The characters on Girls, one of the seminal HBO comedies of the past decade, are flawed. That is definitely putting it lightly, though. The characters on Girls are so flawed that the show is near impossible to binge for fear of fans watching it so much that they begin to lose faith in humanity.
But every now and then, there are little nuggets of redemption for the characters. This is definitely true for Adam Sackler, the leading man on the show. Portrayed by Adam Driver, he has moments of clarity and sympathy for the audience. Yet, they are overwhelmed by how many hate-worthy moments he's engaged in over the course of the show.
10 Felt Bad: Hit By A Car
The first season of Girls ends with Adam getting hit by a car and being whisked away to the hospital. Being hit by the car was not something he was blameless for (it was the conclusion of a great deal of escalation), but it's still a visceral moment.
Besides, even if he's not blameless, he still got hit by a car. It's okay to feel bad someone who goes through an accident like that.
9 Hated: Stealing A Dog
In the world of television, unforgivable sins come about when they involve animals. And in the season two episode, "Boys," Adam has stolen a dog.
Fortunately, he and Ray do go to great lengths to return the dog (even if it doesn't go as planned). But the fact that Adam stole a dog in the first place is enough to feel hate for him.
8 Felt Bad: AA
A crucial plot point in the early character arcs of Adam is his alcoholism. It's a secret he keeps from Hannah and it ends up resulting in another argument between the two of them early on in the show.
However, it's still tough to watch him in Alcoholics Anonymous because his sobriety is clearly something with which he struggles. It garners a lot of sympathy on the part of fans because there are innate traits in Adam that make the fans root for him.
7 Hated: HPV
In the episode, "All Adventurous Women Do," Hannah learns that she has HPV and she confronts Adam about it. The episode ends up leading to Elijah being the man involved, but the moment with Adam is still tough.
She is accusatory of him, yes, but the way he reacts is truly deplorable. He is cruel and degrading and just overall terrible to Hannah. It's a low moment for Adam that is very easy to despise.
6 Felt Bad: Audition Troubles
Adam's pursuit for a great portion of the show is to become a renowned actor. It even mirrors Adam Driver's own rise as a major force to be reckoned with in the world of acting.
It takes him a long time to find success, and there are a lot of early troubles with auditioning, money issues, and failure. Anyone who has struggled with their dreams can empathize with the early plights of Adam.
5 Hated: Lashing Out
This particular reason to hate Adam is a comprehensive one. There are plenty of times when he lashes out and acts aggressively and it makes it so easy to hate him.
He punches things, he screams, he uses vile language. The rage that he shows is palpable and it is always unwarranted. Whenever he has aggressive outbursts, Adam becomes an extremely hated character (maybe that's why his rage in Marriage Story resonated so deeply).
4 Felt Bad: Adam And Jessa
In the late stages of Girls' run, the show comes alive with electricity again when Adam and Jessa get together. Their relationship seems like it should be a natural disaster, but they have such passion and chemistry within them that it revived the show towards the end.
It was always tough, though, when so many people disapproved of their relationship, especially Hannah. Fans wanted them to be happy together, even if such an idea is impossible for the characters of Girls.
3 Hated: Bragging
At the outset of Girls, there was not a lot of reason for him to brag. He was struggling, rude, and aggressive, almost constantly. And yet, he still found times to stroke his ego and brag about his sexual conquests, which felt gross enough on its own.
But to do it in front of Hannah and constantly make her feel less than? It was such a mean tactic he used to manipulate her. Whenever he bragged about his sex life, it was easy to hate him.
2 Felt Bad: What Will We Do?
In the final season, there is an incredible Adam-centric ending that sends off the character. "What Will We Do This Time About Adam?" is a fantastic installment of television.
In it, Hannah and Adam feel like they can finally make it worth together. But fans (and them) know it's doomed from the start. Eventually, their love fades from that early excitement and they recognize they are truly over. It's for the best, but it's also profoundly sad.
1 Hated: Stalking
The early characterization of Adam was extremely creepy. It was hard to see what Hannah saw in him until his later character development proved his wisdom, growth, and attractiveness.
But it's hard to get past the manipulation and creepiness. When he actually starts to stalk Hannah, though, it's easily his most hate-worthy moment. The stalking version of Adam is not someone who deserved redemption, even though Girls gave it to him anyway.
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June 18, 2020 at 05:30AM
