When done correctly, a romantic subplot can be an excellent addition to many TV shows, but these romance the stories detract from their programs. Audiences love seeing when an exciting relationship begins to blossom between two beloved characters, especially when their deep connection is something that has been hinted at throughout the series. Unfortunately, not every on-screen relationship is created equal. While some romance subplots can drastically improve the quality of a show, others can just as easily diminish it.
Many romance subplots fail when they are simply the product of writers trying to force a love story between two characters with minimal chemistry. A TV romance can be great when it feels natural, but pointless if it feels like it would never happen in real life. Even worse, some of these romances can seem completely irrelevant to the main plot and only serve as a distraction from what the audience really wants to see. Regardless of what the creators may have thought, these TV shows would have been better without romance subplots.
10
Friends
Joey and Rachel’s romance never needed to happen
Friends is the popular sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, launched in 1994 and lasted ten seasons. The show follows a group of six twenty-somethings through their lives in New York City and the time they spend between their two apartments and the local coffee shop. The show finds the group navigating complicated relationships and comedic misadventures.
- Release date
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September 22, 1994
- Seasons
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10
One of the worst comedy romances of all time was in Friends. The ever-popular comedy was no stranger to romance subplots over the years. However, while some of these stories were consistently enjoyable for viewers, others felt completely out of place. That was the case with the dynamic between Joey and Rachel. In the sitcom’s eighth season, Rachel (while pregnant with Ross’s child) decides to move in with Joey. This sparks a will-they-won’t-they relationship that lasts until the tenth season, much to the dismay of the show’s fans.
The romance subplot between Joey and Rachel was unsuccessful because of how unnecessary it felt for the show’s large audience. Their “relationship” occurring while Rachel was pregnant with Ross’ child seemed like a way to add extra tension and awkwardness to the show for no reason. Most of all, their romance felt out of place because of how close friends they were. The friendship between Joey and Rachel has been emotional and good-natured for many years, so forcing a romance between them seemed contradictory to the established dynamic.
9
Dexter
Debra falls in love with her adopted brother
Based on the character created by author Jeff Lindsay, Showtime’s Dexter follows the Miami Metropolitan Police Department’s most skilled blood spatter analyst, Dexter Morgan, as he attempts to satisfy his Black Passenger’s need to kill by hunting down criminals who have escaped justice. However, using the rules his adoptive father taught him to remain unknown, Dexter must walk the fine line of seemingly blending into society while continually feeding his dark impulses. Dexter faces off against multiple serial killers as his facade slowly crumbles around him; with every problem solved by his Dark Passenger, another one arises for his suburban paternal life. When Dexter takes things personally or feels the law is failing him, he takes matters into his own hands and even compromises his coworkers’ investigations. Dexter aired on Showtime for eight seasons before receiving a mini-sequel called Dexter: New Bloodwhich began ten years after the events of the show. You can purchase each season for just $9.99 on Prime Day.
In the crime drama series, DexterThe titular serial killer’s adopted sister, Debra, has many romantic subplots throughout the show’s eight seasons. While many of these relationships offered at least some means of adding additional depth to her character, one subplot in particular was widely disliked by general viewers. Near the end of season six, a therapy session leads Debra to realize that she may have actually fallen in love with Dexter. This idea is quickly abandoned when she discovers the truth about her brother’s dark deeds.S.
[Dexter‘s creatives] I failed to realize that forcing a romantic plot between two characters with a close brother/sister dynamic wasn’t the wisest course of action.
When did the sixth season arrive? Dexter had already been experiencing a massive decline in terms of both popularity and critical reception. The creators were probably looking for an exciting way to shake up the show. Unfortunately, they failed to realize that forcing a romantic storyline between two characters with a close brother/sister dynamic was not the wisest move. The idea of Debra having feelings for Dexter was quickly dropped, though that just makes it even weirder that they introduced the idea at all.
8
The Legend of Korra
No one wanted the Korra-Mako romance
This spinoff of Avatar: The Last Airbender follows the titular Korra, the next generation Avatar and reincarnation of Aang. As the Avatar, Korra can bend all four elements, and the series follows her adventure through hardship in a rapidly growing world.
- Cast
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Janet Varney, PJ Byrne, David Faustino, JK Simmons, Jeff Bennett, Dee Bradley Baker, Seychelle Gabriel, Mindy Sterling
- Release date
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April 14, 2012
- Seasons
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4
As the sequel to the series Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra was able to delve deeply into the lore of its pre-established world, weaving a complex web of characters and stories. Unfortunately, not every new storyline was a success. One subplot that didn’t please fans much was the romance between Korra and Mako. Their relationship seemed pointless to many viewersbecause they had very different personalities. As a result, it was clear from the beginning that they wouldn’t end up together in the end.
The majority the love triangle between Korra, Mako and Asami in The Legend of Korra seemed more annoying than fun for fans. Neither the relationship between Korra and Mako nor between Mako and Asami served much narrative purpose. Both relationships ended up feeling like obstacles, delaying the connection between Korra and Asami that many fans really wanted to see. Fortunately, the writers were able to end the series on a positive note, giving fans the Korra-Asami relationship they always wanted.
7
The office
Andy didn’t need his own romance subplot
With Jim and Pam, the beloved sitcom, The officemanaged to create one of the most iconic television love stories of all time. Unfortunately, not all of the romances in the series were as enjoyable to watch. Perhaps the most unpopular of the series’ main romantic subplots was the one between Andy and Erin. Despite becoming a series regular after his introduction in season three, Andy has never been a particularly popular character on the series. The office. Telling him a complicated love story that spanned five full seasons of the series wasn’t what fans wanted.
The inclusion of Andy and Erin’s relationship just seemed like the product of the writers wanting to try out another romance subplot after Jim and Pam finally got together. The chemistry between Andy and Erin was decent at best, and neither character was ever popular enough to really warrant as much screen time as their relationship was granted. Their scenes conveyed neither the touching tenderness of Jim and Pam nor the giggly humor of many other characters. The office may have hit the nail on the head with one novel, but certainly missed the mark with another.
6
The Umbrella Academy
An uncomfortable romance between adopted siblings
The superhero comedy-drama The Umbrella Academy often thrived on its bizarre stories and crazy scenarios. Some subplots, however, went a bit fae and became uncomfortable for audiences to watch. This is certainly the case with the romance between Allison and Luther. In the series, the duo are part of an adopted family of superheroes and have spent their entire lives together growing up side by side. Although they are not technically related by blood, they still feel like real brothers to the public.
Because of this, their relationship throughout The Umbrella Academy It feels strange, even by the show’s standards. It’s hard for viewers to imagine them as anything other than brother and sister, even when they’re flirting with each other. Their strange relationship also proves unnecessary to the show’s overall narrative.as Luther ends up marrying Sloane (a member of the Hargreeves family from a different dimension). From beginning to end, the relationship between Luther and Allison was an uncomfortable subplot that no one needed.
5
Parks and Recreation
Tom and Ann were a terrible pair
This humorous and heartfelt political comedy follows the adventures of Leslie Knope, deputy director of the Parks Department in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. Every week there’s a new crisis in small-town politics, but Leslie and her friends work tirelessly to make Pawnee – and the world – a better place.
As far as comedies go, Parks and Recreation usually handles its characters’ romantic lives very well. Most of the relationships shown throughout the series seem funny and believable. However, none of these qualities are achieved. For much of the show’s fourth season, Tom and Ann inexplicably begin dating. Their relationship stands out like a sore thumb among the others on the showsince it’s not even clear why they started dating. The relationship is short-lived, ending as soon as the fifth season begins.
Tom and Ann’s relationship feels like nothing more than a lazy attempt to make up a story for two characters who didn’t have much going on that season.. In fact, the characters have virtually nothing in common other than their ties to the Pawnee Parks and Recreation Department. Tom is always a terrible boyfriend to Ann, and Ann seems to be too smart to tolerate his behavior for so long. Anyone could say that their romance was doomed from the start, making it seem like a waste of the audience’s time.
Troy and Britta were better as friends
Created by Dan Harmon, Community is a comedy series that follows a study group at an unorthodox community college where crazy antics occur daily. When disgraced lawyer Jeff Winger is forced to enroll at a local college to earn a degree and get reinstated, he becomes involved with classmates of different backgrounds, races, religions, and ages and reluctantly forms a study group. Together, these lovable misfits will navigate their high school lives in almost unbelievable situations as they all try to figure out where their future lies.
Dan Harmon’s six-season sitcom, Communityfollows an unlikely group of friends who form as they pursue their degrees at an underperforming community college. The friends become increasingly closer as the series progresses, with romantic subplots beginning to emerge between some of them. One of these romances occurs between Troy and Britta. Although their attraction is hinted at early in the series, their relationship doesn’t really take shape until the third and fourth seasons. Before long, however, they decide to go back to being just friends.
Troy and Britta’s relationship was never horrible, as the two seemed to have decent chemistry with each other. The real problem is that it felt a little unnecessary. Community was never a show about passionate relationships and dramatic, heartfelt romances. Although the show had serious moments from time to time, it was always much more of a clean comedy. Because of this, Troy and Britta’s relationship almost seemed also genuine. It may have worked well in a different setting, but their romance didn’t offer the level of comedy that Community fans wanted to see.
3
Stranger Things
Lots of good things
It’s no secret that Stranger Things is among the most popular Netflix series of all time. The acclaimed series mixes elements of science fiction, horror and mystery, all in a 1980s setting. Throughout its acclaimed run on Netflix, the series has accumulated an extensive cast of characters. Even though the show already has a complex history, writers spend time giving virtually all Stranger Things character his own romantic subplot. Mike and Eleven stay together. Hopper and Joyce get together. Lucas and Max. Dustin and Suzie. Even Steve, Jonathan and Nancy have their own love triangle.
Stranger Things Season 5 is currently projected to release in 2025.
While none of these romance subplots are particularly bad on their own, the show simply spends too much time on them overall. With a huge, world-threatening mystery, it’s difficult for audiences to remain actively invested in each character’s love life. If the episodes/seasons were longer, maybe it would make more sense Stranger Things dedicating so much time to giving each character a romance subplot. Instead, viewers are treated to several half-baked love stories, many of which feel like just distractions from the main plot.
2
This is us
An unwanted sequel to a great novel
The acclaimed NBC drama, This is ustells the powerful stories of the generations of the Pearson family. Over the years, the show has featured a variety of romantic subplots featuring various characters. Although some were tender and moving, others left viewers quite discouraged. Much of the show’s audience would agree that the most unwanted of these romances was the one between Rebecca and Miguel. After already having a beautiful (albeit tragic) love story with Jack, Rebecca ends up remarrying Jack’s best friend, Miguel, after his death.
The public was opposed to Rebecca and Miguel’s marriage for several reasons. For one thing, the idea that Rebecca would marry Jack’s best friend after he died just didn’t sit well with many. The action seemed very contradictory to the beautiful romance the two shared. Additionally, the relationship between Rebecca and Miguel felt extremely underexplained for most of the series. For a long time, viewers were hardly given any explanation as to how the two ended up together. Its subplot felt like an unnecessary inclusion that detracted from other stories in the series.
1
Loki
Loki falls in love with…himself?
Having escaped from a different timeline, Loki stars in his own titular series, where he learns about his predecessor’s life and discovers the truth about time and space. In the show, Loki reluctantly becomes part of the Time Variance Authority (TVA), an interdimensional governing body that keeps time in order. On the chopping block, Loki has a chance to save himself by helping the TVA hunt down someone more dangerous than him – another Loki.
- Seasons
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2
- Streaming Services
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Disney+
As of 2021, Loki is one of several Disney+ original series that explore the lives and adventures of beloved Marvel characters outside of the films. Much of Loki deals with the idea of events occurring that subsequently lead to the formation of alternative timelines and therefore alternative versions of the universe. Enlisted to help restore order to the main timeline, Loki sets out on a mission through time that leads him to meet Sylvie, a version of himself from another universe. Loki then quickly falls in love with his counterpart.
The act of falling in love with Sylvie was perceived by some audiences as narcissistic and seen as a strong regression in terms of Loki’s character development.
While it’s far from the craziest thing Marvel has done over the years, having Loki fall in love with an alternate version of himself was definitely an interesting choice, one that sparked a lot of discussion among fans. Marvel is no stranger to exploring the idea of parallel universes, but this novel seemed to cross the line for many. The act of falling in love with Sylvie was perceived by some audiences as narcissistic and seen as a strong regression in terms of Loki’s character development. This is why Loki and Sylvie’s relationship is one of the TV worst romances.