TV love triangles have such a way of alienating people and bringing out anger. In general, many people don’t like love triangles, and while they bring drama, they can also drag out a story, which makes it frustrating to watch. Some love triangles also don’t make sense. But what’s worse than a strange love triangle? One that ends with the wrong pairing.
There is nothing worse than investing years in a television show, only to be let down at the end when your favorite character chooses the wrong love interest. TV love triangles aren’t always bad because of the pairing, though. Sometimes, it’s for the best that all characters grow and part ways.
Although this article only touches on TV love triangles, some of the best have occurred in films. After you’re done with this article, check out the 30 greatest love triangles in film history.
Some love triangles on our list are very polarizing. Not everyone believes the love story was ever there. For instance, some fans of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” hate that Aang and Katara end up together and instead root for Zuko. The creators swear they never intended for a love triangle to form but that didn’t stop viewers from feeling crushed by the ending.
To compile this list, 24/7 Tempo reviewed and scoured the internet for entertainment and lifestyle content. Websites used to write this list include Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, Reddit, and Entertainment Weekly. Since this topic is open to interpretation, 24/7 Tempo took a few creative liberties when listing these 22 TV love triangles that should have ended differently.
‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’
- Love triangle: Aang, Katara, and Zuko
- Cast: Zach Tyler Eisen, Mae Whitman, Dante Basco
The first TV show many people think of when they wonder about love triangles that could have ended differently is 2005’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” This beautiful animated series captured hearts from the beginning and although Aang and Katara ended up together, many people were rooting for Katara and Zuko.
Who doesn’t like a good enemies-to-lovers storyline, especially when Zuko receives incredible character development? The love story was just hinted at, but it could have been amazing. Many Zuko-Katara lovers criticize Katara and Aang’s relationship as she is more mature and seems like more of a mother figure than a lover.
‘Gossip Girl’
- Love triangle: Blair, Dan, and Chuck
- Cast: Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Ed Westwick
This pairing shocked a lot of people, and even years after the show’s ending, fans still think about Dan and Blair’s chemistry. This TV love triangle should not have ended with Blair and Chuck. To many fans, the relationship and connection between Dan and Blair was natural, smooth, and well-balanced.
‘Sex and the City’
- Love triangle: Carrie, Aiden, and Big
- Cast: Sarah Jessica Parker, John Corbett, Chris Noth
Not everyone was excited to see Mr. Big and Carrie end up together in “Sex and the City.” From the beginning, their relationship was awkward and had a big power imbalance. Mr. Big always felt out of reach and sometimes pretentious, struggling with the differences in Carrie’s and his lives.
Aidan though was kind and respected Carrie. They had a healthier relationship compared to when she was with Mr. Big.
‘Friends’
- Love triangle: Rachel, Ross, and Joey
- Cast: Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc
This TV love triangle doesn’t exist too obviously, but just enough to cast doubt on longtime fans. Some “Friends” fans hate that Rachel ends up with Ross rather than anyone else, including Joey. Ross had a lot of awful moments where it was obvious to us the viewers that he didn’t deserve Rachel.
But Joey? Joey allows Rachel to be herself without any expectations. She also seemed a lot happier and carefree around him, even without romantic undertones. Even though Rachel didn’t choose Joey, some fans wonder what her life would be like if she hadn’t fallen back into Ross’s arms and instead traveled the world.
‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’
- Love triangle: Buffy, Angel, and Spike
- Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar, David Boreanaz, James Marsters
“Buffy The Vampire Slayer” was such a fun show with so many things happening at once. The biggest thing that people remember from this show is the love triangle. The ending of the series left a lot to be desired from many, hoping that Buffy got to live a normal and healthy life after years of tough events and experiences.
This love triangle should have ended differently. A spoiler for those who haven’t finished this incredible supernatural series: Spike’s death hurts, but it was also a necessary sacrifice. His death shook many people as a finale, and truly, many think he should’ve lived to see Buffy’s and his relationship grow.
‘How I Met Your Mother’
- Love triangle: Ted, Robin, and Barney
- Cast: Josh Radnor, Cobie Smulders, Neil Patrick Harris
“How I Met Your Mother” ran for nine long seasons and had over 200 episodes. The entire series is about Ted as he tells his children about his many wacky adventures while meeting their mother. Basically, for nine years, “How I Met Your Mother” kept viewers guessing, although most signs pointed to Robin. But what about Barney?
The finale left many people happy, for a moment, and then immediately devastated. Robin and Barney get married, but divorce soon after, and the children’s mother, Tracy, passes away. In the end, Ted finally asks Robin out, restarting their love story. However, this doesn’t feel right to many fans of the show as the chemistry between Robin and Barney was stronger.
‘Jane the Virgin’
- Love triangle: Jane, Michael, and Rafael
- Cast: Gina Rodriguez, Brett Dier, Justin Baldoni
Imagine getting pregnant as a virgin after accidentally being artificially inseminated when going to the doctor for a simple checkup. Hard to picture, right? That’s the premise of “Jane the Virgin,” with more unique details.
In the end, though, Jane stays with Rafael, her old teen crush and owner of the sperm. But this fact crushed many “Jane the Virgin” fans. Instead, fans would have preferred Michael and were heartbroken when he died. Thankfully, like most telenovelas, Michael’s death was faked, and he was back soon after.
‘Schitt’s Creek’
- Love triangle: Mutt, Alexis, and Ted
- Cast: Tim Rozon, Annie Murphy, Dustin Milligan
Alexis on “Schitt’s Creek” grew tremendously during the show’s six seasons. However, one thing that always threw off viewers was her love life. Many people wonder why Alexis ends up alone. Why couldn’t she balance having a relationship while finding herself and her passion?
This is hardly a love triangle, since both relationships ended, but Alexis should have stayed with Ted. He genuinely loved her, and she loved him back. But, their love is why it ended. Ted wanted Alexis to go for her dreams, and vice versa. Alexis would hate herself if Ted never took his dream job, and Ted would feel horrible if she left everything behind for him. Some things happen for a reason.
‘Modern Family’
- Love triangle: Haley, Dylan, and Andy
- Cast: Sarah Hyland, Reid Ewing, Adam DeVine
While Haley ends up with Dylan, many viewers of “Modern Family” criticize this decision. Although he has been a staple of the series since the beginning, he barely changed throughout while Haley grew a lot as a person. Then, when Dylan came back, she regressed to her immature self.
Why couldn’t she have stayed with Andy? While the start of their romance was rocky as he was in a relationship, he treated her better than Dylan and there was real chemistry.
‘Grey’s Anatomy’
- Love triangle: Alex, Jo, and Izzie
- Cast: Justin Chambers, Camilla Luddington, Katherine Heigl
Although “Grey’s Anatomy” is an American medical drama, the emphasis should be on drama, not medicine. While the characters struggle to identify illnesses and treat them throughout the series, the show is really about the characters and the problems they have with each other.
There were so many love stories happening at once, including the love triangle between Alex, Jo, and Izzie. This is a TV love triangle that should have ended differently, and some believe it was so rushed that it shouldn’t have existed at all.
‘True Blood’
- Love triangle: Sookie, Bill, and Eric
- Cast: Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Alexander Skarsgård
Who can forget just how popular “True Blood” was? This incredibly entertaining supernatural drama had a little bit of everything, including romance and vampires. The biggest love triangle, which left many disappointed in the end, was between Sookie, Bill, and Eric.
Eric truly loved and understood Sookie without being controlling. Bill was controlling and strange, and their love story wasn’t as strong. Instead, though, Sookie has an unnamed human lover at the end, which feels random and sudden.
‘The Secret Life of the American Teenager’
- Love triangle: Amy, Ricky, and Ben
- Cast: Shailene Woodley, Daren Kagasoff, Ken Baumann
“The Secret Life of the American Teenager” is one of the shows you can’t stop watching, even when it’s awful. Every episode was chaotic and wild, and yet, it worked. But there was a love triangle that should have ended differently, or better yet, not existed.
The series follows high school students as they grow up and face pregnancy and other big life changes, starting with Amy. While pregnant with Ricky’s child, though, Amy is in a relationship with Ben, who loves Amy. In the end, she ends up marrying Ricky post-series. However, she should have ended up alone, or at least on her own for a while with her son.
‘Dawson’s Creek’
- Love triangle: Joey, Dawson, and Pacey
- Cast: Katie Holmes, James Van Der Beek, Joshua Jackson
Sometimes, the best outcome of a love triangle is for the characters to go their separate ways. This is especially true about love triangles in teen dramas. Teenagers are young and immature, still trying to find themselves, so it’s normal for relationships not to work.
“Dawson’s Creek” ends with Joey and Pacey. Although they were a sweet couple, some fans think neither of the boys should have stayed with Joey. Instead, the trio should’ve gone their separate ways.
‘Sex Education’
- Love triangle: Adam, Eric, and Rahim
- Cast: Connor Swindells, Ncuti Gatwa, Sami Outalbali
One love triangle in “Sex Education” really stands out, but more because it’s a tired trope rather than true love. In “Sex Education,” Eric is bullied by Adam before they fall in love and become intimate. They break it off, though, and during this time Eric meets and starts falling for Rahim.
Fans of the show are divided on how the love triangle ended. Adam and Eric get back together, but the in-the-closet bully trope can be exhausting and toxic. It may have even been better if Eric stayed alone and instead only befriended Rahim.
‘iCarly’
- Love triangle: Freddie, Carly, and Sam
- Cast: Nathan Kress, Miranda Cosgrove, Jennette McCurdy
The love triangle in “iCarly” is really an honorable mention considering the couple most fans rooted for end up together in the reboot. “iCarly” was a children’s TV series that aired in 2007 and centered around Carly, Freddy, and Sam.
While Sam and Freddy ended up together and had a sweet romance, it felt rushed and underdeveloped. Instead, some “iCarly” fans wondered why Carly and Freddy never got their moment, especially with how many moments they had together. Don’t worry, though, in the 2021 reboot, their relationship is explored, minus Sam.
‘The Vampire Diaries’
- Love triangle: Alaric, Caroline, and Stefan
- Cast: Matthew Davis, Candice King, Paul Wesley
It’d be way too easy to choose a love triangle in “Vampire Diaries,” there are so many. An interesting one though is between Alaric, Caroline, and Stefan. Although “Vampire Diaries” begins with a romantic connection between Elena and Stefan, this doesn’t last long before his attention turns to Caroline, but he isn’t the only one.
While the two fall in love and get married, fans of the show feel like Caroline should have been with Alaric and raising a family together. This sadly wasn’t in the cards for them because Caroline cares for Alaric but never falls in love.
‘Beverly Hills, 90210’
- Love triangle: Brenda, Kelly, and Dylan
- Cast: Shannen Doherty, Jennie Garth, Luke Perry
Fans of this show were frustrated as they watched the beautiful Brenda and Kelly fall for Dylan, which led to a rift in their close friendship. The love triangle should have ended with all three alone, or with Brenda and Kelly as friends while ignoring Dylan.
‘One Tree Hill’
- Love triangle: Peyton, Jake, and Lucas
- Cast: Hilarie Burton, Bryan Greenberg, Chad Michael Murray
“One Tree Hill” is an American drama series that is hard to take your eyes off of. It’s filled with romance, lies, action, and plenty of twists and turns. So, which love triangle made our list? The one between Peyton, Jake, and Lucas is a little disappointing to some people.
Although Peyton and Lucas end up together, some fans are still rooting for Jake and Peyton. Jake was a sweetheart who truly loved Peyton, and she wholeheartedly loved him back. Their chemistry is perfect.
‘Community’
- Love triangle: Jeff, Britta, and Annie
- Cast: Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Alison Brie
“Community” is a fun and silly sitcom where a ragtag group of students bond over studying. Although mainly a comedy, there was some romance in the TV series, including between Jeff, Britta, and Annie.
This debate is a tough one. Fans find Britta and Annie as suitable for Jeff, for the most part. However, the age difference between Annie and Jeff throws many people off, even if they have excellent chemistry and humor. They bring the best out of each other, while Britta’s relationship with Jeff is more of a friend-with-benefits situation and their personalities clash a lot.
‘The Office’
- Love triangle: Pam, Jim, And Brian
- Cast: Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski, Christopher Diamantopoulos
This last love triangle is implied and we never get too many details. Instead, we see a short scene where Pam is comforted by Brian the cameraman. So, how should it have ended? Honestly? Many “The Office” fans could have done without the plot. It doesn’t make the story any better.
Do you want to keep reading about TV series? Click here to discover 15 TV shows with the most dissatisfying series finales ever.