For a comedy show about an average family in an average town, The Simpsons features a whole lot of heartbreak. It deals with death, trauma, and guilt - as well as the breakdown of romantic relationships. While Homer and Marge are (mostly) ensconced in marital bliss, there are plenty of couples in Springfield still seeking - and failing to find - the one.
But it's not for lack of trying. A lifetime of romance may not have been on the cards for these 10 couples, but there was definitely potential. As a result, it's tough to watch the breakdown of the relationships of these beloved Simpsons characters.
Mr Burns & Gloria Turley
Mr Burns is hardly the nicest guy in Springfield - but after who-knows-how-many long years of bitter, lonely existence, viewers were still rooting for him to find love with dalliance Gloria. And, despite the age gap, things are pretty good between them for a little while, all thanks to Homer and a powerful aphrodisiac).
But there's a catch to their whirlwind romance: Gloria is Snake's ex. When Snake takes her hostage, Mr Burns tries to save her - and he does, kind of. But his age-old affection is no match for Snake's "prison-sculpted body," and Gloria unceremoniously leaves him for Snake.
Ned Flanders & Sara Sloane
Ned's reputation as a wide-eyed pushover doesn't diminish his luck with the ladies. As a widower, he attracts a lot of women - and few end more sadly than his relationship with movie star Sara Sloane. While they hardly seem like a good match on paper, Sara Sloane and Ned have a strong bond.
Their differences become too tough to navigate after they consummate their relationship. Ned wants to get married immediately, while Sara doesn't want to be tied down. They agree to go their separate ways, despite itting their love for one another. The separation hurts even more when Ned hears Sara married Bob Balaban shortly after their break-up (though the marriage did end in a "quickie divorce").
Lisa Simpson & Hugh Parkfield
Hugh Parkfield appears as Lisa's future fiancé in the episode "Lisa's Wedding," which is mostly told in flash forward sequences by a fortune teller Lisa meets as the fair. Yet that doesn't make their love story any less sad. When Lisa brings Hugh home to meet her family, she's worried about all the ways they might embarrass her. To her relief, Hugh seems understanding.
But on their wedding day, Lisa learns that Hugh never intends to see her family again. When he says she's "like a flower that grew out of a pot of dirt," Lisa realizes that her loyalties lie with her family, and calls off the wedding.
Selma Bouvier & Troy McClure
Starstruck Selma has a fair few issues to contend with when she marries TV star Troy McClure. As well as his bizarre fondness for marine life, he only dates her so she'll help him get his driving license back. Eventually he even its that he doesn't love her, and is marrying her to further his career. This is heartbreaking for Selma, especially as the relationship has caused a rift between her and her sisters.
Selma agrees to go along with the sham marriage for a while, until they discuss having a baby. While Selma wants to have a child, she doesn't want to bring a baby into a loveless marriage. She leaves him, breaking her own heart in the process.
Moe Szyslak & Renee
Moe is very unlucky in love. He dates a number of women over the course of the show, but Renee really seems to be the woman for him. When he implies he's ugly, she says she "likes a face with character." But Moe feels like he can only maintain the relationship by spending a lot of money on Renee; money he doesn't have.
Moe and Homer concoct an elaborate insurance fraud scam to make some cash, and Homer ends up in jail. Renee tries to convince Moe to help him, but Moe can only think of more insurance fraud schemes. Eventually, he manages to lose Renee and set his bar on fire in one fell swoop.
Edna Krabappel & Woodrow
One of the saddest parts of Edna Krabappel's relationship with Woodrow is that he isn't actually real. Bart, the original catfish, creates Woodrow as a prank on his teacher. But when he sees her sitting despondently alone after "Woodrow" stands her up, he begins to feel guilty about what he's done.
He its his mistake to his family, and they help him write a sincere letter to Edna that leaves her feeling loved, though a little saddened she will never meet her romantic pen pal.
Lisa Simpson & Nelson Muntz
Lisa sees the good in Nelson, which few other people can. This is what draws them together; her desire to change him for the better, and his need to feel loved. Nelson tries to change; he gets rid of the bullies without resorting to violence, since he knows Lisa "doesn't like that stuff."
But Nelson's affinity for mayhem and troublemaking is too great to keep him away from Jimbo and the gang for long. He lies to Lisa to get himself out of trouble, which makes her see that her first love probably isn't going to last. It's a sorrowful lesson that resonates with many viewers.
Seymour Skinner & Edna Krabappel
The on-again-off-again relationship between Edna Krabappel and Seymour Skinner comes to a head in "My Big Fat Geek Wedding," the episode in which the pair are due to get married. Seymour its to Homer he has reservations about their impending nuptials, and Edna soon finds out. She calls off the wedding, which makes Seymour see the error of his ways.
Despite Seymour's attempts to win her back, Edna still decides not to marry him. After so much build-up and interference from Skinner's mother Agnes, it was sad for Simpsons fans to see that this relationship would probably never go anywhere.
Bart & Laura Powers
When their mothers become friends, Bart falls in love with Laura, his babysitter. She's charming and can spit really far; traits Bart values highly in a woman. So when Laura reveals she's dating Jimbo Jones, Bart is more than a little upset.
The power of unrequited love is such that Laura plucks the boy's heart from his chest and dropkicks it into the nearest bin in a visceral figment of Bart's imagination. In the end, Laura reveals that she would date Bart if only he were older - a bittersweet pill for Bart, since there's nothing he can do about his youth.
Ned & Maude Flanders
Ned and Maude Flanders were a stalwart Simpsons couple throughout the first 10 seasons of the show. But in season 11, Maude suffers an untimely death when she's struck by fast-moving t-shirts from a hand cannon at a local racetrack. The fallout from Maude's death is heartbreaking, especially for her husband, Ned.
There aren't many major deaths in The Simpsons, but Maude's is resounding. In Ned's grief, he questions his faith, something which had never wavered before. The death of a loved one speaks to a fear that affects everyone, making Ned and Maude's ultimate separation the most heartbreaking of them all.