8 TV Character Changes That Worked Perfectly

God bless Roger Smith and his disguises.

The Walking Dead Carol
AMC

It's no secret that characters in TV shows adapt and change as the years go by. Sometimes new writers are brought on board, and other times the actors get so caught up in their roles that they can steer them in the direction they see fit.

But while moods, appearances, and their cadence are one for the artists on screen, the formula of a character and their position within a series is left entirely up to the creators and the writers. If you look back at many of the serial dramas and comedies you've watched over the years and compare the introduction of a character to their departure, you're guaranteed to see at least some change in their behavior.

And while for a lot of these characters it can be a very personal change, sometimes the shift in the use of a character doesn't just benefit them but cast a very bright light on the series itself. For better or worse, dramatically changing how we see a character can be one of the very things that keeps us tuned in.

So let's take a look at a few characters whose behaviors changed throughout their series' run, and look at why they should be appreciated so much.

8. The Office US - Andy Bernard

The Walking Dead Carol
NBC

When Andy was first introduced in Season 3 of the American adaptation of The Office, he was the classic office annoyance: he kissed asses, called his co-workers derogatory or ridiculous nicknames without their consent, and sang aloud out of nowhere; confusing and disrupting the bullpen because no one had ever put him in his place.

From the get-go he was perceived as a flat-out antagonist; deliberately getting Dwight fired, undermining many of his cohorts, showing worrying spats of anger management and just generally getting on every-bodies nerves.

But after a couple seasons, Andy's behavior and his storyline fluctuated from the butt of the jokes, to sad-sack, to Office Screwball, to eventually redeeming himself as one of the few characters with morals and maturity. After the departure of Michael Scott, Andy eventually earns his place as the Office Manager and for a while he seemed to fit the bill perfectly.

However it was short-lived, and after disappearing for half a season, Andy returned back into his snarky self, and in the final few episodes of the series grew to be uncomfortably unlikable. At least for a short time, he was one of the better characters in the series.

Contributor

I overthink a lot of things. Will talk about pretty much anything for a great length of time. I'm obsessed with General Slocum from the 2002 Spider-Man film. I have questions that were never answered in that entire trilogy!