Top 10 TV Couples Who Are Actually Toxic
#10: Piper Chapman and Alex Vause
“Orange is the New Black” (2013-) It’s not a good sign when your fights end in jail time. While Alex is the reason Piper is in prison at the start of the series, Piper is no innocent herself. During their on-and-off relationship they either cheat on each other, or with each other, rekindling their romance while Piper is still engaged to Larry. This kind of behavior is bad enough, but the two also go to great lengths to extend the each other’s jail times for their own petty reasons. They might be married as of the season six finale, but with Alex in prison for four years, how true can Piper stay to her?
#9: Ross Geller and Rachel Green
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“Friends” (1994-2004) One of the most iconic couples of the 90s, Ross and Rachel have undeniable chemistry, but that doesn’t stop some fans from pointing out their shortcomings. Ross’ jealousy of Rachel’s coworker Mark leads to the infamous ‘we were on a break’ situation, and Rachel later uses Mark to get back at Ross. For much of the series, the pair do everything they can to sabotage each others’ relationships, with Rachel even travelling to London to stop Ross’ wedding. At first, not even having a kid together could force them to work through their problems . . . making us ask ourselves if Rachel should’ve taken that plane to Paris after all.
#8: Aria Montgomery and Ezra Fitz
“Pretty Little Liars” (2010-17) There’s just something appealing about a forbidden romance and these two seem to tick all the right boxes for it. Because Ezra is Aria’s teacher, the pair have to dodge the suspicions of her classmates and face the wrath of her family to stay together. Later in the show however, we find out that not only does Ezra have a child, or at least believe he does, which he’s kept secret, but also that he was using Aria in the beginning to write a book about Alison’s murder. The pair continue to have an on-and-off romance till the end of the series but many fans just couldn’t look at them the same after that.
#7: Damon Salvatore and Elena Gilbert
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“The Vampire Diaries” (2009-17) People have been rooting for these two ever since their first meeting. Elena brings out Damon’s better side over the series and the pair share many intense moments, but a lot of that happens while Elena is in a happy relationship with his brother Stefan. After Elena becomes a vampire herself, Damon pushes her to embrace it, whereas Stefan wants to restore her humanity. Romantically, their relationship is complicated at the best of times thanks to their sire bond, the ghosts of Damon’s past, and growing co-dependence. While they do acknowledge the toxic nature of their relationship, that doesn’t stop their destructive behavior over the series.
#6: Kara Zor-El and Mon-El
“Supergirl” (2015-) Opposites often attract . . . but don’t always make an ideal couple. When the two first meet, Mon-El is just a superpowered boy, standing in front of a superpowered girl, and asking . . . where the heck had he crash landed? There are problems with their pairing from the start, with Mon-El lying about his real royal identity, and only doing good deeds to impress her. His admission that his life was easier when he objectified women wasn’t exactly a selling point either. Although Mon-El mends his ways, it’s all too much for Kara, who doesn’t allow her strong feelings for him to cloud her judgement. .
#5: Buffy Summers and Spike
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“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1997-2003) This choice might cause controversy, as the debate about which vampire is the best match for Buffy continues even today. While Buffy and Spike’s chemistry is groundbreaking – literally – their paring is problematic from the start, with Spike building himself a BuffyBot and a creepy shrine. When Buffy falls into depression after coming back from the dead, the two start a secret, mutually destructive relationship that ends with the infamous scene in the show’s history. Horrified at himself, Spike travels to Africa to get his soul back, but while Buffy forgives him, it’s safe to say there’s too much damage done to ever look at this couple the same way.
#4: Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf
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“Gossip Girl” (2007-12) These devious schemers are beloved by fans but a lot of their actions are concerning to say the least. Shortly after they get together, Chuck pimps Blair out to his uncle exchange for a hotel, ending their romance. Neither can move on so they resort to sabotaging each other’s relationships, which reaches a breaking point when Chuck physically attacks Blair after she announces her engagement to Louis. The episode is easily the most controversial one in the whole show and while Chuck makes a huge effort to become a better person in order to be with Blair, some things just can’t be forgotten.
#3: Rumpelstiltskin and Belle
“Once Upon a Time” (2011-18) A list about problematic relationships wouldn’t be complete without some Beauty and the Beast. What starts as a different take on their romance turns toxic when Rumple can’t seem to let go of his Dark One side. He goes as far as tricking Belle into thinking she has control of his magical dagger, a lie that leads her to banish him from Storybrooke. Even that isn’t enough for Rumple to learn from his mistakes, since he betrays Belle yet again after she forgives him. With such a turn of events, we can’t help but wish this story remained only a Disney film.
#2: Tate Langdon and Violet Harmon
“American Horror Story” (2011-) There are twisted love stories and then there’s this one. While Violet and her ghost love interest Tate connect through the problems they share in common, things take turn for the worse when Violet learns that Tate died after committing a school shooting, and didn’t tell her. He then tries to convince her to kill herself to be with him forever . . . having hid the fact that she’s already dead. As if that’s not messed up enough, he pretends to be Violet’s father and impregnates her mother with the Antichrist. The The ‘Apocalypse’ season blames the Murder House itself for Tate’s actions but that doesn’t exactly make their relationship healthy. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few dishonorable mentions: Lana and Lex “Smallville” (2001-11) Oliver and Felicity “Arrow” (2011-) Olivia and Fitz “Scandal” (2012-16)
#1: Mr. Big and Carrie Bradshaw
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“Sex and the City” (1998-2004; 2007; 2010) It was obvious from the very first episode these two would be the Alpha Couple. However, none of us knew how difficult their romance would be. Big is emotionally unavailable, thanks to past disappointments, and Carrie is impatient and insecure, leading to multiple breakups. When Big marries just a few months into a new relationships, he initiates an affair with Carrie, who’s also cheating on her partner. Big only seems to want Carrie when she’s unavailable, and even changes his mind on their wedding day. The pair might be married now, but this is one relationship that’s just too much stress and drama to ever be on our couples goals list.
