Worst TV Dads: Dan Scott, Hiram Lodge, and the 10 worst dads on television

4. Worst TV dads: Christopher Hayden

While Christopher is probably not the worst dad on this list, it’s hard to argue that he was a good father to Rory. Chris wasn’t even part of her life until she was practically an adult. He only saw her sparingly while she was growing up and was often too immature to hold down a job or even check in on his daughter on a schedule.

He frequently let her down, and then he went and had another kid who he actually tried to be there for from the beginning to make up for how things happened with Rory. Overall, Chris just didn’t know what he was doing. He had his good moments on the show, but for the most part, Rory deserved much better, and Luke was undoubtedly more of a father to her than Chris ever was.

3. Worst TV dads: Thatcher Grey

To be fair, Meredith Grey did not grow up with the best parents in either direction. Ellis was emotionally distant and cared way more about her career than being a good mother. Thatcher abandoned Meredith after he and Ellis split and never made an effort to become part of her life. He started a new family and never really looked back.

Thatcher had a stronger relationship with Lexie Grey and her sister than he ever did with Meredith. Perhaps one of his worst moments is when he slapped Meredith after losing his wife. While Thatcher did grow a little over the years, he was never the person Meredith needed. In the end, they seemed to somewhat work through their problems, only for him to die.