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What TV Relationship Is Realistically Difficult, Yet Fulfilling?

Love takes work!

Hannah Marder
by Hannah Marder

BuzzFeed Staff

I've always loved the fairy-tale love you see on TV.

ABC

But love in real life isn't always like that. Relationships take work, and long-term relationships naturally go through hard times. So it can be really refreshing to see TV shows reflect this!

The CW

Note: By "hard times," I do NOT mean abusive behavior, whether physical or emotional. Relationships take work and sacrifice, but we are not celebrating toxic or unbalanced relationships!

One of the first couples to come to mind who show how hard, yet worth it, love is? Randall and Beth from This Is Us.

ABC

They have such a beautiful love story. They are different and have struggled through those differences, but they work together and come up with a solution, and ask for what they need.

Madeline and Ed from Big Little Lies are another great example.

Ed and Madeline renewing their vows on the beach
HBO

People change — you're not always the same two people who started a relationship. A relationship is about continuing to choose each other every day while allowing the other to grow. Ed asks for this from Madeline, who enthusiastically accepts and recommits to him.

There are also some teen drama couples we watch grow together, like Nathan and Haley from One Tree Hill.

The CW

Can you name another couple who lasted ALL NINE SEASONS of a show?? They went through so much together, both dealing with depression and anger, but they were always able to work through it and come out stronger.

And then, of course, there's Jamie and Dani from The Haunting of Bly Manor, who went through A LITERAL HAUNTING together.

Netflix

Their love story was absolutely heartbreaking, but in a way, it was like watching someone deal with their partner's terminal illness. Jamie and Dani deal with their situation with such grace and care and support, and Dani never allows Jamie to fully carry the weight for her.

Now it's your turn — what TV love story do you adore because it's so realistic and shows that relationships take work? Let me know who the TV couple is and why you think their love story is so realistic in the comments below, and you could be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed Community post!