Star Trek: 10 Best Couples That Should’ve Happened (But Never Did)

Even in shows based on exploring the galaxy and conducting inter-planetary diplomacy, romance always show up eventually. Unfortunately for some Star Trek couples, it never shows up. While Star Trek has some great and memorable romances, some of the best pairings never really dated or never even got a shot.

While fans have so many other relationships to enjoy, and absurd one-off couplings to laugh at, it's time to mourn the romances that should have happened but didn't ever have their day in the sun.

So, here are the 10 best couples that should've happened, but never did.

10 Crusher and Picard

Curse TNG for giving fans such an enticing and frustrating "will they, won't they" pairing. Best friends with such a rich and complex history together, Picard and Crusher made it clear from the beginning they had an underlying attraction to each other. However, they both, at various times, refused to cross that line.

It was heartbreaking to watch these two dance around each other for years, support each other at their darkest moments, only to see them push each other away and fall in love with other people that never worked out.

Picard will probably only make fans even more depressed about it, honestly. Picard and Crusher should've had an amazing romance.

9 Uhura and Scotty

While Spock, Kirk, and Bones were eating up most of the screen-time in TOS, they had a rich supporting cast of characters that fans still fell in love with. However, that cast rarely got to see romance and drama in their own lives. The Star Trek movies tried to expand on their lives, having a short-lived attraction between Uhura and Scotty. But the writers cut that short and had Scotty reject her because she was "influenced" by Sybok's cult.

In all seriousness, though, why not Scotty and Uhura? Arguably the most consistent crew-members on the ship who were interested in romance but never seemed to give it a shot, these two would have been perfect together. A quiet background relationship would've suited both of them, but alas, it never happened.

8 Bashir and Garak

Star Trek is known for being weird about the queer-coded characters it made. It wasn't until DS9 did the series even acknowledge queerness. And even then, DS9 totally glossed over the most obvious gay attraction since Spock and Kirk: Garak and Bashir. A curious doctor and a cryptic ex-spy, the two were fascinated with each other the moment they met. Their relationship grew deeper over the years, from prying lunches to a real bond between two men from very different worlds.

The fact fans never got to see Bashir and Garak explore their (very obvious) feelings for each other was disappointing. Bashir totally deserved to let his bi-flag fly and Garak should've gotten to kiss the handsome doctor at least once.

7 Sato and Mayweather

Okay, so sure, this relationship has little basis. However, it would've at least been something for the two characters to do! Very quickly into the show, Sato and Mayweather were sidelined as characters and didn't have much going on for themselves for all 5 seasons. Not story-wise, and definitely not in their personal lives.

At least a romance with each other would've spiced up their characters and given them something to do over the years. Both characters could have been so much more interesting than wallflowers only put in the spotlight for their capabilities before being put back on the shelf. They could have bonded over that, at least.

6 Seven of Nine and The Doctor

Voyager did fans dirty by switching up the romantic pairings. While Janeway and Chakotay's very brief romance understandably fizzled out, it was criminal to abandon the Seven of Nine and Doctor romance they built up since she joined the ship. They bonded over being outsiders and he was the most understanding of her insecurities and quirks. He was bombastic where she was stoic, but they played well off each other.

And if they needed an unrequited romance, they already had Harry Kim with almost anyone he ever met, so it was unnecessary to add another.

Yeah, no one will ever really get over the sudden and awful Chakotay and Seven romance, especially since there was a much better option waiting for her in sickbay.

5 Q and Janeway

Wait a second before calling this crazy. Q and Janeway had one flirtatious episode where he wanted to have a kid and he was convinced that the impressive and talented captain would be a good choice. While Q went about it like a jerk, there could've been something there. After all, Janeway didn't want to romance anyone on her ship and he's always had a thing for humans. If the writers spread it out, a long-distance romance could have been fascinating. Maybe she smooth out his edges and he would bring out the fun side of her.

Yeah, it would've been hard to write, but it could've been so good if they pulled it off.

4 Ziyal and Jake Sisko

One of Dukat's most redeeming moments was when he realized that Cardassia wasn't the safest place for his half Bajoran daughter, Ziyal, to be. He sent her to live on DS9 under the protection of Kira Nerys and the Federation. While there, it makes sense that Ziyal would fall into a romance that her father wouldn't approve of.

It just shouldn't have been Garak, a man 30+ years older and very different than her.

Someone that makes much more sense is Jake Sisko, a boy her age who understands being an outsider on DS9, put apart from others because of who his father is. Ziyal and Jake are both creative people that could have flourished together, and their relationship still would have made both their fathers very uncomfortable. Alas, fans will never know what could've been.

3 Harry Kim and Anyone

Each Star Trek show tends to have a human punching bag (and O'Brien was unlucky enough to be that for two shows). But few are as uncomfortably unlucky as Harry Kim. O'Brien had his family at least, Worf had several commands and a great service record, and Sato at least was the best human linguist alive. Kim was a never-promoted ensign with a best friend often too busy for him and no other relationships in his life.

Poor guy had it rough.

It was brutal that Voyager didn't even at least give him a wholesome romance or something, if the show refused to promote him.

2 Michael Burnham and (Original) Ash Tyler

Okay, yes, Voq was technically the original Ash Tyler until other memories of his were jogged. However, it's clear that his Klingon past would always have come up and become a transformative problem in his life. That would have always ruined his budding relationship with Burnham.

If he was the human Ash, though, they maybe had a shot at a real, long-term relationship. Ash could have been a grounding force in Michael's hectic life.

But now fans got some great Spock and Pike goodness so, while it was heartbreaking that the original Ash Tyler never got a real shot, this great Discoverycouple was traded for other great things.

1 Kirk and Spock

At the end of the day, there is no tragic romantic erasure than that of Kirk and Spock. While Kirk could be a heartbreaker and Spock didn't act interested in romance, these two men were never devoted to anyone as much as each other. They literally went into danger, darkness, and the ends of the galaxy for each other.

There were too many intimate massages and other couple-y behavior for fans to ignore it. Kirk and Spock acted like a couple, writers just never let it officially happen.

If only this meant-to-be Star Trek romance happened.But alas, the '70s weren't quite about that.

Maybe if they do another movie or CBS makes a Spock series, Kirk and Spock will get their shot.

Source: screenrant.com