TV’s Least Wanted: Five Characters Who Drag Their Shows Down!

A few weeks ago I posted my list of five actors who help make their shows that little bit better!

Well today it’s time for the reverse… five characters who do nothing but drag down their respective series. To be fair it’s often not the fault of the actors themselves – but more the general dreariness of the roles themselves, all of which certainly get me reaching for the remote.

Take a read – and let me know if you agree with my choices…!

Raj Koothrappali – The Big Bang Theory

Let’s be honest here – The Big Bang Theory is all about Sheldon Cooper. When the show’s laugh-a-minute lead is away from the screen CBS’s comedy smash undoubtedly starts to wane. Still at least Exec Producer Chuck Lorre is smart enough to surround Cooper with a genuinely winning ensemble – most notably the show’s second MVP Amy Farrah Fowler.
But there’s one member of the nerd herd who long ago outstayed his welcome – Raj.

Seriously does this character make anyone laugh? Sure Sheldon, Leonard and Howard all have their idiosyncrasies, but is there any TV character in recent memory quite as pathetic as Raj? We get that Raj can’t talk to girls but do we need the point hammered home week after week? Especially after all his friends – even Sheldon – have successfully hooked up. Raj is now just plain annoying and the character is paper thin, a one note joke that long ago stopped being funny.

The answer isn’t rocket science – jettison Raj now. He really won’t be missed!

Aiden Mathis – Revenge

I’ve talked at length here at Remote Patrolled about Revenge’s soggy second season, from which the series is only now starting to recover creatively (and in the ratings). Too much Initiative intrigue. Overly complicated plots. The underwhelming arrival of Emily’s mom. And Aiden.

You can tell that easy on the eye actor Barry Sloane is doing the best he can with the material he’s saddled with, but the sad fact is that Aiden is an unnecessary element in the Revenge universe and one that constantly takes Revenge away from its soapy roots and into a bizarre 007-style world. We don’t know Aiden’s long lost sister so it’s hard to care too much for her. His plotlines are hideously complex. And his romantic involvement with Emily takes her away from the only character with whom she really has chemistry – Daniel.

Come on Revenge, there has to be a suitably dramatic way of writing Aiden out of the series… a dead body on the beach or at the bottom of the sea, perhaps!

Jon Snow – Game Of Thrones

You have to admire Game Of Thrones for the expert way it juggles its numerous plot lines. But any show with so much going on has to have a couple of flat moments. And for Thrones those moments have a name – Jon Snow.

It’s not that Snow (Kit Harrington) is a bad character – or that Harrington himself is a bad actor. He just doesn’t have much to do.

While Tyrion, Cersei and King Joffrey have plenty of delicious, meaty material to work with, Jon Snow spent most of last season wandering around in the freezing cold and flirting / fighting with the scrappy Ygritte. And boy did the pace slow to a crawl during these scenes. We were all waiting for a payoff that frankly never happened – aside from those final few seconds that teased the upcoming undead storyline.

Here’s hoping Snow has more to work with this season. And if not, maybe Game of Thrones needs to scale back on some of its storylines…

Mr Wolfe & Noah Werner – Suburgatory

Just like fellow ABC show Revenge, Suburgatory went from being a hot show in season 1 to a hot mess in year 2. But unlike Revenge, Suburgatory hasn’t stopped sliding.

In part that’s due to the ample dead weight the show is carrying around. I’m a big advocate of more gay characters on primetime TV, but Suburgatory’s school counselor Mr Wolfe (Rex Lee) is just plain annoying. Ditto his dull husband. And local dentist Noah (Alan Tudyk) has been a comedic drag ever since the show launched. Add in Tessa’s long lost mother, self professed token black character Malik and most worrying of all, the show’s co-lead George – none of whom EVER score a laugh – and you have a series in freefall. No wonder ratings are way down year on year. There’s just too many weak links on this formerly funny comedy.

Dylan Homes – Modern Family

Modern Family has pretty much the strongest ensemble on TV. Seriously – there’s no weak links in this cast. Even Lily has grown on me now that the writers have figured out her snappy attitude.

But part time player Dylan (Reid Ewing) never seems to hit any funny notes. To me, he’s just the stereotypical loser boyfriend with a dead end job and limited prospects. Funny for five minutes – in season 1 – but really not necessary anymore.

Personally I’d love to see Haley explore the dating pool a bit more – especially given actress Sarah Hyland’s crack comic timing. She can do better than Dylan. And so can the show.