Children should be seen and not heard — it is an age-old saying that seems to be on the minds of some TV viewers when it comes to series like “The Walking Dead,” whose season finale aired Sunday night.
There are several shows now with major characters like Carl Grimes, the son of “Walking Dead” zombie-fighter Rick, who have rubbed viewers the wrong way. When the show’s Twitter feed calls for Carl’s death, it might be time for the writers to do some fine-tuning — or hire another actor.
But Carl is not the only one. You can go through the TV schedule and find several shows with young characters who are just so annoying. Whiny voices. Obnoxious behavior. Bad attitudes. Here are our candidates:
Dana Brody, ‘Homeland’
There isn’t a soul on the planet who can take another minute of this perpetually whining, frowning, moping bore. Granted, Dana (Morgan Saylor) has had a lot to deal with: Her father was a terrorist. A pretty big terrorist. But Dana just did not deal with it very well. Every time she entered a room we waited for her scowl, then her shrug, then a stream of invective. Hopefully, she won’t be back on the new season.
Joffrey Baratheon, ‘Game of Thrones’
True, he is a king. But what a brat! Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) sadistically mocked Sansa Stark about the death of her father, mother and brother. He also tortured and killed a prostitute who betrayed Littlefinger’s trust. And let us not forget how he took credit for winning the Battle of the Blackwater, when really the win was due to Tyrion’s strategic thinking and Tywin Lannister’s army arriving at the last minute.
Carl Grimes, ‘The Walking Dead’
Some people might cut Carl (Chandler Riggs) a break, seeing as how he’s the only kid around for miles, deprived of Facebook and Twitter or any way of connecting with other kids who may have also survived the zombie apocalypse. Just not fans of the show. They are annoyed for two reasons: Carl is still alive and so many other characters on the zombie drama have perished. Also, he was responsible for Dale’s death early on in the show’s run.
Manny Delgado, ‘Modern Family’
What was precocious has become obnoxious the more we see of this know-it-all pain in the neck. Why haven’t Manny’s (Rico Rodriguez) parents — Gloria (Sofia Vergara) and Jay (Ed O’Neill) — sent him away to boarding school or something?
Becca Moody, ‘Californication’
Her dad, Hank (David Duchovny), god knows, is a loser. But does Becca (Madeleine Martin) have to remind him of this 10 times a day? “You never mean to let me down, but you do,” she tells him.
Barry Goldberg, ‘The Goldbergs’
Here, at last, is a character who is meant to be annoying. Barry (Troy Gentile) is that older brother who was always getting in your hair, an emotionally needy teen with a serious case of middle-child syndrome.
Sydney Graham, ‘Parenthood’
Sydney (Savannah Paige Rae) is having a tough year — her parents are going through a separation and she’s adjusting to her new adopted brother, Victor. But Sydney was spoiled and bratty before all of that, and the transitions are bringing out her worst. Sydney tells her new brother it’s his fault her parents are fighting so much, and she constantly whines about everything from Victor getting more attention to forgetting a favorite PJ set at the wrong parents’ house. She’s the perfect unbearable storm of her type-A mom, Julia (Erika Christensen), and stubborn dad, Joel (Sam Jaeger).
Karen Grant, ‘Scandal’
Maybe there’s a reason viewers rarely see President Fitzgerald Grant’s (Tony Goldwyn) teenage daughter. Karen (Madeline Carroll) is very nearly a Dana Brody clone (see Saylor, Morgan) — whiny and mopey, with a huge puss on her face. Just shut up already.