Five Tv Characters We Felt Most Sorry For In 2020

Okay, so 2020 was… a lot. Right? Like, a global pandemic, people hoarding toilet paper like it was gold, and everything felt a bit like a really bad reality show. But you know what else 2020 gave us? Some seriously heartbreaking TV characters. Characters we just wanted to hug, give a giant pizza to, and maybe tell them to, like, get a new hobby. It’s kind of fun, in a weird, masochistic way, to feel a little sorry for fictional people, isn't it? It’s like, “Whew, at least my problems aren't that bad!” So grab your comfort snacks, because we’re diving into five TV characters who really got the short end of the stick in 2020. Prepare for some major feels!

The “I Just Wanted a Normal Life” Crew

This is a big one. So many characters in 2020 were just trying to navigate their everyday existence, and then BAM! Chaos. It's relatable, even if their chaos involved interdimensional portals or sentient AI. We've all had those moments where you just want to bake cookies and watch Netflix, and then the world throws a curveball. These characters felt that on a whole new level. It's the universal struggle, just amplified by, you know, being on television.

1. Wanda Maximoff (WandaVision)

Oh, Wanda. My sweet, heartbroken Wanda. This woman went through it in 2020, even though her show technically dropped in 2021. But let’s be real, the emotional fallout from Endgame was still very much alive and kicking in our hearts and minds. She lost Vision. Twice! And then she had to deal with all of that in Westview. It was like a real-life grief counselor’s worst nightmare, but with more spandex and reality-bending powers.

Seriously, can you imagine? You’re grieving, and instead of just crying into a pint of ice cream, you accidentally warp an entire town into a sitcom? That’s next-level coping mechanisms. And the worst part? She knew it wasn't real, deep down. That little flicker of awareness, that tiny voice telling her to wake up, but the overwhelming need to hold onto something, anything… it was gut-wrenching.

Quirky Fact Alert: Did you know Wanda’s powers are often referred to as “chaos magic”? Because, honestly, her life was pretty chaotic, so it fits. And she’s basically a master of manipulating reality because… well, she’s Wanda. We just wanted her to find some peace, maybe a nice little cottage upstate, far away from anything that could explode or disappear. A quiet life and maybe a really good therapist. Is that too much to ask for a woman who can literally rewrite the universe?

2. Ted Lasso (Ted Lasso)

Okay, so Ted Lasso is an absolute ray of sunshine. He’s relentlessly optimistic, a total goofball, and genuinely cares about people. But even our favorite mustachioed optimist had a rough go of it in 2020. Behind that winning smile and those folksy aphorisms, Ted was dealing with some serious stuff.

His divorce was hanging over him like a rain cloud on a picnic day. He was thousands of miles from his son, missing out on those crucial childhood moments. And then there's the whole business of coaching a professional soccer team in a league where he, let’s be honest, doesn't know a whole lot about the sport. Talk about imposter syndrome!

Funny Detail: His endless supply of folksy sayings and pop culture references, while hilarious, often felt like a way to deflect from his own pain. "Believe" became his mantra, but it felt like he was trying to convince himself as much as anyone else. We just wanted to give him a big hug and tell him it was okay to not be okay sometimes. And maybe teach him the offside rule. Just kidding… mostly.

The sheer pressure of being the "nice guy" when the world is actively trying to knock you down? That's tough. Ted’s vulnerability, when it finally peeked through, was incredibly moving. You just rooted for him to find his footing, both on and off the field.

3. Michael Burnham (Star Trek: Discovery)

Poor Michael. This woman has been through the cosmic wringer. In 2020, especially with the jump to the far future, she was dealing with a galaxy that was literally falling apart. The Burn happened, leaving everyone in a state of crisis. She's constantly facing impossible choices, making sacrifices that weigh heavily on her soul, and often dealing with the consequences of others' mistakes.

It’s like, she’s the most brilliant scientist and strategist in the galaxy, and yet, she’s always the one cleaning up the biggest messes. And she does it with such grace, even when she’s clearly exhausted and burdened. We felt for her because she’s always striving for the best, for peace, for unity, and yet, she’s surrounded by so much destruction and division.

Quirky Fact Alert: Michael's Vulcan heritage means she often struggles with expressing her emotions in a way humans understand. This internal conflict, her logical mind battling her deeply empathetic heart, made her struggles even more poignant. It's like she's got the ultimate internal monologue going on, all the time, and we're just watching her try to make sense of it all.

She’s basically the universe’s punching bag, but she keeps getting back up, every single time. We just wanted her to have one mission where everything went smoothly and she could enjoy a nice, quiet space nap. Is that too much to ask for a bridge officer with a heart of gold and a brain like a supercomputer?

4. Beth Harmon (The Queen's Gambit)

Okay, so Beth’s story is a triumph, no doubt about it. But in 2020, as we watched her rise through the ranks of the chess world, we also saw her grapple with some pretty serious demons. Her addiction to tranquilizers and alcohol, fueled by a lonely and traumatic childhood, was a constant shadow.

It was hard to watch someone so incredibly gifted, so brilliant, self-sabotage. The scene where she’s struggling to even get out of bed, the world a blurry mess of withdrawal and regret – that was tough. You wanted to shake her, to tell her she was so much more than her struggles, that her talent was a gift, not a curse.

Funny Detail: The way she’d stare at the ceiling, playing out chess matches in her mind. It's a fascinating quirk, but it also highlighted how much chess consumed her, sometimes to the detriment of everything else. We just wanted her to find a healthy balance, to learn to enjoy life beyond the 64 squares, and to maybe have a friend who didn't offer her a drink or a pill to "help her focus."

Her journey was a powerful reminder that success doesn't always erase pain, and that overcoming internal battles can be the hardest fight of all. We cheered for her wins, but we winced at her stumbles, desperately hoping she’d find her way to a place of true peace and self-acceptance.

5. Everyone Stuck in the Upside Down (Stranger Things)

Okay, hear me out. While 2020 was technically before the latest season dropped, the threat of the Upside Down and its lingering effects were so present in our minds. And let’s be honest, if you were going to be stuck anywhere in 2020, the Upside Down was NOT the place to be.

Imagine being trapped in a creepy, dark, parallel dimension filled with terrifying monsters. While the kids of Hawkins were already seasoned pros at fighting demogorgons and mind flayers, the sheer constant danger and the emotional toll it took? Grueling. They were kids, for crying out loud! Dealing with puberty and saving the world from interdimensional horrors? Talk about a stressful childhood.

Quirky Fact Alert: The Upside Down is basically a dark, decaying mirror image of our world. It’s like if your worst nightmares decided to open a theme park. And the fact that it’s always right there, lurking, is the stuff of pure anxiety.

We felt sorry for them because their innocence was constantly under siege. They were forced to grow up way too fast, to face horrors that no child should ever have to see. We just wanted them to have one normal summer, to go to the mall, to hang out at the arcade without any fear of being dragged into another dimension. Just… normal. Is that too much to ask?

So there you have it. Five characters who really tugged at our heartstrings in 2020. It’s a reminder that even in the darkest of times, fictional characters can offer us a shared sense of empathy and a good old-fashioned cry. Plus, it makes our own 2020 feel a tiny bit less overwhelming. Anyone else need a hug?