Top 10 TV Characters Who RUINED EVERYTHING

“The Office” (2005-13)

This seminal comedy series gave us a mix of beloved and not-so beloved characters—Robert California, anyone? But one individual introduced later in the series was definitely a rough addition. Andy Bernard came in as the Regional Director of Sales and things only go downhill from there. He gets sent to anger management for punching a wall, has a girlfriend he is shocked to discover is still in high school, and pursues Angela and Erin, both of which end up disasters. While he did show some growth as the series progressed, the final seasons saw Andy reverting to his old boorish behavior. Let’s just say, the good old days were definitely not his.

“New Girl” (2011-18)

This Zooey Deschanel-led comedy has remained fairly popular, even after its conclusion in 2018. While there are many reasons to love the show, swapping out the titular character for Reagan Lucas is not one of them. Played by Megan Fox, Reagan is a sales rep who eventually gets into a relationship with Nick. But her fear of commitment and poor communication skills lead to tiresome drama between her and Nick. More egregiously, Reagan being queer also leans into old, hoary stereotypes on bisexual promiscuity. All in all, Reagan disturbs the original dynamic of the loft, making her addition to the series a very mixed bag.

“Lost” (2004-10)

This couple is star-crossed, all right—as in, we and the stars hate their guts. Initially focused on fifteen of the survivors, “Lost” later introduced Nikki and Paulo in the third season. Nikki, an actress, and Paulo, a con artist, are together largely for one reason: $8 million worth of diamonds they lost in the plane crash. When Paulo finds the diamonds, he hides them, fearing Nikki would leave him if she got her hands on them. She eventually finds out and sics a venomous spider on him—only to get bitten herself. The paralyzed couple is then mistaken for dead by the others and buried alive. Why the show dedicated a whole episode to these useless characters is a mystery more obscure than the Others.

“Star Trek: The Next Generation” (1987-94)

Introducing adolescent wards of legacy characters can be tricky, but this was a whole ‘nother ballgame. After his father was killed under Captain Picard’s command, Wesley Crusher came onto the “Enterprise-D” along with his mother. Although Picard was initially resistant to him, Wesley soon proved his intelligence and eventually became acting ensign. Wesley’s fast rise in rank was all the more baffling considering he flunked the Starfleet Academy entrance exam. But what really got under fans’ skin were his lies to Picard, of all people, as well as his penchant to save the entire ship with deus ex machinas despite his inexperience. There really is no perfume more offensive than “eau de Mary Sue.”

“Homeland” (2011-20)

It’s certainly not a bad thing for a TV show to inject some realism into its storylines. But sometimes, it feels like there is such a thing as too much reality. Dana Brody is the angsty daughter of Nicholas Brody, a U.S. Marine Sergeant and prisoner of war held by al-Qaeda. If you’re wondering why her character even exists in this espionage thriller, you’re not alone. When her father returns, Dana’s teen angst takes center stage; she butts heads with her mother and struggles to understand her father. It’s a realistic portrayal of a teen girl, but something about it feels annoyingly out-of-place in this show about terrorism. Unsurprisingly, Dana quickly drew the ire of fans for her misplaced theatrics.

“24” (2001-10; 2014)

Speaking of annoying TV daughters, Jack Bauer’s is another one that audiences never really latched onto. Sure, there are other characters on “24” that viewers loved to hate, but Kim Bauer was in a league of her own. Right from the start, Kim was a magnet for trouble, from getting kidnapped by terrorists to being infected with a virus. Her role as the damsel in distress only spirals downwards, as she makes illogical decisions that get her more into trouble than out. Kim’s resentment of her father for her mother’s death, while realistic, only came off as whiny. It certainly didn’t help that the writers kept getting her into life-threatening situations, often with her priorities focused more on her boyfriends than said situations.

“How I Met Your Mother” (2005-14)

Irritating side characters are one thing. Unlikeable protagonists…well, that is a sign your show is on the rocks. In this CBS sitcom, Ted Mosby tells the tale of how he met his children’s mother. A heartwarming premise…except Ted’s nice guy antics ruin it. Despite him and Robin being fundamentally incompatible, and his undeniable chemistry with the actual Mother, Ted refuses to move on from Robin. The final straw for fans came when, after the Mother’s tragic death, Ted quickly went back to Robin. “How I Met Your Mother?” More like, “How I Discovered Aunt Robin Is the Love of My Life, Actually.” It’s not everyday you see a protagonist ruin his own show out of sheer delusion.

“The Walking Dead” (2010-22)

Some characters start off strong and then go off the deep end. From civil rights attorney to hardened warrior, Andrea is the group’s sharpshooter, almost undoing herself in grief after being forced to kill her infected sister. Things don’t get better for her after that. Andrea forms a relationship with the Governor, who turns out to be villainous, and shoots Daryl, nearly killing him. Even worse, she fails to kill the Governor, and is instead bitten by an infected Milton. All of this, plus the departure of her comic book character, made fans furious. What a sad ending for someone who started with so much promise.

“Dawson’s Creek” (1998-2003)

Another unlikeable protagonist is this show’s namesake. “Dawson’s Creek” was among the most popular teen-centered shows on The WB, but its protagonist left a lot to be desired. While we’re dragged through the highs and lows of his romantic life, Dawson’s sensitive aspiring filmmaker persona is constantly undermined by his sense of entitlement. His treatment of Jen was deplorable, and he is insensitive to his long-time friend, Joey, and her needs. Dawson also treats his other friend Pacey badly. When Joey finally chooses Pacey over him, Dawson’s jealous behavior borders on cruel. Self-absorbed, entitled, and hypocritical, his “nice guy” characterization is a hard pill to swallow.

“Glee” (2009-15)

Granted, “Glee” is definitely not without its controversial characters. Just look at bland and complicated teacher Will Schuester. But Rachel Berry is less of a gold star performer than a gold star nuisance. Though a driven and dedicated musical theater performer, Rachel is arrogant, entitled, and continuously makes questionable decisions. From pursuing her crush on her teacher to dating rivals and sabotaging anyone in her way, Rachel does whatever Rachel wants, and to hell with the consequences. She may think she knows best, but her ideas and visions often lead her to failure. Lea Michele’s alleged real-life diva behavior on-set did not help matters, either. Normally, we’d hate to rain on anyone’s parade…but in this case, it’s a well-deserved storm.

Which other awful character do you feel was a cloud that rained on everyone’s parade? Let us know in the comments down below!