No, They Don't Deserve Your Love: TV's 5 Most Toxic Couples, Ranked

Ships are probably an even bigger source of fandom interest than the plots of their favorite franchises. And that's not surprising! No matter what the setting, it's the vivid and appealing characters that first catch our eye, and we become instantly attached to them. Whether we want classic romance tropes or more drama and conflict, it's always a great source for endless analysis and, of course, fanfiction.

And while some couples on the show form healthy relationships, the opposite often happens as fans become obsessed with incredibly problematic characters.

This is especially evident in the case of classic TV shows from the 2000s and 2010s: today, we can immediately recognize the problematic nature of certain pairings, whereas in the past, we failed to notice the toxic patterns of beloved characters as we rooted for their romantic relationships to develop. Let's take a look back at some of the absolute worst and most toxic pairings that we adored.

5. J.D. and Elliot (Scrubs)

Even though their romantic storyline was one of the main drivers of the plot, and even though J.D. and Elliot got their own happy ending, in retrospect, it's unlikely anyone will doubt that J.D. never deserved her. Yes, they both had insecurities and fears of commitment, but unlike J.D., his selfishness and mistreatment of Elliot, she was always there for him.

4. Ross and Rachel (Friends)

Ross and Rachel were both too arrogant, narcissistic and manipulative, disrespectful of each other's careers and simply didn't try to recognize the problematic traits in themselves in order to build a healthy relationship.

3. Chuck and Blair (Gossip Girl)

From Blair's shaming and pressure to Chuck's abusive behavior and even selling the love of his life for a crummy hotel, it all goes to show that they weren't right for each other in the first place.

2. Carrie and Mr. Big (Sex and the City)

Oh, these two, meanwhile, deserved each other, except they still shouldn't have been together, no matter how fun it was. Not only did they never learn how to build rapport and commitment, but they brought out the worst in each other by recognizing each other's toxic traits.

1. Penny and Leonard (The Big Bang Theory)

This seems like the healthiest relationship on the list. But the mask of the family idyll hid a poisonous attitude toward each other: neither of them saw the real other, only stereotypes and their own perceptions. And that's not counting the fact that they basically doubted each other's feelings all the time.