5 TV couples that almost got their happily ever after

When it comes to TV romances, we have a tendency to gush over our favourite soulmates, and pairings that we know will always work out… but what about the ones who don’t?

Even if our beloved TV characters have a fairytale ending that we are delighted with, there are still so many exes that we love at the time, even if we know deep down that they are not destined to be together.

With this in mind, we have devised a list of some of our all-time favourite ‘not meant to be’ couples. Some of these were clearly never going to end up together forever, while others had a clear path to a happily ever after, but were heartbreakingly robbed of it.

Take a trip down memory lane below, and recall these bittersweet romances:

Haley and Andy

After being strung along for seasons on end by her on-again-off-again boyfriend Dylan, Modern Family viewers were thrilled in season 5 when a new potential match for Haley came into view. The eldest Dunphy sibling had an abundance of chemistry with new guy Andy, and their will-they-won’t-they romance was beautifully portrayed. Sadly, Haley and Andy’s relationship ended not long after it began, as actor Adam Devine had to be written out of the show due to his Pitch Perfect fame. A few seasons later, Haley reunited with ex Dylan and the couple ended the show as parents to twins, leaving her relationship with Andy firmly closed.

Rachel and Joey

The love life of Rachel Green is a divisive topic amongst many fans of sitcom Friends – many believe her and Ross are ‘lobster’ soulmates, while others argue that the pair have a toxic relationship. In another corner, there is a group of fans who believe that Rachel and Joey could have had a wonderful relationship together. When Joey develops feelings for Rachel in season 8 (with Rachel reciprocating them one season later), fans begin to see a whole new side to the loveable goofs. Even though their romance was very short-lived (four episodes, to be exact), many fans are still convinced decades later that they were a better match than Ross and Rachel. 

Ted and Victoria

Throughout How I Met Your Mother’s nine seasons, viewers went on a quest to find out who Ted’s soulmate really is – and in season 2, it seemed as though they might have found her. The hopeless romantic has an adorable meet-cute with baker Victoria at a wedding, and the pair fall into a whirlwind romance. Things soon come crashing down, however, after Ted cheats on Victoria with Robin. Victoria pops up several more times throughout the show, and she even runs away from her own wedding to rekindle a relationship with Ted. Sadly, Victoria eventually admits that Ted’s strong connection to Robin is something she can’t push past, and the couple finally break apart for good.

Carrie and Aidan

Although almost every fan of Sex and the City agrees that Carrie and Mr. Big were always going to end up together, there are several who still delight in rewatching her relationship with Aidan. The pair have their ‘meet-cute’ in season 3 following Carrie’s devastating breakup with Big. However, things don’t stay rosy for long, as Carrie ends up cheating on her new beau with her former boyfriend. Several months on from their breakup, Carrie reunites with Aidan and they even end up getting engaged. However, with Aidan’s lack of trust in Carrie hanging over them, their engagement – and romance as a whole – is forced to come to a crushing end.

Mary and Matthew

Even though she is not everybody’s favourite character, Downton Abbey’s Mary undoubtedly had one of the most epic romances in the show’s history. Her will-they-won’t-they storyline with Matthew enthralled viewers for many episodes, before he finally popped the question to Mary on New Year’s Eve in the snow. The happy couple seemed as though they were bound for a fairytale ending, but tragedy soon struck when Matthew was killed in a car accident on the same day as his son’s birth. While Mary does find happiness again by marrying car enthusiast Henry Talbot, many Downton fans still feel the pain of Matthew’s loss.