Unlikable TV Characters: We hate them because they really deserve it

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THE HANDMAID’S TALE — “Offred” – Episode 101 – Offred, one the few fertile women known as Handmaids in the oppressive Republic of Gilead, struggles to survive as a reproductive surrogate for a powerful Commander and his resentful wife. Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski), shown. (Photo by: Take Five/Hulu)

Serena Joy Waterford – The Handmaid’s Tale

Again, Serena Joy completely surpasses the innocuous title of “unlikable” and soars into the realm of dangerous and treacherous. There is a special place in hell for women who oppress and entrap other women, and Serena Joy belongs there.

Despite the show’s recent attempts to humanize her and make her more sympathetic, she’s still terrible. She helped to create the system which enslaves the Handmaids, and she has little or no empathy for the plight of other women.

All her actions are driven by her own selfish desires, and she’s guilty of so many crimes against other women. She is abusive to Offred, confining her to her room, systematically proffering her for rape and abuse, and sacrificing her for the greater good of Gilead.

She uses her power and position to intimidate and control Offred, positioning herself as the leader of the oppression of other women. She stands by while they are maimed, beaten, raped, and tortured. There is really no excuse for Serena Joy’s passive allowance of all the atrocities.

That wraps up my list of 25 of TV’s most unlikable characters. As I said at the beginning, feel free to make your case for why some of these characters don’t deserve spots on this list.

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