Glee: 10 Characters That Got The Short End Of The Writing Stick

Some of the characters on Glee went through 6 seasons full of well-written ups and downs. Rachel, Kurt, and Blaine had the most screen time, and as such, they had the most well-written characters overall, even if some choices were wildly out of character like That’s So Rachel and NYADA rejecting Kurt initially.  

For other characters, those story arcs seemed to either mean nothing or not ever come, even if they were around for the show’s entire run. When characters like Dave Karofsky and Burt Hummel receive full, emotional arcs, it is easy to see that some characters were just let down by the writers.   

10 Guitarist

While some may have chosen the Drummer or the Bassist from the band, since they were around at the very beginning of the series, the Guitarist always seemed like he was going to turn into a character. None of the band members even received names throughout the series, except for piano man Brad. 

Being played by Derik Nelson, he routinely accompanied the Glee kids starting from Season 3 Episode 1 to the graduation episode of season 5, and Rachel’s chaotic performance of “Love Fool.” If any band kid would have gotten a shot, and more than one line, it should’ve been him.  

9 Brody Weston

Brody is a complex character that ended up getting written off in favor of Finn. Played by Dean Gyer, he had an amazing voice and a solid relationship with Rachel that was thrown away in favor of the writers making a dig on sex workers. Not that it is necessary, but he even has a good reason for his working as an escort. 

Another issue is that Brody is one of Rachel’s best relationships in the series, yet he never gets a second chance, unlike Finn, Puck, and Jessie who all get multiple shots after being toxic.

8 Sunshine Corazon

From their first appearance on the show, Sunshine was excessively victimized by Rachel, who kicked off their first interaction with a lot of casual racism followed by an aggressive sing-off of Lady Gaga and Beyonce’s “Telephone” in the girl’s bathroom. Rachel then sends them to a “crack house.”

Then Sunshine was treated as a guest character, making two more appearances that didn’t really make sense. Sunshine would have been a great addition for season 2 and on a major character, but their raw vocal power was apparently too much for the show.  

7 Season 6 New Directions

While many fans don’t believe that season 6 was necessary, it did introduce some compelling characters in Rodrick, Jane, Mason, Madison, and Spencer. None of them were carbon copies of the original New Directions like most of the season 4 newbies, yet their time was taken over by the Rachel, Kurt, and Blaine story. 

These kids didn’t get much in development, but fans got hints at storylines, like the relationship of Jane and Mason. This team of singers all had powerful voices that didn’t get enough air time. 

6 Rory Flanagan

Like most of the top placers of The Glee Project, save for a short few, Damian McGinty didn’t get a grand role in the series. Appearing only in season 3 as Rory Flanagan, the Irish exchange student, he drifted in and out of plot lines, including being a leprechaun for Brittany, and sharing Christmas with Sam. 

Rory could have come back in seasons 4 and 5, but instead, he just disappears without notice. This was strange because he was a clear fan favorite and talented singer. However, he does technically appear in season 4 as an angel in Artie’s dream about the club. 

5 Quinn Fabray

Quinn Fabray had, perhaps, the most storied history in Glee. She had a baby, became paralyzed, was cured of her paralysis a few months later, dated Puck, Finn, and Sam multiple times, and had her past as “Lucy Caboosey” come out. 

All of that and more happened before she graduated and none of the lessons stuck to the character because she was never allowed to actually grow. The show writers often went out of their way to make Quinn’s life hellish, yet refused to allow it to mean anything in the end. 

4 Marley Rose

Though Marley was intended to be the new Rachel, her character was written to suffer at the hands of practically everyone else. She is the daughter of a poor cafeteria worker at the school, which becomes a plot point several times throughout season 4. She also develops an eating disorder thanks to Kitty. 

Additionally, though she gets along with Finn, who is coaching the team for most of season 4, she is often dejected by Mr. Shue, who does, at one point, suspend her for a week for not wearing a gaga inspired bikini outfit. She deserved better treatment overall, and like all the season 4 newbies, an ending. 

3 Kitty Wilde

Kitty receives a lot of hate from Glee fans, and while it isn’t completely unwarranted, it should be noted that she did receive some amount of an arc from season 4 to season 6. She started out as a copy of the Unholy Trinity merged into one, but, mostly, grew past that persona.  

One of the biggest complaints about the character is that she never faced any repercussions for what she did to Marley. This could, and should, have been explored but it was forgotten. At least her emotional moments, especially in season 6, made her a compelling and lovable character when she got them. 

2 Sam Evans

There could be a wide line graph of how often Sam’s personality changes, which is not a good thing for a show. Introduced in season 2, Sam was originally a love interest of Quinn, then Mercedes, then Brittany, then Mercedes again for a while, and lastly Rachel in season 6. He was also homeless and living with the Hummels, but it is never addressed after season 3.  

The biggest issue with Sam was that the writers didn’t know where to put him. His time in New York was just part of Mercedes’ story. When he returned to McKinley to, somehow, coach football, he was a Finn fill-in without his own path. 

1 Tina Cohen-Chang

When it comes to characters on Glee that received the worst treatment by the writers, Tina is leagues ahead of every other character. It is so prominent that the show itself jokes about her character. 

From disturbing choices like the vaporub scene to her constant “hag” status and personality changes, she was underdeveloped and, more often, ignored outright. Tina was an original member of the New Directions and the most disregarded by the script. Jenna Ushkowitz played the character perfectly, but fans wish she had better writing to work with. In short, she deserved better. 

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