12 of the Greatest TV Couples Ever

Magic may have brought Willow and Tara together, but it was true love that made them unforgettable. After losing Oz, Willow never thought she’d meet her match, but Tara made every day even more beautiful. Tara, with nothing but kindness and devotion in her heart, was easy to love for Willow and fans alike, and their relationship helped change the way queer women were portrayed on screen. Tara’s death, and Willow’s subsequent breakdown, also had a lasting impact. Fans are still not over Tara’s death, because as Willow’s heart broke, so did ours.

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When fans of Glee saw cheerleaders Santana and Brittany holding pinkies walking down the hall, there was no turning back. Fandom pushed for a ‘Brittana’ romance and it’s because of support from fans that Santana and Brittany's relationship became such a focus of the show. Santana and Brittany may not have always been saints (Santana alone could cut you with her “vicious, vicious words”), but they always brought out the best in each other, and their best was something magnificent. From best friends with benefits to wives, it was beautiful to watch their relationship evolve into one of the purest loves on Glee.

They got married with a Post It note, people! A Post It note! When Mer and Der finally tied the knot, the unofficial symbol of their love and commitment to one another was a single, signed, blue scrap of paper. There are few TV relationships that reach the depth of love, passion and pain that Meredith Grey and Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd found together. From day one, these two couldn’t help but orbit around each other. As soon as they appeared on screen together, we knew that nothing could pull them apart besides maybe death. (Why, Shonda, why?!) They shared joy and loss, tore each other apart and built each other back up again. Since Derek’s death in season 11, we’ve watched Meredith mourn a loss that is unimaginable.  

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Sorry Boat Boy Leery, but Pacey and Joey were written in the stars. Joey was always the girl that “boy next door” Dawson dreamed of, but it was the puckish and sardonic Pacey that won Joey’s heart. Maybe we just have a thing for witty banter, but these two had us rooting for them from the start. Sure, they bicker, but we all know the two share a bond strong enough to last both as friends and lovers. Insecurities tore them apart as teens, but as they grew on their own, Pacey and Joey found a way back to each other, better and more prepared for their massive, unshakable love. 

Could we really leave them off this list? We love Jim and Pam because we are Jim and Pam. Clever Pam and lovable jester Jim always had undeniable chemistry despite Pam's engagement and Jim's immaturity. It took a while for these two to finally get together, but when they did, we knew they were in it for the long haul, despite the challenges that eventually came with children and Jim’s new job. They made each other laugh, and frankly that’s the secret to any successful romance. A couple that pranks together definitely stays together. Take that, Dwight.    

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Carrie and Big famously met in the first season of Sex and the City, but it took them until the final episode to choose each other for real. Frustrating, we know, but it is so worth the tears, endless pairs of shoes, and talks with friends over breakfast. Their relationship was tumultuous to say the least, but in a city of millions, we can confidently say that these two belong together. 

We get your points, Carrie and Aidan shippers, but at the end of the day it's these two New Yorkers that love each other no matter what. If Carrie can handle Mr. Big's old man ways and he can handle her obvious shopping addiction, then we're pretty sure they're soulmates after all. But we couldn't help but wonder, is our Mr. Big somewhere in the city, too? 

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During its six seasons, Glee helped bring queer relationships front and center. Kurt Hummel was brave beyond his years, and faced the slings and arrows of high school with class and resilience. When he met the talented out and proud Blaine, a member of the Dalton Warblers—a rival glee club of the New Directions—the two fell for each other as easy as breathing. Because what's better than a cute couple? A cute couple that sings together in perfect harmony, that's what. Baby, it's cold outside indeed. Determined to make their young love last, they fought long and hard for each other. That heartfelt determination and genuine affection ended in a sweet double wedding with fellow Glee couple, Brittana. 

Will they or won’t they? The debate about Mulder and Scully’s feelings for each other was an even bigger mystery than what lies beyond the stars. The reckless and curious Fox Mulder and the studious and skeptical Dana Scully shouldn’t have fallen for each other, but by the gods, they did. For seven seasons these two danced around the obvious: they were stupidly in love. We'll be the first to admit that we were investigating every episode for longing eye contact and sexual tension more than we were looking for the paranormal. Unfortunately, love tends to take a backseat when aliens are constantly abducting you, but the truth is out there: Mulder and Scully were meant to be. 

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Clear eyes, full wine glasses, can’t lose. During the five seasons Friday Night Lights aired, it was hard not to envy the marriage of Coach Taylor and Tami. They're the kind of couple that cut through the B.S. and fill their home with honesty and respect. Coach and Tami made sacrifices for each other, and ultimately, they became better and stronger for it. Tami didn’t back down from her beliefs and Coach was an inspiration to countless players. It's a little thing called compromise, and these two showed us over and over that a marriage is about making it work, for better or for worse. Without this relationship every week, our Friday nights simply aren't the same. Relationship goals, y’all.  

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Flirty banter, bickering, the constant threat of death and dismemberment ... Castle was full of classic action TV romance fodder. We all know that when two leading characters can’t stand each other at first, they’re bound to eventually fall deeply in love. Theirs was a slow burn romance—we had to wait three seasons for a kiss! When Castle and Beckett finally did get together, their love faced an unexpected enemy: contract issues. Actress Stana Katic, who fought over the years to earn more money on the successful CBS show, discovered in the spring of 2016 that her contract had not been renewed for season nine. Still, even with Katic’s impending departure, Castle and Beckett got their happy ending—albeit a rushed and somewhat meh one. 

It’s not easy being in love with a Time Agent from the future, but it’s totally worth it. Having two bisexual men on a TV series is a big deal in and of itself. Having them fall in love and pursue a relationship with each other, like Torchwood did, is even better. Ianto was a gentle, classy fellow, whereas Captain Jack was the epitome of adventure. Their opposites-attract relationship worked in all the right ways, although their love eventually came to a tragic end. No, we still aren't ready to talk about this relationship's ending. Ask us in a million years. 

Love ain’t easy, especially when you’re surrounded by an endless supply of zombies and human assholes. Yet, to paraphrase Rihanna, Maggie and Glenn found love in a hopeless place. Through it all, these two risked life and limb to find and protect each other, and if that isn’t beyond romantic, I don’t know what is. After Glenn’s brutal death at the hands of Negan, Maggie found a way to survive, and to keep Glenn’s spirit—and his child—alive as well. This couple is classic, even if it means that their relationship was a sad old classic tragedy. RIP, #Glaggie. In a world full of zombies and death, you have to appreciate even the shortest of love stories.