If there is one tried and true television trope that leaves TV viewers begging to be put out of their misery, it’s the famous (or infamous) ‘will-they-or-won’t-they.’ For decades, some of the most popular and iconic television shows feature obvious romantic pairings that audiences desperately root for and want to see together.
Whether they start out as enemies and gradually develop passionate feelings for one another or they exhibit dazzling sexual tension from the get-go, the small screen loves preying on the emotions of its devoted viewers and dangling the proverbial carrot by teasing romantic relationships with its leads. Such tropes have been recycled countless times in Hollywood because they just simply work.
Update June 30, 2023: This article has been updated with even more of the great will-they-won’t they in television history.
From beloved sitcoms like the pop culture phenomenonsFriends and Cheers to edgy dramas such as HBO’s True Blood and the cult classic The X-Files, some of the most adored small screen couples all experienced the manipulative back-and-forth trope. Viewers watching the programs from the comfort of their homes can’t help but scream, “Kiss them already!” while witnessing these romances unfold, often in painstakingly slow ways. These are the most frustrating will-they-or-won’t-they relationships in TV shows.
11 Brennan & Booth (Bones)
The beloved crime procedural dramedy Bones follows forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan, who is paired with the cocky and self-assured F.B.I. Special Agent Seeley Booth to investigate and solve murders. Their different methods and approaches to crime-solving make the pair a fun and entertaining team to watch; Brennan is gifted at reading clues from the bones of victims, while Booth doesn’t think a scientist’s opinion holds much weight.
The classic enemies-to-friends-to-lovers trope is in full force on the show, and stars Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz, whose on-screen chemistry makes the sparks fly. With each case they solve, Brennan and Booth grow closer and closer, and their playful banter and amusing debates only made audiences root harder for their romance. A long-awaited relationship finally began in season six, much to the delight of exasperated fans.
10 Niles & Daphne (Frasier)
For a whopping seven seasons, fans of the long-running sitcom Frasier waited not-so-patiently for the high-maintenance Niles Crane and down-to-earth Daphne Moon to finally address their romantic feelings for one another. The show definitely dragged out their fated union, adding to the audience’s anticipation through playful banter and thrilling tension that finally came to an end when the duo quit skirting around the topic and professed their love. Niles harbored a not-so-secret crush on Daphne throughout the course of the series, becoming instantly infatuated with the beautiful housekeeper and physical therapist to his father.
What makes the relationship between Niles and Daphne so fun to watch is how polar opposite the pair is, and once they finally do embrace their romance, they must contend with their very conflicting lifestyles and perspectives. The mismatched couple receives their happy ending and ends up getting married and having a son, and Daphne helps Niles shed some of his neuroses and eccentricities in the stable and loving union.
9 Sookie & Eric (True Blood)
HBO’s smash hit vampire fantasy drama True Blood revolves around telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse living in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana, and is set during a time when vampires have “come out of the coffin” and live amongst humans. Early on in the series, Sookie falls in love with 174-year-old vampire Bill Compton while also attracting the attention of the brooding Viking vampire Eric Northman.
Fans of the thrilling series couldn’t get enough of the pair’s intense connection, despite Eric proclaiming he’d grow on her and the sassy blonde claiming she’d prefer cancer. After tricking her to drink his blood in Season 2, the Sheriff of Area 5 began making unwanted appearances in the telepathist’s dreams, and the two even shared a searing goodbye kiss. Fans of the show rejoiced when Sookie and Eric finally got together for real in Season 4 when the latter had amnesia, though the relationship was short-lived.
8 Jim & Pam (The Office)
Audiences could see from the very beginning of the sensational comedy juggernaut The Office that Jim and Pam were head-over-heels for one another, even if neither person was willing to openly admit it. When the sitcom started, Pam was engaged to Roy for three years (much to her frustration), and she is clearly in denial over her romantic feelings for coworker Jim. The endearing duo share many heartwarming moments that left fans screaming at their TVs for them to get together already, yet when Jim finally musters the courage to declare his love for her, Pam initially turns him down.
After a drawn-out back-and-forth during which Jim dated Karen, and Pam called off her wedding to Roy, the fan-favorite duo finally gave viewers what they were waiting for, and they got together at the end of the third season. Both characters benefited from the time apart, as they each needed to grow and develop a bit before fully committing themselves to one another. The couple went on to become the main relationship on the show and they remain one of television’s most cherished romantic pairings.
7 Sam & Diane (Cheers)
One of the original and most iconic will-they-or-won’t-they TV couples is none other than Cheers’ very own Sam Malone and Diane Chambers, two polar opposite characters who just can’t seem to shake their feelings for one another. Bartender and proprietor Sam is a notorious lothario and a former professional baseball player, while Diane is a sophisticated academic with high expectations for her romantic partners. The characters engage in a well-known on-again-off-again relationship that started in the first season when they finally admitted their feelings for each other.
During the course of five seasons, Sam and Diane constantly flirt, bicker, break-up, and get back together. The seemingly mismatched pair garnered mixed reviews from audiences, and in the series finale, the couple once again reunited and became engaged before ultimately realizing they are not right for one another.
6 Buffy & Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Though the Angel vs. Spike debate still rages on to this day, devoted fans of the Joss Whedon hit Buffy the Vampire Slayer were thrilled to witness the sizzling tension and exciting banter between the butt-kicking slayer and Sunnydale’s resident bloodsucker. The unlikely pair went from sworn enemies to passionate lovers, and while their relationship was without a doubt tumultuous at times, Buffy and Spike’s off-the-charts chemistry and electrifying intensity they feel for one another left audiences hoping and praying for a genuine romantic relationship.
While Spike’s feelings for the slayer were fully realized by the fifth season (much to both his and Buffy’s initially mutual disgust), the vamp sets out to help the Scooby Gang out in order to get close to Buffy and scratch his romantic itch. The duo went through a great deal together throughout the series, and while Buffy tried to fight her attraction for Spike, they ended up consummating their unspoken feelings in an explosive fashion. The couple eventually shares a meaningful and deep relationship that culminates in Spike making the greatest sacrifice at the conclusion of the beloved series.
5 Luke & Lorelai (Gilmore Girls)
Amy Sherman-Palladino’s treasured dramedy series Gilmore Girls follows the fast-talking Lorelai Gilmore and her studious teenage daughter Rory, as they live and thrive in the quirky fictional town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. Local diner owner Luke Danes is Lorelai’s resident caffeine dealer (“I need coffee in an IV!”) and close friend, who also harbors romantic feelings for the young mom while remaining constantly patient while she sorts out what and who she wants.
The ongoing will-they-won’t-they question was finally answered with an epic first kiss in the fourth-season finale, including the hilarious appearance of a screaming, naked Kirk. Though Luke and Lorelai would go on to break up before their wedding and experience some major ups and downs, they reunited in the series finale and rekindled their charming relationship.
4 Castle & Beckett (Castle)
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Best-selling mystery novelist Richard Castle gets permission from the Mayor of New York City to research and shadow homicide detective Kate Beckett in the hit crime dramedy Castle. Castle joins Beckett as they solve unusual crimes in the city, using his creative mind to help discover clues and craft off-the-wall theories. Castle’s brash man-child personality clashes with Beckett’s professional and stoic demeanor, but they eventually grow to respect one another and begin to harbor romantic feelings.
The famed writer uses the detective as his muse and ends up penning a book series inspired by the fearless crime-solver, much to her initial dismay. The duo’s constant squabbling highlighted the engaging chemistry between the characters, who finally admitted their love for one another in seasons three and four. The series finale gave Castle and Beckett a much-deserved happy ending, showing them married with three children.
3 Scully and Mulder (The X-Files)
The cult classic science fiction drama The X-Files centers on FBI special agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully as they investigate the strange and the unexplained; Mulder is a believer of paranormal phenomena, while Scully is a skeptic. The wild conspiracy theories and extraterrestrial cases were riveting for audiences, but not as riveting as the dynamite relationship between Scully and Mulder.
They develop a close bond over the course of the series, ultimately taking a romantic turn by the end of its run, though between movie sequels and televisual reboots, it’s hard to keep track of whether they’ve broken up or are together. The amazing dynamic between stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson truly propels the hit show, and the opposing views and beliefs of their characters makes The X-Files an exciting ride for viewers.
2 Nick & Jess (New Girl)
The endearing and hilarious sitcom New Girl revolves around the doe-eyed and quirky Jess Day, who moves into a Los Angeles loft with three male buddies after breaking up with her cheating ex-boyfriend. The series focuses on the group’s amusing interactions with each other as they grow closer as friends and subsequent romantic relationships. The bubbly and ‘adorkable’ Jess has off-the-charts chemistry with grumpy and cynical Nick that is evident in the very first season; the pair had a special connection from the very beginning.
After countless flings, romances, and break-ups, Nick and Jess shared one of the greatest and most passionate first kisses to ever grace television screens. Though the writers drove them apart numerous times, fans of the delightful show had their prayers answered when they were reunited and married at the end of the series.
1 Ross & Rachel (Friends)
Undeniably one of the most infamous and frustrating will-they-or-won’t-they television relationships of all time, the pop culture phenomenon Friends featured the neurotic Ross Geller and effervescent Rachel Green as they skirted around romantic entanglement over the course of ten seasons. Ross was head-over-heels in love with Rachel since high school and finally got the girl in season 2 after a monumental emotional build-up.
The pair notoriously split the following season, with Rachel claiming he cheated on her while Ross famously proclaimed, “We were on a break!”Friends is jam-packed full of hilarity, romance, and the unbreakable bond of friendship, highlighting the colorful lives of a group of New York City friends.
Throughout the show’s run, Ross and Rachel were an item, broke up, dated other members of the group, conceived a child, and fell back in love, culminating in the final episode that saw Rachel abandon her Paris dreams and profess her love for Ross (“I got off the plane.”) Fans of the couple finally received their much deserved (and long-awaited) happy ending, answering will-they-or-won’t-they with an emphatic “They will.”
