These TV Relationship Age Gaps Are More Than Uncomfortable

One of the most captivating things about television is how it gives creators an opportunity to reflect real life relationship dynamics. Sometimes though, Tv shows focus on relationships with age gaps that make us terribly uncomfortable.

Fans love to see a young couple finding love and discovering one another, but what about when it’s a young man and an older woman?

That can oftentimes be more difficult to depict without things getting awkward.

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In the case of HBO’s Big Love, there were relationships depicted between underage women and elderly religious leaders that were incredibly tough to watch.

Then again, relationship age-gaps are not always depicted in a dramatic manner.

Sometimes they’re written to be funny, like on Two and a Half Men when Jon Cryer’s character dated Kandi, a woman significantly younger than him, but still old enough to be consenting.

It made for many hilarious plotlines.

Nicki Swift compiled a list of “The most uncomfortable age gaps on television,” and we’ve condensed that list below.

Scroll Down To Read About Shows With Relationship Age Gaps That Are More Than Uncomfortable

Friends: Monica and Richard

The age gap between Courteney Cox and Tom Selleck is 16 years.

On Friends, the relationship between their characters, Monica and Richard, was awkward for everyone because of that age gap, but that wasn’t the only reason.

The other thing that made their relationship uncomfortable, was the fact that Richard was a close friend of Monica’s parents.

Ultimately, as fans know, the two went their separate ways and Monica ended up with Chandler.

Gilmore Girls: Paris and Asher

Gilmore Girls had its fair share of awkward and uncomfortable relationship moments, but maybe the most uncomfortable was the fact that Rory’s roommate Paris was dating one of their older professors, Asher.

The age gap between the actors playing the two characters is 35 years.

Much like with Friends, this particular relationship is mad even more uncomfortable by an added element. That being, Asher teaches at the college that girls attend.

In regard to the on-screen romance, Liza Weil, the actress who portrayed Paris, said, “I think it warmed her for sure. It was very well-handed as well. I’m a fan of that relationship, too.”

Glee: Puck and Shelby

One thing that will pop-up as a trend on this list, is the number of teacher-student relationships that have made their way into TV shows. One of the most uncomfortable was definitely when Puck started dating his teacher, Shelby on Glee.

In real life, the age-gap between the two actors, Mark Salling and Idina Menzel is 12 years.

Speaking about the characters and their relationship, Salling once said, “I think his feelings for Shelby right now are pretty intense and pretty overwhelming. The fact that she has his baby now is a pretty strong bond. […] Puck really thinks he can be in that baby’s life and be Shelby’s man. He could be in it for the long run; it could be the real deal.”

Dawson’s Creek: Pacey and Miss Hunley

Of all the teacher-student relationships to be uncomfortably depicted on TV, the between Pacey and Miss Hunley on Dawson’s Creek is maybe one of the most memorable.

The show wasted no time getting into the nitty-gritty of the awkwardness, as even in the pilot episode of the show the relationship is eluded to.

One of the reasons this age-gap was so uncomfortable, was because it had only been a couple of years since the Mary Kay Letourneau trial and audiences were sensitive to that type of relationship being depicted.

The Walking Dead: Rosita and Abraham

Even in a post-apocalyptic setting, there is no escape from uncomfortable relationships. The Walking Dead is a prime example.

There’s a 26-year age gap between actors Christian Serratos (24) and Michael Cudlitz (50).

Arguably, while that age-gap is pretty wide, on the show, perhaps because of the setting, it’s never really that awkward. Honestly, it’s clearly way more of an issue for Cudlitz’s character, Abraham, than it was for audiences.

Their subsequent break-up was tough to watch, especially after Abraham dropped the line, “When I first met you, I thought you were the last woman on earth. You’re not.”

Dexter: Deb and Lundy

Dexter had its fair share of uncomfortable relationships, and many of them revolved around the main character’s sister Deb, played by Jennifer Carpenter, but when she started dating a much older superior, that’s when things got extra uncomfortable.

Ironically though, there were fans who disagreed that it was awkward, and were just happy to see Deb in a stable relationship.

Carpenter herself was quoted as saying, “I feel like every year I’ve had a love interest and now, the love that I was interested in, died when Lundy died.”

She then added, “So is she looking for a fix, is she looking to take the ghosts off? Yeah. There will be that. But I don’t think she’s as worried about making mistakes. What does she have to lose, really?”

Riverdale: Archie and Miss Grundy

Dawson’s Creek may have done it first, but Riverdale injected new life into the awkwardness that is “high-school teacher-student” relationship.

While fans were rooting for Betty and Veronica, Archie was busy working on extra credit assignments with Miss Grundy.

While there’s no defense for a high school teacher allowing themselves to remain in a relationship with a student, Miss Grundy does seem to know the relationship is wrong and has to end.

Eventually, it does, and much more publicly than either of them would have liked.

Cole Sprouse, who plays Jughead on the show, was once asked about the relationship, and he responded by saying, “I think inherently because it’s a controversial topic, a lot of people are saying, don’t do it — which I also think is the wrong way to approach a controversial topic.”

Game of Thrones: Lord Walder Frey and his many young wives

Of all the shows and relationships on our list, Lord Walder Frey and his many, many young wives on Game of Thrones are by far the most awkward and uncomfortable.

There are some pretty terrible characters on Game of Thrones, but even though some of them are more noticed, Lord Frey is definitely in the top 10 of despicable characters.

At one point, he introduces one of his new wives by saying, “You see that? Fifteen, she is. A little flower, and the honey’s all mine.”

There may be more gruesome or brutal moments on Game of Thrones, but there few more unsettling and uncomfortable.

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Photo Credit: Warner Bros.