TV shows have a way of pulling viewers into the lives of their characters, often taking us on emotional rollercoasters. Following an interesting storyline can easily render anyone emotionally attached to the outcomes on screen, resulting in them getting annoyed when a character makes the most infuriating decision possible. Whether it’s a seemingly irrational choice, a betrayal of trust, or a complete dismissal of personal growth, these moments feel like gut punches in real life.
Frustrating decisions are, unfortunately, a hallmark of TV storytelling, whether in popular, long-running shows or smaller, niche series. FromSex and the City’s characters' regular exploits toThe Sopranos’divisive ending, some of the most iconic titles on TV have offered some of the most baffling character choices.The trend cuts across every genre on television, ensuring no one is safe from emotional twists— whether you’re enjoying a comedy, romance, or high-stakes drama.
10Buffy Pushing Everyone Away
Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
Buffy The Vampire Slayercaptivated audiences for seven seasons, but some of the show’s scenes only irritate audiences years later. Even though Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) showcases great acts of selflessness throughout the series, her decision to push everyone away after her resurrection in season 6 is one of her most ill-advised moves.By shutting everyone out, Buffy’s actions trigger a series of negative consequencesfor her friends and family.
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Namely, it partially causes Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan) to spiral into dark magic, which is out of character for her. Similarly, Buffy’s younger sister Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) has a hard time accepting her death in season 5 and is left emotionally shunned, negatively affecting their relationship. Had Buffy been more emotionally available, she would have been happier herself, and the majority of tension from the last two seasons could have been avoided.
9Elliot’s Attempt To Outsmart The Dark Army
Mr. Robot (2015-2019)
Elliot Alderson’s (Rami Malek) decision to carry out Stage 2 of the Dark Army’s plan, despite his strong moral doubts, stands out as one of themost frustrating plot twists inMr. Robot. Thinking he could outsmart the Dark Army and stop their plan to blow up a building full of people, Elliot completely misses the chance to save anyone, despite having numerous opportunities to do so.
Albeit, at the time,Elliot wasn’t aware that Mr. Robot was a personality he had created in his mind, but even without that knowledge, he still hesitates and painfully overthinks the situation.His indecision and naivety ultimately lead to the worst-case scenario, as he repeatedly ignores crucial information that could have helped him prevent the very moment that weighs on him for the rest of the show. Had he simply been more confident in either of the decisions, the entire thing would have been far less infuriating to watch.
8Carrie Demanding Money From Charlotte
Sex And The City (1998-2004)
Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) demanding money from one of her closest friends, Charlotte York (Kristin Davis), is easily one of themoments that could have made anyone quitSex and the City. In the season 4 episode, Carrie, who has never been great with money, shows up at Charlotte’s door to ask why she hasn’t offered to help with a down payment for her apartment. Instead of confronting her, Charlotte defensively brushes it off, acting as if it’s normal for Carrie to lash out like that.
Not only is the entire situation unwarranted, but Carrie is infuriatingly passive-aggressive throughout the entire conversation. She even goes on to comment on Charlotte not having to work, showing clear jealousy of her financial situation. Rather than taking responsibility for her own mistakes,Carrie unfairly places the burden on her well-meaning friend, making the moment a very annoying example of her flawed character.
7Izzie Hiding Her Cancer From Karev
Grey’s Anatomy (2005-Present)
Grey’s Anatomyhas had its fair share of infuriating moments throughout its 21 and counting seasons, but Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl) easily takes the cake with her baffling behavior. One of themost annoying things Izzie ever did inGrey’s Anatomywas not to tell Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) that she had cancer.
In season 5, the couple’s relationship is already on shaky ground, and Izzie still thinks it best to keep Alex in the dark about her metastatic cancer diagnosis. This not only adds unnecessary strain to their already complicated relationship but also leads to one of the most frustrating emotional conflicts in the entire series.By hiding the truth, Izzie denies Alex, who has always been there for her, the chance to process the situationand support her in the way he needs to. Additionally, when he ultimately finds out the truth, Alex is heartbroken.
6Chuck Selling Blair For A Hotel
Gossip Girl (2007-2012)
There wasn’t a straight face in the room when Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick) literally traded Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) for a hotel as part of a business deal in season 3 ofGossip Girl. Despite their relationship being complicated at the time,Chuck’s emotional immaturity and the way he objectifies Blair marked a new low, for him and for the show.
While Chuck makes plenty of questionable decisions throughout the series, treating Blair as an object to be bargained with reveals just how self-centered he truly is. To make things even worse, he sold a night with Blair to his own uncle, Jack Bass (Desmond Harrington). Granted, Jack was only testing Chuck’s loyalty to Blair, but the entire situation was way too weird.Chuck and Blair’s relationshipwent on to be marked by emotional manipulation and games, ultimately taking away from their happy ending.
5Tony Having Adriana Killed
The Sopranos (1999-2007)
Adriana La Cerva (Drea de Matteo) was one of the game-changing anti-hero drama’s most beloved characters, making her death one ofThe Sopranos’greatest betrayals. After revealing that the FBI had been pressuring her, Adriana’s fiancé, Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli), goes to Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) to handle the situation. Instead of offering her any mercy, given that she is a member of the family, Tony seemingly easily decides to kill her.
The way the entire situation was handled felt unfair to Adriana’s character, who had, at that point, been a significant part ofThe Sopranos. What makes it even more infuriating is that Tony had no second thoughts or remorse about his decision. Even later in the series,when Carmela Soprano (Edie Falco) reflects on Adriana’s disappearance, Tony doesn’t show any sign of emotion, showcasing his ruthless nature.
4Rory Dropping Out Of Yale
Gilmore Girls (2000-2007)
Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) dropping out of Yale inGilmore Girlswill go down in history as one of the most infuriating decisions a show has ever depicted. After her mother, Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham), sacrificed so much to provide Rory with the best opportunities, her choice to throw it all away felt like a huge waste of time and resources. Rory’s decision itself is confusing, but the way she goes about it also makes very little sense.
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Instead of being open with Lorelai about her struggles and the reasons behind her decision to leave school, Rory keeps her mother in the dark,causing unnecessary tension and drama. The mother-daughter duo’s connection had already been jeopardized before Rory dropping out, and her lack of communication put an additional strain on their bond. The move also felt more like an impulsive act of rebellion than a well-thought-out decision, making it hard to watch.
3Ross Cheating On Rachel
Friends (1994-2004)
After Ross Geller’s (David Schwimmer) borderline weird decade-long crush on Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston), no one expected him to cheat on her. However, the decision remains one of themost shocking things Ross did onFriends, even though he does not see it as such. The infamous “We were on a break!” line has become a pop culture staple, but it doesn’t make his horrible decision-making any less frustrating.
Not only is the quirky paleontologist unfaithful to his girlfriend, whether they were on a one-night break or not, but he completely fails to take any responsibility for what happened. Ross' subsequent behavior is arguably even more annoying than the cheating itself, as he remains jarringly selfish and oblivious to his poor judgment.Even after Rachel gives him another chance, Ross still won’t take the blame for his actions,cementing his status as one of the worst TV boyfriends in history.
2Ted Taking Robin Back
How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014)
For nine seasons,How I Met Your Motherled everyone to believe that Ted Mosby’s (Josh Radnor) true love was the mother of his future children,only to reveal in the end that it was Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders) all along. As the series progresses,Ted and Robin’s relationshipreveals itself to be unhealthy, due to some incompatible differences, which leads to their breakup in the first place.
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After they call things off, so much happens — Robin marries Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) only to divorce him, while Ted gets married to the woman he goes on to have children with, but she tragically passes away. The final plot twist that was on very few bingo cards was Ted going after Robin again after everything, especially after how she rejected him — it felt like all of Ted’s growth throughout the show was for nothing.
1Oz Killing Victor
The Penguin (2024)
The Penguinexceeded expectations with each of its episodes, butOz Cobb (Colin Farrell) ultimately failed everyone who dared to believe in his potential for redemption.In the season finale, Oz cunningly kills Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz), pulling off another one of the most aggravating and shocking decisions in TV history. Throughout the season, it is easy to feel sorry for Oz at times; even to cheer for him.
Oz takes Victor under his wing, promising to mold him into a man capable of taking care of himself in the chaotic streets of Gotham. However, as soon as the teenager becomes a perceived liability to Oz, there is no other way for their story to end. Even though Oz should not have been trusted from the beginning, the masterpiece that isThe Penguinmanaged to create the illusion that everything would somehow work out. Well, it did, but in a very frustrating and heartbreaking way.
