Top 10 TV Characters Who are a TERRIBLE INFLUENCE

#10: Chuck Bass

“Gossip Girl” (2007-12)

With wealth, status, and power at his fingertips, “Gossip Girl”’s designated “bad boy” has his fun messing around with other people’s lives. Operating with a mixture of casual indifference and a sense of entitlement, he treats relationships like transactions and mistakes like temporary inconveniences. Honestly, it’s the kind of protection you’d expect from someone playing a “Powerful Family Card” in “Terrible Influence.” Along with using Blair like a disposable pawn in his schemes, he twists his cruelty to pin the blame on her. In an environment that rewards his arrogance, Chuck is all too happy to throw anyone under the bus, knowing his scandals can disappear as easily as he’s created them.

#9: Piper Chapman

“Orange Is the New Black” (2013-19)

Although the series tries to frame her as a victim of circumstance, it’s hard to sympathize with Piper. If her selfish, self-righteous attitude wasn’t enough, her long list of disastrous decisions turns both the characters and audiences against her. Whether turning the other inmates against one another or accidentally kickstarting a gang of white supremacists, Piper has a habit of making things worse while blaming everyone else. Even the end of her arc should be treated as a cautionary tale. The show portrays her relationship with Alex as a hopeful new beginning, but Piper essentially reinforces the same toxic dynamic that landed her in trouble in the first place.

#8: Will Schuester

“Glee” (2009-15)

When a supposed wise mentor blackmails a student into joining his club, odds are viewers won’t exactly warm up to him. And yet, Will Schuester does just that to kickstart the series. Instead of fostering a sense of self-worth in his students, he manipulates and guilt-trips them into anchoring their identities to his approval. Infamously petty and frequently controlling, Will leaves his students learning life the hard way, keeping them stuck in a world that revolves around him. Over time, he sheds nearly all of his redeeming qualities, becoming a caricature of himself who portrays self-centered leadership as encouragement. So, if you have a teacher like Will at school, do yourself a favor and switch classes before it’s too late.

#7: Barney Stinson

“How I Met Your Mother” (2005-14)

From lying and conning women as part of his playbook to pushing his friends to do the same, Barney isn’t as “legendary” as the show wants him to be. While loyal to his friends when it matters, he clearly enjoys watching them trip and stumble over situations he pushes them into. Whether laughing at Robin’s fractured relationship with her father, mocking Marshall’s ideals, or pushing Ted to embarrass himself in his search for “the One,” Barney casually betrays his friends’ trust. Even if he’s honest about who he is rather than being a fake nice guy like Ted, that doesn’t give Barney a pass for most of what he does. It’s fine to be entertained by his antics, just don’t count on learning something from ol’ Swarley.

#6: Carrie Bradshaw

“Sex and the City” (1998-2004)

We’ve covered a few self-obsessed characters so far, but no one comes close to Carrie. As far as she’s concerned, the world is her stage, and she’s always the main character. It’s the kind of mindset you expect from someone using “Terrible Influence”’s “Always in the Spotlight” card – she doesn’t care why people are talking about her, only that they are. To Carrie, friends, romances, and basic responsibility are all optional, so long as she remains the main focus. While “SatC” would have us believe these are all flaws she grows out of, that message never really lands. If there’s something to learn from Carrie, it’s that true happiness comes from within – but only if you’ve ignored just about everything else about her.

#5: Don Draper

“Mad Men” (2007-15)

Sure, he’s tall, dark, and debonair. And yes, Jon Hamm is as swoonworthy as can be. But all things considered, Don Draper is bad news. Behind the carefully polished exterior, Don sells the idea of success through emotional detachment and a complete lack of accountability. He speaks with absolute authority and expects everyone to bend to him, sidestepping out of conflict with half-truths and brittle logic. Those who endure his behavior end up in their own cycle of lies and deception, learning to justify self-destruction as a necessary cost of ambition. Behind the smart suits and slicked-back hair is a dangerous capacity for damage, one that his inner circle pays for time and again.

#4: Nancy Botwin

“Weeds” (2005-12)

After the sudden death of her husband, Nancy turns to illicit activities to support her family. That might sound like an act of desperation, but her real goal is preserving the cushy lifestyle she’s grown accustomed to. Over the following seasons, she cheats, cuts corners, and drags all her family and friends into her expanding web of lies. The example she creates for her sons is particularly troubling, mainly teaching them to see the law as a loophole to exploit. Her dead-end relationships and over-the-top hijinks might be funny to an extent, but taken together, they form a pattern of avoidance, reckless rule-breaking, and constant betrayal.

#3: Frank Gallagher

“Shameless” (2011-21)

Sure, he’s positioned as the chaotic center of a dysfunctional family, but Frank is hardly the poster figure for growth or development. Despite being a neglectful father and perpetual screwup, he expects his children to support him and his substance use disorder. With an example as unstable as his, it’s no wonder the younger Gallaghers spiral into their own problems. Given how much he’s left his family in freefall, Frank still doesn’t get called out as much as he should, with the show at times selling him as a victim of circumstance. But when it comes to the Gallagher patriarch, it isn’t so much “do as I say, not as I do,” but “don’t do anything like this at all” instead.

#2: Everyone

“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” (2005-)

Fans have definitely romanticized the “It’s Always Sunny” gang over the years. Their unbridled energy and regular pratfalls are oddly endearing, after all. However, once you remove that comedic lens, these characters come across a lot worse. From doomed get-rich-quick schemes, nonstop public offenses, and making Rickety Cricket’s life a living hell, this group of narcissists are the last people to draw any inspiration from. Charlie, in particular, sinks to the lowest depths for a moment’s approval. It’s almost like playing “Terrible Influence”’s “No Self-Respect Card,” sacrificing basic dignity for a leg up the social ladder. Are they funny? Absolutely. But would we advise staying a mile away from them? You better believe it.

#1: Walter White

“Breaking Bad” (2008-13)

The show begins by placing Walt as the tragic hero. With precious little time left and a family to provide for, he’s pushed into a life of crime out of sheer desperation. But this facade crumbles soon enough, as Walt’s thirst for power, validation and control destroys everything it touches. Forcing Jesse to commit heinous crimes on his behalf, gaslighting him and his family, intimidating anyone who challenges him, and resorting to violence the moment it becomes convenient, Walt is an example of unchecked ego pushed too far. While we can appreciate his complexity as a character, there’s nothing impressive about Walter as a human being.

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