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Even a TV show that doesn't primarily fall into the romance genre can pay a lot of attention to creating romantic relationships between the characters. Not only does it make them more relatable, but it adds an extra layer of emotions and tension to the show, especially since the viewers know very well that not every relationship will have a happy ending.
Sometimes the couple isn't a good match and other times, society doesn't wish for the two people who are in love to be together. Whatever the cause, some of the best or most fascinating romances in TV shows fall into the forbidden love category, and they face many obstacles along the way.
7 A Teacher
A Teacher is a morally gray and potentially controversial show as it focuses on a developing romance between a teacher and her much younger student. While normally it would be easy to judge the teacher (Kate Mara) and be done with it, A Teacher manages to show that neither party is entirely innocent, and the student (Nick Robinson) is just as interested in a woman he shouldn't be with as she's in him.
That makes both main characters seem very human since neither of them is perfect. Despite the fact that neither has evil intentions, the relationship between them ultimately has to lead to a disaster because it's forbidden and also abuses the power dynamic between them. A Teacher isn't always easy to watch, but it's a fascinating study of how people can hurt each other in more ways than one.
6 A Discovery Of Witches
The world of fantasy movies and TV shows is full of examples when a human dates somebody from a different species. Usually, this brings along a whole slew of troubles, but one of the less common ones is the fact that their respective societies forbid them to fraternize. That's what the vampire Matthew (Matthew Goode) and the witch Diana (Teresa Palmer) have to deal with.
Despite the prejudices from both sides and limitations imposed on them, the couple does their best to make it work since they can't imagine letting the other go. As a result, it's easy to cheer them on and wish for them to defeat all the obstacles in their way.
5 Pushing Daisies
Ned and Chuck face one of the most original obstacles to their romance from all TV shows. Lee Pace's Ned brought Anna Friel's Chuck back to life, and now they can't touch each other or Chuck will die again, this time for good. Despite that seemingly impossible problem, the two people find a way how to make it work by using some creative thinking.
Unlike other shows, Pushing Daisies is ultimately a feel-good story (albeit one with a lot of dead people and dark humor), so if anybody wants their portion for forbidden romances but isn't into any big drama, this show checks off all the boxes. Plus, Pace and Friel are excellent in the roles and the chemistry between their characters works too.
4 Emily In Paris
Cheating is a serious problem, and while some characters from TV shows have no problem with it, others still have moral issues with being with somebody else's partner. Lily Collins' Emily is one of the good guys, so when she falls for her handsome neighbor, the chef Gabriel, she fights her feelings because Gabriel also happens/happened to be dating Emily's new good friend Camille (depending on at what point of the show the viewer is watching).
Despite Emily's best intentions, she still manages to make things more complicated, but the pull between her and Gabriel is undeniable, so many viewers will end up shipping them regardless of Gabriel's (previous) relationship with Camille.
3 Game Of Thrones
The fans can either love them together or hate them, but it's difficult to overlook that the relationship between Cersei and Jaime Lannister is one of the most complex forbidden romances of recent years. All fans of Game of Thrones know why - Cersei and Jaime are siblings, twins even, so they shouldn't be so close.
Despite that, they spend years sneaking around and Jaime is also the father to all of Cersei's three children, not her husband Robert. While Jaime and Cersei's actions lead to their doom, in the end, the fans are still fascinated by this unusual couple that stands out even in the sometimes very strange world of Westeros.
2 Pretty Little Liars
Another couple that kept the audience divided, yet all viewers of the show thought about is Aria and Ezra. Their relationship had its problems right from the start since shortly after their first intimate encounter, Aria found out that Ezra was her new teacher. Despite that, they kept dating each other in secret, and the bond between them seemed genuine.
That's why Aria was disappointed when she discovered Ezra had lied to her and knew exactly who she was when they first met. Their relationship was full of the type of drama that the fans enjoyed, and even though both Aria and Ezra did some unsavory things, it's still impossible to ignore the fact that most of the time, they seemed happy together.
1 11.22.63
Based on the novel by Stephen King, 11.22.63 puts an original obstacle between the main couple, Jake and Sadie - time itself. When Jake discovers a way how to travel to 1963, he doesn't plan to fall in love, he only wants to save President Kennedy from dying. Yet when he meets Sadie, they fall for each other and Jake finds happiness in his lonely life.
The viewers know, though, that sooner or later, Jake is bound to come back to his own time unless he wants to end up living in the past, so the romance is doomed right from the start. Even though 11.22.63 doesn't have a happy ending, while Sadie and Jake are together, their love is real.