Sometimes, characters come into a show and totally revitalize it.
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The CW
Looking at you, Klaus Mikaelson.
Other times, they just make everything worse, and sometimes even make a show unwatchable. Well, a while back, I made a list of the best and worst character additions to TV shows, and people had a ton of thoughts in the comments. Here are 29 character additions people hate with a passion.
Note: I do not endorse all these. Justice for Dawn, Juliet, and Kira!
1. Andy on The Office
Ron Tom / NBC / Courtesy: Everett Collection
“He was extremely annoying throughout; there was, like, a season or two after anger management where he’s more muted down but still just another delusional Michael archetype. And he was too old for Erin. He didn’t add anything new personality-wise.”
2. Teddy on Grey’s Anatomy
Peter ‘Hopper’ Stone / ABC / Courtesy Everett Collection
“I see your Amelia Shepherd and raise you Teddy Altman. Admittedly a lot worse in her original run (forcing Cristina to repeat the details of her pointless ‘husband’s’ death over and over again), but she has very few redeeming qualities.”
“Totally agree with this. I don’t know how I feel about Teddy being back. I do not think she needed to come back. The only thing that happened is that Amelia left Owen and found Link. Owen, yes, changed for the better, and got with his one true love, finally, but other than that.”
3. Chris Traeger on Parks and Recreation
Danny Feld / NBC / Courtesy Everett Collection
“He’s a terrible friend to everyone except Ben, arguably the worst boyfriend Ann ever had, and he doesn’t really change or evolve. The audience only likes him so much because Rob Lowe made him funny.”
4. Abigael Caine on Charmed
The WB
“She was a self-insert of the white writers room. And was made to sideline the WOC Vera-Vaughn sisters.”
5. Sara Lance on Arrow
Bettina Strauss/The CW Network / courtesy Everett Collection
“Unpopular opinion, but her character should’ve stayed dead. She was a horrible sister to Laurel, and she didn’t deserve Nyssa’s love and loyalty either. 0/10 shitty person.”
The CW
6. Ryder on Glee
Mike Yarish / Fox / Courtesy: Everett Collection
“Ryder on Glee only cared about how he thought he deserved Marley because he was The Nice Guy. Not to mention, the fact that he was transphobic (yes, even before he found out about the catfishing).”
Exhibit A…
Fox
7. Robin Hood on Once Upon a Time
Katie Yu / ABC / courtesy Everett Collection
“Robin Hood in Once Upon a Time ruined the classic romance of Robin and Marian. Not to mention the fact that his character’s writing was just usually absolutely awful. His romance with Regina was just so flat.”
8. Walden on Two and a Half Men
Sonja Flemming / CBS / courtesy Everett Collection
“If they had to get rid of Charlie Sheen, then they should’ve just ended the show at Season 8. Ashton Kutcher wasn’t really funny or interesting in those last seasons, but I kept watching just to see if they were ever gonna bring Charlie Sheen back.”
9. Billy on Who’s the Boss?
Columbia TriStar Television/ Courtesy: Everett Collection.
“Who’s the Boss? added in a child Billy later in the series when Samantha and Jonathan had gotten older. The character was useless and only lasted a season before being written off.”
10. Frankie on Community
Trae Patton / Yahoo / courtesy Everett Collection
“I don’t know what specifically it is about her, but I can’t stand her character.”
“Agree. While I like the actress playing her — Paget Brewster — I never understood the point of her character. I didn’t dislike her, but didn’t know why she was there.”
11. Dawn on Buffy the Vampire Slayer
UPN
“She served her purpose in Season 5, but she served no purpose except as another who was affected by the Season 6 big bad (it wasn’t Willow, it was life itself, per Joss [Whedon]).”
12. Monica on Girlfriends
Ron Tom / Paramount Television / Courtesy: Everett Collection
“She’s such a weird case. I actually liked her character when she joined the show [in] the last two seasons, but I’m still going to say she hurt the show because she wasn’t Toni. The show should have properly wrapped before the actress who played Toni left. It wasn’t the same.”
13. Nellie on The Office
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NBC
“Her character was so painful.”
“Nellie was just creepy and not funny at all.”
“Nellie was so annoying!! And her quips were just cringe.”
14. Robby on New Girl
Patrick McElhenney / Fox / Courtesy: Everett Collection
“The whole Season 6 arc of him with Jess and all the injuries was so cringey.”
In case you didn’t watch the show, the Season 6 arc the above user is referring to is Jess and Robby dating, then realizing they were actually cousins.
Fox
15. April on Gilmore Girls
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The WB
“She was basically a knockoff Rory, and her only purpose was to break up Luke and Lorelai.”
“It didn’t add anything to the plot other than making viewers frustrated and changing Luke’s character arc. I don’t think he would have hidden the truth from Lorelai.”
16. Kira on Teen Wolf
MTV
“Kira kind of bugged me. Too soon after Allison, I guess — her relationship with Scott felt a little forced to me.”
“I hated Kira. She def did not help the show; she just made it more awkward. Awkward was her only personality trait.”
17. Dorian on Moesha
Courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection / Everett Collection
“He never really experienced any growth on the show, plus that whole storyline with him being Frank’s secret son instead of nephew changed Frank’s character from [a] strict but loving dad to a deadbeat. This was also a slap in the face to the show’s primarily Black audience because he was a really positive portrayal of Black fatherhood.”
18. Lila on The Umbrella Academy
Netflix
“I really disliked Lila in The Umbrella Academy. Even after she had powers, I still just thought of her as Diego’s annoying girlfriend.”
“Unpopular opinion: I cannot stand Lila in The Umbrella Academy, and her and Diego have no chemistry.”
19. Lila on Dexter
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Showtime
“HURT (to a painful degree that makes Season 2 unwatchable): Lila on Dexter. The final serial killer love interest in the end was bad, too, but no one was as grating or un-fun to watch as Lila.”
20. Randy on That ’70s Show
20th Century Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection
“[He] was literally a knockoff Eric; it wasn’t the same.”
“They tried to combine Eric and Kelso into one character to make up for their absences, and it was a fuckin’ train wreck.”
“My problem with Randy was that they tried to force him and Donna into a relationship. Her neighbor/best friend/significant other left the country, and the writers were like, ‘Oh no, Donna can’t take some time to be single and recover from this breakup.’ If they had just introduced Randy as a new friend/Hyde’s employee, I think his character would have been better received.”
21. Amanda on Revenge
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ABC
“I literally would skip every scene she was in and just read the episode summary on IMDb so I would know what happened with her. It was definitely more the character who got on my nerves, but I also just couldn’t listen to that actress’s voice. I don’t know why.”
“I liked the twist at first, but then she started ruining my ship, so [I] started to hate her.”
22. Logan on Gilmore Girls
Patrick Ecclesine / Warner Bros./Everett Collection
“Rory became a spineless, annoying girl who would do anything just to have a boyfriend. … The show just went downhill after his introduction.”
23. Riley on Buffy the Vampire Slayer
20th Century Fox / courtesy Everett Collection
“My vote’s Riley. I guess his presence shook things up, but he at least outstayed his welcome by half a season.”
“Riley was hands down the worst in every way, and I can’t believe he was on the show for as long as he was.”
24. Oliver on The Brady Bunch
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ABC
“It’s a sure sign that a show is slipping in the ratings when they bring in a little kid who they think will perk up the show. It didn’t work with Ollie. And that was The Brady Bunch’s final season!”
25. Amelia on Grey’s Anatomy…
Nicole Wilder / ABC / courtesy Everett Collection
“Ugh, go away. Take Owen with you if you want, LOL.”
26. …and Maggie on Grey’s Anatomy
Richard Cartwright / ABC / courtesy Everett Collection
“Amelia and Maggie. How come such talented, devoted, and educated women are focused only on men? Like, what the fuck?”
27. Billie and Christy on Charmed
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Mitchell Haddad / Viacom / Courtesy Everett Collection
“The worst have to be Billie and Christy from Charmed. It took me forever to warm up to Kaley Cuoco on The Big Bang Theory because Billie had been so awful.”
“Totally agree! I’m rewatching Charmed right now and forgot how much I hated Billie; she’s so selfish and annoying. Christy’s not here yet. I’m dreading her appearance.”
28. Will on Supergirl
The CW
“His character was alright in the beginning, but he got annoying and added nothing to the show.”
“Will on Supergirl really was a waste of time. Added nothing to the show and was bland as heck. Zero chemistry with anyone and was plain boring to look at.”
29. And finally, Ivy and Juliet on Gossip Girl
Giovanni Rufino / The CW / Courtesy Everett Collection, Giovanni Rufino/CW Network / courtesy Everett Collection
“All the dumb fucking characters they added in the later seasons of Gossip Girl, like Ivy and [Juliet]. They served no purpose but to be annoying.”