There are some really great fathers portrayed on television. But just like in real life, there are also the not-so-great ones.
We’ve compiled a list that pays tribute to them all: from fathers who were never there, to fathers who loved their liquor bottles, to fathers who despised what their children had become, to fathers who loved their children but had a twisted way of showing it.
Seriously, you should thank your lucky stars you don’t have to call these dudes “dad.”
These are dads who would never get a Father’s Day gift.
Eli Pope – Scandal
Eli Pope is the definition of a bad parent. He kept Olivia in the dark about his secret life and allowed her to think her mom died in a plane crash. Eventually, she learned that mama Pope was actually a terrorist, and he was Command of B613, a covert government organization that tortures men and turns them into assassins.
Eli would kill in anyone that stood in his way, and a few times, his riff with his daughter almost ended with spilled blood. I can’t even count all the times Liv tried to secretly take him out for his Machiavellian-level schemes. Still, she always maintained some relationship with “dad” by attending weekly dinners and drowning the dysfunction in bottles of fine wine.
Blake Carrington – Dynasty
Blake 2.0 on the rebooted CW series Dynasty still earns the title of a “self-righteous dad.” He puts the company ahead of his children and often manipulates them to turn a profit. What else could you expect from the entrepreneurial patriarch?
Lying to his children is only the tip of the iceberg; he snuffed out his new wife Cristal from the company, blatantly lied to the media about the damage his company was doing to neighboring towns, and almost let his daughter marry her half-cousin. Actually, he’s not just a crappy dad, he’s a bad person. His only redeeming quality is that he isn’t homophobic and openly accepts his gay son.
Mikeal Mikealson – The Originals
Hating your son is grounds for winning the “bad father” award around here. However, Mikeal’s distaste for his son went further than hatred — he could never love him because Niklaus reminded him of his wife’s betrayal. That distaste led him to chase Niklaus around the world for 1,000 years in hopes of killing him. What kind of father does that? Because of it, Mikeal turned all of his other kids against himself as well.
Klaus’ daddy issues have manifested themselves in his relationship with daughter, Hope. He believes he’ll spare her from the pain if he simply removes himself from her life, but it’s that fear of disappointing her that makes him a better father than Mikeal ever could be.
Lucious Lyon – Empire
The former drug-dealer turned music mogul is an infectious disease when it comes to his family. He uses his sons in a power-struggle with ex-wife Cookie Lyon and pits them against each other to weed out the weakest link in hopes of choosing a successor.
He also despises Jamal’s homosexuality and is dismissive of Andre’s mental illness. We’ll never get rid of the image of him putting his son in the trash can for wearing heels. There is nothing worse than a father who cannot be supportive of his own blood.
Dan Scott – One Tree Hill
Dan Scott was a nightmare from hell to sons Lucas and Nathan. His claim to fame in terms of making the “worst dad on the TV” list had to be murdering his brother, Keith, out of jealousy. He hated that he was a father figure to estranged son, Lucas.
And don’t think Lucas had it easy because he was abandoned. Dan manipulated Nathan into making Lucas’ life a living hell, and when the pressure to make his father proud became too much to handle, Nathan emancipated himself.
Conrad Grayson – Revenge
To be completely frank, Conrad Grayson was the most villainous man the Hampton’s had ever seen. He was involved in a terrorist organization responsible for a plane crash that killed hundreds of innocent people and worse, blamed it on his wife’s innocent lover and ruined his life. He raised his two children to be spoiled brats who cherished power and wealth over anything else but really, they should have used him as an example of what not to grow up to be.
Walter White – Breaking Bad
It’s ironic because Walter White started on a destructive path for all the right reasons — he wanted to support his family. Pretty soon, his shady business dealings interfered with major milestones and put his family in the line of danger which obviously contributed to his patriarchial shortcomings. Lesson learned — don’t let the high of dominating Albuquerque’s drug scene cost you everything you hold dear.
Frank Gallagher – Shameless
Frank gets his own category in the horrible father’s section — a deadbeat dad who is constantly drunk. His terrible hygiene isn’t even the most offensive part about him. Instead of taking care of his kids, the alcoholic made it a habit to abandon his six children forcing them to step up, grow up quickly and raise themselves.
He is self-absorbed and delusional, and the kiddos often find him passed out on the streets of Southside Chicago. When he is around, he mooches off of them and makes life even more difficult.
Tywin Lannister – Game of Thrones
The richest man in all of Westeros is also the worst dad in all of Westeros. And that’s saying a lot because there are quite a few terrible fathers to weed out here (looking at you, Stannis). He’s toxic to his brood, constantly belittles them, and only sees them as pawns in a game.
And though he’s defended them on several occasions, it was simply to protect and honor the family name. Tyrion gets the worst of it as his father blames him for killing his mother in childbirth.
Clay – Son’s of Anarchy
On SOA, Clay was an S-O-B who only cared about himself. The SAMCRO president did whatever he needed to get what he wanted including murdering his stepson’s father and attempting to take out his wife. For those reasons alone, the word “stepdad” doesn’t even apply to him.
Malcolm Merlyn – Arrow
Being responsible for your own son’s death is a classic “bad dad” move. The “big bad archer” may have loved his children but usually, his need for power triumphed and instead of nurturing his offspring, he manipulated them to get what he wanted.
Ironically, Merlyn really thought he was a great father and maybe to the League he was. But even protecting Thea was more about stroking his own ego and less about any genuine concern for her wellbeing.
Bart Bass – Gossip Girl
Chuck Bass may have been a heartthrob, but underneath those good looks, he was also a pretty awful guy. And his father Bart Bass is to blame. The ruthless billionaire is responsible for how troubled and tormented his son was.
For much of the series, he was an absentee father and when he did return, he never showed the son who needed his love, any affection. Then there was the time he attempted to murder Chuck before plunging to his own death. That leaves him with absolutely zero redeeming dad qualities.
Hiram Lodge – Riverdale
The shadiest businessman in all of Riverdale is Hiram Lodge. His “mija” Veronica and wife Hermione try to be supportive simply because they are deathly afraid of what he’ll do if they aren’t.
Eventually, even they realize he’s a monster who needs to be stopped before he ruins everything that’s good about the small town with his devious plans. Veronica’s boyfriend Archie becomes Hiram’s main victim as he leverages his relationship with his daughter to manipulate him into doing his dirty work.
