Anyone who reads any kind of entertainment news, or really ever turns on a television, knows that HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” “True Blood,” and AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” are incredibly popular. They have dominated award shows, viewership has been through the roof, they include impressive casts, and people generally can’t stop talking about them.
All three shows house some of the worst TV mother’s. It seems each of these characters have their own self interest in mind rather than their child and continually do harm to that child whether physically or emotionally. In short, they are the worst. But we can’t blame the writing, these moms are adaptations of characters from written work, they were written to be terrible for a reason.
(It is also weird that all three characters start with the letter “L”)
So here is a countdown of the three worst television mothers.
3. Lysa Arryn/Tully (Game of Thrones)
Looking at Lysa’s character from both the TV standpoint and ASOIAF, it is painfully obvious for the audience and other characters that Lysa does not have her son’s best interest in mind.
She creepily continues to breastfeed her son, Robert, in a way that could be a poster for attachment parenting, though the biggest issue is her continual overprotection and isolationism of the son. She also denies the boy almost nothing, giving in to his whims, basically teaching him nothing of the real world outside the Vale.
Her mental instability and paranoia have resulted in her secluding herself and her son in the Eyrie. Even though she has a chance to send Robert to be fostered else where (where he would be kept safe), she denies, keeping the weakling son in her arms and at her breast. Robert is getting no training on how to defend himself in a world where everyone dies pretty damn quickly and often.
ASOIAF Spoiler Ahead
Because of Lysa’s extreme overprotection of Robert, when she dies, he becomes also mentally unstable attempting to latch on to whatever maternal figure he can find.
Lysa is not the worst mother out there, but in the world that they live in, he needs to learn to fight, to be brave, not to rely on others to keep him safe. Sansa learned that lesson the hard way, and Robert will too.
2. Lettie Mae (True Blood)
I had reservations about putting her on this list because while she is TERRIBLE, she appears infrequently. However, last weeks episode proved just how awful Lettie Mae can be.
Mother to Tara Thornton (who is in her own right annoying), Lettie Mae has done some serious mind fucking over the years. An abusive alcoholic, Lettie Mae spent Tara’s life neglecting her, beating her, and verbally abusing her. yet she uses her bond as her mother to excersize control over Tara, such as getting her to give her money for an exorcism. While this ended up working psychologically to help Lettie Maw recover from addiction, it doesn’t save their relationship in the long run.
When Tara is distraught over the death of Eggs, Lettie Maw is more preoccupied with getting with the Reverend than helping her daughter. Tara then almost commits suicide while Lettie is failing to keep an eye on her.
After she married the Reverend, Lettie Mae disowns Tara as she is an embarrassment to the preacher’s wife (though being fucking nuts isn’t for some reason?)
Lettie Mae can be cited as one of the reasons Tara is “so screwed up” as an adult. Tara has followed in her mothers footsteps with alcoholism in the past as well as having low self esteem and being generally cold hearted and mean to those who try to get close to her. I think it is reasonable to believe that if Tara had a mother like Gran she would have turned out a little better.
Instead we have a character that hardly anyone likes and who seems to be angry all the time. UGH. Thanks a lot Lettie Mae, lets hope the Reverend doesn’t find a new younger wife and divorce you like he did his previous wife. (I also want to point out that even though she has been :saved” she still walks around and talks like she is drunk ALL THE TIME.)
1. Lori (The Walking Dead)
We all know this list isn’t complete with out Lori. There is so many reasons why we love to hate her. (Not to mention the actress, Sarah Wayne Callies, portrays the character perfectly.)
Let start with the Shane situation. Even in the post-apocalyptic world, you shouldn’t sleep with your husband’s best friend. Plenty of others are not out getting it on zombie style during the apocalypse and yet she chose to do the horizontal dance with Shane (not even Daryl c’mon hasn’t she seen Boondock Saints?) Shane becomes surrogate father for her son Carl, yet when Rick shows up, she doesn’t even want Shane around. She never considered that Carl might want/need Shane around as he had been there, bonding with him. Instead she pushes Shane away, instigating more and more animosity among the group.
And the biggest reason of all. SHE NEVER KEEPS TRACK OF CARL. What kind of mother does this? One is selfish and manipulative. She is also against her son learning vital survival skills in a world where protecting oneself is KEY. She also never really connects with her son in their trying times or listens to what he has to say. Carl is consistently getting away from the group, because lets face it he is still a KID even in the apocalyptic world, yet Lori never seems to notice and remains obvious to the location of her child.
She says she is first and foremost a mother, yet she exceedingly fails in the role.
Gary Lightbody, the frontman for popular band Snow Patrol, has revealed he will appear in a future episode of HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”
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