Not all TV characters can have the perfect family and parents. In fact, sometimes they are saddled with the worst of the bunch and it can often make for the most entertaining shows.
Parenting is not something that comes easy. A few protagonists from some of the most iconic series and shows have some of the most horrible parents. If they aren’t being neglectful, they are being too overbearing and controlling. These parents seem to place their needs and desires above their kids, and in the majority of the cases, this doesn’t bode well in the end.
Ted and Karen Wheeler - Stranger Things
Every good parent makes it their business to know where and what their child is up to at all times of the day. However, Karen and Ted Wheeler did not seem to get this message in Stranger Things. Both of these individuals aren’t mentally aware of their children and seem to live in another galaxy.
Karen seems to be busy trying to recapture her youth and feel wanted again, while Ted seems to be the most oblivious husband and father, who is in his own little world. It's no wonder why they’re always unaware of where their two oldest children are and the chaos that’s surrounding them.
Peggy and Al Bundy - Married With Children
There is no quick fix to parenting, however, Peggy and Al Bundy on Married With Children choose to not really parent at all. These two are the parents of Kelly and Bud, however, there is little parenting going on in this household. Peggy is a mother who refuses to discipline, clean, or seem to care at all about her kids.
She thrives on being lazy, and this is something that ultimately rubs off on Kelly. As for Al, he’s resentful of his life leaving no room for any love to be shown towards either of his kids or his wife. Their parenting is nonexistent and they have no qualms about it.
Every PLL Parent - Pretty Little Liars
Teenagers are meant to be enjoying the thrills and excitement of high school life. However, the girls of Pretty Little Liars are indulging in anything but a normal high school experience. From murder, kidnapping, maiming, and the likes, there should be no way these things go unnoticed and yet they do.
Every parent of the liars is anything but involved in their daughter's lives. They are unaware of the threats that their kids face daily, and when they do become aware of something, it goes unchecked and unpunished. The parents seem to hold more secrets than the kids, and this only proves a recipe for disaster.
Elizabeth Keen - The Blacklist
Elizabeth Keen from The Blacklist is a model agent. She knows how to get to the truth and stops at nothing to make sure she gets justice for those that need it. However, her obsession with the true identity of Raymond Reddington and her unwillingness to let the past stay in the past is her downfall as a mother.
She places this obsession above the care and responsibility of her daughter Agnes. At one point, Liz goes on the run with Agnes in tow and the threat of danger on her heels. Her inability to properly be present and care for her daughter because of her selfishness has landed her on this list of worst parents.
Gemma Teller - Sons Of Anarchy
A mother should always want what is best for their child, however, Gemma Teller from Sons of Anarchy isn’t an ordinary mother. With her role as an old lady to Clay Morrow in SAMCRO, she places the club above all else including her son Jax Teller. Although it may seem as though she loves Jax more than anything, her love is very controlling and suffocating with her trying to manage every facet of his life and relationships.
Her loyalties for the club run so deep that she murders Jax’s wife Tara because she believes her to be a rat. She then goes on to lie to Jax for months about Tara’s death, however, she ultimately dies at the hands of her son.
Dan Scott - One Tree Hill
The father of Nathan Scott and sperm donor of Lucas Scott on One Tree Hill takes the award for delusional and cruel father of the year. Although Dan is the father of Lucas, he refuses to acknowledge the basketball star and makes it his mission to pit the two brothers against each other.
If that wasn’t cruel enough, Dan goes on to murder the only father figure Lucas has ever known, who just so happens to be his own brother, Keith, in cold blood. He refuses to be a father to Lucas and takes every chance he can to let Lucas know what he thinks of him.
Hiram and Hermione Lodge - Riverdale
The Bonnie and Clyde of Riverdale, Hiram and Hermoine Lodge are the parents of the fabulous Veronica Lodge. They are very cold and meticulous in their parenting, never really saying I love you or acknowledging Veronica for her achievements. These two are known for their manipulations and dirty dealings around town, and this often pits them against not only each other but Veronica as well.
They are both too self-absorbed in their wants of power and plans for control of Riverdale, and Veronica is consistently placed at the bottom of the list of things they care about. Hiram and Hermoine aren’t the worst parents in the world, but they do come first in Riverdale.
Aaron Echols - Veronica Mars
Aaron Echols from Veronica Mars is the father of Logan Echols. Never really a constant fixture in his son’s life, there was no real love lost between the two. He considers parenting as something that can be done by throwing money at the child and was never really present for his kids when they need him. However, he always makes sure his needs are satisfied and he gets what he wants.
This is shown when he starts messing around with Logan’s high school girlfriend Lily, whom he would eventually murder and go on with his life like nothing ever happened. His self-serving actions and disdain for parenting eventually lead to him losing his kids in the end.
Norma Bates - Bates Motel
If there was a person used to describe denial and enabler, Norma Bates of the Bates Motel would be a frontrunner as a candidate. Norma is a relatively loving mother, however, this is her undoing.
She is aware that her son Norman Bates is losing his grip of reality every day, however, her constant enabling and coddling only pushes Norman’s split personalities to develop further. Norma’s inability to ease up on her coddling and parent Norman is the reason for so many lives lost, landing her among the worst.
Frank Gallagher - Shameless
It’s pretty hard to call Shameless character Frank Gallagher a parent and father. He embodies the name of the show and embraces his role as a deadbeat, manipulative, and neglectful parent. His consistent reliance on his kids bred the result of the kids raising themselves and parenting each other.
At one point in the series, Frank attempts to sell one of his children’s offspring for money, proving how little he cares for anyone but himself. His favorite parenting advice is “neglect fosters self-reliance,” earning him the badge for worst father and parent of all time.