Top 5 Best TV Break-Ups

Sweet on the Lips is back! And for my first post in months, I'm writing about...break-ups. Let's not get too personal here, but I've been dealing with that sort of thing in my personal life, so that's why I'm coming back with a slightly morose topic. Fear not, I'll post the second half of my favourite 'ships soon enough, but for now, let's take a look at the some of the best heartbreaking moments on television.

(Psst...click on the titles to watch the break-up scenes!)

5. Dan & Serena - Gossip Girl

Look at their faces! :(

I have always been a fan of Dan and Serena, much more so than Chuck and Blair. I was sad when S and Lonely Boy broke up in the first season, but it was their second break-up that really got to me. Trapped in an elevator, the recently reunited Dan and Serena are forced to deal with the things they don't want to talk about. They realize that the "very real reasons" that broke them up before haven't changed, and that it's time to say good-bye for real (well, until later on in the season when they get back together again...). It was a sad moment, partially because of the gorgeous I Can Feel a Hot One playing in the background - and also because they both still love each other a lot but have come to accept that they can't make it work.

Saddest Lines:

Dan: Serena...I still...
Serena: I know. Me too. 

Simple, but effective.

And for an added bonus: Listen to "I Can Feel a Hot One"

Sorry...I couldn't find a cap of the actual
break-up scene.

4. Eric & Donna - That '70s Show
When this episode first aired, I remember being truly shocked by their break-up. True, there had been tension between Eric and Donna for a few episodes prior, but it still came as a big surprise to see the show's golden couple split. Even more surprisingly was watching Eric dump Donna. For those needing a refresher, Eric gives Donna a promise ring, but she decides to give it back after realizing she doesn't want to make any promises she might not be able to keep - mainly, staying in Point Place for the rest of her life. It's a powerful scene between these two, because you can see both sides of the story. You can't blame Donna for wanting more than a boring life in a small town, but you can't blame Eric for breaking-up with someone who isn't entirely sure of their future as a couple. The scene I posted is immediately followed by one of the best in the whole series - Eric climbing onto the hood of the Vista Cruiser with a "what have I done?" look on his face, then banging his fist in anger/frustration/sadness as Thirteen - Eric and Donna's song - plays. Even better, it all happens at the site of their first kiss. Well done, show, well done.

Saddest lines:

Donna: Are you breaking up with me?
Eric: Are you giving me back that ring?
Donna: Yes.
Eric: Then yes.

It's all in the delivery.

Oh, Logan.

3. Logan & Veronica - Veronica Mars
Ah. One of my most beloved couples ever, they were bound to make this list. I chose this particular break-up because it showed up a different side of Veronica, and because it packs a one-two punch. For those not in the know, Logan realizes that it's not working out between them - no matter how much they love each other - because she wasn't born to accept help from anyone, and he wasn't born to stand idly by. The one-two punch comes in because we can see how much it's killing Logan to break-up with her, even though it was probably right at the time. And the other part? It comes later, not in the above clip, when we see Veronica break down in the shower. It's not often we see her do that, so it's pretty just rubbing salt in our wounds by that point. Plus, the fact that she totally didn't see it coming? Makes it even sadder.

Saddest lines:

Logan: You know I think we have a choice. I think we can take a tough but survival amount of pain now, or stay together and deal with unbearable pain later. [Pause] So I vote pain now.

Oh, Logan. You sure know how to break a girl's heart.

"I would've stolen you a whole orchestra."

2. Robin & Ted - How I Met Your Mother
Interestingly enough, I'm not a Robin & Ted fan. I didn't hate them together, per se, but I didn't think they were right together. (And yes, okay, I'm totally Barney/Robin!) It was partially because the first episodes I watched were after they broke up, so when I started getting really into the series, I knew they weren't long for this world.

That said, I was still really moved by their break-up. Ted and Robin want such different things out of life, and that's ultimately what splits them up. It's one of those devastating situations where you realize that love isn't quite enough, and that you're losing more than you're gaining by staying with that person. And it's also one of those situations where you know you're doing the right thing, but it still hurts like hell. I like that this scene wasn't rife with drama - it was the simple, quiet realization that the relationship had run its course. Hats off to Cobie and Josh for such natural, simple yet really heartbreaking acting in this scene. (Sorry - the clip doesn't exist on the Internet).

Saddest lines:

Robin: So where does that leave us?
Ted: Well...we could stay together and pretend this stuff doesn't matter. Or we could give back the blue French horn.
Robin: You stole a blue French horn for me.
Ted: I would've stolen you a whole orchestra.

...if you don't understand the French horn thing, you might wanna read up about it here. Trust me, it's good stuff. 

1. Ross & Rachel - Friends

14 years later, this is still the hardest episodes of Friends
to watch.

Come on, you knew this was coming. You hear tv break-ups, you think Ross & Rachel. This episode is actually still really hard for me to watch, even 14 years later. It was devastating to watch then, but watching now, after going through several of my own break-ups, I can't help but notice that they (producers/writers/actors) did a superb job in capturing what a break-up feels like. Some break-ups are fast, but there are those that last hours and go through phases - the anger/yelling phase, the crying phase, that quiet phase - and this scene is truly representative of what it's like to go through a difficult break-up.

The ending? Seriously hard to watch. Seeing Ross beg Rachel to forgive him after he slept with someone else was one of the most difficult moments to sit through in the show's 10-year run, and I mean that as a compliment. Bravo to David and Jen for making this painful moment so realistic - and completely and utterly heartbreaking.

Saddest lines: (Oh, so many!)

Rachel: It doesn't matter what you say or do, Ross. It's just changed everything. Forever.
Ross: This can't be it...
Rachel: Then how come it is?

Not a dry eye in the house.

And there you have it! The best - and by best, I mean saddest - TV break-ups.