10 TV Characters Who Were Secretly Terrible People
1. Jim Halpert - The Office
Throughout the earlier seasons of The Office, Jim and Pam’s “will they/won’t they” romance was the driving force of the story.
Around the wacky caricatures of Dunder Mifflin, Jim was very clearly written as not just the most relatable employee but as a desirable bachelor: handsome, down to Earth and with a wicked sense of humour. His bullying of Dwight aside, Jim’s biggest issues rear their head intermittently throughout the show.
Before even entering a relationship with Pam Beesley, Jim shows that his desires come first by kissing her repeatedly whilst she is engaged to another man. After they marry, he uses their savings to not only buy his childhood home without telling her but later to also privately invest in his own business idea.
In earlier seasons, Pam’s desire to pursue art trails off and her dream dies as she becomes a stay-at-home Mother whilst Jim gets his way yet again.
And it’s not just his wife, Jim mistreats other women too. Convincing Karen from the Stamford branch to move to Scranton and start a relationship with him despite the fact he knew he still had feelings for Pam is a dick move.
The issue of sexism in the workplace was an overt running theme for The Office but Jim’s treatment of women is much more quietly flawed.