As a hardcore The Big Bang Theory fan, I never thought I’d see the day where Sheldon ISN’T the most irritating character on a show that he’s in. But, the Young Sheldon spinoff proved me and thousands of other fans wrong. While the show is hilariously funny, the main premise is the eccentric personalities of the main characters, all of whom have some quirk or other that make them some of the most annoying characters on TV at the moment. Younger Sheldon is undoubtedly adorable, but still has all the classic traits that make you want to rip your hair out. After binging the entire show on Netflix, here’s my definitive ranking of the most irritating characters that I have literally shouted at through the screen.
7. Sheldon
via Netflix
It breaks my heart to put this adorable face on the list at all, but it can’t be a list of annoying characters without putting Sheldon on it somewhere. It’s definitely harder to hate the younger characters, seeing as they’re just kids, after all. However, you can’t deny that Sheldon is one of the most irritating characters at times, especially if you’ve watched The Big Bang Theory. The fans still love him, of course, and it’s heartwarming to watch him grow and understand the world. But, he sure has his moments – I’m sure his parents thought the same when he took apart the kitchen fridge at the beginning of season two.
6. Meemaw
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While Meemaw is pretty much perfect in Sheldon’s eyes, viewers really dislike how she coddles him, many times at the expense of her other two grandchildren. Annie Potts does a great job in bringing the Meemaw Sheldon described in the Big Bang Theory to life, but fans noticed how she often put Georgie and Missy aside to care for Sheldon. Although, Missy and Meemaw seem to have a special bond, and her and Georgie get up to all sorts of trouble running their casino, so maybe she just knows how to make all three of her grandchildren feel special in different ways.
5. Mary
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Mary Cooper was first introduced in The Big Bang Theory, played by the legendary actress Laurie Metcalf. The her daughter, Zoe Perry, played Mary’s younger version in Young Sheldon. In both series, Mary is a very religious, conservative woman who places traditional family values above everything else. Her close-minded attitude often makes her one of the most irritating Young Sheldon characters and she is often a barrier against plot points in the show. Despite that, she tries her best to be a loving mother and wife, supporting her children through all the challenges they face. And trust me, there are a LOT of challenges.
4. Dale
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Dale’s just a regular guy who owns a sports shop and coaches Missy’s baseball team. While I have nothing specific against him, he’s just always grumpy and has nothing going for him. He seems to be one of the more uninteresting characters on a show with such an eccentric bunch. What does Sheldon’s interesting, fun-loving Meemaw see in him, anyway?
3. Billy Sparks
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Like I said, it’s hard to hate kids because they don’t know any better. But Billy REALLY doesn’t know any better. He is a constant torment to Sheldon, although a lot of those times it’s Sheldon who’s the unreasonable one. Sheldon later claims in The Big Bang Theory that Billy Sparks was one of his childhood bullies, placing him on his “all time enemies list”, but I think most fans would agree, as annoying as he is, he’s just a misunderstood kid trying to be friends with Sheldon in his own, weird way.
2. Gene Lundy
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To be honest, Gene Lundy is one of the worst characters to grace the show. He’s definitely a theatrical man, and it is possible to be dramatic and not annoying, but The hate may be justified when he comes out with phrases like “I am the organ grinder and the world is my monkey.” Like, what?
1. Pastor Jeff
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Fun side character turned villain Pastor Jeff tops this list. It’s hard not to be irritated by his constantly upbeat tone, and it’s satisfying watching Sheldon make him uncomfortable arguing in church. But what makes him a real antagonist is that he fired Sheldon’s mother upon hearing that Georgie and Mandy were expecting a baby. It’s like he forgot all the good Mary had done for the church over the years, and was an incredibly disappointing character twist. She had donated money, reached into her own pocket to support the church, been there for him during his divorce and helped him through his remarriage. The list goes on and on as to why Mary is a truly caring person, and by firing her, he let her and the Coopers down. The actual worst.
