the same way that Wile E. Coyote should never catch the Road Runner, Jessie and James should never be happy.
Jessie and James are a couple in aPokémonmanga, but its best that the show never explored this possibility. Team Rocket are often used as a comedic sideshow while Ash and his friends take on the Pokémon League. Making them a couple would give them too much importance in the show. Also, they are meant to be the kind of cartoon characters who are eternally unlucky. In the same way that Wile E. Coyote should never catch the Road Runner, Jessie and James should never be happy.A relationship would kill their fiery dynamic.
Joey and Phoebe are one of thebest character pairings onFriends.By the end of the show, Monica and Chandler are married with children, and Ross and Rachel are together once again. This leaves Joey and Phoebe as the two spare parts, and some fans wanted them to end up together. They share a friendly, bubbly dynamic, even though their flirty comments are intended as compliments.
By the end of the show, Monica and Chandler are married with children, and Ross and Rachel are together once again. This leaves Joey and Phoebe as the two spare parts.
Joey and Phoebe share a close bond because they have so much in common. They are often the only two friends out of the group who can relate to one another’s struggles, and their personalities overlap quite a lot too. They are always willing to back each other up in whatever plan they have cooked up. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they would have been a great couple, however, as Mike is much better for Phoebe.Friendsalso needed a platonic friendship that remained that way, and Joey and Phoebe still mean a lot to each other without being a couple.
As a self-made businesswoman who has had to deal with a lot of misogyny and narrow-mindedness, Rebecca startsTed Lassoas an extremely guarded individual. She distrusts Ted’s kindness and generosity, believing it to be some ploy. Gradually, she warms to his gentle charms, and the two of them strike up an honest and open friendship that brings the best out of both of them.
It’s important for Rebecca that she can feel what it’s like for a man to be nice to her without wanting anything in return.
Ted Lassohas teased the possibility of Ted and Rebecca getting into a relationshipa few times, but the show doesn’t seem interested in seriously considering this possibility. It’s important for Rebecca that she can feel what it’s like for a man to be nice to her without wanting anything in return, just as it’s important for Ted to have friendships in London which can replicate the feeling of home. WithTed Lassoreturning for a surprise fourth season, Rebecca looks like she has found love with the Dutch pilot, while Ted has gone back to Kansas to be closer to his son.
Daryl and Carol stood out inThe Walking Deadas their intense friendship developed throughout the seasons. They had a lot of similarities in their pasts, and this meant that they were compatible as friends who could rely on one another. Some fans felt as if a relationship between the two was the logical next step, butThe Walking Deadnever made them a couple. Even with Carol showing up in Daryl’s spinoff show, it seems as though they will never be together.
Carol’s introduction sets up an exciting new season ofThe Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon,but a relationship seems firmly off the table.
The Walking Deadis keeping Daryl and Carol apartfor good reason.Daryl Dixonshowrunner David Zable has suggested that their platonic friendship is just as meaningful to them as any romance could be, and he is reluctant to conform to the TV trope of forcing men and women into relationships just because they are close. Carol’s introduction sets up an exciting new season ofThe Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon,but a relationship seems firmly off the table.
Seinfeldfamously describes itself as a"show about nothing,“which means that the characters don’t ever learn anything or grow in any way. A romance between two of the main characters wouldn’t have felt right in this context, but this didn’t stop the show from flirting with the idea of presenting a more traditional sitcom relationship. Ultimately,Seinfeldmakes fun of typical will-they-won’t-they dynamics in sitcoms.
Seinfeldtypically pairs Jerry up with a new girlfriend every week or two, and this has more comedic potential than having him couple up with Elaine.
Jerry and Elaine get together very briefly after they try a friends-with-benefits situation, but they are both single once again by the start of the next episode. This was a wise choice, since a long relationship between the two of them would have drastically altered the show.Seinfeldtypically pairs Jerry up with a new girlfriend every week or two, and this has more comedic potential than having him couple up with Elaine.
In theGilmore Girlsepisode “There’s the Rub,” Rory’s quiet evening alone is interrupted when both Paris and Jess show up unannounced. This episode provides a brief glimpse at a new dynamic, since Paris and Jess hadn’t shared much time together on-screen before. Some fans immediately saw the romantic potential in their quick-witted banter, and the idea of Paris and Jess getting together stayed alive for a long time.
It would have been an unusual kind of drama to have Paris dating one of Rory’s ex-boyfriends.
Paris and Jess are both passionate and intelligent peoplewho like debating literature. The way that they interact with one another shows that they are intellectual equals with great chemistry. In the end,Gilmore Girlsdidn’t explore this relationship any further. It would have been an unusual kind of drama to have Paris dating one of Rory’s ex-boyfriends, and Paris and Jess both needed to go on their own journeys of self-improvement before a relationship between the two of them could have worked.
The Tenth Doctor and Rose were doomed from the very beginning, but their romantic chemistry was undeniable. Rose first started accompanying the Ninth Doctor, but she stuck around after his regeneration, and that’s when things started to get more intimate between the two. Rose stands out among thebestDoctor Whocompanions, since she connected with him on such a deep level.
The show couldn’t have come up with a way for them to be a couple that would have been more interesting or emotional than their farewell.
Rose and the Doctor’s heartbreaking farewell is one of the most memorable moments in the history ofDoctor Who,and it was the perfect way to end their relationship. The show couldn’t have come up with a way for them to be a couple that would have been more interesting or emotional than this.The Doctor’s relationship with River Song suits the character much better.
Don never seems truly happy inMad Men,despite having everything that he wants in life. His marriage with Betty looks perfect from the outside, but his constant cheating and her dissatisfaction with domestic life prove that appearances aren’t everything.Don has other romantic partners throughoutMad Men,including Rachel Menken, Faye Miller, and, of course, his second wife Megan. None of these relationships ever brought Don happiness, but many fans wanted to see him get together with Joan instead.
It would have been interesting to see them together, but it almost certainly would have ended in disaster.
Don and Joan shared a respectful relationship with one another, but there was always an underlying spark. It seems as though Don respected Joan too much to ever try anything on with her, as he didn’t want to risk the friendship that they had. Joan’s previous affair with Roger complicated things, and once she became a partner it would have been a bad idea for Don to jeopardize their relationship by sleeping with her. It would have been interesting to see them together, but it almost certainly would have ended in disaster.
