Top 10 Most Immature Teen TV Characters Who Never Grew Up
#10: Kevin Arnold
The Wonder Years (1988-93)
For a show thats all about leaving childhood behind, the lovesick teen at the center of The Wonder Years sure had a hard time letting go. Kevin Arnolds childhood crush on Winnie Cooper is his main preoccupation. Through junior high and high school, their on-again, off-again romance seems to be the thing they cling to when life gets hard. But as they change and grow as people, they dont seem to be the right fit for each other. The controversial series finale puts things into perspective. Their relationship is nostalgic but unrealistic, a relic of the childhood they have to leave behind.
#9: A.J. Soprano
The Sopranos (1999-2007)
Growing up as the son of a mob boss cant be easy. A.J. Soprano learns his fathers true profession during The Sopranos first season, and his idyllic childhood in a New Jersey McMansion suddenly loses all meaning. Stuck in neutral for most of the series, A.J. gets a bad rap. He gets into trouble, hes almost sent off to military school, he loses jobs, and he is constantly doing the dumbest possible thing. Its hard not to side with his confused parents sometimes, though their hands arent exactly clean. He could be irritating, with his surly attitude and laziness, but he had his reasons.
#8: Lochlan Ratliff
The White Lotus (2021-)
Caught in the middle of a passive-aggressive power struggle within his own family, Lochlan arrives at the White Lotus resort in Thailand all mixed up. An agreeable high school senior and self-described people pleaser, he is the odd man out in a family full of selfish narcissists. His parents both have strong ideas about where he should go to college. His siblings have competing philosophies on how to live life. Seemingly unable to imagine a life for himself, Lochlan has no idea what he wants or who he is. This leaves him grabbing at meaning and happiness in some unexpected places.
#7: Devi Vishwakumar
Never Have I Ever (2020-23)
A teenage Indian-American girl finds herself stunted in this coming-of-age show from Mindy Kaling. Never Have I Ever explores a teens response to trauma in an innovative way. At the start of the series, Devi Vishwakumar suddenly loses her father. Then, the 15-year-old experiences psychosomatic paralysis in her legs. But even when she suddenly regains her mobility, the lingering effect of the loss haunts her as she tries to resume life as a normal teenager. Devi is endearing, even if her behavior is sometimes confusing. Watching her work through her grief as she endures the ordinary social and emotional hardships of high school gives the character a fresh dimension.
#6: Pacey Witter
Dawsons Creek (1998-2003)
Class differences were always at the heart of the drama on Dawsons Creek. Pacey Witter was Dawson Leerys best friend, an underwhelming student from a broken home. Paceys home life is a disaster. His grades are atrocious. Hes impulsive, unfocused, and whats more, he uses a shell of adolescent humor to hide who he really is. Stuck in the limbo of a traumatic childhood, a nightmarish home life, and the pressures of young adulthood, Paceys biggest hurdles have to do with freeing himself of his past. Its a long and bumpy road.
#5: Shawn Hunter
Boy Meets World (1993-2000)
Cory Matthews best friend is one of the funniest characters on Boy Meets World, but hes also responsible for some of the shows most devastating moments. He covers a lot of pain with his flirtatious and goofy nature. Abandoned by a neglectful father and a mother he barely knew, Shawn spends a lot of time searching for parental figures and a family of his own. That search for meaning and belonging sees him taking comfort in substances and at one point, he even joins a cult. Shawn is proof of the adage that the funniest people are sometimes the saddest.
#4: Lindsay Weir
Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000)
In the world of freaks, geeks, and rebels, Lindsay tries to exist in the middle. Shes a good student, a nice girl, and a parents dream. The grief of her grandmothers death is what drives her to explore her identity within the high school social structure. She tries to find herself with a new, rougher crowd of high school kids, and eventually acts out in ways completely opposed to her old self. Although shes a lot more level-headed than some of the other characters on this list, Lindsays search for her place in the world is fraught in a realistic way.
#3: Rue Bennett
Euphoria (2019-)
This is not 90210. Destroyed as a young girl by her fathers untimely death, Rue Bennett is already a mess before Euphoria begins. Fresh out of rehab, Rue struggles to become a healthier version of herself, but the lure of substances is a siren call she cant quite overcome. Rues heart-wrenching journey is cyclical as a Greek myth. Shes better until shes not. Shes a good friend until she cant be. She loves her sister but the pull of her disorders is too strong. From birth, she felt out of place in this world. Euphoria is what its like to live in her head.
#2: Darlene Conner
Roseanne (1988-97; 2018)
As the acerbic middle child in this working class brood, Darlene has a uniquely sober perspective on her family. On more than one occasion, Roseanne Conner realizes that Darlene is the one who is most like her, which probably explains their friction as she grew up. Darlenes depression and disillusionment become a memorable plot point in the shows fourth season. She goes from energetic tomboy to depressed teenager almost overnight. Although she comes out of the depression, the characters blunt wit and cynicism remain. Darlene becomes emblematic of a 90s teenager, dissatisfied with her life but seeing herself as a prisoner of her own family.
#1: Daria Morgendorffer
Daria (1997-2002)
If snark were a weapon, she would be a serial killer. Daria is peak Gen X disillusionment. She casts a withering glance over her family, her classmates, and the larger culture and sees them for what they are. But for every bit of cultural critique she offers, Daria has just as many flaws. She isnt as tough as she seems. One episode sees Daria crawling into a cardboard box and staying there as she replays traumatic events of her childhood in her head. Its a great metaphor for her entire personality. Her fear and cynicism arent just a product of the world. Theyre protection from the genuine terror she feels over social interaction, emotional intimacy, and growing up.
Did your favorite wayward TV teen make the list? Let us know in the comments.