Glee Characters Who Missed The Mark With Fans

This article contains references to suicide.

Throughout all six seasons of "Glee," standout personas that both delighted and deeply aggravated fans emerged from the halls of McKinley High School. From bullies and mean girls to conniving housewives, there was never a dull moment both on and off the set of "Glee" — despite the unearthing of some darker details thereafter.

Show co-creator Ryan Murphy once told Entertainment Weekly that "it was the best time in my life and the worst time in my life ... It was good training for being a parent, I'll tell you that much." While we know what happened to the cast after the show wrapped in 2015, there are still some characters we reflect on today that have remained in infamy for all the wrong reasons.

Among the plethora of unlikable characters in the "Glee" lexicon, bully-turned-baffling boyfriend Dave Karofsky is one of the most hated. Played by a notably polar opposite Max Adler, Karofsky's multi-season arc began in Season 2 when he began bullying glee club favorite Kurt Hummel, played by Chris Colfer, mocking him for his sexuality while hiding his own. Among the character's multiple misdeeds, he forced a kiss on Kurt in a locker room during a tête-à-tête and threatened physical violence, all while masking his own homosexuality, which eventually led to a now-infamous, heart-wrenching scene where Karofsky attempts to end his life in Season 3. Things eventually smooth out between the former enemies — until a newly out Karofsky re-emerges in Season 6 as Blaine (aka Kurt's ex)'s new boyfriend opposite Darren Criss.

Fans everywhere were shocked — and not in the good way — by this development in the show's already maligned last season. Subsequently, this reignited the conversation about the portrayal of closeted bullies in contemporary television. Even Adler himself knew that the storyline would elicit complex feelings from Gleeks worldwide. "As the actor, I'm aware that the Klaine [Kurt/Blaine] fans are understandably in an uproar, and nobody wants to see Kurt crying and upset," he told Out Magazine in 2015. "As the character, I'm glad that [Dave is] happy with himself and he's not suicidal anymore."

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or chat on 988lifeline.org.

From the very beginning of Season 1 of "Glee," fans were onto Terri Schuester — wife of glee club teacher Will Schuester — and her mischievous ways. Played by Jessalyn Gilsig, Terri was a jealous, conniving housewife who claimed all of her misdeeds were a way to save her marriage. She provided drugs to students in a short-lived stint as a school nurse and was aggressive towards her husband's co-worker (and eventual wife) Emma Pillsbury. But her most egregious fault? Arguably, it's faking a pregnancy and planning to adopt one of Will's students' babies to pretend it was her own. Needless to say, this does not end up working out and causes the Schuesters to split up.

Gilsig is aware of the polarity of the character, but she found some rationale within the character to help her bring compassion into her performance. "She so identifies with high school when she was [at] her very best that she really hasn't evolved out of that place," the actor explained to Oprah.com. "Terri just needs to step into the now and let go of the past." She went on to describe that Terri's deep-seated insecurities were the cause of her actions, along with the fear that her husband would leave her if he knew the real her. "I feel like that's very human," she stated.

Voted by many as one of the most annoying television characters in history, Will Schuester was part glee club leader, part subpar Spanish teacher, and part father figure (as well as being partly responsible for some of the show's biggest fashion flops). For six seasons, Schuester's storylines became almost as problematic as those of his students. From planting illegal substances in students' lockers to force them into joining his club to repeatedly arranging and even at times performing risqué, sexually charged numbers with his students, Schuester blurred lines between mentor and enabler more often than not.

For his part, Morrison, who has faced allegations of inappropriate behavior in real life, shared that he tried to leave the show because of his dissatisfaction with the character's storyline. "I asked to be off the show, because I was just like, I'm no longer being used in the way I wanted to," he revealed to co-stars Kevin McHale and Jenna Ushkowitz (both of whom never really landed another breakout role) on their "And That's What You REALLY Missed" podcast. However, after co-star Cory Monteith's untimely passing, he ended up remaining with the show until its series finale in 2015. "Trying to reconcile my own wants and selfish needs with the grief of losing an amazing friend, you know, there's a lot of just mixed emotions. But I'm a professional, I showed up, I did my job."

Jacob Ben Israel was McKinley High's unofficial gossip monger, interviewing glee club members for his blog in what became not-so-nice coverage of the group's many failures. He also had a sizable infatuation with central character Rachel Berry, often making unwanted comments on her body and even admitting to having a shrine devoted to her. Fans have continued to lament his cringeworthy actions online, often comparing their real-life experiences with inappropriate attention to the character on the screen. Jacob has even inspired dialogue in the Jewish community, with think pieces being published about the offensive and, to some, anti-Semitic nature of the character. "Ben-Israel is offensive because he's callow and obnoxious — not because he's Jewish," Danielle Berrin wrote for the Jewish Journal.

Actor Josh Sussman, though, has been playful if not optimistic in his response to fans and culture critics. "I want to sing 'You Are My Sunshine.' And I want to sing it to Rachel [Berry, played by Lea Michele]," he once quipped in an interview (via Digital Spy). "There has to be [a chance]. I mean, he's been so good to her, minus the blackmail." Even in the years after "Glee" ended, he has continued to answer fan questions on his social media accounts, even reciting some of his favorite lines from the show, cringe and all.

McKinley High's original football coach, Ken Tanaka, played a crucial part of a Season 1 love triangle in "Glee." Coach Tanaka was at one point engaged to Emma Pillsbury, the school guidance counselor and Mr. Schuester's not-so-secret crush. Once Coach caught on to Emma and Mr. Schuester's budding attraction, his demeanor turned sour, full of jealousy and aggression. He threatened not only Mr. Schuester, but also his players, other students, and even Emma, even going so far as to purposely trigger her OCD habits. Fans were quick to lament Tanaka's actions, especially when the football coach replacement ended up being Coach Sheldon Beiste (played by Dot-Marie Jones), one of the show's most beloved characters.

But after just one season, Tanaka's character was cut from the show. Actor Patrick Gallagher still remarks fondly on his short-lived but still impactful experience. "It was my chance to kind of play something with the love interest," he shared with Popternative. "It was a very sensitive character, very different from the stuff I've played." He even admitted that some of the character's cringe — specifically his signature fanny pack — was his idea. "I needed a place to keep my cigarettes and my food," he joked on the podcast.

In the first season of "Glee," Stephen Tobolowsky portrayed Sandy Ryerson, the creepy, inappropriate former glee club director who seemed to always be hanging around McKinley High in some form or another. He teamed up with Mr. Schuester for the short-lived Acafellas singing group, supplied drugs to school-age students, and served as a super stalker to one Josh Groban. Suffice it to say, his behavior wasn't something that sat well with fans, even if he did arguably deliver one of the most iconic one-liners of the entire series.

In real life, Tobolowsky is decidedly less suspicious, likely not repulsing his castmates as much as his character might've. Yet, he did spin a fascinating story when auditioning for the show. After suffering a broken neck after a horseback riding accident, he showed up determined to get the role by any means necessary — even if that meant lying to the producers and taking off his neck brace to appear uninhibited. But there was one catch: Tobolowsky showed up a day early to his audition. Embarrassed, he decided to come clean, tell the producers about his injury, and return the next day to give it his all. It was that weird energy, the actor says, that got him the part. In the end, that weird energy paid off. "It was the broken neck story that probably got me on to 'Glee,'" he shared on the "And That's What You REALLY Missed" podcast.

Season 4 of "Glee" saw several of the McKinley High graduates move to New York City to pursue their performing dreams — and shake up their romantic lives with someone new. For Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), that someone was Brody Weston, a fellow go-getter of a student at the fictional New York Academy of Dramatic Arts (NYADA). Brody was the first serious boyfriend that Rachel had following her break-up with Finn Hudson, and loyal "Finchel" shippers were quick to criticize Brody's womanizing ways (he served as an escort in order to pay his school tuition). "What I like about Brody is that he lives in the now," actor Dean Geyer said of his character to TheaterMania.

While Brody and Rachel were not meant to be in the end, it didn't stop fans from expressing their distaste for the short-lived fling. Geyer recalled that he started receiving messages from fans as soon as his casting was announced, something he said he knew came with the territory of one of the hottest shows on television at the time. "In this business, you are never going to please everyone, and so maybe you're going to get hate mail," he told the outlet. "But this is just my work, and it's fun to play this character who may be shaking things up."

Not all glee clubbers are amicable ... at least not when it came to Hunter Clarington, the leader of the Dalton Academy Warblers and one of McKinley High's New Directions' biggest rivals. Played by Nolan Gerard Funk, Hunter had one goal in mind: to bring legendary ex-Warbler and current New Directioner Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss) back to Dalton to secure the school's Nationals competition victory. He even encouraged a convincing song and dance full of Warbler spirit to try and tempt Blaine. Alas, it was to no avail, and eventually Hunter's own dark side was revealed. He was violent and temperamental, pushing the Warblers past their limits and ruling with an iron fist. The group performed at the Sectionals competition but ended up being disqualified after it was revealed that their leader pushed them to take performance-enhancing drugs to elevate their skills. The Warblers end up falling from grace, and Hunter became infamous for his coffee-throwing viral temper tantrums in the end.

While Hunter's behavior clearly rubbed many loyal "Glee" lovers the wrong way, that hasn't stopped fans from creating fan videos of the character. Even with the hate that came his way, Funk still embraces the fallen Warbler as a positive experience. "I'm still really proud of that character and appreciate ... the opportunity," he shared with Glitter Magazine.

Not all Cheerio cheerleaders are created equal, it seems. Mean girl Bree (played by Erinn Westbrook) made waves in Season 4 of "Glee" among the new crop of New Directioners, mainly between young loves Marley Rose (Melissa Benoist) and Jake Puckerman (Jacob Artist). The womanizing Jake, like his older brother before him, gets caught canoodling with Bree, much to Marley's dismay. On top of that, Cheerios coach and New Directions' number one hater Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) convinces Bree to create chaos for the glee club. All of this, with a snotty attitude to boot, made her a not-so-likeable character from the start. "Fans were up in arms about that," Westbrook admitted to OK! "People are definitely watching that storyline to see if there's potential."

Much like the rest of the new recruits from Season 4, Westbrook and Bree didn't last beyond one season on the show, but the triple threat certainly showed off her talents in several musical numbers. Even though her tenure was short-lived, the actor knew that the character was essentially created to keep audiences on their toes. "As soon as she evokes sympathy from people, she's going to have something else to do to make people fall right back into hating her," she explained to the publication. "It's a slingshot boomerang effect of 'I hate her, I love her, I hate her, I feel bad for her.'"

In one of the most baffling side characters in "Glee" history, precocious Myron Muskovitz (played by Josie Totah) joined the New Directions in Season 6. After first appearing as a demanding young boy looking for entertainment for his bar mitzvah (and briefly claiming Cheerios coach Sue Sylvester as his personal assistant), he eventually joined the New Directions for their final foray through McKinley High. Myron was perhaps best known for dressing up as Maddie Ziegler from Sia's "Chandelier" video and running through the auditorium during a musical number.

Crazy plot lines aside, fans and the actor herself were astonished by all that unfolded during Myron's brief but memorable tenure on the show. "It was amazing but overwhelming," Totah revealed on the "And That's What You REALLY Missed" podcast. "I learned very quickly. I remember someone would often say 'If you can do 'Glee,' you can do anything.'" But that amazing feeling definitely caused the young actor to endure her fair share of stress, both on set and off. "I broke down a few times, especially after," she admitted on the podcast, citing the strenuous dance rehearsals and recording sessions. "I remember it being really difficult."