Mad Men is one of the greatest ensemble television shows of all time. The focus of the show is on Don Draper, but the supporting cast of characters is always given a great amount of attention as well, creating some amazing storylines. While characters like Sally Draper, Roger Sterling, and Lane Pryce brought a lot to Mad Men, many other characters did not. Some weren’t in the show long enough to have an effect either way, but others simply annoyed audiences.
Having characters that fans hate is never something a show aims to do, but it does happen and Mad Men is no exception. Within this list, we will highlight 10 examples of that, ranking side characters from the show that fans didn’t like.
Ted Chaough
As the show grew older, Ted Chaough gained more responsibility and power, which wasn’t a good thing. While there isn’t anything overtly wrong with him, he just always tended to frustrate fans. The main reason for that is because he was the total opposite of Don Draper.
Of course, that was intentional, with the two men supposed to be different, but that didn’t make him an exciting character. However, things really got messy when the show decided to make him the love interest of Peggy. Once their relationship ends, it is Peggy who flourishes, while he struggles to make an impact. He quickly faded into the background and he just ended up feeling like a pointless character who was used to quickly help other storylines.
Bob Benson
Next on the list is Bob Benson, who debuted in season six of the show. While his character was interesting, coming across incredibly similar to Don, there was always something about him that didn’t catch on.
The main reason is likely his similarities to Don. After all, everything Don does proves he’s not someone fans should like, but because we view the show from his world it makes him likable. The same cannot be said for Bob. He’s a fraud and fabricates his identity, and he comes across very sleazy. Added to the fact he was a latecomer to the show, Bob was just a character that fans could never connect with.
Mona Sterling
While Roger Sterling is one of the best characters on the show, the same cannot be said for his ex-wife, Mona Sterling. A consistent supporting character in early seasons, Mona isn’t intentionally a character that you shouldn’t like.
After all, she puts up with Roger’s nonsense, only for him to cheat on her with a younger woman when he gets the chance. Even after they split, Mona still provides Roger with the stern balance that he desperately needs in his life. However, because Roger’s character was so popular, fans just wanted to see him act like he was still 20 all the time. That is why Mona wasn’t always a popular character, as she would try to reason with him and ultimately stop him.
Margaret Sterling
What’s worse than Roger Sterling’s ex-wife? His daughter. While Mona isn’t intentionally annoying, it feels like Margaret Sterling certainly is. Born into incredible wealth, Margaret literally has anything she wants, whenever she wants it. Yet for some reason, nothing is ever good enough for her.
While she is supposed to be a spoiled brat, you would think at some point she’d grow out of that. However, that never really happens and her behavior surrounding her wedding really frustrated audiences. Considering that he was paying for it all, the fact Margaret wasn’t going to allow her father to turn up shows how frustrating she could be.
Pauline Francis
Thankfully, Pauline Francis isn’t a character that we see all that often in Mad Men. However, that doesn’t stop her from being a rather annoying supporting character when she makes a rare appearance.
Despite her son making the decision to marry Betty, taking on the responsibility of step-father, his mother doesn’t approve. Pauline labels Betty as “a silly woman,” clearly believing that she is above her and the family. She also treats Sally poorly as well during a Christmas meal, simply because she is acting up. Given that Sally is a child, it is quite a poor move and instantly made audiences despise her.
Conrad Hilton
Mad Men positions viewers to believe that Don Draper is the alpha male in every scenario, and that is how fans want to see him. That’s why many hated Conrad Hilton because he constantly used power plays against Don to get what he wanted.
While he was one of the first powerful clients on the show as the man behind the famous hotel chain, that didn’t stop him from being annoying. Conrad has a very strange relationship with Don, and it was one storyline that fans didn’t necessarily love.
Jimmy Barrett
Jimmy Barrett is another supporting character that makes several appearances in earlier seasons of the show. Every time he was on-screen, audiences cringed due to the ridiculous things that came out of his mouth. Whether it is making gross jokes about weight, or making other women feel incredibly uncomfortable around him, he has no redeeming qualities.
Jimmy is the one who spills the beans about Don’s affairs to Betty, which is another factor that made fans dislike him. The best part of his run on the show is when Don decides to punch him in the face. They say he is a comic, but he’s not funny at all and is just incredibly annoying throughout his run on the show.
Father John Gill
It seems a little strange to be placing a priest as a character the fans hated, but that is just the truth of it. While John Gill was only part of the show for the first two seasons, he certainly made an impact during his time. While he starts off as a friendly priest just doing his job, his nice guy routine does begin to wear thin.
It becomes clear that he is rather judgemental when he learns about Peggy’s secret, and that turns him into a pushy character. His obsession with trying to save her starts to become overwhelming and it is probably for the best that the show got rid of the character from the third season on.
Lee Garner Jr.
It is because of Lee Garner Jr.’s behavior that Sal ends up being fired, and that is why he is one of the most hated characters from the show. Lee was a closeted gay man, and when Sal refuses to put out he ends up costing him his job, intentionally.
His decision to fire Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce also puts the company into financial ruin, giving fans another reason to strongly dislike him. Lee Garner Jr. just wasn’t a very nice person, to put it simply. He was full of his own insecurities and worries which he could never admit. Instead, he put on a false macho personality that fans didn’t appreciate.
Greg Harris
The fact he had a nickname of ‘Dr. Rape’ amongst Mad Men fans really says all you need to know. This creepy character promises to give Joan a better life and then raped her on the floor of Don Draper’s office. He is the worst of all the supporting characters, riddled by his own issues, which he takes out on Joan. Because he doesn’t get his dream job, Greg Harris simply belittles Joan and her work, trying to emotionally and psychologically ruin her.
Eventually, he enlists in order to run away from all of his problems, divorcing Joan in the process. He was hated by fans and will always remain the worst character in Mad Men’s history.
