Top 10 TV Couples with a Secretive Relationship
#10: Charles Brooks & Liza Miller “Younger” (2015-)
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The entire premise of the show “Younger”, starring Sutton Foster, is based on a secret. 40 year old Liza Miller wants to succeed in the world of publishing, so she lies about her age, claiming to be younger, in order to get a job. She secures a position at Empirical Press, where her boss (and the head of the company) is Charles Brooks. But Liza ended up having to keep another secret when she started having a complicated relationship with Charles. Because of their workplace dynamic, they couldn’t let anyone else on the team know, but of course it didn’t stay that way for long...
#9: Jackie Burkhart & Steven Hyde “That ‘70s Show” (1998-2006)
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There was a lot of dating going on among the friends on “That ‘70s Show”, so it was inevitable that Jackie and Hyde would get together at some point- even if at first it seemed like they truly hated each other. While there was a lot of build up to their dynamic changing, they only actually became a couple in the show’s fifth season. After that, the pairing amassed a huge fanbase, with thousands of fan-fiction stories about them being published online. Their friends didn’t approve of their relationship, so at various points throughout the show they kept the entire thing a secret.
#8: Jaime & Cersei Lannister “Game of Thrones” (2011-19)
Well, we don’t have to tell you why this one was a secret. Jaime and Cersei are brother and sister (twins, in fact) and the fact that they’re also in love and sleeping together is taboo even in the messed up world of “Game of Thrones”. When Cersei was married to the king, Robert Baratheon, she in fact had her brother Jaime sire all of her three children, which caused many complications down the line in terms of who the true heir to the iron throne was. Despite how seriously weird this pairing was, they definitely had their moments. In a much more wholesome relationship, Lord Renly Baratheon and Ser Loras Tyrell also had to keep their relationship hidden because they were gay.
#7: June Osborne & Nick Blaine “The Handmaid's Tale” (2017-)
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In the dystopian world of Gilead, June works as a handmaid and is known as Offred for the first two seasons, being assigned to Commander Fred Waterford. Her role is to bear his children, because his wife is unable to, and June has very few rights of her own. Having a romantic or sexual relationship with another man is strictly forbidden, and the punishment is severe. So when she develops an intimate rapport with Nick, a driver working for the Commander who’s also an Eye for Gilead, the stakes are high. This show (and this world) are full of darkness, but June and Nick’s relationship serves as one of the only bright points in the narrative.
#6: Ian Gallagher & Mickey Milkovich “Shameless” (2011-)
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There have been lots of LGBTQ relationships on TV in recent years, but there aren’t any like this one. On “Shameless”, Ian and Mickey each start out as closeted teens, and throughout the many seasons of the show grow and develop both together and apart. Their relationship is certainly a messy one, and calling it dysfunctional would be a major understatement. It’s largely kept a secret because for a while, the fact that they’re both gay isn’t public knowledge. But there’s also the fact that when they first hook up, Ian was already in the midst of an affair with a married Muslim man - who also happened to be his employer. Despite all of the ups and downs, we can’t help but root for these two to work it out.
#5: Barney Stinson & Robin Scherbatsky “How I Met Your Mother” (2005-14)
On “How I Met Your Mother”, Barney and Robin’s relationship is a pretty divisive one among fans. While some thought they were meant to be together, others were certain that Robin belonged with someone else. Their relationship went through many different iterations, and at one point between seasons four and five, they were fully sleeping together but keeping it a secret from everyone else. They claimed that they didn’t want their friends to know because they knew they’d be forced to define their relationship, but in reality they just had fun sneaking around. And hey, who can blame them?
#4: Dwight Schrute & Angela Martin “The Office” (2005-13)
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The greatest couple in the history of “The Office” is of course Pam and Jim, who did keep their relationship a secret for a time. But while they may be less at the forefront of the narrative, Dwight and Angela hid their love for each other for almost their entire partnership. The viewer (and the documentary makers) first realize that the two are together midway through season two, and while people do slowly find out what’s going on between them, Angela always has a hard time acknowledging her feelings. Especially after Dwight kills her beloved cat! But they work it out in the end, with the series concluding with their marriage.
#3: Buffy Summers & Spike “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1997-2003)
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Buffy is no stranger to dating supernatural beings. Much of the show revolves around her relationship with Angel, who is one of the vampires that she’s supposed to slay. The thing is though, Angel has a soul, so that makes the whole thing sort of okay. What’s definitely taboo is her hooking up with Spike, the bad boy vampire who is a straight up villain in the earlier seasons, but who eventually joins the Scooby Gang. Their relationship is passionate and surprises them both, with Buffy only admitting she loves Spike at the very end.
#2: Leslie Knope & Ben Wyatt “Parks and Recreation” (2009-15)
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One of the best couples in sitcom history started their relationship in secret. Leslie and Ben from “Parks and Rec” worked together and had a strict rule from Chris that people in their position could not enter a relationship with each other. Even though their chemistry was palpable, to both them and the audience, they did their best to stay apart - because if anyone likes respecting rules, it’s Leslie. The situation was out of their control though and they ended up kissing while on a road trip together, and then were forced to keep their relationship under wraps, even breaking up before finally deciding to go for it. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Veronica Mars & Logan Echolls “Veronica Mars” (2004-07; 2019) Lorelai Gilmore & Max Medina “Gilmore Girls” (2000-07) Quinn Pensky & Logan Reese “Zoey 101” (2005-08) Jake Peralta & Amy Santiago “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (2013-) Aria Montgomery & Ezra Fitz “Pretty Little Liars” (2010-17)
#1: Chandler Bing & Monica Geller “Friends” (1994-2004)
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They don't know that we know they know we know! One of our favorite shows of all time also happens to feature the most iconic secret relationship- Monica and Chandler. Although there are some flirtations between the two in the earlier seasons, viewers were shocked when they slept together after Ross’s wedding in season four. They opted to keep things a secret from their friends, which ended up being more challenging than they could have expected- but gave us plenty of laughs. The half season where most of the group still doesn’t know they’re together is one of the best plotlines of the entire series.
