Teen Drama Couples TV Got Wrong — And Couples It Needs To Get Right

I would 100% fight some TV writers over a few of these.

🚨Spoilers ahead — including Season 3 of Elite!🚨

Anyone who knows me knows that I love me a good teen drama. I'm a sucker for love triangles, good old teenage angst, and unreasonably attractive characters living unreasonably wild lives.

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But I also tend to root for a lot of doomed couples on these shows. More often than not, my favorite pairings don't get their happy endings.

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So, let's take a trip down memory lane and and see which iconic couples deserved to end up together and which ones definitely should NOT have ended up together!

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1. Ricky and Amy splitting up in the finale of The Secret Life of the American Teenager was a huge mistake.

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This show was beyond ridiculous, but I still had faith in them to give Ricky, Amy, and their little family a happy ending — but nope! Amy leaving Ricky and their toddler, John, so she could go off to school in New York was an infuriating way to end the series.

2. But Adrianna and Navid should have split up way earlier on 90210.

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These two were adorable in the beginning, but after all the awful things they put each other through, it was hard to root for them in the end. They both cheated and just did too many unforgivable things.

3. Brooke and Lucas from One Tree Hill were destined for each other and nobody can convince me otherwise.

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I know this is a controversial one, but hear me out! Yes, their romance was rocky, but Lucas was so sure that Brooke was the one. He gave her that speech in the rain of all the reasons he loved her, told her he was the guy for her at the beach party, and made that destiny shot. They made each other better people and they just worked.

4. Peyton and Jake were also SO clearly meant for each other on One Tree Hill.

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They made each other so incredibly happy and they had the cutest little family with baby Jenny. I still think Peyton would have chosen Jake if he had stayed in Tree Hill, tbh. My heart still aches for them!

5. But Peyton and Lucas ending up together on One Tree Hill? No thanks!

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I know this is a relatively unpopular opinion, but I just never got into this pairing. Their whole relationship was built on cheating and the cliché "boy saves broken girl" trope, and I just found it boring and lacking chemistry. Plus, I can never forgive them for doing my girl Brooke Davis like that.

6. Jess Mariano was 100% the man for Rory on Gilmore Girls.

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I'll admit Jess wasn't that great of a boyfriend to Rory when they dated in high school. But the man he grew up to be? THAT man was worthy. If only Rory hadn't grown up to be spoiled and awful.

7. But Lane marrying Zack on Gilmore Girls was disappointing.

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These two weren't awful or toxic or anything, but I just wanted so much more for Lane. I would have rather gotten to see her chase her dreams of playing in a rock band instead of having her get married and pregnant with twins right after high school. Plus, the pairing just felt random and forced.

8. Clarke and Lexa deserved way, way better on The 100.

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After such a promising buildup, Lexa's unexpected death was devastating. Lexa dying was especially disheartening since it happened right after she and Clarke finally slept together, a trope that's way too common with LGBTQ ships. It sparked so much backlash that The 100 creator Jason Rothenberg even issued an apology letter to fans.

9. But Kurt and Blaine getting married on Glee wasn't the ending I wanted for either of them.

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Kurt and Blaine were adorable at first and it was a pretty groundbreaking ship for the time. But they quickly grew into the worst versions of themselves when they were together — Blaine cheating, Kurt immediately shutting Blaine down when he questioned if he could possibly be bisexual, Blaine dating Kurt's old bully Karofsky. After everything, I just think they both deserved better.

10. We were completely ROBBED of a Serena and Nate endgame on Gossip Girl.

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I'll scream it until my lungs give out — Nate was THE BEST GUY for Serena. He treated her so well, he was a genuinely good guy, and they were so happy together. I'm still very upset about Nate's ending on the show.

11. But as far as Gossip Girl goes, we definitely did NOT need that Serena and Dan wedding.

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I'd never been that into their romance anyway (they were cute enough in Season 1, but after that, meh), but after it was revealed that Dan was Gossip Girl, I completely detested him. I loathe this endgame with every fiber of my being and I hate that Serena married someone who publicly humiliated her for years.

12. Even though they ended up together, Omar and Ander still deserved a happier ending on Elite.

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I'm really glad they ended up together at the very end, but Season 3 did them so unbelievably dirty. These two were so strong and loved each other so much in Seasons 1 and 2, and then this season had Omar cheating on Ander while he was in treatment for cancer?! I don't think they should have had to go through hell and back to get their endgame.

13. Nadia and Guzman also deserved better on Elite.

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I was skeptical about this romance at first, but these two have me hooked with their classic "rivals to lovers" and "forbidden love" story. Nadia made Guzman into a better person and they really love each other. I know it's implied they end up together in the future, but after all this buildup, I think we deserved to see these two have an actual relationship. I couldn't help but feel disappointed that they still weren't officially together in Season 3.

14. But Valerio and Lu's weird relationship on Elite honestly never should have happened.

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I'm sorry, but they are LITERAL SIBLINGS! Maybe I could have shipped them if they were stepsiblings who hadn't grown up with each other, but they straight-up have the SAME DAD. I was glad they had more of a sibling dynamic in Season 3.

15. On a final Elite note, Carla and Samuel also should have gotten their endgame.

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Honestly, this relationship is messed up on so many levels...yet I can't help but ship the hell out of them. Their relationship was completely unexpected, but they quickly became a fan favorite couple because of their insane chemistry. They also brought out the best in each other — Carla is a better person with Samuel, and Samuel is a much more interesting character with her than he was with his ex, Marina. Unfortunately, Season 3 didn't give them much time together and their ending was open-ended at best. I hope they're somewhere sharing macaroni together.

16. Miles and Lola were soulmates on Degrassi, and I will not be taking any criticism on this.

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I could go on and on about these two and how much we were robbed. Lola was actually accepting of his bisexuality, they made each other happy, and they understood each other when nobody else did. Even though it was short-lived and the circumstances were less than ideal, it was Miles' best relationship, hands down. He even wrote a whole play about her! She was his HOPE!

17. But Miles and Tristan from Degrassi needed to call it quits for good.

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I wish I could have rooted for them, but it just wasn't a healthy relationship at all. Tristan constantly invalidated Miles' bisexuality and put him down, and even slammed him into a wall once. Plus, Miles cheated on Tristan and called him "pathetic," they couldn't go two seconds without fighting, and they had virtually nothing in common. I was glad when they finally broke up for good.

18. While we're talking Degrassi, Fiona and Imogen should have stayed together.

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I'll never understand why these two didn't end up together. I know Fiona was graduating and Imogen was repeating her senior year, but I wish they had at least tried long distance. They were one of the strongest relationships on the show, and I just didn't feel as much chemistry with any of Imogen's other relationships.

19. If anyone on Riverdale deserves to be endgame, it's Cheryl and Toni.

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These two have been through a lot, but the incredible love they have for each other never fades. Toni was the only person who could make Cheryl feel any happiness again after she lost her brother, Jason. They make each other into better people, and they make one hell of a team together. I only wish they would get more screen time!

20. But I'm over both Betty and Jughead and Archie and Veronica on Riverdale.

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I know hating Bughead is a VERY controversial opinion, but I'm just bored with them at this point. Veronica and Archie haven't been interesting to me for a long time, and I think they're their worst selves with each other. I won't be upset if these two couples are endgame, but I'd like to see them at least date other people for awhile.

21. While we're on the subject of Riverdale, I also think Veronica and Reggie had a lot of potential.

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I was so excited when Veronica and Reggie started dating, but I was disappointed that their romance was so short-lived. Maybe it's just because Camila and Charles, the actors who portrayed them, dated in real life, but I felt WAY more chemistry between these two than I do with Veronica and Archie. I desperately want them to get back together, tbh.

22. Archie and Josie's relationship also deserved to be explored more.

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This was an unexpected pairing for me, but I loved them together. Josie helped Archie through a dark time in his life, and it was refreshing to see him with someone other than Veronica. I only wish they'd had more time together.

23. On a final Riverdale note, Betty and Archie really need to just date for real already.

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This slow burn is KILLING me. I know they're currently dating each other's best friends, but this romance has been building up since the pilot and I am ready for it. I don't buy this "fake dating" plot — there are definitely some real feelings here. Let Barchie rise!

24. Ryan and Marissa deserved a MUCH happier ending on The OC.

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I know a lot of fans hated Marissa as a character (personally, she's still my best girl), but killing her off like this was jarring. Ryan was never the same after she died in his arms. I'll call it for what it was: an injustice!

25. While we're on the subject, Marissa and Alex also deserved a lot better on The OC.

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I don't necessarily think these two should have been endgame, but their relationship definitely deserved to last longer on the show. It was cool to have Marissa realize she was bisexual. And having Olivia Wilde on the show was simply amazing.

26. But you know what relationship DIDN'T deserve their "happy" ending? Aria and Ezra on Pretty Little Liars.

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They're constantly ranked as one of the greatest TV couples of all time, but this relationship was really creepy and inappropriate. He was her teacher and she was a teenager — not okay!

27. Eric and Adam shouldn't be together on Sex Education.

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I wish I could get behind this couple, but I just can't after the way Adam bullied Eric throughout Season 1. Adam needs to work on accepting himself before he thinks of hopping into ANY relationship, and I think Eric just plain deserves better.

28. But Hope and Josie should definitely date on Legacies.

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OH MY GOD, JUST LET THEM DATE ALREADY! These two have been building up for awhile between their flirting, long stares, and admitted crushes on each other. Hope may be dating Landon for now, but many fans want to see her and Josie together instead. Some say they're more like sisters, but I definitely don't look at my sister like that!

29. Jackie and Hyde from That '70s Show absolutely should have gotten married and grown old together.

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This was the pairing I didn't know I needed. Jackie and Hyde were the best versions of themselves with each other. Jackie was the first girl Hyde ever truly loved, and Hyde was the first guy to actually treat Jackie right (well, for the most part — still upset about that nurse incident). I was devastated when they didn't end up together at the end of the show.

30. But Jackie and Fez had NO BUSINESS being endgame on That '70s Show.

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Honestly, did anyone even like this couple? I love both characters, but randomly throwing them together at the end of the series made no sense. Jackie had never been interested in Fez in that way and it felt weird to see her move on so quickly from Hyde. Maybe they could have been cute in the early seasons, but not after all that character development.

31. Finally, Chris and Jal from Skins deserved all the happiness in the world, and I'm still crying.

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Chris was one of the most beloved characters on Skins, so his death made me absolutely bawl. But it especially made me sad because he was leaving Jal (who was pregnant) behind. These two loved each other so much and they deserved BETTER!

Do you agree with my choices? Did I miss any of your favorite couples? Want to argue? Let me know in the comments!