Karma wasn’t on the side of these TV show characters. Sometimes, no matter how innocent and good-faith-driven your actions are, you end up with the most wrong results.
And that is exactly what happened to these characters who deserved so much better. Here are the top 10 times TV shows punished characters for doing the right thing.
10. Molly Hooper In ‘Sherlock’
Hooper certainly deserved much more than the treatment she got in ‘Sherlock’. Her whole image was shown as an awkward admirer of Sherlock. Whereas in reality, she was a capable and confident forensic professional and a trusted ally.
She was consistently kind, loyal, and emotionally mature. But that all gets overshadowed and ignored. In “The Final Problem,” when Molly is manipulated into confessing, it was straight-up cruel and unfair.
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9. Glenn Rhee In ‘The Walking Dead‘
Glenn’s journey in ‘The Walking Dead’ starts as a pizza delivery boy, but soon he becomes the group’s bravest supply runner. His innocence didn’t match the cruel world of the series. He undertook so many dangerous runs, all to keep the group alive.
But he was still asked for more, being constantly placed by the governor on life-threatening missions. His execution in front of his pregnant wife and friends was tragic and heartbreaking.
8. Bob Newby In ‘Stranger Things‘
In the world of ‘Stranger Things’, there was no place for Bob Newby, who was neither a fighter nor a scientist. Instead, he was gentle, kind, nerdy, and ordinary. Yet, his goodness actually turned out to be the bravest act of all.
Knowing that he is the only one who understands the system, he volunteers to restore power at Hawkins Lab. He lets everyone else go and stays to protect them, knowing the risk that comes with it. The saddest part was that he succeeded in his task but still got attacked and killed.
7. Nora Durst In ‘The Leftovers‘
The only reason Nora Durst got her punishment was because of her desire to get her family back. Because of the sudden departure, she lost her husband and both children. But unlike others, she didn’t turn to faith, denial, or cults. Instead, she faced her reality bravely.
All she wanted was the truth. She even tried to build a new life. Yet every attempt at healing only reopened her old wounds. Her brevity and refusal to forget or accept false hope make her one of the most quietly tragic characters on TV.
6. Starlight In ‘The Boys‘
She is a reminder of how you should never meet your heroes. Because all Annie January wanted was to be a genuine hero in a world where heroes are only corporate products. She saves civilians without ever caring for publicity and refuses to lie in the media for publicity. Even though that is the driving force for others.
Despite all her sincerity, she is branded a traitor and publicly smeared. Supersonic is even murdered for trusting her. Annie only attempted to protect the innocents, yet the system proved that morality is always met with hate.
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5. Jesse Pinkman In ‘Breaking Bad‘
In ‘Breaking Bad’, Jesse’s tragedy only happened because he never lost his conscience. Jesse trusted Walt and got blackmailed into the drug trade and was eventually trapped.
Even his attempts to break free because of his love for Jane only end in her dying and Jesse blaming himself. Afterward, even though Jesse tried to rebuild his life, Walt pulled him back into crime. Despite his empathy, guilt, and desire to do right, he faced ever more horrific consequences.
4. Howard Hamlin In ‘Better Call Saul‘
Though Howard might appear arrogant on the surface, he was the only person trying to keep order at HHM. All the while, dealing with Chuck’s illness and Jimmy’s resentment.
Till the end, he defended his integrity and tried to expose the corruption happening around him. But still, his credibility collapsed in front of his colleagues. His murder was simply a result of walking into the wrong place at the wrong time. Even after death, his name was dragged through the dirt.
3. Ned Stark In ‘Game Of Thrones’
He was one of the earliest signals that good faith isn’t welcome in Westeros. Ned clearly didn’t deserve to be killed, and his ending was all because of his desire to be honest and loyal.
Ned tries to expose the Lannisters’ lies and corruption and takes the necessary steps to get the Gold Cloaks on his side. But his fall happened because of his tendency to trust the wrong people. Littlefinger’s betrayal got him arrested, resulting in Ned’s death, which became the turning point for the series.
2. Ashtray In ‘Euphoria’
A child raised in crime, Ashtray was always bound by circumstances way out of his hands. Every step he took was in an attempt to fight back against the overwhelming odds. His loyalty for Fez drove him to the most extreme situations, but he faced them bravely.
Yet, he had to die in a shootout. After never getting a single chance to be a child, it was his loyalty, courage, and love that drove him straight to death.
1. Emily Malek In ‘The Handmaid’s Tale‘
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ is filled with characters being forced into undeserving violence and cruelty. But Emily Malek’s story is among the most haunting of all. From the start, we see her dedication to the Mayday resistance. She also formed genuine connections with others.
But for loving a Martha, she gets tried for gender treachery and is forced to undergo surgical punishment. Later, she even ends up at the Colonies, working under toxic conditions. Her story truly showed us how Gilead makes you pay, physically and emotionally, for being a kind human.
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