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Ever rewatched a series and realised you dislike a character?

262 replies

LisaJohnsonsFacebookMole · 20/10/2024 21:01

Maybe a character you liked originally or were indifferent to? I'm rewatching Dexter and, omfg, Debra is so damn annoying and pathetic, not to mention bad at her job!

OP posts:
Mowyourlawn · 20/10/2024 22:30

I rewatched gossip girl and Serena is so annoying! She is the worst friend and so self absorbed!

girljulian · 20/10/2024 22:31

I loved Boston Legal first time through, thought Alan Shore was a loveable rogue. On rewatch the whole programme was just unwatchable -- so misogynistic, offensive and unfunny. It amazed me that society could've changed so much in such a short space of time.

Saschka · 20/10/2024 22:31

Aparecium · 20/10/2024 21:34

Rene in Allo Allo.

I first watched it as a teenager, thought he was a worried, put-upon, hardworking, reluctant hero. Watched the series again years later and realised what a sleazy, self-centred, lazy coward he is!

Also Sybil in Fawlty Towers - I sympathised with her having such a shit of a husband, disrespectful to her and obviously leching over Polly. And then I watched it again and she’s pretty awful herself.

All the others, Ross, the Gilmores, all of the Buffy, Grey’s and SATC casts - I hated them all first time around! They were all absolutely terrible people!

I liked Seinfeld, Community and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, at least those shows acknowledged that all their characters were arseholes. Also liked The Good Place, because characters you thought were smug twats when you were first watching it (Tahani) did indeed turn out to be acknowledged twats later on in the series.

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Livelaughlurgy · 20/10/2024 22:33

I've very proud of my teenage self that I thought most of these were toxic at the time. I don't think I could watch Dawson Creek again incase Pacey lets me down. I did get a shock at my Greys rewatch to see George is such an asshole. I remember thinking Christina was amazing from the start, dh thought she was a wagon and didn't get my obsession. And on the rewatch he realised she was the best part of it.

ImNotTheMatix · 20/10/2024 22:39

Will from Fresh Prince, so whiney and damn rude to everyone.

HowAmITheCatsGranny · 20/10/2024 22:41

One person that hasn’t been mentioned from Grey’s is Catherine Fox / Avery! I wasn’t keen on her even the first time, but actually she’s really awful..

marmadukedoggo · 20/10/2024 22:48

Potsie 😂

powershowerforanhour · 20/10/2024 22:53

"JD in Scrubs. He is a whiny, ridiculous man child. If I was Dr Cox I would have snapped and strangled him after 8 years of the puppy dog eyes and constant need for validation."

Never liked him. Please tell me Elliot is still cool. I liked her.

TurtlesDoNotPetsMake · 20/10/2024 22:54

Agree with above posters about Lorelei Gilmore. Rory was a crap mate too. Lane/Paris both deserved better.

Watching The walking dead again. I now dislike Rick and totally agree with Shane. He was ahead of the bend.

NoahsTortoise · 20/10/2024 22:57

TheLadyIsAVamp · 20/10/2024 21:02

Tom from Desperate Housewives, loved him when I watched it initially as a teen but now as an adult he is infuriating.

Loool my initial thought was also Desperate Housewives...Carlos.

MrsCarson · 20/10/2024 22:59

EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 20/10/2024 21:04

Yes.

Lorelei Gilmore!

She's not the cool mom

She's TERRIBLE

I've rewatched it enough to sympathise with Emily

😂I was going to say the same thing. As much as Emily could be annoying I was sympathising with her an awful lot when I rewatched the whole series recently.

TheBluntTurtle · 20/10/2024 23:01

Agree with Loreli Gilmore, Ross from friends and Carrie Bradshaw 👍🏻 and all the cast from Grease are really awful too! The message of that whole film is awful!

mumtoababygirl · 20/10/2024 23:02

I’m surprised so many have said Ross from Friends, I think Joey is much worse. He treated women so badly! I loved him when I watched as a teen and I do still love the show but he’s awful.

MissMuffetisin · 20/10/2024 23:04

FMSucks · 20/10/2024 21:19

Walter White in Breaking Bad. Empathised with him the first time i watched it. Watched it again for the 3rd time recently and he is abhorrent, an absolute psychopath. Reminds me of my ex! Still a masterpiece of a show though 👌

Apparently Brian Cranston’s brief when they offered the role was “ you go from Mr Chips to Scarface “ which he did ! Brilliant, brilliant character arc and acting.
Rewatching ER to my disappointment I found Mark Green pretty selfish - wouldn’t be at all flexible over his career or location to allow his wife to follow her career, even though she’d supported him in his. Also Hope in “ Thirtysomething” I was in awe of her , on rewatch shes smug and self obsessed.

ParisGellerFTW · 20/10/2024 23:05

Thing is, most of these are from a time when TV writers knew how to write realistic, interesting characters who were believably human, not ciphers mouthing fashionable moral platitudes. That's why many of these shows were and are beloved. That's why the 90s up to around 2015 or so was a golden age for TV, just tons and tons of amazing dramas and comedies with messy, fascinating, beautifully drawn characters. Tony Soprano is a racist, sexist thug who relentlessly cheats on his wife and oh, yes, murders people. He's also one of the best characters ever committed to the small screen. You might not want to be his friend or even meet him, but you want to watch him and you care what happens to him.

People have flaws. They don't always say or think the "right" things. They don't all agree with each other or have the same aims and motivations. Good writers know this and use it to construct compelling stories.

There would be no Breaking Bad if Walter White was a lovely guy. That show is literally about a seemingly normal guy gradually giving in to complete amorality because he likes how it feels, so it's funny people are here saying "Oh, he was horrid!"

If Ross was the perfect man, there'd have been no story after he and Rachel got together. If Lorelai Gilmore was never a bit selfish or impulsive, and if her parents were more emotionally open and empathetic, she wouldn't have left and cut off contact and there would have been no story. That IS the story.

NoahsTortoise · 20/10/2024 23:06

mumtoababygirl · 20/10/2024 23:02

I’m surprised so many have said Ross from Friends, I think Joey is much worse. He treated women so badly! I loved him when I watched as a teen and I do still love the show but he’s awful.

I think people see Joey differently because he never had any serious relationships and was always a casual one-night guy. Whereas Ross was seen to be jealous/manipulative with Rachel repeatedly, and ultimately she gave up her dream to be with him.

NoahsTortoise · 20/10/2024 23:07

Ps. Ross was actually my favourite 🤣 But I can see why people are against him more than Joey or Chandler.

Thursa · 20/10/2024 23:07

DiNozzo from NCIS

Derek Morgan from Criminal Minds

TheDeepLemonHelper · 20/10/2024 23:08

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NoahsTortoise · 20/10/2024 23:08

Big in SATC. He was a prick all the way through, used Carrie and never showed her any respect until she finally moved away for good.

Femme2804 · 20/10/2024 23:09

lorelai gilmore from gilmore girls. Before i’m a mum I thought lorelai is so cool, and i wanna be like her when i’m become a mum. Now i’m a mother and i realise she is very irresponsible and childish.

beside lorelai i despise the real action of ariel in little mermaid. She really really ruined my favorite princess. She is not ariel from my childhood imagination.

TheDowagerCountessofPembroke · 20/10/2024 23:10

Everyone from Friends. All of them. I started watching it again, having loved it at the time when I was in my early 20s. Now as an older person I just find them annoying. DH announces that it should be called Cunts, not Friends.

springbabydays · 20/10/2024 23:11

I used to love Joey in Dawsons Creek and I didn't like Jen at all!

Now having rewatched it I'm very much the other way around 😄

Yuckyyuckyuckity · 20/10/2024 23:12

On first watch of Breaking Bad I (and most others I discussed it with) loved Walter White. Even as you slowly see his descent into pure evil criminal, somehow you're rooting for him to win/get away with it. So Skyler is the one you end up hating especially since she was so naggy and shrill. You just think ffs leave him alone!

But when I rewatched it years later I was gobsmacked at how much I was very much on Skylers side. I don't know if it's because I had recently become a mum on rewatch so my perspective was very different. Yes she was still naggy but my god she did all she could to protect her kids and still support her husband once she found out. The car wash was all her idea as was some of the other stuff (can't quite remember now) and without her Walter would have been found out way sooner. I hated Walter from the start on rewatch, it's true what a pp says that you realise he's kinda evil from the beginning.

TheDowagerCountessofPembroke · 20/10/2024 23:13

Can I also go with the opposite. Back in the 80s I hated Mr Brunson on Grange Hill, now I think he had a point.