26 TV Couples You Totally Forgot Were Even A Thing

5. Friends: Rachel & Joshua, (OK, this relationship was mostly in Rachel’s head, but still, no one really cared about Joshua.)

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Amazon / Dawson’s Creek

1. Gilmore Girls: Lorelai & Alex

Amazon / Gilmore Girls
Amazon / Gilmore Girls

He was opening a coffee shop. She was opening an inn. I’m not even sure they had time to break up with each other.

2. Parks and Recreation: Ann & Andy

Parks And Recreation
Amazon / Parks And Recreation

April and Andy are so perfect for each other. And, in the grand scheme of Parks and Rec, Ann and Andy were barely an item. It’s so weird that Ann’s boyfriend (Andy) fell in the pit and brought the gang together.

3. 30 Rock: Liz & James Franco/Liz & Wesley 

Amazon / 30 Rock
Amazon / 30 Rock

Liz had a slew of failed love interests over the course of the series, some more memorable than others. To quote Tracy Jordan, “Dr. Guy, pilot guy, Cleveland dude, British guy, rich dude, James Franco. I’ve been with the same woman for 22 years. No judgment, but, to me, Liz Lemon is a sex maniac.”

4. Gossip Girl: Nate & Blair/Nate & Serena/Nate & Vanessa/Nate & Jenny/ You know what? I’m going to save us all some time here, let’s just say the entire cast of Gossip Girl

Amazon / Gossip Girl
Amazon / Gossip Girl

The Gossip Girl gang inter-changed partners so many times that it is hard to forget how it even started, where it twisted in the middle and, in some cases, how it ended up. Like, how the heck did Serena and Dan end up married?

5. Friends: Rachel & Joshua

Amazon / Friends
Amazon / Friends

OK, this relationship was mostly in Rachel’s head, but still, no one really cared about Joshua.

6. Jane the Virgin: Jane & Rafael

Amazon / Jane The Virgin
Amazon / Jane The Virgin

Before #TeamRafael gets all bent out of shape, let’s be honest — we’re in so deep with Jane and Michael this season that even Rafael’s biggest fans are saying, ‘Rafael who?’

7. Gilmore Girls: Luke & Rachel

Amazon / Gilmore Girls
Amazon / Gilmore Girls

Once Luke’s globe trotting ex conveniently showed up in Stars Hollow, no one really knew what to do with her, other than sort of keep Luke and Lorelai apart.

8. How I Met Your Mother: Basically All Of Ted Mosby’s Girlfriends

Amazon / How I Met Your Mother
Amazon / How I Met Your Mother

To quote Lily Aldrin in the episode where she makes Ted name his random dates from years of photos, “Name that skank.” Honestly, the show should have been called How I Slept With Dozens of Women, Actually Loved Your Aunt Robin More Than Mom And Settled for Your Mother. HISWDOWALYARMTMASFYM? But that would be too long and depressing.

9. Friends: Chandler & Kathy/Chandler & Joey

Amazon / Friends
Amazon / Friends

The whole Chandler stealing Kathy from Joey was a big plot point at the time. But, in the end, who really cares about Kathy?

10. Jane the Virgin: Abuela & The Priest

Amazon / Jane The Virgin
Amazon / Jane The Virgin

What a waste of Cheech Marin, that plot never got off the ground!

11. Parks and Recreation: Ann & Mark

Amazon / Parks And Recreation
Amazon / Parks And Recreation

I’m glad they finally acknowledged how boring this relationship was when Ann kicked Mark to the curb. Also, who even remembered Mark after Ben and Chris showed up?

12. Parks and Recreation: Leslie & Mark

Amazon / Parks And Recreation
Amazon / Parks And Recreation

If you’re having trouble remembering Ann & Mark, there is no way you are going to remember Leslie’s crush, light flirting and an off-screen hookup years before the show started. Once again, Mark who?

13. Sex and the City: All of Carrie’s Boyfriends That Weren’t Big or Aidan

Amazon / Sex And The City
Amazon / Sex And The City

It was never about the guys, anyway.

14. Dawson’s Creek: Dawson & Joey

Amazon / Dawson's Creek
Amazon / Dawson’s Creek

OK, so you may remember them. But the romantic relationship proved to be less significant than Joey and Pacey’s.

15. New Girl: Nick & Caroline

Amazon / New Girl
Amazon / New Girl

Remember how badly Nick was hurting when the show started out?

16. Orphan Black: Sarah & Paul

Amazon / Orphan Black
Amazon / Orphan Black

Paul was hot, yes. But the chemistry just wasn’t there. IMHO that’s why they brought in Sarah’s baby daddy, played by Michiel Huisman.

17. Girls: Marnie & Charlie

Amazon / Girls
Amazon / Girls

When Charlie did show up in the farewell season, I couldn’t have been the only one saying, “Oh yeah, that guy!” He left so abruptly after season two that we all moved on.

18. The Office: Karen & Jim

Amazon / The Office
Amazon / The Office

Poor Karen deserved better. We all know she was a plot device to distance Pam and Jim.

19. Friday Night Lights: Lyla & Jason

Amazon / Friday Night Lights
Amazon / Friday Night Lights

Here we have another case of a couple that was a big deal when the show started, only for the relationship to be so five seasons ago by the time the show ended. See also: Lyla and Tim Riggins.

20. Parenthood: Amber & Steve, Haddie & Steve

Amazon / Parenthood
Amazon / Parenthood

When Amber slept with Haddie’s ex, it caused a rift throughout the Braverman clan. But, in the end, it was ovaries before brovaries, and all of the Bravermans were able to let it go.

21. Scandal: Abby & Finch

Amazon / Scandal
Amazon / Scandal

Everyone could feel the heat between Abby and Finch — and then Finch left the show after one season.

22. Orange is the New Black: Larry & Piper

Amazon / Orange Is The New Black
Amazon / Orange Is The New Black

With Larry gone for season three, and very little screen time as a couple, it’s hard to remember that Piper even had a fiancé. Though, the Larry and Polly thing is memorably unforgivable.

23. Community: Annie & Troy

Amazon / Community
Amazon / Community

When Annie arrived on campus, she still had it bad for high school crush, Troy. But, they turned out not to be the big will they/won’t they couple.

24. Mad Men: Don & Faye

Amazon / Mad Men
Amazon / Mad Men

While Don did have many mistresses, Faye seemed like her storyline could go somewhere. Faye was different from the others — she was smart, successful and a good match. But, her storyline fizzled out and Megan, almost from nowhere, was hot and heavy with Don.

25. Downton Abbey: Lady Mary & Charles Blake

Amazon / Downton Abbey
Amazon / Downton Abbey

They saved pigs together and he kissed Mary to help her out of her entanglement with Gillingham. But, the poor chap was always in second, third or last in competitions for Mary’s heart.

26. ParenthoodSarah & Jim

Amazon / Parenthood
Amazon / Parenthood

He wrote poems about her and was a nice, dateable guy. But mostly he served as a B storyline. Thought Catalog Logo Mark


About the author

Caroline Gerdes

Caroline Gerdes is a contributor at Thought Catalog, HelloGiggles and Bustle. She is also a National Geographic Explorer — which is totally a real job title.