Caroline Forbes was one of the most likable characters on The Vampire Diaries. Her initially smaller side character evolved into one of the main players on the show. After her transformation into a vampire, she became a lot more prominent, and nicer (strangely). Caroline ended up being the optimist or voice of reason in The Vampire Diaries.
As a fan favorite, she still holds a lot of popularity. Compared to when the show was released, there is a lot that Caroline has done which just wouldn't fly today. From indulging in an almost love affair with a villain to her mean girl ways as a human, the blonde vampire did a lot of things that audiences wouldn't love in 2021.
Her Pettiness As A Human
As a human being, Caroline was a quintessential mean girl and did some of the worst things to her friends and family. She was insecure and overachieving, projecting her issues on everyone around her.
When Elena was struggling with the grief of her parents' loss, Caroline was trying to compete with her even then. Nobody would accept a friend as petty and spiteful as her in today's world. Fans would expect her to be supportive and uplifting of her classmates.
The Tyler And Klaus Triangle
While Klaus and Caroline are considered one of the best ships in The Vampire Diaries, their twisted relationship was quite weird. Klaus had not been kind to Tyler, whom Caroline was dating at the time, and turned him into a hybrid. As a partner, it's reprehensible that Caroline indulged in any romance with Klaus after this.
Infidelity was never glamorous, and people don't appreciate it today either. She also called Klaus to her graduation after all the terrible things he did to her friends. No one would ever tolerate that callousness today. To cap it off, Caroline even slept with Klaus after he killed Tyler's mother. It's amazing that Tyler and Caroline could even be in the same room together after that.
She Didn't Hold Damon Accountable
In the first season of the show, Damon used and abused Caroline by taking her out, drinking her blood, trying to kill her, and compelling her to do his dirty work for him. However, Caroline and Damon later became civil and then friendly.
This was easily one of the worst things that Damon did. Fans would have expected Caroline to hold him accountable for his misdeeds, but she didn't. Apart from some initial animosity, she let the abuse slide and later became close to Damon, which is inexcusable. It comes off like that she's okay with the things that he did to her.
She Was In A Relationship With Someone Who Was Her Teacher
Teacher-student relationships may have excited fans back then, but the uneven balance of power is recognized and condemned today. While Caroline didn't date Alaric while they were in school, it's still off-putting that he had taught her at some point and was that much older than her.
She even mothered twins with him, inexplicably, and moved to Texas. Technically, the twins were magically implanted in her womb, but the point stands that everything about the situation is a bit weird. It makes the entire situation even more absurd and unsettling.
Blamed Her Mother For Everything
In the earlier seasons when Caroline was human, she was very unkind to her mother. She openly berated her for not being a good parent. Caroline often told her off for always working and never being present in the house.
It was clear that Liz was doing her best to survive with her child after Bill had run off, and Caroline was old enough to understand that. She should have been actively helping her mother cope instead of being snide and sarcastic.
Took Stefan Down A Dark Path With Her
While it was Caroline's personal choice to switch off her humanity (even though it was highly irresponsible as she knew the consequences of doing that), her insistence on dragging her friend down a dark path was inexcusable.
She knew that Stefan becomes a Ripper and the bloodshed would be massive. Stefan wouldn't be able to control himself. She knew it would tear him up when he turned his humanity back on. Blackmailing and making a friend suffer is not a good look, especially in 2021.
Compelled An Innocent Person To Do Surgery
Caroline did the worst things with her humanity turned off, but compelling Liam to do surgery on someone as a means of torture crossed limits. Dragging an innocent man in her vendetta along with harming others who were also guiltless was pretty gruesome. Her twisted mindset was absolutely terrifying.
Liam knew nothing about surgery. More importantly, Sarah had done no wrong to Caroline. By using proxies to get her point across was cruel and completely unforgivable.
Killed People
The Vampire Diaries was a show about supernatural beings who sometimes didn't value human life much. The problem with Caroline's killing was that she was always painted as a good person, despite the murder.
With her humanity turned off, Caroline and Stefan went on a rampage and ended countless lives. This was then forgotten and shrugged off later. Someone like her should not be portrayed as a positive character after all that crime. At least, not without a redemption story arc where she grapples with the reality of what she had done.
Kidnapped Liz
No matter what the motivation is, kidnapping your mother and waiting to compel her to accept you is not acceptable, but that's exactly what Caroline did. When Liz couldn't accept her, she held her mother hostage and waited for the vervain to drain out of her system so she could compel her to submission.
Taking anyone's free will or forcibly changing their opinions is abhorrent, more so if it is a family member. Caroline could have just left her home if her mother didn't like her.