Do you ever find yourself watching a TV show and loving it – except for that one character? Have you ever wished a certain character would meet an untimely demise, as they say?
But what if he could change? What if she promises it will be different this time? What if they really mean it? Every once in a while it happens, so today we’re talking about TV characters who started out driving me up the wall . . . but ended up being my favorites (or at least bearable).
1. Morgan Grimes (Chuck): When my favorite show of all shows debuted, Chuck’s best friend was super annoying. While Chuck’s nerdiness was charming (and slightly unbelievable), Morgan’s was irritating and kind of made you watch to trip him in the hallway. But somewhere along the way, he calmed down and became someone you root for, and his discovery of Chuck’s spy status was one of the best parts of season three.
2. Madeline Westen (Burn Notice): I remember when this show first came on, I read several reviews complaining about Michael’s harpy of a mom. But rather than limit her time on screen, the showrunners made this character work. And this season, she’s become a full-blown member of the team, even helping them rob a bank.
3. Andy Bernard (The Office): Talk about a character reinvention! When Andy’s character was first introduced, he was an arrogant tool with an anger problem. But anger management classes worked wonders, and the New Andy was funny and sweet, though still really foolish. You may recall I denied my love for him a while back. I’m sticking by that, of course.
4. Addison Montgomery (Grey’s Anatomy): From the moment her character was mentioned to the moment we met her, we were conditioned to hate Addison Montgomery. After all, she was the woman who broke McDreamy’s heart and the one who might come between Derek and Meredith. But it didn’t take long before Addison was one of the most sane, adult characters on the whole show. Let’s not talk about what happened when she moved to That Other Show, though.
5. Randy Disher (Monk): Somehow, while we were figuring out who killed Trudy and debating the merits of Sharona vs. Natalie, Randy went from a bumbling idiot to a real cop in the forty million seasons that Monk was on the air. I even kind of liked him toward the end.
6. Sheldon Cooper (Big Bang Theory): I’m not sure Sheldon really counts for this list. Being annoying is part of his character. He’s supposed to be weird and irritating. But while it seemed over the top at the beginning, it’s charming and lovable now. Did he change, or did I? I may never know . . .
7. Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother): It doesn’t make any sense. Why would I love a womanizing creep like Barney? And yet, I do. Even in a lackluster season like we had last year, he consistently had the funniest lines of every episode. You might say he’s legen…dary.
8. Marc and Amanda (Ugly Betty): These two characters were horrid. Just wretched. They were cruel and ugly and judgmental and, well, I could go on. But I won’t, because by the end of the series, they were truly Betty’s friends. And while they could still be catty (and hilarious), they were also pretty sweet.
9. Tracy Jordan (30 Rock): You might disagree with me on this one, but a lot of people think Tracy Morgan (or, as I call him, Tracy Jordan) is funny. [I’m one of them. Don’t judge.] I know. He’s ridiculous. I agree. But over the years, his mania and idiocy has gotten funnier and funnier – and sometimes is the only laugh-out-loud moment in an otherwise grin-but-don’t-laugh episode of 30 Rock.
10. Gob Bluth (Arrested Development): Don’t tell me you don’t still think of old Gob when you hear those familiar notes of The Final Countdown! And while he may have seemed annoying at the beginning, it didn’t take long for “I’ve made a huge mistake” to warm my heart. Okay, maybe not. But I can’t help but love Gob.
Has a TV character ever grown on you? Which TV characters do you find most annoying?
This post will be linked to Top Ten Tuesday at OhAmanda.
