# The most annoying recurring characters on TV **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 9, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-recurring-characters-on-tv/690421 "2014-06-09T17:41:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-recurring-characters-on-tv/690421/1 "2014-06-09T17:41:41Z")
All shows of all time are fair game- current, canceled, past & present. Cal Lightman of _Lie to Me_. Especially in the third season, where he could never seem to stand or sit upright but kept in constant squirmy motion. He made a play for almost every female client, which was misguided, as he is one of the most unattractive male characters ever to appear on TV. Sarah Linden of _The Killing_. Yeah, I know she’s troubled. But geez… rude to her partner, constantly scowling, monosyllabic, walks away from people without a word. Hard to root for her. Inspector Morse of _Inspector Morse_. Arrogant, drunk, not as hot as he thinks he is. Interestingly, the character as portrayed in \*Endeavour \*is not annoying at all (to me). ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-recurring-characters-on-tv/690421/2 "2014-06-09T17:53:33Z")
Horatio Caine, CSI: Miami. Also, perhaps less well-known internationally, Helen Cutter from UK dino-sci-fi Primeval. Gah, even the way that woman ate an apple was annoying. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-recurring-characters-on-tv/690421/3 "2014-06-09T17:59:11Z")
Urkel. Lt. Randy Disher on Monk. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a likable character. But he’s also a competent detective although the writers frequently cast him as a buffoon and used him as comic relief. You can humanize a character without turning him into a clown. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-recurring-characters-on-tv/690421/4 "2014-06-09T18:00:50Z")
Ensign Pavel Chekov ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-recurring-characters-on-tv/690421/5 "2014-06-09T18:09:29Z")
The Polish neighbor lady on 2Broke Girls. I gave up on that show long ago. I found that character to be particularly obnoxious. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-recurring-characters-on-tv/690421/6 "2014-06-09T18:21:08Z")
Horshack. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-recurring-characters-on-tv/690421/7 "2014-06-09T18:24:02Z")
Kripke of Big Bang Theory. I second the Polish lady on 2 Broke Girls. Her voice is annoying and to me she looks like a tranny with no clothes sense. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-recurring-characters-on-tv/690421/8 "2014-06-09T18:26:01Z")
Every single toddler/toddler+ child actor in the history of television who has lines. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-recurring-characters-on-tv/690421/9 "2014-06-09T18:32:03Z")
Wesley Crusher ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-recurring-characters-on-tv/690421/10 "2014-06-09T18:38:40Z")
I’m not sure I’d label Sarah Linden of _The Killing_ as a “recurring character”. She’s the main character. In fact, all of the OP’s examples aren’t recurring - they’re all leads. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-recurring-characters-on-tv/690421/11 "2014-06-09T18:40:45Z")
Daphne out of off of Frasier and The Scooby Doo Show ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-recurring-characters-on-tv/690421/12 "2014-06-09T18:59:07Z")
Walt Jr. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-recurring-characters-on-tv/690421/13 "2014-06-09T19:32:09Z")
Jean-Ralphio from _Parks and Recreation_. Granted, he is funny, but funny in a I-want-him-strangled-before-he-opens-his-mouth way. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-recurring-characters-on-tv/690421/14 "2014-06-09T19:34:37Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > I’m not sure I’d label Sarah Linden of _The Killing_ as a “recurring character”. She’s the main character. In fact, all of the OP’s examples aren’t recurring - they’re all leads. By _recurring_ I mean someone who appears/appeared regularly in a show, as opposed to someone who makes/made a one-time guest appearance. The _lead_ is one type of recurring character. The main characters are another type of recurring character. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-recurring-characters-on-tv/690421/15 "2014-06-09T19:44:34Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Jean-Ralphio from _Parks and Recreation_. > > Granted, he is funny, but funny in a I-want-him-strangled-before-he-opens-his-mouth way. His sister Mona Lisa is even worse. She makes Jean-Ralphio look reasonable and self-aware by comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-recurring-characters-on-tv/690421/16 "2014-06-09T19:53:25Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > By _recurring_ I mean someone who appears/appeared regularly in a show, as opposed to someone who makes/made a one-time guest appearance. > > The _lead_ is one type of recurring character. The main characters are another type of recurring character. I was confused about this too, since the meaning of “recurring character” I was familiar with is the one given at [TVTropes](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RecurringCharacter) and [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recurring_character): > [@](#): > > A character that does not appear in every episode, but is in enough of them to affect the storyline on a regular basis. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-recurring-characters-on-tv/690421/17 "2014-06-09T20:08:18Z")
Angel Martin on Rockford Files. Annoying little shit that Rockford should have dumped in the river a long time ago. Caused more trouble for Jim that he was worth. Orville Wilbur “Rick” Wright in Magnum PI. Not annoying in every episode, but when he was bad he was a whiny little punk with terminal short man syndrome. Insecure, narcissistic, and sometimes a downright jerk. His inability to see reality in the episode where his sister got murdered is not excused by it being his sister. Magnum may have used him shamelessly, but Rick made Magnum seem like the good guy. Det Joe Fontana in L&O mothership. Probably on the take, threatened to physically abuse not only suspects, but witnesses as well. Bent the rules, but not in a likeable way. However, probably the most realistic representation of NYPD in any L&O franchise. 😉 Brenda Frickin Leigh Johnson, The Closer. Talk about narcissistic! She’s the poster child. I don’t even think she is aware how much she is all take and no give. Let alone setting several people up to be murdered, her self-righteous streak had to be fed even if she was wrong. And poor Fritz! He shoulda run when he had the chance! She’s like the stereotypical top HS football player who is coddled through HS and college, and never had to answer for anything. All her messes were cleaned up for her. Everyone is just so in awe of her, no one ever calls her on her BS. I don’t think she even knows that was happening. It’s just her magic, I guess! The world does not touch her. And a comment about **cochrane** ’s mention of Lt Discher - he was a Lieutenant, fer cripes sake. You have to pass tests to be promoted to that. There’s no way he could be as stupid as he was shown, and yet be where he was. To be fair, in some episodes, he WAS pretty sharp. But like the title character as well, the character writing was very inconsistent over the run of the show. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-recurring-characters-on-tv/690421/18 "2014-06-09T20:41:16Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > The Polish neighbor lady on 2Broke Girls. I gave up on that show long ago. I found that character to be particularly obnoxious. You were making the classic mistake of watching 2BG with the sound on. > [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Brenda Frickin Leigh Johnson, The Closer. Talk about narcissistic! She’s the poster child. I don’t even think she is aware how much she is all take and no give. Actually I think she did know. Just before she married Fritz, she tearfully confessed to him that she didn’t understand why he was with her, because she was a horrible person and he was not. It was both heartening and heart-breaking, because she clearly didn’t want to be the way she was; she just didn’t know how to be otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-recurring-characters-on-tv/690421/19 "2014-06-09T20:42:48Z")
Rory Gilmore. It’s not that she was that bad, but the hero worship _every other damn character_ had for her, made her very annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2014, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-recurring-characters-on-tv/690421/20 "2014-06-09T20:45:09Z")
> [@Mr\_Shine](#): > > Rory Gilmore. It’s not that she was that bad, but the hero worship _every other damn character_ had for her, made her very annoying. Not EVERY other character worshipped her; you forget Paris. And by the end of his time on the show, Dean had grown to seriously dislike her. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-annoying-recurring-characters-on-tv/690421.md?page=2)