🚨There are MAJOR spoilers ahead. 🚨
We asked the BuzzFeed Community which fictional TV show men they hated at first but quickly came to love, and y'all had some great examples. Here are those responses:
1. Louis Litt from Suits
"He was a villain in the beginning, but once you got to know him more, you couldn't help but enjoy his character."
—rachelllla
Usa Networks / ©USA Networks/Courtesy Everett Collection 2. Jamie Tartt from Ted Lasso
"He started out so arrogant and unlikeable but the writers did him a solid with his character arc and the light backstory of his relationship with his father."
—jeanettec439d752da
"My favorite character progression of any show. It unfolded slowly and felt authentic for that reason."
—anon1211
Apple TV+ 3. Min Ho from XO, Kitty
"I hated him at first, but then he started to be nicer. I still think XO Kitty was a cringe show, but I just want Kitty and Min Ho to get together."
—sparklylatte66
Netflix / Everett 4. Derek Morgan from Criminal Minds
"He starts off like a total douche, but his friendship with Garcia, his deep love for his teammates, and the way he treats Reid like a little brother made him one of my favorites."
—crewgirlat221b
Cbs / ©CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection 5. Richie Jerimovich from The Bear
"His character arc was so full of growth and love, not just for those around him but for himself."
—purpletruck35
Hulu / Everett 6. Lip Gallagher from Shameless
"He realized after Fiona kept messing up that he needed to be the leader of the house and made a real honest man out of himself."
—chavirotberg
Chuck Hodes / ©Showtime Networks Inc./Courtesy Everet / Everett Collection 7. Father Gabriel from The Walking Dead
"He was scared and guilt-ridden, then decided to turn on the main group. When he finally got it together, he was a badass and essential to the group."
—anaira_march
AMC / Everett 8. Dwight Schrute from The Office
"He was hilarious and a sweetheart when need be."
—chavirotberg
"He's unapologetically himself and I adore that."
—analeehope
Nbc / ©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection 9. Schmidt from New Girl
"The first couple seasons, he was an insufferable douche canoe. But he definitely grew on me, and especially watching his arc with Cece made me adore him. He really grew up and became a good man — not without his quirks, but a solidly good guy. He's my ideal man now 😅."
—morganbartlett1316
"Come at me about Winston Schmidt, and that would be a hill I'd be willing to die on. The way he loves Nick and his proposal to Cece... the boy is problematic, human, ridiculous, and absolutely lovable."
—analeehope
20thcentfox / ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection 10. Kevin Pearson from This Is Us
"All three of the siblings were insufferable at times, but he was definitely the worst at the start. The character development we saw him go through from start to finish was amazing, and he ended up being my favorite of the three by the series finale! Justin Hartley didn't get enough credit for how well he played that role!"
—karileah143
Nbc / ©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection 11. Steve Sanders from Beverly Hills, 90210
"The first few seasons, he is the worst. Narcissistic, rude, entitled, spoiled... But his character actually grows during the show. He becomes a better person and actually a character you want to root for. Also, he is one of the original castmates that lasted all 10 seasons, so you get to see his character arc from beginning to end."
—mirandafurtado
Mario Casilli / TV Guide / TM and copyright © Fox Network. / Courtesy Everett Collection 12. Ray Ploshansky from Girls
"He was such an asshole in Season 1 but had one of the better arcs compared to the other insufferable characters."
—aldozuzu
HBO / Everett 13. Sawyer Ford from Lost
"He has one of the best redemption arcs I’ve ever seen."
—micahdr
Abc / ©ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection 14. Murphy from The 100
"He was such a jerk at the start, but he showed growth as the show went on! I am so happy that he never died the multiple times we thought he did!"
—nikkitiffan
Cw Network / ©CW Network/Courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection 15. Phil Tandy from Last Man on Earth
"He was weird and off-putting, a literal skunk in a ghillie suit. The first time I watched the series, I said, 'Why don't they kill him?! There's no one stopping them.' And he totally redeemed himself in the final episode. He turned into a desperately lonely guy who found his tribe, was an attentive father and husband, and unexpectedly a good friend."
—tharris296
20thcentfox / ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection 16. Luther Hargreeves from Umbrella Academy
"He started off following the role he was abused into (the leader), pushing down all of his emotions and making bad choices because of it. Then, he began to deal with his emotions, apologized to his siblings, and began to reconnect with them."
—lindseyhyland15
Netflix / Everett Collection 17. Thomas Barrow from Downton Abbey
"He starts off as the villain, consistently wrecking the lives of himself and the people around him. Towards the end, he finally starts to realize that he has to make a change and actually does — still making some mistakes but genuinely trying to better himself and be nice. You start out loving to hate him and end up rooting for him."
—jessethecowgirl
Jaap Buitendijk / © Focus Features / courtesy Everett Collection 18. Gary Green from Legends of Tomorrow
"I hated Gary from Legends of Tomorrow at first. Then, we saw the episode mid-way through Season 3 where he met Constantine, and Gary just became heart eyes over him, and I realized, 'OH, HE’S JUST A DISASTER BISEXUAL LIKE ME!' He’d annoyed me because of how he interacted with certain people, but having rewatched the series and seen those interactions more, I do see him as just someone who’s not entirely sure how to talk to people. On top of that, when you find out he’s actually not human, that explains a LOT about it."
—garebehr
Dean Buscher / ©CW Network/Courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection 19. Cisco Ramon from The Flash
"I actually really disliked Cisco on The Flash, to begin with. He irritated the absolute life out of me. I can’t even remember why, loved him so much by the end! I actually never finished the show after he left because he was my favorite character by the end, and I couldn’t stand half the supporting characters left on the show."
—garebehr
The CW / Everett Collection 20. Justin Foley from 13 Reasons Why
"Long before anyone even thought of making a series, I had read the book, so I was already prejudiced against him. In Season 1, he is exactly as he was in the book. I hated him in season 1, and later, I was shocked when, after Season 2, Justin turned out to be one of the biggest highlights of the show. I saw him in a completely different light by getting to know him better and also because of the most surprising relationship in the series, namely the beautiful bromance between Justin and Clay. I'd never ever have thought that after the events of Season 1, Justin would eventually turn out to be one of the biggest cinnamon rolls ever."
—antoinette_yoo
Netflix / Everett Collection 21. Winston Bishop from New Girl
"He started out as such a jerk, but as the writers figured out his character, he became such a weird, lovable guy. The best scenes include him — my favorite being Cece’s wedding dress try-on montage."
—vondeyjr
20thcentfox / ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection 22. Buck from 9-1-1
"He was just a selfish hotshot when he started, but he is such a sweet brother to Maddy, an amazing friend to Eddie and Christopher, and has come such a long way! Now, you can't help but root for him."
—buttercupbailey
Richard Foreman Jr. Smpsp / 20th Century Fox Licensing/Merchandising / Everett Collection 23. Kelly Severide from Chicago Fire
"In the early seasons, he was just an arrogant hotshot who slept with everyone. Then, he loses multiple loved ones, finds the perfect best friend/partner in Stella, and grows into the best character in the show. This is a great story arc that goes multiple seasons as he turns into a dependable, loyal, loving, compassionate, and confident man."
—lanaskca
Nbc / ©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection 24. Nathan Scott from One Tree Hill
"He was a jerk and a bully during the first five episodes or so, but he did a complete 180 and became a total sweetheart! Despite his upbringing, Nathan was an amazing husband, father, brother, and friend. He was always my favorite, though. 🥰"
—sammiryan1d
Warner Bros / ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection 25. And finally, Klaus Mikaelson from The Vampire Diaries and The Originals
"He was introduced as the villain but over time you get to understand him and his story. He was so good he even got a spin-off TV show."
—sallytracy
Cw Network / ©CW Network/Courtesy Everett Collection Did your faves make the list? Let us know in the comments!
Responses have been edited for length/clarity.