Although TV shows have always been relatively supportive of their main characters, some disrespected them far too often. TV show characters have frequently been scorned by their writers in several ways, such as giving them poor or inconsistent characterization, storylines that made little sense, or ruining their arcs with retcons or backstory alterations. Retcons in TV have notably caused the downfall of characters, mainly because their past and present became so complex that it was hard to remember what was canonical or not.

Even the best TV shows of all time have been guilty of disrespecting their characters on odd occasions, but some have damaged their most popular personalities regularly throughout their runs. As each respective show progressed, the decline in these characters’ relatability and appeal gradually declined, which was disappointing when they began as endearing and worth investing in. Although plenty of TV characters received stellar treatment and development, some shows dropped the ball and failed to realize their full potential.

15

Gilmore Girls & Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life

Example: Rory Gilmore

• 

  Gilmore Girls

  In the fictional town of Star’s Hollow, single mother Lorelai Gilmore raises her high-achieving teenage daughter Rory. Mother and daughter rely on each other throughout their own life changes, romantic entanglements, and friendships.

  Cast

  Lauren Graham
  , Scott Patterson
  , Sean Gunn
  , Keiko Agena
  , Matt Czuchry
  , Alexis Bledel
  , Yanic Truesdale
  , Kelly Bishop
  , Melissa McCarthy
  , Edward Herrmann
  , Liza Weil
  , Jared Padalecki
  , Milo Ventimiglia

  Release Date

  
  October 5, 2000
  

  Seasons

  7

• 

  Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life

  Where to Watch

  *Availability in US

  • stream
  • rent
  • buy

  Not available

  Not available

  Not available

  Acting as a follow-up to the original series, Gilmore Girls, A Year In The Life is a comedy-drama series. Having completed her stint on the Obama campaign trail, Rory now finds herself as a freelance journalist with an inconsistent life. Meanwhile, Lorelei finds herself lost in life before her upcoming marriage to Luke. This four-part mini-series follows the titular mother-daughter duo as they continue to navigate their mother-daughter relationship in Star’s Hollow.

  Cast

  Lauren Graham
  , Alexis Bledel
  , Scott Patterson
  , Aris Alvarado
  , Sean Gunn
  , Frank Gallegos
  , Keiko Agena
  , Matt Czuchry
  , Yanic Truesdale
  , Kelly Bishop

  Release Date

  
  November 25, 2016
  

  Seasons

  1

Rory Gilmore, unfortunately, had some terrible storylines in Gilmore. Although she wasn’t the most hated character in the show, she still made some questionable choices. For example, her affair with Dean was the center of one of Gilmore Girls’ most controversial storylines. Dean and Rory hadn’t been together for a long time, so it was weird that she reignited their romance while he was married to Lindsay. Although his marriage was on the rocks, it was wildly out of character for Rory to participate in Dean’s cheating.

Rory had plenty of moments in Gilmore Girls that painted her in a less-than-flattering light, but her characterization became more unbearable in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. From the first episode, it was apparent that Rory wasn’t a sweet young girl anymore upon the reveal that she was having an affair with Logan. This was a baffling moment and made no sense, especially as she was dating Paul and Logan was engaged to Odette. Considering that Rory was one of the two titular characters, it was disappointing that her attitude and actions shifted back and forth so much.

14

How I Met Your Mother

Example: Ted Mosby

One of the most wasted protagonists of a TV show, Ted Mosby, became increasingly more frustrating with every season of How I Met Your Mother. His personality, especially in later seasons of the show, was used as an excuse to justify his bizarre behavior. Ted constantly hounded Robin about potentially being together again, which he tried to explain as being romantic, but it was simply creepy. Ted was always going back and forth on what he believed in and his morals, to the point that it became unclear what Ted stood for anymore.

Ted’s search for “the one” started as a wholesome premise, but as the show progressed, his need for love was really desperation. Every girlfriend Ted had in How I Met Your Mother made him more obsessed with finding his future wife. Sadly, it got to a point where it felt like he was actually looking for a surrogate so he could be a father rather than someone he could spend his life with. Unfortunately, Ted relied on his romantic-at-heart side as an excuse to act awfully, but especially as a reason not to give up on Robin.

13

Supernatural

Example: Sam Winchester

When Sam Winchester was first introduced in Supernatural, he was simply a demon hunter alongside his brother, Dean. However, throughout every season of Supernatural, Sam’s character experienced significant fluctuations and nonsensical storylines that were confusing and frustrating. For example, Sam’s addiction to demon blood in season 4 was initially compelling, but it was inconsistent and had little follow-through. He also exhibited some extremely out-of-character behavior at various points, most notably when he moved in with Amelia.

Although he deserved a normal life, it made no sense that Sam abandoned hunting and settled down with Amelia. He gave up on any chance of Dean returning, which he knew would always be a possibility, considering how many times Dean died in Supernatural but was later resurrected. Regardless of whether Dean was around or not, Sam was always committed to demon hunting, so it was baffling when he decided to throw it all away.

12

Grey’s Anatomy

Example: Meredith Grey

The harsh realities of Meredith Grey in Grey’s Anatomy were very apparent throughout her time on the show, which was an unusual choice from the show’s writers. From the pilot, Meredith proved herself to be a very inconsistent character who worried about everything, yet she still sabotaged herself all the time. She wanted to stand out from her mother’s shadow, but Meredith and Derek’s relationship in Grey’s Anatomy immediately made her seem unprofessional. Meredith’s parenting was also questionable at times.

For example, Meredith needed to be a strong figure for her children after Derek’s death, but she didn’t think about this when she used Ellis’ name to commit insurance fraud. This was a shocking storyline for Meredith, especially as she’d almost destroyed her career once before when she meddled with Derek’s Alzheimer’s trial. It seemed that Meredith frequently forgot her own past, which made her actions incredibly erratic and unrecognizable. Although Meredith wasn’t a bad character, the more plotlines she had, the more inconsistent she was.

11

Sherlock

Example: John Watson

Despite its name, John Watson was the true main character of Sherlock. While John in seasons 1 and 2 was relatively predictable and had a clear characterization, he went off the rails by season 4. The changes to John’s character started slowly after he met Mary and they got married. Although it made sense that Mary’s enigmatic past didn’t concern John, who understood that someone’s traumatic past didn’t define them, it was a little odd that he didn’t put up more of a fight and demand more details from her, especially as she was pregnant.

However, all hope was lost for John when he had an affair. John truly loved Mary and accepted all of her flaws, so it was a gobsmacking moment when he started texting a woman he met on a bus. Even after Mary Watson’s death in Sherlock, John lashed out at Sherlock and blamed him for his wife’s demise. Sherlock was far from perfect either, but it wasn’t his fault. John was a former British Army doctor and spent a lot of time in therapy, but when Mary died, all the skills he learned were thrown out of the window.

10

Community

Example: Britta Perry

Community’s Britta Perry is a perfect example of a TV character ruined by their own development. Britta was established as an independent woman who knew exactly who she was, but as the show continued, this trait disappeared. Britta was a strong political activist with aspirations of being a psychologist in Community’s earlier seasons, but by season 3, she was lacking in intelligence. Britta’s character was later used for comic relief and as a punching bag for the rest of the study group, and it felt like she was there simply to fill a seat at the table.

Britta didn’t offer anything unique or different, and her personality became undefinable. When she was vocal, she mainly complained and didn’t do anything to advance the narrative. Britta constantly highlighted the uncomfortable relationship between Annie and Jeff, yet she started dating Troy, even though they had nothing in common, which was ridiculously out of character and something she wouldn’t have dreamed of doing in season 1. The few subplots Britta had, such as her estranged parents in season 6, had no real conclusion either, which was disappointing.

9

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Example: Willow Rosenberg

Despite her popularity in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Willow Rosenburg was often treated badly. She began as a shy and nerdy young woman and became a powerful witch, which was one of the show’s most compelling arcs, but Willow’s journey to that point was full of heartbreaking events and a huge loss of potential. The worst thing that the Buffy the Vampire Slayer writers put Willow through was Tara’s death. Tara and Willow’s relationship had plenty of ups and downs, such as when Willow was overusing her magic, but Tara was horrifically killed just moments after they patched things up.

Rather than letting Willow heal from Tara’s death, the show quickly pushed her into a new storyline in which she became Dark Willow. Dark Willow’s introduction was a moment in Buffy the Vampire Slayer that made viewers quit because of how quickly her character dynamic changed. Although Dark Willow was hinted at a few times in the show, the payoff happened too late and was jarring. Then, after building anticipation, the show reversed Dark Willow, and she returned to her old self, which seemed like a waste of a storyline.

8

Scrubs

Example: Elliot Reid & J.D.

Scrubs, unfortunately, did a huge disservice to three of its main characters: J.D., Elliot, and Carla. J.D. became a doormat over time and allowed himself to be hurt, even when it was greatly apparent to him, like when Kim left immediately after Sammy was born. He cared about people massively, yet this character trait conveniently disappeared when a storyline needed it. For example, J.D. kissed Carla when he knew that she and Turk were having relationship troubles, and this moment was massively out of character for both of them as neither stopped and thought about Turk.

J.D. didn’t deserve Elliot in Scrubs. He convinced her to leave Sean to be with him, then decided he didn’t love her and broke her heart. J.D. was obsessed with Elliot from the pilot, so it was a huge shock that his feelings vanished that quickly. However, it was just as odd that Elliot allowed this to happen. Considering she had four brothers and grew up watching her mother humiliate her father, one would think Elliot would guard against this in her own life, and it made no sense that she put up with the treatment she received in her relationships.

7

BoJack Horseman

Example: Diane Nguyen

Diane Nguyen in BoJack Horseman was initially a victim of a lack of characterization. In the earlier seasons of the show, Diane was just a plot device to reconnect the titular character and Mr. Peanutbutter, which gave the show a reason for her and BoJack to form a friendship. However, as she became fully formed, Diane’s choices didn’t reflect her morals and opinions. Diane was forward-thinking and knew who she was, eventually, but she rushed into marrying Mr. Peanutbutter even though she could clearly see the pattern of his failed marriages in front of her.

Diane’s life changed throughout BoJack Horseman, but her desire to be a serious writer quickly faded. She started as a ghostwriter and became a huge success after writing BoJack’s book, but then ended up writing social media posts for vapid celebrities that she couldn’t relate to. The only consistent part of her character was her struggles with depression, but in the final season of the show, Diane’s only real purpose was as a metaphor for mental health, although BoJack was as well.

6

Friends

Example: Joey Tribbiani, Rachel Green, & Ross Geller

Half of the main characters lost their way throughout all 10 seasons of Friends, and their character development was either illogical, badly explained, or for the sake of a gag. For example, Joey was robbed of more profound storylines in the later seasons of Friends because he was portrayed as dumb. As the show progressed, Joey’s intelligence rapidly declined at an unnatural rate, and by season 10, he was borderline illiterate. Although Joey didn’t need to be smart, his lack of common sense became his only defining character trait.

Ross had some of the worst character development in Friends. Ross was initially sweet and down on his luck, mourning his failed marriage to Carol, but he became unrealistically jealous, insecure, and erratic. The show offered very little opportunity for Ross to redeem himself, but the choices he made were glaringly different from what he would have done back in season 1. Rachel’s character changed massively throughout the show, but her biggest inconsistency was returning to Ross, despite being an independent career woman forging her own path, which resulted in several frustrating Ross and Rachel moments in Friends.

5

The Office

Example: Andy Bernard, Jim Halpert, & Pam Beesly

The later seasons of The Office sadly ruined three of its main characters in different ways. Andy Bernard had some amazing character development that was squandered after he became manager, and he swiftly became incredibly unlikeable. He spent so long chasing after Erin, and when the two finally reunited, he ran off for three months to sail his boat around the world. Andy didn’t bother to contact Erin much during this time, then threw a fit when she didn’t want to be with him anymore after he returned to Scranton. By the end of The Office, Andy was completely unrecognizable.

After the chaos of Jim and Pam’s relationship in The Office calmed down, the two characters were relatively quiet. Their later storylines were either boring or contributed little to their characters. However, Jim and Pam’s marriage problems in The Office resulted in some ridiculously out-of-character behavior from both of them. It was wild that Jim disengaged from his family for Athlead, but it was more concerning that he struggled to address Pam’s feelings about it. The Office’s Brian twist was far-fetched but also underdeveloped and tried to push a narrative for Pam that made no sense for her character.

4

Jane the Virgin

Example: Michael Cordero Jr. & Jane Villanueva

Jane the Virgin had some bizarre storylines and character arcs, but one character who was repeatedly disrespected was Michael Cordero Jr. His shocking and unexpected death nearly destroyed Jane, but she managed to move on with her life and eventually was ready to marry Rafael. That was until Rafael suddenly revealed that Michael was alive and Sin Rostro had faked his death. Michael, who now called himself Jason, had lost all of his memories of his former life. Despite this, Jane broke Rafael’s heart because she wanted to see if she and Michael had any future together, which was baffling.

Michael slowly regained some of his memories, enough for Jane to join him at his new home anyway. Jane and Michael were soulmates, but the way they treated each other during this trial was out of character for both of them. Jane believed in family coming first, yet abandoned Matteo shortly after Michael returned and didn’t think about how it would impact her son. Michael let Jane go without a fight and ended up with someone else, which made his return to the show lack any real purpose other than to give Jane doubts.

3

That ’70s Show

Example: Eric Foreman

The main character of That ’70s Show, Eric Foreman, became a massively different character over time. Eric and Donna’s relationship in That ’70s Show drove several of the show’s biggest storylines, but it also caused some of his worst moments. His love for Donna was unmatched initially, but his feelings about how their relationship was meant to be caused his ultimate downfall. He was jealous of how much time she spent at the radio station, but Eric failed to recognize how important her job was to Donna, and it made him ridiculously insecure.

Their first breakup was caused by Eric refusing to accept that Donna didn’t want to wear his promise ring. Eric took this to heart, yet he thought it was a good idea to propose marriage later on. Then, when Donna got excited about their future, he left her at the altar. Eric’s constant back and forth on committing to Donna made no sense whatsoever, and it was surprising that she put up with as much as she did from him. Eric wasted Donna’s potential despite being her biggest supporter, but everything he did in their relationship was incoherent and unpredictable.

2

Lost

Example: Jack Shephard

Lost’s Jack Shephard was the hero after the plane crash and was originally supposed to be the vanilla lead of the show. Jack wasn’t corrupt or terrible, and a lot of his early characterization relied on his backstory and strained relationship with his father. Jack’s difficulties in stepping out of his father’s shadow gave the character promise and was intriguing, but Lost never fully resolved these issues. However, in Lost season 4, all evidence of the former surgeon who led the survivors and kept them together completely disappeared.

A series of flash-forwards showed Jack spiraling into a complete mess with an addiction to pills and alcohol, which was vastly different from who he started the show as. Jack’s transition from a skeptical man of science to believing in the island’s mystical properties was not developed enough and felt very sudden, so his overall character arc felt disjointed. Jack’s hero complex was initially a good thing, but his gradual decline made this character trait quite problematic. Whenever he faced a tough situation, Jack regressed into a state of self-doubt rather than growing and learning from it.

1

Roseanne

Example: Dan & Darlene Conner

The Roseanne revival retcon was massively disrespectful to all of its characters. Everyone in the Conner family suffered when the show retconned them winning the lottery, but Roseanne also reversed two crucial events: Dan Conner’s death and Darlene ending up with Mark. Darlene and Mark were unexpected, as David was her primary love interest, but cutting the story out was actually worse. Darlene and David were already separated in season 10, but because of the retcon, there was another unnecessary split off-screen. Darlene being with Mark was out of character anyway, but there was no reason for the unnecessary conflict.

Darlene was interesting by herself and didn’t need another David storyline for the sake of character development. Dan’s death was also undeserved. He wouldn’t have cheated on Roseanne in the first place, but the show’s writers using her grief as an excuse, only to bring Dan back again, was unfair to him. Dan’s resurrection left certain parts of his characterization muddled and unclear, which was a tremendous disservice to a character who was relatively consistent and well-developed. While Dan was happily welcomed back by Roseanne‘s audience, he didn’t deserve to be a victim of the sudden canon changes.