10 Tragic TV Couples That Were Broken Up By Death
Content Warning: This article contains discussions/references to death and violence
Television usually gets it right when crafting the final episode (of a season or series) by tying up loose ends and reuniting fan-favorite couples, giving them their happily ever after. Other times they go for shock value by creating a divisive ending, while still catering to the wants and needs of viewers.
Killing off major main characters is not uncommon in television, and is often a plot device used when an actor wants to leave a show or a showrunner wants to throw in a big plot twist. Sometimes these deaths move the story forward, and other times they result in the tragic break-up of two main characters, ruining any hope of the surviving character getting a happy ending.
10 Wes & Laurel (How to Get Away with Murder)
Wes and Laurel had a short-lived romance before they were broken apart by his death in season 4 of How to Get Away with Murder. Their relationship resulted in the birth of a son, Christopher, but he was not born until after Wes’s murder.
Wes’s murder set up character development for Laurel. Becoming pregnant and discovering that her mother had a hand in her boyfriend’s death, she grew angry and vengeful. Wes’s death was a surprise to viewers and was a disappointing end for the characters who just started figuring their relationship out.
9 Keith & Karen (One Tree Hill)
It took decades for Keith and Karen of One Tree Hill to declare their love for each other, only for their relationship to be incredibly short-lived due to Keith’s tragic death.
Once they got together, Karen and Keith the rest of their lives planned out, and at the time of his death she was even pregnant with his baby. To make matters worse, it took seemingly forever for Karen to find out that her ex, Dan Scott was the one who shot and killed her true love.
8 Willow & Tara (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Tara and Willow were one of the greatest couples on Buffy, and one of the first examples of a loving, healthy LGBTQ+ relationship on television.
When Tara was unexpectedly killed by a stray bullet after they got back together, Willow was devastated. The happy go-lucky best friend of Buffy that viewers loved so much went down a dark road after the loss of her true love. The death of Tara led to more character growth for Willow, but at the cost of a beautiful relationship.
7 Jack & Rebecca (This is Us)
This is Us tells multiple stories, but one that is front and center is the epic love of Jack and Rebecca. Their relationship is shown through all its stages, through triumphs and trials, and depicts two people who were certainly made for one another.
While the shocking reveal in episode 2 that Rebecca is married to Jack’s best friend was heartbreaking enough, things only become more painful for viewers once they learn that the Pearson patriarch died years ago. Rebecca’s gut-wrenching reaction to the sudden passing of her husband is too painful for words, and proves just how connected they were.
6 Finn & Rachel (Glee)
Rachel and Finn start the series as total opposites, and eventually come together as one of the main couples on Glee. Though they are still in high school, the two even get engaged at one point and plan a wedding.
However, after much debate and consideration, Ryan Murphy revealed that Finn would be killed off in season 5 after the actor sadly passed away in 2013. Though the cause of his death is never disclosed, Rachel spends the rest of the series memorializing him and making sure everyone knew what a great person he was.
5 Lady Sybil & Tom (Downton Abbey)
Lady Sybil made a life for herself as the youngest Crawley daughter when she decided the typical life at Downton wasn’t what she wanted. Instead, she chose marriage to handsome Irish chauffeur, Tom Branson, and went to Ireland together.
Despite her parents’ wishes, Sybil and Tom were madly in love and were soon expecting a child of their own. However, their story came to an end when Sybil died shortly after giving birth to their daughter, breaking the hearts of Tom and viewers.
4 Derek & Meredith (Grey’s Anatomy)
Derek and Meredith’s love story began in the very first episode of Grey’s Anatomy. Though initially on-again-off-again, they eventually married via post-it note and started a family.
Sadly, this relationship came to an end in season 11 when Meredith had to make the heartbreaking decision to take her husband off life support after he was involved in a car accident. The event added to a long list of traumatic events that took place in Meredith’s life and certainly did not make the lives of her and her children any easier.
3 Sawyer & Juliet (LOST)
Sawyer and Juliet were a pair that no one expected on LOST, but after spending a lot of time on the island together when others were finally able to escape, it was clear that the two made a ton of sense as a couple.
Juliet brought out a softer, more compassionate side of Sawyer, and he provided her with a strong partner who would love and protect her. Her sacrifice at the end of season 5 to help her friends led to one of the most brutal deaths the show had ever seen, and left Sawyer and fans heartbroken.
2 Glenn & Maggie (The Walking Dead)
Maggie and Glenn’s romance on The Walking Dead is a bright spot amongst the zombie apocalypse and leads to sweet, innocent moments between the pair throughout the first six seasons.
Related: The Walking Dead: 5 Ways Glenn Is Different In The Comics (& 5 He’s The Same)
However, Glenn meets his end via Negan’s baseball bat at the beginning of Season 7 after begging him to spare his pregnant wife, Maggie. The death of Glenn, coupled with the demise of him and Maggie as a pair was disappointing for viewers. Especially since Glenn had been really looking forward to parenthood.
1 Veronica & Logan (Veronica Mars)
Logan and Veronica endured it all on Veronica Mars. From Lily’s death to allegations of murder, the pair went from enemies to lovers and had a truly epic love story when they were teenagers and adults.
Season 4 of the show, debuting years after the 2014 fan-funded movie, saw the couple still in a relationship, though they wanted different things. By the end of the series, they had found common ground and mutual understanding of one another. While it looked as if fans were about to the ending they wanted, Logan was killed off in the last few minutes of the show, completely destroying any hopes of a happily ever after.
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