Image via Complex Original
Across television history there have been too many characters that should've dated, but never did. It's sad: They were looking for love in all of the wrong places, when it was in front of them the entire series. Granted, if we had our way and these characters ended up together, the shows would've lost their momentum (see Office, The). As TV lovers, these are the dilemmas that keep us awake at night. Will they? Won't they?
This list is in honor of those characters that we wished would become a "thing" but never did. #foreveralone
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Carrie Mathison and Peter Quinn on Homeland (Showtime)
Played by: Claire Danes and Rupert Friend
The two get off to a rocky start but soon come to appreciate one another as the series goes on. They even work pretty well with each other. (Remember the episode where Peter stabs Brody in the hand? Exactly.)
Unfortunately, Carrie goes for Brody, even helping the guy cross the border into Canada (since he's framed as the person resposible for the Langley bombings). We guess this kind of fine, considering that both Carrie and Peter can be twisted people when necessary. America wouldn't be safe.
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Jaime Lannister and Brienne of Tarth on Game of Thrones (HBO)
Played by: Nikolaj Coster-Waldeu and Gwendoline Christie
From hating each other's guts to saving each other from death, Brienne and Jaime Lannister has come a long way from the prisoner/guard relationship they started off with. After sharing a touching moment in the hot springs, and Jaime saving Brienne from the jaws of death (as in, a bear), there seems to be something brewing between these two knights.
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Laurie Keller and Travis Cobb on Cougar Town (TBS)
Played by: Busy Philipps and Dan Byrd
Travis' parents wouldn't have been cool with him and Laurie dating, but it would've been cute. They fit well with each other well, like weird gloves, regardless of the age difference. They semeed to genuinely like each other. Plus, let's be honest: It's alwasy great to see someone portraying the nerd archetype triumph.
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Stefan Salvadore and Caroline Forbes on The Vampire Diaries (The CW)
Played by: Paul Wesley and Candice Accola
Stefan was the one who helped Caroline transition into a vampire. With his help, Caroline was able to control her thirst for blood and become a badass hunter. This bond between the two has made them very close friends, but their respective love interests have kept them apart. C'mon—it just makes too much sense to have Stefan and Caroline get together.
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Clarissa Darling and Sam Anders on Clarissa Explains It All (Nickelodeon)
Played by: Melisa Joan Hart and Sean O'Neal
In the fourth season of the classic Nickelodeon series Sam realizes that Clarissa is the perfect girl for him. (He could've just asked us; we knew this all along.) But things never develop between Sam and Clarissa, and the pair's future remains uncertain after the series finale. We'd like to imagine them consumating their newfound love at a Pearl Jam concert, but until we get some kind of 25th anniversary episode, that dream will have to remain fan fiction.
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Angela Chase and Brian Krakow on My So-Called Life (ABC)
Played by: Claire Danes and Devon Gummersall
If the scene where Brian basically admits to writing "the letter" to Angela didn't leave you crying, you are heartless and a bastard. Brian's unrequited love for Angela is one of the most important parts of My So-Called Life. He cares for her so much, and considering he's been a longtime friend of Angela's, we hoped that she'd ditch Jordan for the guy that really wanted her. Unfortunately, that never came to pass. (An early cancellation is also to blame for what could've been.) You were a good guy, Brian.
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Lucas Scott and Haley James on One Tree Hill (The WB/The CW)
Played by: Chad Michael Murray and Bethany Joy Lenz
Although Naley (Nathan + Haley) is a fan-favorite relationship, Haley definitely should have gotten with Lucas at some point! They've been best friends since they were outsiders, and continued to be best friends when they suddenly became the cool kids at school. Through all the crazy drama, Haley and Lucas maintained one of the strongest friendships in the series. Couldn't they just have boned a little? Just to see if they liked it?
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Phoebe Buffay and Joey Tribbiani on Friends (NBC)
Played by: Lisa Kudrow and Matthew LeBlanc
The only two in the core six that never ended up with one another—Phoebe is a lovable weirdo who's slightly self obsessed, and Joey is the failing actor who's slightly self obsessed (and loveably stupid). That's a perfect couple right there.
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Abed Nadir and Annie Edison on Community (NBC)
Played by: Danny Pudi and Alison Brie
The relationship between Abed and Annie is weird because the two only seem attracted to each other when they're role-playing as certain people. (This is definitely more of the case with Annie, who's attracted to Abed when he plays Don Draper and Han Solo.) Plus, Alison Brie, in interviews, has said she sees Abed and Annie more as siblings. Which is weird, considering the two have shared a pretty intimate kiss. Maybe they can act out Flowers in the Attic?
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Fox Mulder and Dana Scully on The X Files (FOX)
Played by: David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson
These two could've been the coolest FBI couple ever, but things didn't pan out that way. Yes, they shared a kiss at the end of season 7 and the last scene of the series finale showed them in bed together. But nothing was ever made "official," which sucks considering all of the crap the two have been through. (Dana getting abducted, Fox being injected with an alien virus, etc.)
It wasn't until the 2008 movie The X-Files: I Want to Believe that fans were given the fully acknowledged Mulder/Scully love connection they'd so emphatically wanted. Too bad it happened in one of the worst sequels of all time.
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Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler on Law & Order: SVU (NBC)
Played by: Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni
They make an incredible team solving all kinds of terrifying and gruesome crimes, but somehow, Olivia and Elliott has always kept it in the friend zone. We all can sense the chemistry brewing between the two, especially when it comes to how dedicated they are to each other.
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Sookie Stackhouse and Sam Merlotte on True Blood (HBO)
Played by: Anna Paquin and Sam Trammell
Sookie has been with all types of different creatures, but somehow she's never hooked up with shapeshifter friend Sam Merlotte. Sure, Sam had a little fling with Sookie's best friend Tara, but now that Tara is a vampire, she shouldn't really care, right? Besides, Sam has always had a little crush on Sookie. And Sookie could use a halfway decent guy in her life after banging all of those heartbreaking fangers.
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Don Draper and Peggy Olson on Mad Men (AMC)
Played by: Jon Hamm and Elisabeth Moss
For Mad Men fans, this is a difficult thing to talk about. On the one hand, Peggy and Don have shared a number of moments of affection. They respect each other. They have helped each other through the toughest of times (Peggy's birth, the death of Anna).
On the other hand, Don is an out-of-control monster. He destroys his romantic partners. The reason why his relationship with Peggy feels so special is because it's never become romantic.
Heading into the last season, Peggy is hardening herself, becoming distant and work-obsessed. She's becoming like Don. And Don is trying to open himself like a book. But who are we kidding—if this happens, it will end terribly.
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Lindsay Weir and Daniel Desario on Freaks and Geeks (NBC)
Played by: Linda Cardellini and James Franco
Although Lindsay was dating Nick and Danny was dating the loud-mouth Kim, there was something about the way Lindsay looked at Danny that screamed, "You're dreamy as fuck!" If Lindsay had more time to become a freak, and if the show wasn't abruptly cancelled, we may have seen a resolve of the tension between her and Danny.
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Dee Reynolds and Mac on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX)
Played by: Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney
Although Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney are married in real life, their fictional characters practically loathe one another. Mac belittles Dee at every possible moment (more so than Charlie and Dennis), and the two are known to get pretty violent with each other. Two words: crotch punches
It also doesn't help that Mac has had sex with Dee's mom. But, who knows, all of the hostility between the two could just be a front. Maybe they secretly love each other and want to be together, but the their shared arrogance stops them from doing so. Oh, well—looks like we may never know.
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Tasha Henderson and Morris "Mo" Tibbs on Smart Guy (The WB)
Played by: Essence Atkins and Omar Gooding
It was episode nine of season 2, titled "The Dating Game." Yvette agrees to T.J.'s plan of being Mo's girlfriend, solely to dissuade Deion from following her and asking her out on dates. We begin to see that there's chemistry between Yvette and Mo, even leading up to a very memorable dance scene between the two.
Unfortunately, nothing becomes of the two's pseudo-romance, even after Yvette has a dream of the two getting married in the season three episode "Perchance to Dream." Granted, if Smart Guy hadn't been cancelled, we possibly could've seen Yvette and Mo get together, maybe even get married. But things didn't turn out that way. A damn shame.
Steve Urkel and Laura Winslow on Family Matters (ABC, 1989-1997; CBS, 1997-1998)
Played by: Jaleel White and Kellie Shanygne Williams
For almost 10 years, we watched Urkel burst into the Winslow home uninvited and serenade Laura with his love (also uninvited). He'd do anything to have his love returned—hell, he even invented a transformation chamber that would turn him into the suave Stefan Urquelle. It was obvious that Urkel deserved a chance. How could you be so heartless, Ms. Winslow? Word to Kanye.
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Lizzy McGuire and Gordo on The Lizzy McGuire Show (Disney Channel)
Played by: Hillary Duff and Adam Lamberg
Gordo was Lizzie's voice of reason when she would flip out over just about everything: her parents, school, Kate Sanders, her brother. Maybe if she spent less time fantasizing about the obvious douchebag that is Ethan Craft, she would've seen what was right in front of her.
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