Sitcoms make us laugh and cry. Our favorite characters splitting up can be especially tough. Some couples are meant to be, from season one to the last. Others endure on-again, off-again relationships until we can't bear to see them apart. We may not even get closure until a revival series fills us in on what happened to them. From Ross and Rachel to Lily and Marshall, these 12 sitcom breakups made us emotional.
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Eric and Donna's relationship on That '70s ShowThat '70s ShowThe show is special. Eric and Donna are neighbors and lovers, and best friends at heart. They start their relationship slow, moving to making out and hooking up. They experience their first big breakup together in the third season finale. Eric gives Donna a promise ring, but Donna rejects it. Eric takes Donna's lack of commitment personally and ends the relationship immediately.
The breakup caused lasting pain for both. However, their reunion in the fifth season premiere made it stronger. Eric and Donna continued their relationship, even getting engaged before breaking up in the seventh season finale. Eric left for the eighth season to help kids in Africa, but they fixed things when Eric returned in the final episode.
That first breakup still hurts today, even though they ended up together.
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Lily and Marshall were couple goals from the start. Season 1 showed them as the 'ideal' couple, unlike Ted's story of a single New York guy seeking love. The shock hit in the first season finale when Lily left Marshall to pursue her dreams as an artist. Fans of Lily and Marshall, and believers in 'true love,' found this hard, especially since they got engaged in the first episode.
Lily and Marshall were each other's first everything.Lily wanted to leave her comfort zone to try new things. This meant potentially losing a good relationship. But if Marshall and Lily were meant to be, they would find each other again. They did. Being apart was tough every moment they weren't together.Lily wanting new experiences is understandable. It might mean ending a good relationship. Yet, if Marshall and Lily were meant to be, they found each other. They did. Being separated made every moment difficult.
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Cory and Topanga's breakup hurts because Cory caused it. During a ski trip, Cory hurt his ankle and stayed at the lodge. There, he started a relationship with an employee named Lauren and kissed her before the trip ended. Cory kissed another girl while serious with Topanga and lied about it. Topanga offered Cory a chance to fix things, but he took Lauren out on a date.
Topanga has every right to break up with Cory. This makes accepting the situation harder. Cory is not the perfect protagonist, but hurting Topanga is one of his worst acts. They reconcile and marry later in the series. Cory's betrayal stays with Topanga.Girl Meets World.This series focuses on Cory and Topanga's daughter, Riley. Cory has grown into a loving husband and father.
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Ross and Rachel end up together in the series finale. However, their relationship struggled initially. It built slowly across the first couple of seasons until it blew up in season three. After a bad fight, Rachel asked for a break. Regretting it fast, Rachel tried to reunite with Ross, only to find he had slept with someone else. Ross begged Rachel to return, but she could not accept he slept with another woman. This ended their relationship permanently.
Their breakup was hard to watch.. If there is any scene in Friends that made you cry, this one probably was.. If there is any scene in Friends that made you cry, this one probably was.Ross and Rachel have the most genuine love in Friends. They try hard, but they always reconcile—even just for one night. Eventually, they end up together for good in the series finale. This proves they are mates for life.This one probably made you cry. Ross and Rachel show the most real love among all relationships in the show. They try hard, yet they always reconcile, even for one night. They finally end up together permanently in the series finale, showing they are mates for life, like lobsters.
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. From his real estate agent to his boss to Pam's mom, Michael accepts anyone who tolerates his overzealous, often misunderstood behavior. Holly joins in Season 5. For the first time, Michael forms a real connection with someone. They connect instantly and begin a relationship until Holly moves back to New Hampshire that season. They break up fast because of unrealistic long-distance dating expectations.The Office.Michael deals with everyone from his real estate agent to his boss, and Pam's mom. Michael tolerates people who can handle his pushy, often misunderstood actions. Holly arrives in Season 5, and Michael forms a real connection then. They connect instantly and start dating until Holly moves back to New Hampshire that season. They split quickly because long-distance dating expectations proved unrealistic.
Losing Holly was a huge blow for Michael. She accepted him as he was, unlike others. Michael 'moves on,' but he still hopes they will be together. He achieves this in Season 7 and commits. They marry and move to Colorado. This is what Michael deserves.
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Winnie And Kevin's breakup on The Wonder YearsThe Wonder YearsThe show was sad for several reasons. Kevin experienced his first heartbreak. Kevin seemed mature, but he is just a kid. Experiencing love and heartbreak first time is huge. Kevin got both. Winnie left Kevin for someone else on a school trip. This left him sulking in front of his peers.
Fred Savage played Kevin's life turning upside down instantly. The hurt and shock on his face showed the pain. The breakup led Kevin to talk honestly with his father. His father taught him life sucks sometimes. Winnie breaking Kevin's heart showed they likely would not end up together—and that was good. Kevin and Winnie reconcile in the series finale. However, Kevin's final narration shows the couple splits up soon after.
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Darlene and David's relationship ended.RoseanneThe show is complex. A revival series got closure, but it might not be what viewers wanted. The timeline is fuzzy. The former series finale used Roseanne's shifting view. The revival shows David and Darlene had another child before separating during the 21-year time skip.
The couple broke up and got back together many times. Viewers wanted them to finally commit. ButRoseanne is not a fairytale show (except for the Conner family winning the lottery). David and Darlene just don't belong together, no matter how much they try. Season 10 episode "Darlene v. David" ends their relationship. Darlene ends it because David cannot commit to her and the kids. Darlene and David do not end up together after their 30-year romance, which is heartbreaking, but you never know.Roseanne is no fairytale show (except for the part where the Conner family wins the lottery), and David and Darlene just aren't meant to be together no matter how many times they try. The show finalizes the couple's separation in the Season 10 episode "Darlene v. David," where Darlene finally puts an end to their relationship via David's inability to commit to her and the kids. The fact that Darlene and David don't actually end up together is heartbreaking after their 30-year-long romance, but hey, you never know.
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D.J. and Steve are high school sweethearts onFull House. Their relationship is good compared to others on this list. Yet, they cannot avoid the uncertainty of adulthood and committed relationships. They handle this well. They decide to accept they have grown apart. The breakup was simple. The couple admits they have grown apart. They agree to face fears and end things while still friendly.
D.J. and Steve reconcile in the season finale of Full House, undoing all their breakup growth despite realizing they needed space.Fuller HouseThey didn't last. Still, the two seem meant to be together when they reconcile in the revival series and marry in the finale. They always find each other.
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Sam and Diane did not end up together, but they remain an iconic TV couple. Their complex relationship ran through the first five seasons until Shelley Long, who played Diane Chambers, left. This ended any chance of reconciliation. Season five closed with Sam and Diane calling off their planned marriage so Diane could focus on her writing in California. Sam realized he had likely seen the last of Diane, telling her to "have a good life." Although they stayed together, Sam knew Diane was gone.
He was right. Diane never returned to Boston, leaving Sam behind. Eventually, Diane did...does...returns in the series finale. The couple almost fled together, but they only reached the airport. Sam loved Diane, but he saw they were not meant to be together. He did not want to leave Boston. Fans hoped the couple would reconcile after all those years, but it would not have brought Sam his true happiness running a bar in Boston.
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Barney and Robin had a rockier relationship than most couples on How I Met Your Mother.Barney and Robin in 'How I Met Your Mother' appear in the list '12 Sitcom Breakups That Made Us Emotional'.They started dating in Season 5 but had on-and-off relations starting in Season 3. The two formed a surprisingly good pair because they shared many traits, but being together hurt them both. They amicably broke up later that season, but their story continued.
Near the end of the penultimate season, Barney, who does not believe in marriage, asked Robin to marry him, showing his real love. The final season focused on Robin and Barney's "perfect" wedding, leading up to the big day. Their marriage was only a short happy show; the series finale revealed they divorced during a time-skip. Seeing Robin and Barney separate again felt as hard as knowing the Mother had died from a terminal illness, making the finale a huge letdown.
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Nick and Lindsay dated briefly during the cult series' single season. They still broke hearts when they split over a misunderstanding. Lindsay started hanging out with the "freaks" in school. These freaks were stoners and musicians. Nick was the kindest of the group. He always protected Lindsay from the group's bad actions. They started a relationship, but they soon saw they were not a good match.
Lindsay could not commit to the "freak" life. Nick's heavy pot use created a split in their relationship, but they tried to fix it. Nick ran into Lindsay's mom one day. The mom accidentally revealed Lindsay planned to break up with Nick, though Lindsay did not. Nick ended things with Lindsay to protect himself emotionally, even though he liked her a lot. That scene hurts, especially since the show never made a second season. A second season would have shown if Nick and Lindsay could get back together.
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BoJack always struggles. This theme repeats in the show. BoJack and Wanda first start dating. This is exciting. Wanda is a top TV executive. She does not know BoJack's real identity because she has been in a coma since the 1980s. This gives BoJack a fresh start with a driven, caring person who has some depression. BoJack falls deeply for her.
BoJack's negative, bitter personality overwhelms Wanda, leading to a fight that ends their relationship. During the fight, BoJack sees their personality differences. Wanda states, "When you look at someone through rose-colored glasses, all the red flags just look like flags." Both seem damaged by the argument. They never reconcile before the series ends. Wanda had unrealistic hopes for BoJack. She could have helped him if he had not confronted her.
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