19 TV Characters That Were Just So Bad, They Pretty Much Ruined Their Shows

    "I actively fast-forwarded through most of his scenes."

    Lauren Garafano
    by Lauren Garafano

    BuzzFeed Staff

    We asked the BuzzFeed Community which TV characters were so bad — like genuinely insufferable — that they pretty much ruined their shows. Here's what they said:

    1. Nathan Shelley from Ted Lasso

    closeup of him in training gear on the field
    Apple TV+ / Everett Collection

    "I'm all for lifting others to help them become more confident like Ted did with him in the first season, but Nate's subsequent tendency to be horrible to others when he feels low and inability to laugh at himself made me so upset. To this day, I'm having trouble finishing the show. I will at some point, but too much time is dedicated to what feels like an incredibly petty villain origin story."

    —crazyplantlaura

    2. Laurie from Euphoria

    Woman in a kitchen with a fridge covered in magnets, looking concerned
    HBO

    "She is nothing but a sadistic psychopath who simply wants to cause chaos towards Rue and everyone else simply because she failed in life, so she is taking it out on Rue."

    —tanyam44ab2253d

    3. Jason Carver from Stranger Things

    closeup of him in a polo at a party
    Netflix / Everett Collection

    "It was a forced storyline, and honestly, he looks like he’s 30, not 17-18. I always fast-forward through his scenes. I sort of get what they THOUGHT they were doing, but his shit just took up time that should have been used with other storylines."

    —abbyismydog

    4. Roland Schitt from Schitt's Creek

    closeup of him sitting at a desk
    Steve Wilkie / ©CBC/POP / courtesy Everett Collection

    "Awful."

    —maekess

    "I loved that show so much but hated him. I’m not sure if it was the character or Chris Elliot, but I hated him."

    —cathyb26

    5. Manny Delgado from Modern Family

    teen sitting by the pool with his feet in
    Abc / ©ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Manny was cute for maybe one season and then just so cringey...Thankfully, the rest of the show and characters are so great that they make up for him."

    —fancyarcher15

    6. Matt Donovan from The Vampire Diaries

    closeup of him holding a cue stick
    Cw Network / ©CW Network/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "That guy is just ughhhh. Such an empty character."

    —angelicasteroid53

    7. Gina Linetti from Brooklyn Nine-Nine

    Gina from Brooklyn Nine-Nine lounges at her desk surrounded by office supplies and personal items
    20thcentfox / ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "I’ve never hated a character anywhere near as much as I hate Gina. She was self-centered, obnoxious, condescending, and just plain MEAN (especially to Amy) for no reason. She could be very funny and had great chemistry with Holt, but those things aren’t enough to outweigh all her other terrible personality traits."

    —duckandgoose25

    8. Ann Perkins from Parks and Recreation

    closeup of her scrunching her face in disapproval
    Nbc / ©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Ann Perkins adds nothing to Parks and Rec. The show would still work 100% without her. I don't think Rashida Jones is funny or a good actor, so maybe if played by another actor, I'd like Ann more."

    —doofenshmirtzevilinc

    9. Andy Bernard from The Office

    andy sitting on top of his desk in a suit
    Nbc / ©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "He's a horrible character that added nothing to the show."

    —witchytable55

    "He's the worst character ever. He has zero redeeming qualities."

    —sophiesmama

    10. Izzy Stevens from Grey's Anatomy

    Izzy in medical scrubs smiling off-camera on a TV set
    Abc / ©ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "I can’t stand Izzy. I legit can’t watch any episodes where she has significant storylines because I just want to lose it. I felt like she brought nothing to the group and was overly emotional in everything she did!"

    —rachelkdegnan

    "She's SO fucking judgmental. According to her, it's practically a moral outrage to have different hobbies than she does. And god forbid you expect to have some personal boundaries. Yeesh. That is no small part of why I quit watching."

    —sarahbird

    11. Ross Gellar from Friends

    Ross from Friends sits at a desk surrounded by dinosaur artifacts, wearing a jacket and tie with a dinosaur-themed shirt
    Warner Bros. Television / Warner Bros. Television/ Courtesy: Everett Collection.

    "He's beyond annoying, not funny, and in real life, there's zero chance any of the other characters would be ‘friends’ with him."

    —fancyking64

    12. Hazel Wassername from 30 Rock

    closeup of her with short hair, wearing a dress
    NBC / youtube.com

    "I love that show and have it on in the background when I go to sleep, but I dread when she shows up. Like Liz said, 'You're just another weird Page and I already have one of those.'"

    —kate3

    13. Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother

    Neil Patrick Harris in a vest and dress shirt on a TV show set
    Cbs / ©CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "The guy was sexist and just all-around horrible. He once joked about selling a woman. I get that was his whole character, but the rest of the characters just let him get away with all of it, which really dragged the show into sleazy territory. After the first disgusting comment, they should have stopped hanging out with him."

    —smileycupcake783

    14. Castiel from Supernatural

    closeup of him standing outside
    Cw Network / ©CW Network/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "I know I’m one of only a few people who feel this way, but don’t @ me to give me hate because I don’t care. It’s nothing against Misha Collins or his portrayal. I just felt that adding this character was a mistake. I guess maybe it might make sense when I explain that I also think the show should have ended with Season 5. The show just rambled on mercilessly from there."

    —atticcrazy

    "I don't think much of Collins' acting ability, but that's not even the real issue; he should've been killed off at the end of Season 5, plain and simple. The character was utterly superfluous after that point. I still find myself wishing the writer's strike had never happened. Castiel was a poorly thought out, last-minute invention meant to patch up loose ends when the season got shortened by several episodes. The original plan was for Sam to rescue Dean himself, which would've been amazing, with the added bonus of sparing us all a decade-plus of one of the most irritating, overrated side characters in television history."

    —relly

    15. Randall Pearson on This Is Us

    closeup of him wearing glasses and a vest over a sweater as he stands outside
    Nbc / ©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "His character was the most obnoxious, know-it-all, conniving, controlling phony person you could conjure up. It spoiled the show for me. Whenever I see Sterling K. Brown now as an actor in anything else, it makes the show unwatchable."

    —dazzlingcloud62

    16. Mandy Hampton from The West Wing

    closeup of her looking up
    NBC

    "Her character was so obnoxious and brought nothing to the rest of the excellent ensemble. I think she was supposed to be Josh's love interest. But I’m so glad the writers wised up and sent her to 'Mandyville' and had the slow-burn love story of Josh and Donna."

    —amydinnc

    17. Tom Haverford from Parks and Recreation

    closeup of him looking into the camera wearing a suit
    Nbc / ©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "His character was so scuzzy and over the top. I actively fast-forwarded through most of his scenes."

    —zekey123

    18. Owen Hunt from Grey's Anatomy

    Owen Hunt from Grey's Anatomy in scrubs, looking concerned in a hospital setting
    Abc / ©ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "He’s so hypocritical and acts like nothing can ever be his fault."

    —aarico203

    "Also, whatever woman he’s with always seems to have a substantial dip in character. I’m still convinced the writers decided to do the brain tumor arc with Amelia because they realized how annoying she became...thanks to her relationship with Owen."

    —rachelkdegnan

    19. Pierce Hawthorne on Community

    pierce holding up a large book
    Nbc / ©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Nothing fun came from that character, and the show did absolutely fine without him. They should have just got rid of him sooner."

    —cleverdog30

    Responses have been edited for length/clarity. 

    So, did your favorite (or least favorite) make the list? Let us know in the comments!