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I Don't Mind if You Forget Me: Five Annoyingly Distracting Characters We're Glad to See Go(ne)

By Cindy Davis | Lists | December 18, 2011 |

By Cindy Davis | Lists | December 18, 2011 |


There are certain television characters who, though they aren’t necessarily bad, get on our nerves and distract us from what we really enjoy about a show. Some start out interesting or quirky and they may even manage to keep our attention for a season; others irritate from the moment they appear onscreen. We start to realize that whenever one of these folks appears, we find ourselves hurling expletives at our big screen TVs or hitting fast-forward to spare ourselves. So to the following five flawed figures we say, “Don’t let the door hit you in the ass.”


5. Nikki and Paulo, “Lost”

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These “universally despised” later-comers to “Lost” were foolishly introduced as new characters (third season survivors, formerly unseen), mocked by Sawyer and then quickly killed off…I must admit, in a rather satisfying way. Adios amigos.


4. Lucy Danziger, “Boardwalk Empire”

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It’s not easy to sashay and whine through a whole two seasons, but Lucy ran her nasal droning into the ground. Like a dark, depressed Janice from “Friends,” Nucky’s former folly was always self-centered and unsatisfied; she did her unwanted child a favor by leaving town.

3. Rita Bennett, “Dexter”

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The entire “Dexter” audience breathed a collective sigh of relief when the Trinity Killer made things personal and took out Dex’s wife, Rita. From the moment she became more than just part of our antihero’s attempt at appearing normal, Rita felt like an ever-increasing weight for Dexter to bear—a nagging nuisance of whom we all wanted to be rid.

2. Tara Thornton, “True Blood”

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Though she seemed to be funny and cynical at the outset of “True Blood,” Tara quickly devolved into a sniveling, easily manipulated, terrified mess whose multiple misfortunes practically begged to be ended with a quick death. Thankfully, the gods heard our audience prayer.


1. Amelia Pond, “Doctor Who”

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It’s one thing to be a good companion and quite another to make it all about you. Amelia Pond (and the writers) seemed to have forgotten we weren’t all tuning in to hear about poor, little Amy’s broken heart and her never-ending love story with the Rory that just wouldn’t die. Most irksome of all was the new “Who” opening that reduced our dear Doctor to being a part of Amy’s world, instead of (as it should be) the reverse. Though it seemed Eleven was rid of his excess baggage at the end of Series 6, Amy and Rory will actually depart for good during Series 7, after which the show will hopefully put the Doctor back in “Doctor Who.”


Cindy Davis is pretty annoying herself.