# Terrible characters from great shows.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [April 26, 2020, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614 "2020-04-26T14:49:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@CastletonSnob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CastletonSnob)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2020, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/1 "2020-04-26T14:49:05Z")
A follow-up to my “Terrible episodes of great shows” thread.
Even great shows can have characters that bring the rest of the show down, whether it’s because of the character’s actions, the character’s actor/actress, or the character is just plain annoying. Who are some such characters?
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### Author:  [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2020, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/2 "2020-04-26T14:54:59Z")
Never liked Tony’s sister Janice on the Sopranos. I think her role was expanded when Tony’s mother died in the show when the actress died.
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### Author:  [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2020, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/3 "2020-04-26T15:03:08Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#):
>
> Never liked Tony’s sister Janice on the Sopranos. I think her role was expanded when Tony’s mother died in the show when the actress died.
Her character was supposed to be evil. She was a female Tony and she was ruthless and manipulative.
My choice would be Artie Buccos wife, the restaurateur. Her accent could peel paint. And could she nag.
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### Author:  [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2020, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/4 "2020-04-26T15:14:54Z")
Brother Mouzone on The Wire was basically a comic book character in a hyper realistic show.
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### Author:  [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2020, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/5 "2020-04-26T15:17:07Z")
I know Janice Soprano was supposed to be bad, still did not like her.
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2020, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/6 "2020-04-26T15:24:28Z")
On the Mary Tyler Moore Show, Ted was too stupid and annoying to not be fired, though they did eventually tone him down a bit.
WKRP: Herb, he should not have remained employed, it just didn’t make sense in the end. Though they also toned him down a bit.
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### Author:  [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2020, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/7 "2020-04-26T15:49:38Z")
Major Frank Burns in M_A_S\*H. Over the top annoying. And I remember my older sister saying, “Christ, at least the writers could have let him be a good _doctor.”_
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### Author:  [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2020, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/8 "2020-04-26T15:57:01Z")
Voyager had a lot of other flaws, but also some very good aspects - it could be argued to be great.
Neelix ruined every episode he was in. The worst thing was, we were supposed to like him and think he was a wonderful, kind person. Even with all his “Mr Vulcan” stuff.
And the one time I went to a Star Trek con we were given a free autographed photo in our goody bags. Guess whose it was?
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### Author:  [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2020, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/9 "2020-04-26T16:04:59Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#):
>
> Voyager had a lot of other flaws, but also some very good aspects - it could be argued to be great.
>
> Neelix ruined every episode he was in. The worst thing was, we were supposed to like him and think he was a wonderful, kind person. Even with all his “Mr Vulcan” stuff.
>
> And the one time I went to a Star Trek con we were given a free autographed photo in our goody bags. Guess whose it was?
Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnn’s?
ETA: I wouldn’t call it a great show, but Patricia Heaton’s Deborah on “Everybody Loves Raymond” made me want to punch her in the ovary.
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### Author:  [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2020, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/10 "2020-04-26T16:05:39Z")
The TV show “The Shield” was great, but I disliked the character of Julian, the closeted gay cop. Every time they had a subplot involving him, the story seemed to screech to a halt. Maybe it’s because the stakes always seemed so trivial to me compared to all of the other stuff that was going on in that show.
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### Author:  [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2020, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/11 "2020-04-26T17:30:39Z")
Kate from ‘Lost’ was pretty annoying. They tried to make her so interesting and bad-ass, ooooh, a girl ‘criminal’! She was always butting in. “I’m going too. I’m going with you.” Vacant faced beeyotch in that triangle with Jack and Sawyer. We used to say, ‘oh, there she goes again. Feisty Kate!’ She was always annoying and just getting in the way.
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### Author:  [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2020, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/12 "2020-04-26T17:43:47Z")
Nobody has mentioned the young cousin from Brady Bunch?
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### Author:  [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2020, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/13 "2020-04-26T17:46:38Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#):
>
> Major Frank Burns in M_A_S\*H. Over the top annoying. And I remember my older sister saying, “Christ, at least the writers could have let him be a good _doctor.”_
The TV series toned it down from the movie. In the movie, he wasn’t a buffoon, he was just vicious. And also an incompetent doctor.
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### Author:  [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2020, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/14 "2020-04-26T18:58:22Z")
I loved Star Trek: The Next Generation, despite it featuring three hyper-annoying characters: Deanna Troi, Wesley Crusher, and Q.
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### Author:  [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2020, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/15 "2020-04-26T19:19:52Z")
I loved Star Trek: The Next Generation, despite it featuring three hyper-annoying characters: Deanna Troi, Wesley Crusher, and Q.
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### Author:  [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2020, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/16 "2020-04-26T20:12:26Z")
> [@hogarth](#):
>
> The TV show “The Shield” was great, but I disliked the character of Julian, the closeted gay cop. Every time they had a subplot involving him, the story seemed to screech to a halt. Maybe it’s because the stakes always seemed so trivial to me compared to all of the other stuff that was going on in that show.
You don’t have to worry about seeing him again, he’s serving 40 years in prison for killing his wife.
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### Author:  [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)
#### Post date: [April 26, 2020, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/17 "2020-04-26T20:17:33Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#):
>
> Neelix ruined every episode he was in. The worst thing was, we were supposed to like him and think he was a wonderful, kind person. Even with all his “Mr Vulcan” stuff.
Always loved this clip of [Tuvok kicking his ass](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXKSZ566SBI). [Yes I am fully aware that they at some point became merged into one being]
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### Author:  [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2020, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/18 "2020-04-27T04:57:16Z")
Abby on NCIS. Annoying, emotionally immature, no character development whatsoever over 15 seasons. Every other character changed and matured, she was the same emo high schoolish caricature. I couldn’t believe it when I learned Pauley Perette was like a full decade older than Sean Murray and Brian Dietzen. At some point, nearing 50 years old and playing someone who acts and dresses like a rebellious 16-year-old is just embarrassing. I don’t know how they managed to give everybody else some kind of depth but not her.
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### Author:  [@Calavera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calavera)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2020, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/19 "2020-04-27T05:06:31Z")
Pretty much any scene in _Friends_ that heavily featured Phoebe was a stinker.
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### Author:  [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2020, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-characters-from-great-shows/852614/20 "2020-04-27T05:57:43Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#):
>
> WKRP: Herb, he should not have remained employed, it just didn’t make sense in the end. Though they also toned him down a bit.
There was one episode where he had jury duty and the station found out the hard way why Herb was, in fact, a valued addition to the staff. In another, Johnny tried to scam Herb with a sucker bet and lost big. Herb knows every sleazy trick and dodge an ad client could possibly pull and knows how to come out on top. And what other kind of client would a low-rated station like WKRP possibly have?
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