13 Fictional Couples Whose Relationships Are Full of Red Flags, and We Didn’t Even Notice

Just like in real life, we can find all types of different relationships in movies and TV series. Some teach us to respect, support, and care for each other, and others are so toxic that nobody should learn from them. We often get so interested in the characters and their love stories that we don’t notice any red flags, even though they are found among even the most iconic couples.

Simon and Daphne — Bridgerton

No matter how interesting this relationship was for the fans of the series, it’s definitely not an exemplary couple. Their relationship started on the basis of mutual deceit. Daphne was too naive, and Simon was not able to express his emotions in a normal way. Besides, their views of the future were entirely different: Simon swore he’d never marry or have kids, and that’s exactly what Daphne really wanted.

Meredith and Derek — Grey’s Anatomy

This relationship was unhealthy from the very beginning, mostly because of Derek. He ignored Meredith’s reservations and all the boundaries she set when she found out he was her boss. Besides, he lied to her about being married and then made her feel ashamed for her attempt to move on. In this couple, Derek was always too obsessive.

Midge and Joel — The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Even though there were many red flags in this couple, the fans didn’t seem to object their reunion. But as you might remember, Joel was very jealous of Midge’s developing comedy career, and she knew she cannot be herself when she is with him.

The fact that Rachel Brosnahan’s character washed off her makeup after her husband went to bed so he wouldn’t see her natural appearance clearly illustrated that their relationship was very toxic.

Mr. Rochester and Jane — Jane Eyre

The relationship between Mr. Rochester and Jane remains a love classic for many people, but they are still very far from an exemplary couple. Their story started when Rochester lied. And it’s not as if the lies about his first wife, who was locked up in the attic, were a minor issue. Rochester exploited Jane’s naivete and put her life in danger.

Veronica and Archie — Riverdale

This relationship was not even remotely healthy. Archie has a traumatizing life experience in the show, but even when Veronica’s father harassed him, she never asked him to stop. And discussing problems was not this couple’s strong suit.

Rory and Dean — Gilmore Girls

Rory’s first boyfriend seemed like a perfect guy for many; everyone loved him. But as we got older, we started seeing the worrying signs in his behavior. Dean was always very jealous and possessive, and every time Rory spoke to other guys, he would be enraged. On top of that, he broke up with her in public twice, even though it should have been a private conversation.

Bellamy and Clarke — The 100

This couple had a lot of fans, but their romance was really unhealthy. They needed each other, but at the same time, Clarke threatened to kill Bellamy and left him to die in a pit, and he never showed any individuality when he was around her.

Fitz and Olivia — Scandal

The characters had a certain chemistry between them, but even if we ignore the infidelity, their relationship was quite problematic. Fitz was so obsessed with Olivia that he ended up forgiving her for everything she did at the end of the series.

Lucy and Ricky — I Love Lucy

It’s not surprising that a 1950s series romanticized a toxic relationship. At first, it might seem that Lucy and Ricky had a perfect life, but if you look closely at some scenes and lines, you will see how cunning the characters were. Ricky often criticized Lucy because she didn’t want to spend more time with him, and at one point, Lucy thought that Ricky might kill her.

Finn and Rachel — Glee

Even though the main characters always looked like the endgame, their relationship was never perfect. They didn’t trust each other. Rachel was always selfish, and she didn’t respect Finn’s feelings.

It’s also hard to ignore the fact that their romance started with a lie, because when they started sending romantic signals to each, Finn was still dating another girl.

Cam and Mitch — Modern Family

There were some unhealthy patterns in this marriage too! Cam always thought it was normal to laugh at Mitch, but when people laughed at Cam, he didn’t like it. He was also quite manipulative of Mitch and always made a scene when something didn’t go the way he wanted.

Carrie and Aidan — Sex and the City

In contrast to the obviously toxic relationship between Carrie and Big, people often talk about her romance with Aidan, but things weren’t very good there either. John Corbett’s character also had a lot of red flags, such as when he told Carrie they would break up unless she quit her bad habit.

Aidan also took her aback when he proposed to her after Carrie had clearly explained that she wasn’t going to get married any time soon.

Pam and Tommy — Pam & Tommy

Pam and Tommy have tried to mend their relationship for their 2 sons and called each other soulmates. This is why their relationship was romanticized in the Hulu series. They were a typical rock-and-roll couple — passionate, eccentric, and interesting to watch. But let’s not ignore the problems between them.

Tommy was always abusive and manipulative of Pam. He never listened to her opinion on many matters and often took things out on her.

Have you noticed any red flags in these couples’ relationship? Which one of them is your favorite?