"The number of hours per day that TV is on in an average U.S. home: 6 hours, 47 minutes." (according to Sourcebook for Teaching Science)
For some that might be watching a TV show with a character we hate. The simple solution to that issue would be to stop watching the TV show. There's plenty of other shows to watch, why settle on this one?
We understand the Evil Character
Usually a show is designed to have a main character(s) and some character designed to dislike. This character is the evil one, who's plot is to ruin everyone's life or the main character's life. They have the most complex storylines that we sympathize with them.
Recently, I started watching "Grey's Anatomy" on Netflix and I disliked Dr. Addison Montgomery, and Dr. Alex Karev. I didn't like Dr.Addison Montgomery in the beginning because of the affair she had with her husband's best friend. However, after a few episodes in, I slowly began to like her. As for Dr. Alex Karev, he came off as the egoistical jerk, but after finding out the troublesome childhood he had, made me rethink my reactions toward him.
Other evil characters, went through the terrible struggle to become the likable one, such as the Evil Queen/Regina in "Once Upon a Time."
In other cases, we could understand their story, but never pity that character for the rest of the show. Take for instance, the TV show "iZombie," Blaine DeBeers kept to make the same wrong decisions. In "Arrow," Slade Wilson/Deathstroke was the character that simply couldn't change his ways, he was "too damaged," and beyond repair.
Yet, in some cases, we can begin to hate the main character.
Why we Hate the Main Character?
The main character is the star of the show, we follow the show through their perspective or with the focus on how they deal with life. Although, they probably are not intended to be hated, we still might grow to hate them. The key word is "grow." This makes it different than evil characters that are introduced as the character that you're supposed to dislike.
Sometimes the character is designed as the total opposite of a typical main character. In the TV show, "House M.D.," Dr. Gregory House has the personality of an antisocial, arguably emotionless character that has trouble expressing any emotion. His focus is on medicine and the thrill of finding the diagnosis of a medical mystery.
The characters he interacts with expresses the reasons why people might not like him. Yet, we can pity him because he will suffer with leg pain for the rest of his life, and is able to keep a friendship with Dr. James Wilson.
However, the typical characters of TV shows designed to be social or likable, can become the character we dislike. The reason is that we often disagree with the decisions they make, and we know they made the wrong decision, but the main character is suffering and discovering what a ridiculous decision they made. Another reason is that they are indecisive, they are the coward, but are jealous as well.
In a different show, "Once Upon a Time," I began to slightly dislike Emma Swan (prior to Season 7), she was closed off to the world, becoming less of an optimist and more of a pessimist. She wasn't an optimist to begin with, not believing in fair tales, but she grew to still become the annoying character until she actually turned into an evil character, "Evil Swan."
Take for instance, Meredith Grey and Dr. Izzie Stevens from "Grey's Anatomy," Meredith Grey is the main character and Dr. Izzie Stevens for the beginning of the show is a regular character (can also be considered a main character).
Meredith Grey is the indecisive annoying character (so far in Season 4), she wanted to be with Dr. Derek Shepherd when he wasn't divorced, but the moment he got divorced and wanted to marry Meredith and build a real life with her, she said, "I'm not ready." This meant that "I'm not ready to build a relationship with you, but I also don't want you to see other girls because I'm jealous, yet I don't want a relationship with you either."
Confusing, right?
Dr. Izzie Stevens also has similar relationship with Dr. George O'Malley (in Season 4). She didn't express her feelings to him previously, but the moment he got married, she feel in love with him. Hence, she ruined his marriage. She began to grow attached to him that she became jealous when he didn't invite her to a party dedicated just to interns (which she wasn't one). How did that influence Dr. George O'Malley after finding out his marriage was ruined when he had an affair with Izzie Stevens who confessed her love for him.
He had to retake his intern year, because he failed his intern exam due to being concerned and preoccupied over his love life.
Compared that to another regular (main) character on the show, Dr. Cristina Yang who knows what she wants and is willing to fight for what she wants; she's the complete opposite of Meredith. She is the character that an audience member aspires to be.
So why do we continue to watch the TV show anyways?
We continue to watch the TV show because we like the storyline. It's entertainment that makes life more interesting. The mysteries outbreaks of illnesses from different patients or the guest characters that appear on a new episodes and have a captivating mission that makes us watch the show each week. Sometimes it could be that we only hate one character, but we support the other characters family members, or friends.
The main characters could have a traumatic event that make them the way they are further into the season, but they sometimes take a longer process to overcome that event than an evil character that is evil from the beginning.
We also hope that the main characters change. We hope that they stop being the coward, and make up their mind.
