No matter how forbidden they might be, romances that you know should not be happening can be steamy AF, and some of the hottest TV shows to ever grace the small screen show just that: forbidden love. Seriously, knowing that two people shouldn't be together but they DGAF and are doing what they want anyways makes the relationship way hotter to watch. These TV shows that feature off-limits love stories portray them perfectly.
For the most part, watching television romances is fun and exciting, and a majorly huge turn-on when all of the actors are as attractive as they tend to be. You end up rooting for them even though you know that IRL, their relationship would be all sorts of effed up. But, a big factor in all that sex appeal is the fact that the romances being depicted are off-limits in one way or another. Whether it's a forbidden love between rivals or a couple breaking their company's rules by dating each other, these relationships are seriously worth all the hype (and maybe some scrutiny).
Regardless, this list of television shows featuring off-limits love stories will give you all the marathon-watching inspiration you need to get you through the rest of this year. So fire up those Netflix accounts, because you're going to want to watch every episode.
Say what you will about Michael and Holly or Phyllis and Bob, but Jim and Pam were the most "off-limits" as The Office went. The coworkers went from friends (while Pam was engaged to Roy, #tbt) to lovers, and it was beautiful, sweet, and perfectly imperfect.
Arguably one of the hottest scenes on Gossip Girl is when Blair and Chuck hooked up in the back of that limo. Ugh, I get the chills just thinking about it. Considering Blair was still currently with Nate (i.e. Chuck's BFF) at this point, their hookup was very much off-limits. But they were each other's OTP, and their limo hookup was the start of it all.
These two were certainly endgame, but the start of their love wasn't exactly status quo. Derek hooked up with Meredith while still married to Addison, and he was her boss (although neither of them knew it). And while their love affair was sexy as hell, it was still pretty off-limits.
Does this one need any explanation? Cersei and Jamie Lannister are twin siblings. They were also parents to three children together. That's just about as off-limits as it gets.
(Also, the final season is just a few short months away, so get to watching if you haven't!)
Riverdale is the quintessential teenage drama where the actors play people years younger than them and are all way too attractive to be actual high school students. Ahh, television.
Toni and Cheryl, coming from opposite sides of the tracks, were never supposed to be together. But alas, here they are: the ultimate couple goals. (And the hottest couple in Riverdale, TBH.)
Ugh, this show. Olivia Pope was too good for anyone on that show, to be honest, but the fact that she got it on with the married President of the United States? The ultimate off-limits romance, if you ask me.
These two were also total couple goals, and since they started as just friends and didn't want anyone else to know about their hookups, what they were doing was "off-limits", making it all that much more exciting. Plus, Chandler was Ross' best friend, and Ross was Monica's older brother. Whoops.
This love story definitely crossed some boundaries, since Aria and Fitz got together while Aria was a mere high school student and Fitz was her teacher. Def illegal, def addicting to watch. But they still made it work in the long run! Again, OTP AF. (And they had the best chemistry out of everyone on that show, don't @ me.)
Leslie and Ben were also coworkers when they got together, and it was totally against the rules for them to be hooking up like they were, but they both risked everything for love. And boy, was it worth it. Leslie and Ben made the cutest, zaniest power-couple ever.
Off-limits love is just so exciting and addicting to watch. And at the end of the day, it gives you hope that love can be found in the most unconventional places and actually work out against all odds. (Except maybe not with anyone you're related to. Game of Thrones is a fictional universe, people!) And TBH, these shows are a great way spice up your life without actually getting off the couch. Who wouldn't root for that?
