8 TV Couples That Taught 20-Somethings How to Do Relationships Right

Relationships are complicated — from sustaining a good one to realizing you might be "more than friends," plenty of challenges arise. And even though television and social media would have us believe 20-somethings are thinking about relationships and love all the time, most of us would admit we still don't quite know how relationships work.

But it's not for lack of trying. We were all raised on TV couples who've pointed us down the right path. Here's some love advice from the eight greatest TV couples:

1. Luke and Lorelai on 'Gilmore Girls'

These two are one of our generation's major will-they-won't-they couples, but despite their complicated romantic path, Luke and Lorelai taught us to encourage the best in our partners while accepting the rest. Even if it's crazy.

There may be things about your significant other that you just don't get — like Lorelai's crazily specific car-buying requirements — but if you think about those things the right way, they become the idiosyncrasies you love.

2. Jim and Pam on 'The Office'

Even though it took them forever to get together, Jim and Pam showed us the importance of simply having fun together. They fell in love through pranking coworkers, sharing music and having pleasant lunches in the break room at work. They're a team first and foremost, working through life together — and that meant their relationship lasted. 

3. Mindy and Danny on 'The Mindy Project'

Okay, they're not a couple, but we all know they should be. As the show progresses, Mindy and Danny more or less prove why totally clear communication is essential. Raising the "what are we" conversation is awkward and difficult, but it's necessary — even if the person you're addressing thinks you want to talk about the fact that they farted in front of you. 

4. Monica and Chandler on 'Friends'

Monica and Chandler showed us that your best friend might actually be the person you want to date, but they also let us know how fun it is to reveal a new relationship. They kept their news a secret for a while until Joey found out, making it all the sweeter when it was finally out in the open.

A lot of TV shows dig in on the sad stuff. These two reminded us to have fun with good news, even if it means you have to tackle your friend in order to keep him from spilling the beans.

5. Leslie and Ben on 'Parks and Recreation'

We all love Amy Poehler for her feminism and awards show hosting. The way she portrays Leslie Knope's relationship with Ben only gives us more reason to be on her side.

As their relationship led to marriage, there were plenty of romantic moments along the way, but Ben's proposal (and Leslie's sweet interruption of it) reminds us that sometimes it's enough just to say what you feel.

6. Mitch and Cam on 'Modern Family'

Mitch and Cam totally believe in each other — they are continually defending and encouraging one another. Like a lot of the best sitcom couples, these two are almost constantly pitting their weirdness against one another. They defend their own strange idiosyncrasies even as they point out the other's.

7. Jess and Nick on 'New Girl'

With any relationship, conflict resolution is crucial. But we can see from Nick and Jess that even big "differences" are sometimes only slightly annoying quirks. Most of the time, even a person's idiosyncrasies just add up to who he or she is — someone you love.

8. Cory and Topanga on 'Boy Meets World'

Cory's deep love for Topanga gave us one of the most beautiful and simple definitions of love. When Topanga runs away to be with him after her parents move to Pittsburgh, Cory explains his love for her in a speech to his parents: "So that's what I think is love, Mom. When I'm better because she's here."