TV Characters Who Ended Up With The Wrong Person

Yes, That '70s Show ends with Jackie (Mila Kunis) and Fez (Wilmer Valderrama) together. Sure, Fez spends several seasons pining for her, but out of the many love interests Jackie has throughout the series, her relationship with Fez is the least exciting.

That's especially true when comparing her scenes with Fez to her various romantic moments with Hyde (Danny Masterson) and Kelso (Ashton Kutcher). Both of those men have their fair share of flaws, of course, but their banter and romantic chemistry with Jackie is off the charts. Meanwhile, Jackie's scenes with Fez in the final episodes not only feel awkward, but strangely forced.

In a perfect world, That '70s Show would have Jackie and Hyde end up together, with Kelso being the best man at their wedding. But unfortunately, the series chooses to go a much less satisfying route.

Few shows betray viewers in their finales quite like How I Met Your Mother does. After spending nine seasons building up Ted Mosby's (Josh Radnor) relationship with the titular Mother (Cristin Milioti), the series finale turns all of that inside out, in the span of about 10 minutes.

First, the show reveals that the Mother has actually been dead the whole time Ted is telling the story. Then, it becomes clear that the real reason he's talking to his kids is so he can get their permission to date Robin (Cobie Smulders) again. 

It's a real slap in the face, especially after the HIMYM writers spend nine years establishing all the reasons that Ted and Robin can't sustain a long-term relationship together. This is the endgame that nobody saw coming (or wanted).

Gilmore Girls fans are understandably upset with how Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) is handled throughout the show's 2016 Netflix revival. But nothing is quite as frustrating as learning that Rory is still involved with Logan (Matt Czurchy), an entitled man-child who spends almost his entire relationship with Rory in the original series manipulating and taking advantage of her. That pattern continues in the revival as well. Logan tries to keep Rory on the back burner, ready for him whenever he has the time to give her attention.

This is very different from how Rory's other main love interest, Jess (Milo Ventimiglia), acts around her. He's constantly respectful and caring. Most viewers think Jess and Rory will eventually end up together, given the open-ended nature of Rory's pregnancy at the end of the revival. But until new episodes come out, you'll have to stomach the idea of Logan truly being Rory's final onscreen love interest.

The O.C. sets up its endgame couple from the pilot: Ryan (Ben McKenzie) is destined to be with Marissa (Mischa Barton). And despite a few hiccups, that's exactly what happens. Until, that is, Mischa Barton decides to leave the show.

In response, The O.C. writers kill off Marissa in the show's heartbreaking Season 3 finale. But, because Ryan can't end the series alone and heartbroken, he couples up with Taylor (Autumn Reeser), a character who reads as little more than a mild annoyance. No matter how hard the show tries to make Ryan and Taylor's relationship believable, it never manages to measure up to the bond between Ryan and Marissa.

Most Degrassi viewers are all but positive that Emma (Miriam McDonald) is going to end up with Sean (Daniel Clark), once and for all. But this is Degrassi, after all, a show prone to making left-turn decisions that made absolutely no sense.

In Degrassi Takes Manhattan, Emma and Spinner (Shane Kippel) get drunk at Niagara Falls one night and decide to get married – despite being the only two characters in the entire show to have never had a romantic fling prior. They consider getting their marriage annulled - but then decide that maybe they're meant to be married after all. Because nothing is more satisfying for Emma's character arc than throwing out years' worth of emotional setup with Sean for a one-night fling with Spinner.

It's hard to truly hate on this particular TV endgame, but it's still disappointing. Creator Ryan Murphy had intended for Glee to end with Rachel (Lea Michele) reuniting with Finn (Cory Monteith). But Monteith tragically died before the series finished its run, making that particular coupling impossible.

Instead, Murphy and co. have Rachel end up with her ex-boyfriend, Jesse St. James (Jonathan Groff). It's not the worst ending, but it's sad nonetheless.