Are there any soap couples who should have worked, but for some reason, be it bad writing, or something with the actors, it just didn't click?

What about couples who should have never worked, but somehow did?

For the first, I would pick Nick/Chelsea from DAYS. That relationship could have been special, but there were too many downright horrific storylines shoved at them in 2007, to the point where his having sex with her mother was the highlight of their relationship. Poor Nick probably got more bad writing than the rest of the Horton family combined.

I would also pick Logan/Lulu from GH. This could have been a classic storyline, and instead, for so many reasons (JMB's asexuality, whatever backstage issues were going on with Josh Duhon, the usual wretched writing), it was a disaster.

For couples who shouldn't have worked but did, I would pick Max/Roxy from OLTL. The show obviously had no real plans for them, but Ilene Kristen and James de Paiva really clicked together, and Max was better than he'd been in years and years. I was very upset when this was so abruptly ended.

Brooke and Thorne on B&B were an out of nowhere hotter than hell flame that worked and shouldn't have, but wouldn't work again.

I liked them too. I was happy Brooke had finally gotten over Ridge! And then, Thorne heard her call Ridge the love of her life, he dumped her, and she was after Ridge again.

Brooke/Deacon was a trashy story that ruined Brooke's character, but they also had a lot of chemistry.

Brooke & Thorne were the hotness. That couple should have never worked and they did on every level. That entire relationship & storyline was B&B's last truly great period IMO.

On Guiding Light there were many...

but I've never liked the way how they squandered Mel and Rick's potential.

Nor have I liked the way they dealt with Rick/Beth in the wake of Phillip's death either.

When you realize who was the HW, it kind of makes sense, but it's an embarrassment of riches.

For the longest time I could never buy Shawn and Belle as a couple on Days, they didn't seem to click. I suppose it was only natural that the children of the show's biggest two supercouples would come together but I felt nothing for them. Beemer and Madison seem to make it work in towards the end but I wasn't sad to see the characters go.

I totally bought very early Shawn and Belle. I actually rooted for them until about 2001-02, and then it got super-annoying because the show turned into everyone talking about them and them being too dumb to just communicate and get together. But Storms and Cook had some really terrific chemistry early on, IMO.

Bad couple who worked

GH:

Sonny and Kate - So not his type. She actually made him tolerable and thats not something I thought anyone could do

I always thought AMC's Jack and Erica were one of the good couples who just never worked. Every time they finally got together, that was it. They became boring as sin. We started to see the cracks in their relationship, ie. her walking all over him, him treating her like a child, etc. They became their own worst enemies. And no, I don't blame the writing for that, because they were together through several different HW's and the end result was always the same.

I find Jack and Erica together to be boring. I like the idea of them, and I think if the show were going off the air, I'd want her to be with him... but I don't get excited by them. I don't feel that the characters have any real spark together that can carry a relationship, though in theory, it should work.

Brooke & Thorne were the hotness. That couple should have never worked and they did on every level. That entire relationship & storyline was B&B's last truly great period IMO.

Amen.

It's been downhill for B&B ever since.

@ JMB's asexuality! I am and always have been totally on board with that assessment! I don't find her sexual -- at all! Her and Kimberly McCullough.

Bad couple who worked

GH:

Sonny and Kate - So not his type. She actually made him tolerable and thats not something I thought anyone could do

Great example. If it wasn't for their Sonny & Connie back story, Kate Howard and Sonny Corinthos would never have worked.

I always thought AMC's Jack and Erica were one of the good couples who just never worked. Every time they finally got together, that was it. They became boring as sin. We started to see the cracks in their relationship, ie. her walking all over him, him treating her like a child, etc. They became their own worst enemies. And no, I don't blame the writing for that, because they were together through several different HW's and the end result was always the same.

I agree with this one, too.

As for bad couples that work, Zendall all the way. The two of them are a horrible, toxic, cancerous couple... yet they make incredible sense together. More sense than Zach/Maria, Kendall/Ryan, Kendall/Aidan, Kendall/Ethan, Kendall/Gardener, Kendall/Roofer, Kendall/Sewage Worker...