10 Most Unhealthy TV Relationships

Relationships are tough. No much more so than on TV it seems...

Look, relationships are tough for everyone, even fictional television characters. And sometimes, just like in real life, it takes an outside perspective to see a couple that are just not right for one another. There's either underlying psychological issues that make the relationship actively harmful, or something as simple as two people who don't have a ton of chemistry with one another. Most of these pairings are pursuing a romantic relationship, but some are just people who have sexual tension that is unhealthy for one reason or another. Either way, there are some couples on television that should just absolutely not be together -- their toxic relationships make them bring out the worst in one another, and everyone would be so much better off if they just broke it off. Every television show needs a little bit of romance, but some of these people are definitely going about this the wrong way. What's really uncomfortable, though, is that while some of these relationships are unhealthy on purpose, there's a few that are supposed to be genuinely endearing.

10. Wesley/Lilah - Angel

Hey, just because a relationship is unhealthy doesn't mean it isn't engaging and a lot of fun for audiences that are gluttons for punishment. Wesley and Lilah have a very interesting dynamic and tons of chemistry, but ultimately there's too much self-loathing on both sides for this pairing to do anything but implode. Wesley first takes up with Lilah, the gleefully malevolent lawyer from Wolfram and Hart, when he's at his most vulnerable. He mistakenly believed that Angel was going to kill his infant son and sent the boy to a hell dimension, earning the ire of Angel Investigations and getting himself chucked out of the gang. Oh yeah, and his throat gets cut. To say this is a low point for Wesley Wyndham-Price is a bit of an understatement. They both approach the relationship as a way to feel something, but as time goes on it's clear they begin to care for one another. Unfortunately, both characters are far too broken to actually do anything about it.
In this post: 
Mad Men
 
Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.