"Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you/ Been here all along/ So why can't you see/ You belong with me"

I'll be the first one to admit it: I get a little too invested in television shows at times. Season finale cliffhangers absolutely kill me. Even episodes of LOST kill me since each one ends with a mini cliffhanger. I need to know! I become attached to characters, sure, but who doesn't? How else does a t.v. show build up an audience? Now, it's not like I think the characters are actual people or anything (Sidenote: It's the reality shows that really make you seem crazy. One night my friend HW and I were in a restaurant discussing the marital woes of Jon and Kate. I'm sure people around us thought we were insane since we were talking like we actually knew them.) Just sometimes, you see your own traits in characters and that makes you want to see them succeed. That being said, the one story-line on shows that drives me completely insane is the love triangle. Now I realize half of the time this is what makes the viewers tune in-- to see if the characters do end up together. But apparently rule #1 is: you can't have them together in the first season. Noooo. Gotta wait until at least the third season (e.g. Friends, The Office). I know on some shows, once the characters got together people lost interest, but seriously writers/producers... can't we get a happy ending before the series finale?

Considering all of this, aren't there some characters that you absolutely hate because they are preventing "your couple" from getting together? This could be the reason why I'm a little extreme since when I see these actors in other roles, I'm automatically predisposed to hate them. It's not my fault. Especially if his/her role as "the obstacle" was the first time I ever saw them on a t.v. show, then I look at them and think, "Oh! That's her. She kept apart [boy] and [girl] for three seasons. I hate her!" Therefore I present to you, four actresses and one actor that I do not care for (read: despise) because of his/her role as "the obstacle".

5. Daphne (Jennifer Aspen) from Party of Five. Obstacle to: Charlie and Kirsten. Remember her? She was the stripper Charlie knocked up therefore ending the possibility of a relationship for at least another season. And Daphne just plain sucked. She was a stripper, abandoned her child, and caused so many problems, I hated her (as did my sisters). She stuck around until the end of the show since she was the baby mama to Diana. Thankfully, Charlie and Kirsten finally tied the knot in season six (would've been sooner if it hadn't of been for her). But seriously, I see this girl and all I think is "Daphne the stripper. I hate you".

4. Dennis (John Slattery) from Ed. Obstacle to: Ed and Carol. Doesn't this guy always play the same smarmy character? Some jerk politician always interfering and causing a love triangle (Sidenote: And I just realized he is on Mad Men and I have season one coming next in the mail from Netflix. I hope he doesn't ruin the show for me). Dennis and Carol almost got married but then Dennis thought she was looking around the church for Ed (which she was) and that effectively ended those nuptials. Yessss. And that also led to this awesome scene in the third season of Ed. Bravo Tom Cavanagh, bravo. (Sorry the synching is a little off. It's still fantastic.)

3. Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell) from LOST. Obstacle to: Jack and Kate (and eventually Kate and Sawyer... but that one I don't care about as much. In fact Sawyer almost made the list since he was an obstacle to Jack and Kate). A) I see no chemistry between her and Jack. B) I cannot for the life of me figure out if she is good or bad. A 'lostie' or an 'other'? Is she playing both sides? What is going on here? The confusion isn't scoring you any points, missy. Although in the S5 finale, when she was getting dragged down into the abyss and she and Sawyer were crying and trying to hold on to each other, I won't lie, I got a little misty-eyed. Then she dismantled the bomb at the bottom (where there is hope that maybe everything cancelled each other out and she will still be alive in the final season... stop it Annie, this isn't a LOST dissection post. Moving on... ) even though she was severely injured... well this gave Juliet some credit. But not enough to make me not put her on the list. Sorry Jules.

2. Emily (Helen Baxendale) from Friends. Obstacle to: Ross and Rachel. Well, we all knew this one didn't stand a chance. No one could come between Ross and Rachel. And especially once Ross said Rachel's name at the altar (man, a lot of wedding mishaps on this list), you knew it was all downhill from there. To which, we the audience said: YAY! But seriously, she was British, catty, arrogant, annoying, and when she told Ross that he couldn't see Rachel anymore, I don't think there was a more hated character on television. But we all breathed a sigh of relief when Ross refused to do so, so it was hasta la vista, Emily. But really, any character standing in the way of R&R was doomed. I couldn't even get on board with the whole Rachel/Joey story line. Don't act like you didn't cry when Rachel got off the plane on the series finale and she and Ross were together again, finally!

1. Karen (Rashida Jones) from the Office. Obstacle to: Jim and Pam. Now, I love all of the previously mentioned couples on this list, but Jim and Pam are, by far, my favorite. This could be in large part because I absolutely love Jim Halpert (as well as John Krasinski) and there is a very good chance he is, indeed, the perfect man. You would think this would make me hate Pam but she's his ideal counterpart (aside from myself, of course). Oh I definitely cried when they got engaged this past season. And thank God that happened because this little lady certainly proved to be difficult. I did not like Karen. a) I don't think she is attractive. b) Why was she a good match for Jim? c) She sucks. d) She isn't funny. I know they tried to make her seem good with the whole "Helping Pam throw a Christmas Party" deal but that wasn't enough for me. e) She should have known she would never hold a candle to Pam. I am so glad she is gone, P.B.&J are together (and expecting a baby!), and hopefully she won't have another guest appearance when her new show, Parks and Recreation, inevitably goes south. Also, there is a bit more hatred towards her since she did date John Krasinski in real life. Now I realize I don't know her personally; she could be great and hilarious. But until I meet her and she proves me wrong (like that's ever gonna happen), she will continue to be my most hated obstacle character. So how about a clip where she is finally edged out and it's the beautiful beginning of Jim and Pam:

Honorable Mentions:

1. Jess (Milo Ventimiglia) from Gilmore Girls. Obstacle to: Dean and Rory.

2. Annie (Paige Turco) from Party of Five. Obstacle to: Bailey and Sarah.

3. Christopher (David Sutcliffe) on Gilmore Girls. Obstacle to: Lorelai and Luke.

But seriously, kudos to the writers and actors on these shows for making characters we come to love and creating chemistry that has us rooting and pining for fictional characters to finally, finally end up together, even if it is only in t.v. land.