JuicyTalk
Many TV characters are made for the audience to fall for them and root for them until the end, but it has happened many times that those same characters end up being hated, for different reasons. Even the best TV shows of all time have some questionable characters who were initially loved by the audience, while there are others who were hated at first and are now loved.
There are many reasons why a once-beloved character can fall from grace with the audience. In many cases, the writers of the show make questionable decisions that affect these characters and change their personalities and/or stories, while others don’t give them the development and growth they need and deserve.
In other cases, characters have become hated years after their shows aired, as their flaws become more evident upon reexamination. These characters can’t be redeemed anymore, but other shows can learn from their fall.
Fez
That ‘70s Show
Fez (Wilmer Valderrama) starts as the comedic, naive, yet charming foreign exchange student who befriends Eric, Donna, Kelso, Hyde, and Jackie. Fez is key to the comedy and charm of That ‘70s Show thanks to his thick accent, cultural clashes, misunderstandings due to the language barrier, and his strong confidence.
However, Fez didn’t get the character development and growth that he should have gotten when the show progressed and the characters went from teenagers to young adults. The result was Fez becoming a creepy character who many label as a “pervert”, staying as a one-dimensional, stereotypical character, and his forced relationship with Jackie only made it even worse.
Debbie Gallagher
Shameless (US)
The Gallagher family in Shameless is formed by complex characters not necessarily written to be loved by the audience, though some earned the audience’s affection and support due to their personal journeys. One of them was Debbie (Emma Kenney), the youngest Gallagher daughter, who started as a caring and nurturing character, who was also very compassionate with her father despite his abandonment.
By the end of Shameless, Debbie had become one of the most hated characters of the show. Debbie ended up as a selfish, manipulative, and ungrateful character, with some of her most questionable decisions being sexually assaulting an adult friend, getting pregnant at 15 to “trap” her boyfriend, and her constant neglect of her daughter.
It’s worth noting that Debbie’s fall from grace can be justified by all the trauma she went through since she was a kid, lack of professional help to process that trauma, and the repetition of her parents’ toxic patterns.
Rory Gilmore
Gilmore Girls
Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) is the main character of Gilmore Girls, alongside her mother, Lorelai (Lauren Graham), so she had to be a character that the audience could root for. Rory started as the sweet, polite, smart, ambitious, and kind girl everyone in Stars Hollow knew, loved, and respected, but as the show evolved and Rory grew up, she didn’t exactly mature and learn.
Rory is now seen as entitled, selfish, and lacking accountability, with some of her most questionable moments being sleeping with Dean while he was married, not being aware of her privilege, and being judgmental of others, such as her best friend, Lane. Unfortunately, the revival Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life showed that Rory still hasn’t changed and learned from her mistakes as an adult.
Carrie Bradshaw
Sex and the City
Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) is the lead character of Sex and the City, being the author of the title column and the narrator of the show. Carrie shares the spotlight with her best friends Samantha (Kim Cattrall), Charlotte (Kristin Davis), and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), but, ultimately, the show always went back to her and her relationships, especially that with Mr. Big (Chris Noth).
Carrie was initially seen as likable, real, and relatable, but those are no longer the words viewers would use to describe her. Carrie is mostly hated for being a terrible friend, with too many examples of this throughout the six seasons of Sex and the City, as well as being selfish, irresponsible, and judgmental, the latter being especially notable given the topics she wrote about for a living.
Dan Humphrey
Gossip Girl
Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley) is the outcast at the beginning of Gossip Girl, being a scholarship student who wasn’t at the same level as his classmates when it comes to wealth – and yet, he managed to blend with them through his relationship with Serena (Blake Lively) and friendship with the rest, especially Nate (Chace Crawford).
Dan was initially liked for being the loner and outsider, through which the audience got to experience the chaotic lifestyle of the rest, but he wasn’t a good guy at all. Dan is now labeled as hypocritical, manipulative, and judgmental, and all of this was made worse with the reveal of him being Gossip Girl, meaning that he spent years destroying the lives of his friends and family, and didn’t feel any remorse.
Andy Bernard
The Office
The main cast of The Office is formed by a variety of characters with different personalities and styles, which makes it easier for viewers to connect with them. Among them is Andy Bernard (Ed Helms), the Regional Director of Sales at Dunder Mifflin’s Stamford branch, who joined the show in season 3.
Andy started as a rage-filled employee, with this being the core of his comedic moments, and even after treating his anger issues, Andy continued to be likable as The Office showed his more human side. However, Andy went through reverse character development, especially after his relationship with Erin, becoming selfish, arrogant, vindictive, and even cruel.
Jerry Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Another case of the lead character of a show going from beloved to hated is Jerry Seinfeld, from Seinfeld (of course). In the show, Jerry is a stand-up comedian and is seen as the voice of reason in his chaotic world, especially among his friends. All the main characters in Seinfeld are terrible people, but Jerry is now considered the worst.
Jerry is selfish, lacks empathy, mistreats people, and can be cruel at times, but most of the dislike for the character comes from recent perspectives. Jerry was loved during Seinfeld’s run for being the anchor amid the chaos around him, and his worst qualities were compatible with those of his friends.
Barney Stinson
How I Met Your Mother
Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) is the playboy of the group in How I Met Your Mother, and as such, he’s a highly charismatic character and key to the show’s comedy. However, when looking closer at his actions and overall personality throughout How I Met Your Mother, it’s clear that Barney has very toxic traits that were used for laughs.
Barney was predatory, manipulative, rude, and misogynistic, with many pointing out how he recorded his sexual encounters without consent as not only proof of how horrible he was, but also of how much the show lacked awareness in many areas. While Harris’ performance is definitely great, the character desperately needed development and growth.
Daenerys Targaryen
Game of Thrones
Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) is one of the last survivors of the House of Targaryen, and was an immediate fan-favorite thanks to her journey from an abused young girl into a powerful leader, her strength, her sense of justice, and compassion, but it all crashed down when her descent into the “Mad Queen” began.
Viewers felt that Daenerys’ villainous turn happened too fast, and became the opposite of what she was loved for. Daenerys became cruel, entitled, and an incompetent ruler, with many questionable decisions and actions that made some viewers cheer for her demise.
Ross Geller
Friends
Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) is part of the main group in Friends, and though the show follows all six main characters, it mostly focuses on Ross and his chaotic relationship with Rachel (Jennifer Aniston). As such, viewers get a close look at Ross’ personality, quirks, backstory, and many ups and downs, but out of the group, he’s the one with the biggest lack of growth and development.
Ross is very controlling, manipulative, feels superior to everyone, constantly lies, often shows toxic masculinity, and lacks accountability. What’s worse is that all those traits are used for laughs throughout Friends, but viewers now see Ross as he is and have labeled him as the worst character in Friends.
- Release Date
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1994 – 2004
- Showrunner
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Marta Kauffman
- Directors
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Kevin S. Bright, Gary Halvorson, Michael Lembeck, James Burrows, Gail Mancuso, Peter Bonerz, David Schwimmer, Robby Benson, Shelley Jensen, Terry Hughes, Dana De Vally Piazza, Alan Myerson, Pamela Fryman, Steve Zuckerman, Thomas Schlamme, Roger Christiansen, Sheldon Epps, Arlene Sanford, David Steinberg, Joe Regalbuto, Mary Kay Place, Paul Lazarus, Sam Simon, Todd Holland
- Writers
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Jeff Astrof, Mike Sikowitz, Brian Boyle, Patty Lin, Bill Lawrence, R. Lee Fleming Jr.
