The characters that one should probably never forgive or turn their back on are sometimes the ones that we end up forgiving as fans for one reason or another. It could be that we think that the character has learned humility, or that they’ve come upon a revelation in their life that has turned them around entirely. There’s always some reason to forgive a villain or a character that just isn’t that great of a person, and it’s largely because a lot of people don’t want to think that anyone is irredeemable. It’s true, sometimes circumstances occur that might make the characters a little more likable, but forgiving them doesn’t have to be a part of the deal when it comes to liking them. Seriously, some of the most popular characters in TV history have been those that have done some of the worst things and have somehow still been revered for a number of reasons, sometimes because life is ‘tough’ and they’ve had to deal with one hardship after another. The excuses made for TV characters are sadly the same kind of excuses that are made for those in real life that are just as messed up in the head, and there are those of us that might try to find a way to forgive these people, but we still ask ‘why?’ after they continually prove that they can’t be trusted.
Here are a few individuals from TV that people forgive way too often.
5. The Walking Dead – Negan
He came in as one of the baddest and most unforgivable characters of all time in The Walking Dead and he never made any real apologies for being who he was. Even when he was ‘reformed’, Negan remained the cocky individual he’d always been but subdued since he knew too well that there were still those around that would have loved to take a crack at him. So far as it would appear he’s still working with those that wanted him dead to make a new future, but forgiving him so easily still feels like too many that he’s done wrong have been cheated, and won’t ever be able to rest while he’s breathing.
4. Orange Is The New Black – Piper Chapman
There were times when it was possible to feel sorry for Piper, but most of the rest of the time she was kind of a pathetic character that was hard to like. But when she really started embracing her prison time it was evident that she was a conniving, scheming individual that was worse than she’d been made out to be. The women that had been serving hard time for a while in the prison weren’t exactly any better, but a lot of them at least had a pretty solid reason for being who they turned out to be. Piper was revealed as a spoiled woman that had made a mistake that she could have easily avoided.
3. Sons of Anarchy – Gemma Teller Morrow
To start with, in a real MC, it’s been stated by a few people that Gemma would have never gotten away with half of the stuff she managed to do, as her schemes and ploys kept SAMCRO running a time or two, but they also managed to get a lot of people in trouble. The things she did were meant to help, but a lot of times she only made things worse, especially when she blamed a Chinese gang for Tara’s death. Once the dust had settled and all accounts had been handled it was actually vindication that a lot of people felt when Jax finally put her down. Some people might have forgiven her, but it was tough to do since she brought the heat down on herself.
2. Once Upon A Time – Mr. Gold/Rumpelstiltskin
For all his power and all of his intrigue, this character was a coward at heart and he knew it. But through his own self-hatred and desire for power, he grew stronger and far more capable than many. When confronted by his son though, and with the truth of who he was, it was revealed that he didn’t really have any redemptive qualities. He’d been a coward in the past and that had only served to twist and taint the man he eventually became. There were a few redemption arcs that he could have taken, but they usually ended up being elaborate schemes that meant nothing in the end.
1. Game of Thrones – Jaime Lannister
At the end of his life, Jaime had a choice to actually stay with Brienne and be happy, or go back to his sister, who was wretched from her youth as one might read in the books. Cersei had a hold on Jaime that he couldn’t break, which made it possible for him to do a number of things that would have earned him a one-way ticket to hell. But he also chose the life that he’d lived thanks to his arrogance and utter lack of humanity, so it’s difficult to say that he was redeemed in any way.
Some fans have a soft spot for certain characters.
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