5 TV Couples That Went Through Hell to Get to Happily Ever After

Watching television is an escape for most fans. We root our favorite characters on, sit on the edge of our seats while the drama unfolds, and keep our fingers crossed the "will they or won't they" couple finally finds gets their happy ending. Waiting for the romance to unfurl is the hardest part for the shippers—fans dedicated to certain pairings.

Even worse is when the couples get so close to perfect unity only to be separated by writers who enjoy torturing us. (Or whose job it is to keep the drama going.) These five particular couples went through hell and back to find their way to one another, and even after they had their happy moment, we still weren't 100 percent sure they would stay together.

John Bates and Anna Smith began their romance like any other couple. They met in the hallowed halls of Downton Abbey and fell in love. There was one small problem. Bates was still married to the wife from Hades who had no interest in letting him go. Anna and Bates persevered with their love, and just when they thought Bates would get his divorce, his insane wife kills herself and implicates him as her murderer. The couple marry quickly and then comes yet another bombshell.

Bates is arrested and stands trial for his wife's murder, gets convicted, and is sentenced to hang. His sentence is commuted to life in prison, but Anna doesn't stop until she finds a witness who can prove his innocence. Bates is released, and just when fans thought this couple had been through enough, Anna is attacked, her attacker is killed, and she gets blamed for her. So Anna ends up in prison. The drama continues for another two seasons. It wasn't until the final season of the show that this couple finally finds the happiness that eluded them for six seasons.

Alias' Sydney Bristow and Michael Vaughn were star-crossed lovers from the start. He was her CIA handler; she was an agent. It took two seasons for them to get on equal footing then Sydney is captured and her memories erased. She returns to the CIA only to discuss Vaughn has married in her absence.

What follows is a long and difficult journey which included a battle with Vaughn's evil wife and his suspected death. Viewers were holding their breath, waiting for this couple to find their way back to one another. It was until the last few episodes of the final season that Sydney and Vaughn found their true north.

Agent Seeley Booth and forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan had tangible chemistry from the start, but it took six years for the pair to follow through on their connection. Unfortunately, that was only the beginning of the suffering these two would endure.

Brennan is accused of murder so she leaves with their baby. In the meantime, a psychotic killer targets her family with Booth which leads to plenty of heartbreak. Add in Booth's prison sentence, his gambling addiction, and even more outside attacks against their love, and this pair struggled even after they got married.

Bones ran for twelves seasons, and right up until the final episode this couple fought for their love. And though they did find it, viewers were left with the sense that their journey was still ongoing and happily ever after just wasn't in the cards for this couple.

Teen Wolf's Stiles had a high school crush on Lydia for the first five and a half seasons of the show. It was an unrequited love... at least Lydia didn't think she was in love with him.

Being as Teen Wolf was a dark fantasy show about werewolves and the dangers that accompanied them, there was plenty to keep Lydia and Stiles apart, even other love interests. But that didn't keep viewers from rooting for them. They were finally rewarded with a passionate kiss at the end of the first part of season six.

Unfortunately, that was the last bit of connection we saw between Stiles and Lydia as the writers chose not to focus on their love story in the latter half of the season leading up the show's final hoorah. Still, fans of #Stydia as the couple was named, believe that somehow Lydia and Stiles are content in their love!

Kate Beckett and Richard Castle had nothing but road blocks on the way to the altar. Even though their chemistry was undeniable, writers kept them apart until the end of Season 4, and just when we thought it would be smooth sailing, Castle disappears on the day of their wedding.

Though the show gave the couple plenty of romantic moments, they didn't hesitate to drive a wedge between Castle and Beckett every chance they got. And in the final episode of the final season, they even teased us with the possibly of Beckett's death. Of course, this was caused by Stania Katic's (Kate Beckett) desire to leave the show after Season 8. Fortunately, the series was cancelled after that season so fans were treated to a flash forward of the their favorite pair with three kids and a hectic but lovable home life.

As the saying goes "the path to true love never did run smooth", but these five couples certainly endured more than their lion's share worth of difficulties in their quest for happiness. Still, we're happy their stories ended on a positive note, if not a permanent one.