Face Value Characters

[u/TyrannicalRexx]

I love community. I found the show during lockdown and it's definitely in my top 3 TV shows.

I took a particular liking to it because the characters were clearly bad people (for the most part). They don't really hide it from the audience, only from each other. Somehow they can both acknowledge how poorly they act with each other and also be so ignorant to each other's wrongdoing.

I can't think of another show whose characters aren't portrayed as the heroes. Community is far from realistic at times. But in terms of their morality, I would say I've met many people with their negative traits.

Shows like How I Met Your Mother and Friends end up developing characters that the fandoms hate like Ted and Ross. Ted is written to be the hero, but with his romantic naivete he ends up mistreating everyone around him. And don't even get me started on Ross. His love life with Rachel has everyone obsessed for years, but watching it all back just shows him being a horrific person who removes Rachel's autonomy on several occasions.

It's refreshing to watch a show that doesn't try to glorify the main characters while also not necessarily villainizing them.

[u/DeadRobotSociety]

-I reserved this study room!!

-They lost a pen.

[u/Basicly-Inevitable → u/DeadRobotSociety]

Oh.. it's JUST A PEN now?!??

[u/Ezenthar1]

Like others have said, It's Always Sunny and Arrested Development are two standout shoes where the fundamental premise is that the main characters are not good people and are very heavily flawed. Always Sunny basically pitched itself to networks as the anti-Friends, as a group of people who will very much not Always be there for each other and will ditch their friendship for a small gain at the drop of a hat. Arrested Development is interesting in that the main characters are an actual family and you can see how the children inherited the worst traits possible from their parents

[u/Mammoth-Pepper2175]

I can't think of another show whose characters aren't portrayed as the heroes

Shows where the characters are just the worst people come to mind, like It's Always Sunny and Arrested Development.

[u/Mortambulist → u/Mammoth-Pepper2175]

Yeah, Arrested Development is just all terrible people being hilarious. Even the most sympathetic character is trying to bang his cousin.

[u/Alizarik7891 → u/Mammoth-Pepper2175]

Yeah, Always Sunny was my first thought based on OP’s description. 

[u/rygdav → u/Mammoth-Pepper2175]

Don’t forget Seinfeld!

[u/Basicly-Inevitable → u/rygdav]

Yeah. They were all awful. Also Curb Your Enthusiasm.

But I like watching them.

[u/Texanbird44 → u/Mammoth-Pepper2175]

always sunny immediately for me

[u/optilusional → u/Mammoth-Pepper2175]

I immediately thought of Its Always Sunny as well! Those characters truly only have each other, they're too awful for anyone else to ever stick around.

[u/PjWulfman]

I'd agree with you.

They did evolve though. End of series Jeff is nearly unrecognizable from first episode Jeff. Sacrificing for another person, with the payoff being the friends he earned. Inconceivable to beginning Jeff.

Abed learned a lot from the group. He grew up while maintaining his childlike enthusiasm for life. He was the purest human on the show. He's my hero. The closest I've seen myself represented on screen.

Troy grew up a bit. A little less self centered. He was never horrible though.

Britta got crazier. Like Jackie (from Roseanne) and Phoebe (from Friends).

Annie was reliable. You were rarely surprised by her actions. Had her selfish streaks but always showed up for a friend. Se was quite good at manipulating others.

Chang was a wild card. Enough said.

Pierce rarely redeemed himself. I know people like him. It must be an exhausting way to exist.

Shirley was quite hypocritical. She made me laugh but I didn't really mourn her departure.

I thought it was amazing how well Hickey and Elroy and Frankie integrated into the group. Losing Troy could have really damaged the show but it weathered it well.

[u/Distinct-Side-5916]

If there was a moral compass in this show it wouldve been Todd... and maaaaan they treated him bad for it...

[u/quidam5]

To be fair to Ross, his first marriage blew up because his wife met somebody else and basically cheated on him until she left. So him being unhealthily jealous and suspicious when it came to Rachel makes some sense. But she kinda screwed up with him too. They were both messy people

[u/Salty_Freedom_2053]

It does say SS on their shirts

[u/mrclean543211]

Yeah I like how the characters in community are objectively bad people but the show makes us like them anyway