Life In Pieces: The Main Characters, Ranked By Likability

Like a regular family, the Short family on Life In Pieces can be sweet, charming, and frustrating. While parents John and Joan do their best to show their grown-up kids love while enjoying this phase of their lives, their children Heather, Greg, and Matt navigate relationships and parenthood with good and bad results. Fans can easily pick out which family members they love the most and which ones can be a bit too immature.

From adorable kids Sophia and Lark to the dramatic love story of Colleen and Matt, the main characters on Life In Pieces are always fun to watch, and some are more likable than others.

12 John Short

While John is a good parent and it’s clear that he loves his kids, he often acts in ways that annoys them and viewers can see that he makes some strange decisions.

When John fights with neighbors about spending time in a shared hot tub in season 1, or John sets up lights in the backyard that sense motion and go off all night in season 2, he proves himself to be a kind and caring person who doesn’t often think carefully about his actions.

11 Joan Short

In the second episode of Life In Pieces, Joan talks to her kids about how Matt saw her and John having sex, which tells fans everything that they need to know about this character. Although Joan is a great TV mother, she’s prone to oversharing and sometimes getting too involved in the lives of her children.

Joan’s children are often frustrated by her and sometimes make viewers wish that she would step back a bit. Sometimes it can be funny and other times, it’s a bit awkward to watch.

10 Tyler Hughes

Heather and Tim’s son Tyler means well and tries his best. But when he marries Clementine while he’s still very young and doesn’t listen to his family’s advice about waiting a bit before making this big life step, he’s hard to like.

Tyler is sweet but impulsive and he doesn’t think carefully before doing something. When he and Clementine rent out their small house that is in the backyard, they let people use the bathrooms in the main house, which is upsetting for Tim and Heather since there was no discussion about this beforehand.

9 Matt Short

Although Matt tries to do the right thing, his relationship with Colleen often becomes so dramatic and chaotic, including when they try to get married and it’s a total disaster, that it feels easier to like his brother Greg.

Matt struggles to grow up and become mature, as he’s living with his parents at the beginning of the show, but when he falls for Colleen and they try to have a baby, fans like and understand him more.

8 Colleen Brandon Ortega Short

Matt and Colleen have their first date in the pilot episode and as the Short family and fans get to know her better, they see Colleen has a funny, sweet person who tends to have bad luck in life.

When Colleen is dealing with her latest crisis, fans sympathize but can’t help but wish that she and Matt would become a bit more practical and logical.

7 Samantha Hughes

As Heather and Tim’s teenage daughter, Samantha goes through a lot, from getting her period in the pilot episode to dealing with friendship and dating problems.

Samantha is a sweet person but fits into the typical teenage character category, often complaining about her family or wishing that she could live the life that she wants without listening to her mom’s rules. This can sometimes make her a frustrating character.

6 Heather Short Hughes

Modern Family’s Claire is a favorite TV mom and Heather has similar personality traits. Heather is confident, Type A, controlling at times, and just wants her kids to be healthy and happy.

While there are moments when Heather needs to take a step back and let her kids have more fun, her love for her family is so moving that it’s hard to dislike her. Heather is smart and often right, even when her children think that she’s being too uptight.

5 Dr. Tim Hughes

Heather’s husband Tim is the most entertaining Life In Pieces character, which makes him one of the most likable.

Tim is often getting into trouble, from ruining a Thanksgiving turkey to realizing that he can’t drink espresso to removing most of his eyebrow. Fans love watching Tim go through life, especially when he’s making mistakes, as he’s relatable and proves that everyone messes up but being a good person who smiles and makes the best of it is what counts.

4 Jen Short

The Shorts can be considered one of the best families on TV and Greg’s wife Jen is hilarious, stubborn, tough, and strong-willed.

Although at first, Jen can seem a bit prickly and like she needs to be more compassionate, her love for Greg and their daughters Lark and Talia. Jen can’t help but say what she’s thinking, but since that makes for perfect TV comedy and she isn’t trying to hurt anyone’s feelings, fans appreciate for her inner strength.

3 Greg Short

Greg is the kind of partner, sibling, and child that anyone would love to have. Greg is kind, thinks about others and what will make them happy, and often worries about doing the right thing or making his own family unit happy.

Greg is part of many charming storylines that help fans understand how caring he is. Whether considering hiring a nanny to look after Lark or hoping that Joan and Jen will start getting along better, Greg is always an easy character to love.

2 Sophia Hughes

When comparing the personalities of Life In Pieces characters, Sophia is definitely one of the most likable. She doesn’t always understand why her family acts the way that they do, and she acts her age while also seeming very wise.

Sophia’s storylines are endearing and quirky, like in season 1 when she has a peanut in her nose and doesn’t like living in the house that her family has just moved to. She likes being part of her big family but sometimes wants to be more independent than she’s allowed to be given her young age.

1 Lark Short

As soon as Life In Pieces fans are introduced to Lark, she steals their hearts and they wish that she was part of every storyline and in every single scene.

From microwaving her own food to being nervous about having a sibling, Lark provides adorable comic relief but also has serious plotlines about her young age, place in the family, and close bond with her parents. Lark is kind but stands up for herself and she’s a well-written child character.

About The Author

Aya Tsintziras
(1730 Articles Published)

Aya Tsintziras is a freelance writer who writes about pop culture and TV. She has a Political Science degree from the University of Toronto and a Masters of Journalism from Ryerson University. She loves coffee, reading, working out, and watching TV. She lives in Toronto with her husband.

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