Random TV Shows Where Main Character Is Worst Part (15 items)

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  (#2) Orange Is the New Black

  • Taylor Schilling, Laura Prepon, Michael Harney, Michelle Hurst, Kate Mulgrew, Jason Biggs, Uzo Aduba, Danielle Brooks, Natasha Lyonne, Taryn Manning

  Piper Chapman is an entry point. Orange Is the New Black uses her and her “fish out of water” vibe to introduce us to Litchfield Penitentiary and its wide variety of interesting characters. That said, once she’s sentenced, the show grows beyond her almost immediately.

  Every other inmate seems to have actual issues to deal with - like racism, oppression, and pregnancy - whereas Piper’s only problem is her privilege. All she worries about are her circumstances. From her desire to be in charge to manipulating Alex’s emotions, Piper doesn’t seem to care about others. She’s not an antihero or a villain per se, just an annoying and whiny rich girl.

  Ultimately, the show kept going thanks to its ensemble, not Piper’s pop-star mentality. 
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  (#15) The Office

  • Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, B. J. Novak, Melora Hardin, David Denman, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Angela Kinsey, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Ed Helms, Mindy Kaling, Paul Lieberstein, Creed Bratton, Craig Robinson, Ellie Kemper, Zach Woods, Amy Ryan, James Spader

  From his will-they-or-won’t-they relationship with Pam to his tongue-in-cheek comments, Jim Halpert adds an inimitable element to The Office's dynamic. We love him more each time he looks knowingly into the camera. That said, it’s hard not to call Jim the worst because of his horrible treatment of his coworkers.

  Imagine things from their perspective: Jim's work ethic is questionable, he makes Dwight’s life a living hell, and he is basically a bully - not just to Dwight but to Michael, as well. On top of this, in later seasons, he’s not the greatest partner, putting his personal dreams and goals ahead of communicating with and being there for those who depend on him.

  On closer inspection, the lovable Jim Halpert is kind of a jerk. Sure, Michael is also a jerk, at times, but at least he's honest. 
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  (#5) Girls

  • Lena Dunham, Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, Zosia Mamet, Adam Driver

  Girls’ Hannah Horvath is deliberately written to be self-indulgent, rude, and selfish. She grates on pretty much everyone and doesn’t care at all. Even though she constantly compares herself to other people, she openly admits to loving herself above all else.

  When she starts working at the coffee shop, she acts as if serving people is beneath her. When her dad comes out as gay, she makes it about her rather than supporting him. In fact, she doesn’t appreciate her parents at all. Hannah is over-dramatic about everything, and not in an empathetic way but in a “the world doesn’t understand me" kind of way. No, Hannah, you are not the voice of a generation, but you are one of the worst main characters to ever grace the small screen. 
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  (#1) Sex and the City

  • Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis

  Sex and the City follows sex columnist Carrie Bradshaw and her friends’ dating lives in Manhattan. At first, Carrie appears to be the type of independent woman most audiences can get on board with. Unfortunately, she begins to become the opposite of that as Sex and the City goes on.

  The show wants to promote a lack of judgment and a free-spirited mentality, but Carrie judges her friends (e.g., slut-shaming Samantha) and believes herself to be above others. Think of all her affairs with Mr. Big and the way she treats her boyfriends deplorably. Calling that behavior "insufferable" is an understatement. 
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  (#11) That '70s Show

  • Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, Mila Kunis

  There’s several reasons Red Forman is always annoyed or angry with Eric: He’s lazy (wasting his life in the basement), condescending, and wimpy. That last issue makes Eric insecure about his relationship with Donna (who is indeed way too good for him), and further exacerbates his flaws.

  Eric is easily the most unlikable one in his friend group - and that's saying a lot, considering the way Kelso treats Jackie. Maybe this is one of the reasons That 70’s Show was able to go on just fine without him.
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  (#9) Lost

  • Naveen Andrews, Emilie de Ravin, Matthew Fox Jorge Garcia, Maggie Grace, Josh Holloway, Malcolm David Kelley, Daniel Dae Kim, Yunjin Kim

  Note to self: When stranded on a trippy island with relative strangers, put your hero complex aside. Don’t be Jack Shephard from Lost.

  Jack begins his adventures with the other survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 by being the tough guy. As the series goes on, his inflated sense of importance sees him keep unnecessary secrets, manipulate Juliet, and make ridiculous decisions. He ends up coming off as emotionally unstable, bossy, and unwilling to bend if anyone disagrees with him.

  One point in his favor: Jack's sanctimonious nonsense is certainly a subversion of male protagonist expectations, for better or worse (though, mostly worse).

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