Betrayals often sting in both real life and in fiction. Whenever a character sells out another, viewers naturally feel angry. What makes it worse is when they see it coming from a mile away.
Some faces on TV are clearly untrustworthy, yet other characters depend on them against all logic. This sets the heroes up for failure as a cheap way of generating drama. In essence, the very presence of these turncoats leaves viewers insulted. On top of the frustration of their inevitable betrayal, it's that insult that is inexcusable.
7 Arthur Shelby, Sr. - Peaky Blinders
Deadbeat parents often exploit their children when it suits them, but Peaky Blinders takes that to another level. When Arthur, Sr. returns to Birmingham and seeks an alliance with his sons, it's highly suspicious. Never once do viewers buy his phony sincerity, and neither do most of the characters. Tommy immediately tells him to leave.
Arthur, Jr., on the other hand, wants to give him a second chance. He's always been the most sentimental Shelby sibling, so he naturally falls for his dad's olive branch. What's more is that he's tempted toward his father's casino business venture, partially due to his recent spite for Tommy. Sadly, Daddy takes Junior's money and leaves town. It's a scummy move even by criminal standards. He later sends his kids an apology letter on his deathbed, but they disregard it. Audiences don't blame them one bit.
6 Littlefinger - Game Of Thrones
Petyr Baelish is one of the many underhanded players in Game of Thrones. He doesn't claim to serve the greater good like Varys. Instead, Littlefinger is only out for himself and his creepy obsession with Catelyn Stark, an obsession he makes readily obvious in front of her husband. In case that wasn't enough, he flat-out warns the Starks not to trust him. Nevertheless, Ned comes to rely on him.
Even worse, it's during a coup where secrecy and trust are paramount. This coup ends when Littlefinger puts a knife to Stark's throat and sells him out to the Lannisters. Thankfully, Tyrion avoids the same mistake when he assumes Ned's mantle, gratifying viewers by beating Baelish at his own game.
5 Dr. Smith - Lost In Space (2018 TV Series)
This realistic remake presents a grand opportunity for humanity: space travel and a fresh start on a new planet. The mission's most essential members are first to go, but bottom-feeders always find a way to cheat the system. One such woman steals her sister's place among the colonists and masquerades as therapist Dr. Smith. Her veil is as transparent as they come.
This persona should not fool anyone, least of all a smart family like the Robinsons. "Smith" isn't even slightly credible in her supposed field, asking basic questions and giving vague answers amounting to vacant platitudes. That's probably why she leeches onto whichever party promises her just a few more days of freedom. She's a textbook trainwreck, and the last thing someone like that needs is an alien robot. She just abuses it like every other nice thing she gets.
4 Rochefort - The Musketeers
Cardinal Richelieu has the enigma and charisma to be convincing as King Louis's advisor, but his replacement has neither.
Rochefort shoots straight to the top, becoming the king's right-hand man in a day. This would be a bad idea for a good candidate, which he's not. With a permanent scowl, dark clothing, and a willingness to kill without hesitation, his malice is readily apparent at first glance. He may not sport his iconic eyepatch until later, but he spent years as a Spanish prisoner of war. That should warrant some suspicion.
Nope. The king showers him with love for his conveniently-timed deeds. At the same time, he grows increasingly distant from the Musketeers, who've loyally served him and his kingdom for years. Louis may be a childish idiot, but he has eyes at the very least. Speaking of idiots...
3 Tarrlok - The Legend of Korra
The star of this Avatar sequel isn't the brightest bulb in the box. This is what turned many fans off the show, especially in the first season. Here, Korra teams up with a sleazy politician who fulfills every cliché in the book. He deflects with doublespeak, poses for the cameras, and makes grand promises for change. Unfortunately, he's not such an upstanding guy, turning on the heroine as soon as she hinders his attempts at controlling the city.
Everyone except Korra sees this coming, yet she stubbornly continues campaigning with Tarrlok. Part of this is due to her being dumb enough to believe his empty words. However, it mainly stems from the rebellious impulses of a bratty teenager. That's a lousy reason for any character to be there.
2 Li-Na - Strike Back
Watch out for the nice ones. Mei Foster seems like a doting wife. She's always concerned for her husband and sickeningly sweet in her speech. It's all too good to be true. Viewers are just waiting for the curtain to be pulled back.
That moment comes when Mei reveals herself as a North Korean agent named Li-Na. She's not only involved in the terrorists' plans but spearheads them. She's simply been in deep cover for years. If her routine seemed like an act, that's because it was. Not to mention, you don't get martial arts star Michelle Yeoh in an action show like Strike Back and stick her with a one-note housewife role.
1 Daryl Crowe - Justified
This swamp-dwelling moron and the rest of his family give themselves away to viewers when they pressure their cousin, Dewey, to demand more from his boss, Boyd Crowder. When Crowe partners with Crowder, it's odd, to say the least. It's odder still that Boyd is so quick to bring him into the fold on pivotal missions, especially given Daryl is slimy both inside and out. This all goes as well as one would expect.
Daryl repeatedly undermines Boyd's operations. Some of this is due to his trigger-happy nature, but other incidents come from his obvious attempts at sabotage. These narrow-minded schemes last the whole season, which is inexcusable. Nothing about Daryl or his family suggests they're remotely slick enough for organized crime.