History Main / DowntimeDowngrade

* Justified in ''Series/{{Episodes}}''; Sean and Beverly were HapplyMarried in the first series, but it ends with her having an affair. In series two they're separated, but still working together and clearly in love, so it plays out as a WillTheyOrWontThey.

->--'''Jack''' [[IronicEcho and later Annie]], [[HilariousInHindsight prophetically]], in ''Speed''.

* Likewise the ''{{OVA}}'' of ''OnegaiTeacher'', the LoveObstructingParents show up to "help" the main couple in achieving the level of relationship they had already achieved in the first season, no explanation given.

* ''RaidersOfTheLostArk'' ends with Indy together with Marion Ravenwood. This is followed by ''IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull'', which begins with Indy and Marion having been separated for the intervening seventeen years.
* ''NationalTreasure'' ends with Ben and Abigail living happily in a historic mansion. National Treasure 2 opens with Ben having been thrown out of the house.

* Happens between Dana Barrett and Peter Venkman in between ''{{Ghostbusters}}'' 1 and 2. In this case between the two movies she has a baby with something else, though that doesn't stand in the way of their relationship basically restarting.

* In DieHard, this is a running gag.

* The situation in ''[[AhMyGoddess Ah! My Goddess: Flights of Fancy]]'' is an unusual example in that it's a downgrade [[NegativeContinuity without a breakup]]. Keiichi and Belldandy had a TheyDo moment at the end of the first season, where Keiichi confessed his love to Belldandy with no intervention, tricks or other means of keeping the {{UST}} unresolved. Come ''Flights of Fancy'', however, the anime switched from being a BroadStrokes adaptation of the manga as a whole to a direct adaptation of several manga arcs, and in the manga, StatusQuoIsGod and Keiichi and Belldandy's relationship is frozen at UST. Accordingly, Keiichi attempts to confess his love to Belldandy several times in the second season, and the fact that he already did so is not addressed.

* In the Die Hard this is a running gag.

** Aaaaaaaaaaaaand now they've broken up again. [[NoIndoorVoice DAMN]] [[MagnificentBastard YOU]] [[TheWesley WIL]] [[TheKhan WHEATOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNN!!]]

* Likewise the ''{{OVA}}'' of ''OnegaiTeacher'', the AnimeInLaws show up to "help" the main couple in achieving the level of relationship they had already achieved in the first season, no explanation given.

* ''StarFox'' OfficialCouple Fox and Krystal become romantically involved at the close of ''Adventures'' and even have an engagement teased during ''Assault''; however, the intro to ''Command'' explains that Fox ended the relationship out of the fear that Krystal might be harmed on one of their missions. Depending on which path the player takes through ''Command'''s branching storyline, the two of them may reconcile, retire to raise a family, or become permanently estranged.

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* Alejandro and Elena are married with a child at the end of ''TheMaskOfZorro''. The sequel begins with Elena filing for divorce. [[WallBanger Oh and dating the villian]].

* Shaz and Chris in AshesToAshes. At the end of season two, they were getting happily married. By the start of season 3, they are separated [[WallBanger with barely a single line from Shaz about being sick of Chris's immaturity or some such reason stupidly contrived by the show's writers.]]

* ''{{Chuck}}''. [[WallBanger OH.]] [[ResetButton MY.]] [[PrecisionFStrike FUCKING.]] [[ThisIsSPARTA GOD.]] At the end of Season 2, Chuck and Sarah are finally together and Chuck seems to have joined the CIA. Season 3 opens after a TimeSkip, in which they break up and Chuck gets fired, ending up on his sister's couch with a BeardOfSorrow.
** ItGetsBetter

Compare SuperCouple, which is this repeatedly over a long period of time. Contrast GirlOfTheWeek where the main character finds a new love interest.

''"I've heard relationships based on intense experiences never work..."''
-->--'''Jack''' [[IronicEcho and later Annie]], [[HilariousInHindsight prophetically]], in ''Speed''.

* In the {{ Die Hard }} this is a running gag.

* The theatrical trailer for {{The X-Files}} movie "I Want to Believe" had fans believing that this happened to Mulder and Scully in the six year interim between the end of the series and the movie.

Ah, what a great story. And look, there is a sequel, which opens with Alice and Bob... not together. [[WaitWhatWhoa Wait... What?]] For some reason or another, between the two stories Alice and Bob have broken up. But Alice and Bob are still both involved in the story, and are so obviously still in love. So now you get to watch them dance the WillTheyOrWontThey tango all over again.