1. Skyler: Breaking Bad

Skyler is constantly judged for her single mistake – cheating on Walter. But people conveniently forget everything Walter put Skyler through, including the fact that he forced himself on Skyler. She was lied to and then drawn into running an illegal business – but he was considered a badass, and she was ‘nagging’. 

2. Suchi: The Family Man

People tend to compare Suchi to Srikant’s achievements as a TASC officer. But while Srikant may have been an excellent officer, he was not a dedicated husband, who also lied to Suchi at the drop of a hat, which explains her trust issues. Moreover, he expected to be rewarded for doing the bare minimum, but Suchi, who was actually self-aware of her own faults in the marriage, was branded as evil. 

3. Natasha: Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

Natasha is judged for being snooty and insecure, but Kabir was the one who proposed out of peer pressure. And then continued the charade right till the end, when his wedding was mere weeks away. But Natasha is the one being judged for simply wanting her fiance to be a part of the wedding preparations. 

4. Emily Waltham: F.R.I.E.N.D.S

Emily was literally embarrassed in front of her entire family on her wedding day. Then, right when she forgave Ross and decided to join him on their honeymoon, she noticed him heading off to Greece with the same girl whose name he took during their wedding. Can you really blame her for being insecure? At least she was honest enough to tell Ross that she could not trust him. 

5. Karen Filippelli: The Office

While I am all for Team Jim & Pam, Karen is not the villain in the greatest fictional love story ever told. She is simply a girl Jim “chooses” to love, when he was single. And there is no point in judging her for that. 

6. Janice: F.R.I.E.N.D.S

Nothing about Janice justifies the hate she has received because Chandler was the one who repeatedly pursued and dumped her. And then continued to paint her as the annoying one, when, let’s not forget, she made a mixtape for him that he recycled as a gift for Monica. Who exactly is in the wrong here? I love Chandler but his, and consequently the audience’s, hate for Janice is just not justifiable. 

7. Meghna: Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na

Meghna may have been nothing like Aditi, but isn’t that exactly why Jai loved her? But while we eagerly accept the unique traits that make Jai and Aditi’s group of friends, Meghna is, unfairly I might add, branded as annoying and childish. Just like in real life we don’t always fall for the first person we’re attracted to, in the fictional world too, romantic leads can have exes. It’s time we stop hating on them. 

8. Miranda Priestly: The Devil Wears Prada

Okay, hear me out here. She was judged by the world for the same qualities we’ve admired in men (Don Draper: Mad Men; Harvey Specter: Suits). And while she was unnecessarily tough on Andy, she was also a knowledgeable boss, one who actually gave Andy a good recommendation, even though Andy quit on her in the middle of fashion week. If we’re changing standards for bosses, let’s change it for all of them and not just the female ones, right? 

9. Sansa Stark: Game of Thrones

Yes, admittedly by the end of the show we all developed a different opinion of Sansa. But she did not deserve the hate she received in the initial seasons either. She was constantly pitted against Aarya and considered to be whiny and shallow, while the fact of the matter was, she was simply a different person. Crushing on the prince, liking embroidery, and believing in love does not make you shallow – it simply makes you a teenager. 

10. Karen: Socha Na Tha

Karen’s another example of people pitting two women against each other and picking a winner. And the winner is almost always the girl who is more ‘agreeable’ to the hero. But Karen and Viren had been dating for 3 years, and she took the step of introducing him to her family, simply to see him insult both, her and her family. And yet, she was the evil one. 

Is there a character you’d add to the list? Let us know in the comments section below.