21 Noncouples Who Carried TV Shows On Their Backs With Their Chemistry

    I'm still not over the wasted potential of Sara Waisglass and Chelsea Clark on Degrassi.

    Kelly Martinez
    by Kelly Martinez

    BuzzFeed Staff

    We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which TV characters never dated but still had incredible chemistry. Here are some of the acting duos whose chemistry carried the shows, according to fans:

    Warning: Spoilers ahead!!!

    1. Joseph Morgan and Candice King as Klaus and Caroline on The Vampire Diaries.

    Klaus to Karoline: "He's your first love, I intend to be your last however long it takes"
    The CW

    "When he told her, '[Tyler] is your first love, I intend to be your last'...oh, I wish that happened!"

    —Kerry Archbold

    2. Melissa Benoist and Katie McGrath as Kara and Lena on Supergirl.

    Kara: "I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere," Lena: "Promise?" Kara: "I will always be your friend and I will always protect you, I promise"
    The CW

    “The go-to answer for me here is Kara and Lena from Supergirl. Melissa Benoist and Katie McGrath had so much chemistry on this show, and it was honestly a wasted opportunity not putting the two characters together romantically. I adored their friendship, but there was so much romantic subtext. The show constantly put Lena and Kara in scenarios that mimicked Clark/Superman and Lois, so it was right there all along.”

    —Nora Dominick

    3. Danielle Rose Russell and Kaylee Bryant as Hope and Josie on Legacies.

    Josie: "Your humanity is in there somewhere," Hope: "You're just never gonna stop trying to reach me are you?" Josie: "You never gave up on me, so no, I'm not gonna give up on you"
    The CW

    "It's Hosie all the way. They are written as literal soulmates. Danielle and Kaylee not only have unmatched chemistry, but they were also the ones who originally pushed for the pairing. They were literally the most integral relationship to the plot, and the fact that we are probably never going to see them as a couple now is an utter travesty."

    —sfascetta777

    4. Gabrielle Carteris and Jason Priestley as Andrea and Brandon on Beverly Hills, 90210.

    Brandon says it's hard to sweep them almost becoming a couple under the rug, Andrea says it was a moment that almost happened but didn't
    Fox

    "They 100% deserved a real chance. They had so much chemistry and so much buildup, just for it to be dropped."

    —kellysdylcn

    5. Danny Pudi and Donald Glover as Abed and Troy on Community.

    Troy and Abed sitting for their imaginary talk show
    NBC

    "Unquestionably one of the best TV duos ever. Highlights include their rapping, hosting the Troy and Abed in the Morning show, fighting zombies in the library, and doing a Freaky Friday switch with each other. I love them; they are absolutely delightful together."

    —oh_bother

    6. Bethany Joy Lenz and Chad Michael Murray as Haley and Lucas on One Tree Hill.

    Lucas gives Haley away at her wedding but says he could never really give away his best friend
    The CW

    "There were so many hints about their relationship. When Lucas wrote The Comet, my partner didn’t even realize it was referring to Peyton’s car and immediately thought, Haley's Comet."

    —lvdutiaume

    7. Christina Hendricks and Manny Montana as Beth and Rio on Good Girls.

    Beth: "Can't we just sit tight?" Rio: "Don't have much of a choice, I also have people to answer to and they're gonna want to meet you"
    NBC

    "Their chemistry was off the charts, and they had this tension you could cut with a knife, especially in the 20-questions scene. How they had THAT much chemistry for being mostly enemies is crazy."

    —Daniella

    8. Misha Collins and Jensen Ackles as Castiel and Dean on Supernatural.

    Dean and Castiel goodbye scene: "You're the most caring man on earth, I cared about the whole world because of you, you changed me Dean," "Why does this sound like a goodbye?" "Because it is, I love you, goodbye Dean"
    The CW

    "They had chemistry so legendary, it leaped off the screen. It spawned a decadelong fandom obsession, countless Tumblr blogs, and more than 100,000 fanfics! We were robbed."

    —a4bf93d1e5

    9. Bob Morley and Eliza Taylor as Bellamy and Clarke on The 100.

    Bellamy and Clarke talking
    The CW

    "Their relationship literally carried the show, and the fact that they never actually got together is a crime. The chemistry was so insane that the actors married each other!"

    —carolinelee7185

    10. Gemma Whelan and Emilia Clarke as Yara and Daenerys on Game of Thrones.

    Yara enlists Daenerys to help her kill a few people, Daenerys says "reasonable" with a smirk and their gaze lingers
    HBO

    "It was only a couple of scenes, but my goodness…"

    —Pritchette

    11. Rachel Brosnahan and Luke Kirbvy as Midge and Lenny on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

    Midge and Lenny stand in the doorway and smile at each other
    Amazon Prime Video

    "As a Ben-and-Midge stan, I hate to admit it, but they had something so incredibly special. When they finally went out for drinks and dancing, I was holding my breath the entire time. Somehow, them not doing anything further made it even more intense."

    —tallliz

    12. Alexis Bledel and Liza Weil as Rory and Paris on Gilmore Girls.

    Paris and Rory say they hated each other most of the time then smile and hug at graduation
    The WB

    "Academic rivals to lovers? Check. Friends/roommates to lovers? Check. Great onscreen chemistry? Check. Meaningful queer representation on the show? Check!"

    —[deleted user]

    13. Chad Michael Murray and Alexis Bledel as Tristan and Rory on Gilmore Girls.

    Tristan says he can't keep dating Paris because he likes "somebody else," Rory realizes he means her but they both pretend he's talking about his ex Summer
    The WB

    "They had great chemistry and would have made the perfect enemies-to-lovers ship, but Chad Michael Murray left the show before anything could happen."

    —lisalionheart12

    14. Justin Chambers and Ellen Pompeo as Alex and Meredith on Grey's Anatomy.

    Alex: "Yang left me her shares and board sheet and she left me you too, it's just us now, and I don't know if you need somebody to bitch at or just be-" Meredith: "My person," Alex: "I don't know what you mean," Meredith: "But you do," they hug
    ABC

    "He was truly the only person (besides Cristina) who truly understood her dark side, and the love and support they gave each other was beautiful. After so many character losses over the course of that show, that pairing is the one I miss most."

    —jenm47faa724d

    15. Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman as Leslie and Ron on Parks and Recreation.

    Leslie and Ron eating together
    NBC

    "They were literally polar opposites but respected each other and genuinely cared for each other. Their friendship was so unique, and I loved every time they were onscreen together."

    —Aly Lee

    16. Chelsea Clark and Sara Waisglass as Esme and Frankie on Degrassi: Next Class.

    Frankie brags to everyone that Esme got into Harvard and Columbia, Esme says it's not big deal, Frankie smiles at her
    Netflix

    "I constantly forget that Frankie and Esme weren't actually a canon romantic ship. Not only were they so organically nice as friends, but they had insane chemistry romantically, too. It felt more romantic than Zig and Frankie or Zig and Esme. I would have loved to see the show explore Fresme if it hadn't gotten canceled."

    —stacethespacecase

    17. Lana Parrilla and Jennifer Morrison as Regina and Emma on Once Upon a Time.

    Emma pins Regina against wall, Regina holds Emma's face and gazes lovingly at her
    ABC

    "You could cut the sexual tension with a knife."

    —chloehammond203

    18. Summer Bishil and Hale Appleman as Margo and Eliot on The Magicians.

    Margo: "Who are we now El? We used to be glamorous amazing mega-bitches and now?" Eliot: "We have depth and character," Margo looks horrified
    Syfy

    "They were never involved romantically, but they were absolutely platonic soulmates. The actors had so much chemistry, and they were always my favorite part of the show."

    —strawberrylumps22

    19. A.J. Cook and Matthew Gray Gubler as JJ and Spencer on Criminal Minds.

    JJ confesses she loves Spencers and says she meant to take that to the grave, tells Spencer he was her first love
    CBS

    "Spencer and JJ had great chemistry. They didn't need to be involved romantically, but they were always there for each other, and I think that's important. I always felt they were platonic soulmates."

    —savithri1189

    20. Lisa Kudrow and Jennifer Aniston as Phoebe and Rachel on Friends.

    Phoebe points to Chandler and Monica hooking up: "They're doing it!" Rachel: "I know!" Phoebe: "You know?" Rachel: "Yes I know and Joey knows but Ross doesn't so you have to stop screaming!"
    NBC

    "This is so specific, but Phoebe and Rachel while they lived together on Friends. Their chemistry changed, and their storylines were some of the funniest ones."

    —fakefattrusty

    21. And finally, Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay as Elliot and Olivia on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

    Olivia and Elliot embrace and share a long hug, Elliot says he should have come back sooner
    NBC

    —CaptBenson

    Reminder that I, Kelly Martinez, do not necessarily endorse all of these opinions!

    Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.