Worst Single Father: Magneto (X-Men: Evolution)

• Abandons his children when they were about five.
• Only contacts them when it's convenient.
• Sends his daughter Wanda to an Asylum when he realizes she can't control her powers, and never looks back.
• Once he realizes she hates him for that and will stop at nothing to kill him, he mindfucks her in order to make him believe he the good parent he wasn't.

Worst parents:

Denise and Martin from "The Cosby Show": they leave to go off to Asia without Olivia. Instead of leaving her with her birth mother or with her paternal grandparents, she's left with her step-mother's grandparents, whom she keeps calling Dr. and Mrs. Huxtable.

Mr. Sheffield from "The Nanny": did he do any actual parenting? Every show revolved around him running after Fran that you hardly knew if the kids even existed. And the oldest daughter turned out to be such a flaky, self-absorbed slut thanks to Fran's care.

Yeah- I mean, isn't Mike an ARCHITECT????? Couldn't he slap an extention onto the house or something?

True, but I'll go a step further and say that Olivia's birth mother was pretty damn bad. The one episode she was in she explained herself by saying that all her life she's tried to please people, she had a baby to please people and then realized she needed to have the time to please herself. WTF! And this was presented in a VSE type way like everyone was supposed to understand. So she abandoned a very young child to a guy who travels for work so that she can "please herself". What was she going to tell Olivia ten years later. "I could have had you around, but I decided I'd rather be happy". No wonder the brat was always mugging for attention.

One of the things I constantly bitch about while watching Nip/Tuck is how Sean and Julia are terrible parents. Therefore, I'm proud to present...

Top 10 reasons why Sean and Julia (and Christian, too) are the worst parents ever:
10)Why in the world would one consider taking their child shark-diving?
9)When Matt sleeps with Ava (on school nights), how the hell do they not notice that he never came home?
8) For the love of God, Julia, it SUSHI. Don't throw a full-blown hissy fit over it in the middle of restaurant.
7) Sean shut down Matt's confession about the hit and run by derailing it with the announcement he was having an affair. Self-absorbedness at it's worst.
6) Matt covered up a crime and Sean seems to be cool with it.
5) Hey, remember that time Christian took Matt to a porno party? (I include Christian in this because of... well, you know.)
4) Sean should have just got Matt the circumcision before the Godforsaken "cuticle scissors incident". That sound 'snip' sound effect still haunts me...
3) Isn't Annie old enough to be taking baths without Julia's help? CUT THE CORD!
2) Who wouldn't want role models like a self-centered crybaby, a shallow man-slut, and a woman who slept with her husband's best friend (and was annoying enough to earn the nickname "Shrewlia" from the TWoPers)?
1) The Princess Menses Tea Party episode. Don't make me give details. If you watch, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Ah, the Lionel Luthor school of parenting -- it's a way to teach that little wuss -- erm, son of mine -- not to be so afraid.



Oddly enough, I saw that scene even though I don't watch the show. It wasn't just sushi; it was fugu, and, as unlikable as that female seemed to be, I was 100% in her corner. There may be "no such thing as a second best fugu chef," but there are still accidental deaths from it every year. It fully deserved a hissy fit. However, I definitely find Joely Richardson the most mannered and annoying of this generation of Kempsons.

Worst single mom: Catherine Willows of "CSI", mostly because we never see her daughter (Lindsey) anymore. One can only conclude that Mommy is too busy either working, or dating some loser [who, IMHO, is very much like her now-deceased ex-husband Eddie (a.k.a. "the duplicitous pancake-making bastard")].

And to a strip club hooker to build his confidence! (I just watched it DVD).
These are the types of things that a teenage boy would probably think is cool. And that the "cool uncle" who is at the 16/17 maturity level would do for him.
It could always be squickier, at least Christian isn't picking up H.S. seniors via Matt.

"There's a big pile of gay on your front porch."

That was the man, the myth, the legend: Stacy Keach, a.k.a. "Ken Titus". The IMDB has lots of good quotes from that show, including...

Ken Titus: "You don't drag a woman out of a strip club. You put a twenty in your zipper and back out slowly."

ITA with the soap opera parents are the worst. Definately on Passions. The whole thing about Eve's "secrets being revealed" right in front of her kids and then TC calling her a slutty drug-addicted whore, again in front of her kids. All of his behavoir was really bad actually. But I guess Whitney can't get screwed up anymore than she already is, so it doesn't matter. And Pilar letting Teresa get away with all her Ethan sceming and letting Miguel run after Charity even tho he has a kid. It's kinda sad really.

oh, I didn't see any mention Wesley, Xander and Tara from the Whendonverse. Wes's dad beat him, Xander's dad was an abusive drunk, and Tara's dad had her convinced she was an evil demon. I kinda wanna meet Joss's daddy now, and smack him for inspiring those plot points (Hell's Bells anyone?)

If the Huxtables were such great parents how come they didn't know Theo was dyslexic? I think they were a better couple than they were parents. The Connors on Roseanne were the best. Yes they picked on their kids bur they wouldn't let anyone else do it.

Worst parents: The Barones Sr. from Everybody Loves Raymond. An overbearing mother who tries to control her adult son's life and clearly favors one son over another. A father who treats both sons the same. Like shit.

Ray Barone gets a Worst Father nod too, just for the fact that he couldn't tell his toddler twin sons apart. Come on.

I agree! Marie gets on my last nerve: she's such smug, overbearing, self-important hag! I also hate the way she treats poor Debra (maybe that's why Debra's so shrewish nowadays). And Frank obviously never spent time with either of his sons, that mean, staccato boor!
Ray is a lousy father because the only time he talks to his kids is when:
(a) when he has a smart-ass remark about one of them (remember his cruel description of his son's basketball skills?)
or
(b) when Debra tells him to
or
© both of the above

Moving along, I've got to vent about Bobbi Adler, Grace's mom on Will and Grace. Maybe I just lack a sense of humor, but I can't stand how she seems to take a perverse pleasure in embarassing and/or criticizing her daughter at every given opportunity. Same goes for Mona on Who's the Boss: I know Angela was on the uptight side, but Mona constantly seemed to rub it in her face and never cared if Angela's feelings were hurt.

Lousy fathers:

Ross on Friends: When was the last time he even mentioned Ben? What's worst of all is that he worried about Ben being raised by lesbians. Well, guess what, it's better to be raised by two mothers than one self-absorbed absentee father!

Magneto: See post above post by Ian.

The dad on Everwood: Remember his discussions with his wife... who was dead?!!?!?? And doing it in front of his little daughter?? What a freak!

Lionel Luther from Smallville: he's responsible for Lex's future in villianhood. What more can I say? Oh, and the whole spying, betraying, neglecting, and blackmailing (I don't watch the show much, but I'm sure if he hasn't done it, he will someday) his son.

Danny from Boston Public Adopted his niece... and that's where the decency ends. He yells at her, tries to make her as smug and nihilistic as she is, more or less mocks her innocence, and bitches to everyone at work at how lousy parenthood is. Hey, loser, if parenthood isn't easy for anyone! You should have known that before you signed up!

Don't forget drugging him, electro-shock to induce amnesia, framing him for murder, and poisoning him. Assuming Lex survived, I'm somehow guessing Lionel didn't get a card (in prison) this Father's Day.

I dunno. My parents are great and we had one bathroom between 9 people. Oh sure, it got a little hairy (literally!) but we managed to survive.

My vote for worst parents would be the parents of any Bunim-Murray show participants. While technically not on the air, I thought it would be a crime not to mention them. Though, if they're anything like their famewhoring children, they'll probably welcome the attention.

Best parents would have to be Homer and Marge. Oh sure, Bart gets choked, Lisa is misunderstood, and Maggie is forgotten but they keep trying to be good parents. There aren't many fat, drunken morons out there that would take their daughters to the ballet, just because he wanted to show her he loved her. Or jump a gorge on a skateboard ...

Wait, strike that last one.

The Rugrats' parents. They are so clueless...their kids have futures in drugs and prostitution.

all right, the rugrats' parents (and grandpa) could be a little more attentive, but I think that there is still a solid foundation of morality and caring that will serve them well in the long run. Not from Angelica's parents, though. Prostitution and drugs for her seem likely, sadly, that poor little witch.

Maybe not that, but those kids should have been kidnapped or gone down wells a hundred times over by now. Have they never noticed that the baby-pen is totally escapable?

I'll put my vote in for Peg Bundy as the worst mother. Exhibit A:

Peg to Kelly: You won't do this for me? After all, when you were a baby I used to get up everyday at noon to feed you.

Also, the way she used to ignore Bud and Kelly when she got pregnant.

Peg: (to Bud) After all, you were my first.

Kelly: Uh...I was your first.

Peg: Oh. Well, what matters now is the baby.

Ouch!

I gotta second this from waaaaayyy up the thread:



Abso-freaking-lutely. In fact, I've decided that I want to be just like Gomez Addams when I grow up. He's deeply in love with his awesome wife, he's well-off, he's got a killer train set, and even though people think he's nuts, he just doesn't care.

Hank and Peggy Hill may not be the best parents ever (Hank's uncomfortable showing affection and Peggy is awfully overbearing) but they do their damndest to make sure Bobby grows up right. They have my respect.

Worst parent... how about Worf, who sees his son maybe once every three years, and spends the whole time haranguing him about Klingon tradition? I picture Alexander growing up to become an entertainer, and Worf dramatically intoning "I hef no son."

George & Lucille Bluth from Arrested Development

Without a doubt, Lucille falls into the worst category. When she and Michael got into a car accident and Michael forgot what happened, she made him think that he hit GOB. She turned Michael and Lindsey against each other just so she could get her way. And think of the damage she's done to poor Buster.

As for George Sr, I'm less sure where he falls. Yeah I'm sure he loves his kids but as a parent/role model he kinda sucks.

Then you have Michael who always tries to be fair and do right by George-Michael.

WORD to someone waaaaay back several pages who said Shirley Partridge was the best! A hard-working, single mom who helped her kids realize their dream of singing in a band, went along with them and even sang back up. And when they weren't on the road, she dispensed wisdom without being cloying or heavy-handed, kept the house together while still making sure the kids helped out, and knew exactly where each and every one of her five kids were, every second of the day.

Mike and Carol Brady - Waaaaaay too cloying and creepily perfect. Blecch!

Gotta agree with the non-Huxtable love. Especially Claire - she always seemed kind of frosty. ITA with someone else who said that they were horrible to the significant others their children brought home, and that they were much chillier to the older kids than to the younger ones - like, "You're not little and cute anymore, so I don't need to love you anymore."

Other bests: Martha and Jonathan "Bo Duke" Kent, Gomez and Morticia Addams, Red and Kitty, Stephen and Elise Keaton, Mom & Dad Walsh (90210).

Other worsts: Frank and Estelle Costanza, Ross and Rachel, Mark Greene and Elizabeth Corday, Lois from MITM (Jesus, lady, quit shrieking!), Lionel Luther, Peg and Al Bundy.

And one more in the good column - as weird as they were, I loved Jerry's parents on "Seinfeld"! Yeah, his dad was a little grouchy (a la Red Forman), but he clearly loved his son - (Proudly showing off his t-shirt) "#1 Dad - see that? My son gave that to me! This shirt will never leave my body!" And his Mom when Jerry managed to open the lid of the electronic organizer - "Yaaay! Jerry got it!" LOVE the Seinfelds!

Worst TV parents ever are the Kyles from My Wife and Kids. Okay, I know they had Junior young, but the parents STILL act like kids and Michael is constantly putting Junior down. Michael's wife is better, but she still acts like a kid too. Plus, they treat the youngest as the golden child.

Next worst TV parents?: Franklin's parents on My Wife and Kids. HE'S ALWAYS OVER AT THEIR HOUSE.

Just have to add a big fat "Word!" to the Shirley Partridge love. My biggest plus where she was concerned was that she didn't let the fame get to the kids too much. She understood that it was fleeting so they still had to do homework and chores. I loved that about her, even back when I was a kid.

Not so sure that I'd put the Kents on the best list. Clark's turning into a self-righteous little creep, and listening to Bo it's easy to see why.

It was just after his wife died. I've done it. And he didn't know that his daughter was watching, he wouldn't have done it in front of her if he had known she was watching.

Best Mum: Loralei Gilmore. She may be presented as quite immature but when the situation arises for maturity, she has it at once. Having a child at 16, moving out at 17 with your one year old child, knowing that you are going to need to find a place to stay and a job to earn money, makes her a good parent. IMO.

Best Dad: The dad from Eight Simple Rules. He might have not connected with his kids at a 'cool' level but he tried. And in a TV land populated with sucky dads, thats what matters.

Worst Mum and Dad: The Camdens. Just wtf kind of parenting are they doing?

Best Parents: I haven't seen the Cohens from The O.C. mentioned yet, and I think they deserve a nod. For one thing, they took in Ryan and gave him not only a place to live, but also a stable, loving family. They always make their kids a priority, regardless of whatever drama they have going on in their own lives. I just love Sandy's impassioned speeches about how he would do anything to pretect his family. And yeah, sometimes they let their kids get away with things, like the trip to Tijuana, and letting Kirsten's car get destroyed by leaving it in a bad neighborhood while they were at a party. But they know how to be stern, too, and how to give good advice.

Ultimately, I love how much they respect their kids, and how much Sandy and Kirsten love and respect one another. They are the one family on the show who has stuck together and has become a sort of safe haven for other characters who have been affected by their dysfuntional families.

Plus, I adored Sandy's sex talk with Seth.

Worst Parents: I second the nomination of the Camdens. They're both crazy.

They seem to have the mistaken notion that quantity (of kids) equals quality (of parenting) - that somehow, because they had seven kids, this automatically makes them saints, rather than just people who needed to learn about birth control.

Seriously, they frequently stalked their kids - rather than have a simple conversation with them - forced them to babysit for the kids they kept popping out, and have neglected to seek help for their twins, who are obviously developmentally disabled. They also have instilled in their kids that sex is dirty and wrong, and will get you pregnant. Perhaps if they had learned about birth control themselves, they could have passed that information along to their children.

DivineMissM, I have to second your nomination for Sandy and Kirsten. Especially this:I completely agree. Part of their charm is they are characters who are a bit flawed, have their own adult problems (a bit unrealistic, overthetop tv-type problems, but problems nonetheless) and aren't there to just showcase the kids' roles.

And this? Is dead on balls accurate:

The Camdens are truly terrible parents. Wow, Brenda Hampton, you are one twisted bitch if that is your ideal family.

Can a give the best parenting award to Rose and Harold Abbott of Everwood? Both of these parents have made mistakes with both of their children, but tried or have remedied the situation. Though both are completely devoted to their children, they don't let them run the house. When Amy ran away from home and made those demands, I said Hell yeah when Rose decided she wasn't going to put up with it. I said aww... when Patch showed up at that college after Bright's interview didn't go well and gave him that pep talk (totally made up for previously dismissing Bright's plans for going for that interview in the first place).

Worst...hate to say it Andy Brown. I really think he should have nipped Ephram's relationship with the babysitter in the bud when he first found out and fired Madison. But he allowed Ephram to brow beat him into having the relationship and now she is pregnant (which I think is complete crap in the first place, but she is). Now he is keeping it a big secret.

I second the Abbott nomination. The Abbotts are the best-written family I've ever seen on television, hands down.

I don't know if I agree with the Brown nomination, though, because while Andy has made some horrifyingly stupid mistakes with his children, he's also done a lot of things right, and he's never afraid to be emotionally raw and open with his children and to show them that he loves and respects them. Those qualities are rare enough that I think he deserves some credit.

I agree that much but I take to heart that part of the premise of this show is that Andy is only now learning to be a good parent, is trying and at least admits to his mistakes, but the whole Madison thing... any adult would know that employee and employer should not mix, especially when one is a caregiver, and he isn't doing Ephram any favors by keeping Madison's pregenency a secret, but I think that he knows this deep down. Maybe not the worst parent, but everything he learned last season he seemed to throw completely out the window.

As bad a parent Andy can be sometimes the worst parents ever is , yes you guessed it, the Camdens. At least Andy knows when he isn't or wasn't a good parent, Camdens not so much. I've hated the Camdens as parents for quite sometime, I'm not sure about RevCam, but I've hated HagCam ever since she thought it was a swell idea for Lucy's geometry teacher to eat her daughter's lunch. Now I think that Lucy is a harpy shrew, but that little event boiled my blood. If Lucy's grades were such a problem, meet with the fucking teacher, don't go thinking is okay for teachers to take personal property.

I waffle on my view of the Girardis as parents (from JOA). On the one hand, they really love their kids and each other so they present an excellent role model for the kids' future relationships. They are willing to try to do what it takes to work things out with the kids. They are concerned and interested in their lives and so there are little moments where they shock the kids by their knowledge of them. At the same time, there are definite moments of asshattery. When Will wheels Kevin out of the courthouse to prove a point to Kevin... or the fact that Luke feels fairly neglected most of the time... I guess that makes them more real. They're trying their best and they don't succeed 100% of the time, but they know this and are willing to work on it.

I would've agreed with Andy on being a good parent, except for this whole pregnancy thing. Of course I'm pretending that story isn't happening so he goes back to not a terrible parent in my book. :) The Abbotts do rock, I really like the complex relationship between Bright and Patch.

To kick-start the thread, I'm putting the Chases down as two of the best TV parents. While Patty's just not likeable, she truly loves her daughters and tries her best to do right by them. Even though Angela and Patty clash frequently, Angela knows that she can go to her mother if she has a problem. As for Graham, well, he's just cool, and provides steady emotional support.

Worst parents: nearly all the Dads in the entire Whedonverse. (Seriously, what kinds of issues does Joss have?) Except for Mr. Burkle. He was fun.

I'm all for the parents on Once and Agian. All four of the main parental characters(Lily, Jake, Rick and Karen) were awesome in their own way. Sure, Rick kept everything inside, Karen was suffocating and had rigid dreams for her kids, Lily was absolutely clueless and Jake was bringing home women half his age, but in the end these people all wanted the best for their kids. Once and Again was one of those shows that tackled the mundane things, but mananged to make it relatable and engaging(something the OC might benefit from in small doses), and the strong relationship between parents and kids(not to mention, how the show explored step-parental responsibility in the third season) was awesome. And, the Karen/Jessie mother daughter relationship was the best of its kind I have ever seen(And yes, I watched Buffy ;) )

Worst parents....ah, sadly too many. I agree with Lizka on this one-


Whilst dads got the worst rap on Buffy/Angel, all parental units sucked really. From Xander's submissive mom to Willow's non responsive one, we know nothing about Wesleys except his dad was an ass, Angel's parents the same ect ect blah blah. Got extremely repetitive after, say, the fourth season.

And, finally, a big HATE to the Bundy's. I used to be slightly amused by that show but DAMN, I realized a couple of years ago that these are repugnant people. Especially Al and Peg. Worst parents ever, in my book.

I liked how in Firefly we learn that fathers are obsolescent, the hero doesn't have one, and that those that do, still, sadly, exist are either somewhat abusive or raise complete sociopaths.

I don't know what Joss's father did to him, but I want to kick him in the jimmy.

In Batman: tAS, we learn that Tim Drake is practically happy when his dad dies, preferring to live on the street until joining the Bat-family, probably because he never had a chance to bond with him, as Pa Drake was always busy locking his first son, Joss, in the cellar.

WORST:

- Ellis Gray on GA is shaping up to have been a pretty lousy parent.
- Bree & Rex on DH. Although, Andrew could have been born a psycho, their parenting skills should didn't stop his pyschotic tendencies.
- Susan on DH. Your 14-year-old daughter should not be your best friend.
- Deidre on DH: Nice. Selling your baby for crack. Always a good thing.

MIDDLE GROUND:

- Red & Kitty Foreman: I think Red is a total ass (but he does make me laugh) and Kitty babys Eric. They balance each other out so I can't put them in the best of worse category.
- Mary Alice and Paul on DH fall into the middle ground because they just wanted to protect Zana but went about it the very wrong way.

BEST:

I can't think of any right now.



I take issue with this b/c a lot of parents do not know that their children have learning disabilities because it can be mistaken for something else. And I think most people don't even think that their child has a learning disability.

Worst mother - Marlena from Days of Our Lives.

Her older daughter drug-raped her older sister's boyfriend, sold her baby sister on the black market, hacked into the hospital's computer system THREE different times to change blood tests/paternity results, faked amnesia, and blackmailed a variety of people. Marlena acted as though all she did was break a plate in the kitchen.

Her younger daughter is a whiny immature brat who doesn't take responsiblity for her actions, like marrying a man she doesn't really love. Marlena thinks she's perfect and that nothing is her fault.

No love for the Munsters? Or for the Addamses? I thought the Addamses were supportive, had good communication skills, and one of the few examples of a multi-generational home, what with Grandmama and all.

I like Red Foreman. There, I said it! I even think he's a pretty good dad, and taking Hyde in showed, if not an interest in nurturing, at least a strong moral code. ("Awww, *bleep!*")

Yeah, I think that's actually what bothers me about the Foremans. They are better parents to Hyde than to either Laurie or Eric. You know, their actual children.
Red positively dotes on Laurie & doesn't see her as she is. Kitty can hardly stand her, but tries to because that's what a good mother should do. Admittedly, I think the Kitty/Laurie relationship would improve vastly if the Red/Laurie dynamic weren't so off-kelter. I think Red's refusal to see Laurie's faults is one of the things that makes Kitty so frustrated with those same faults. And they both kind of dominate Eric whenever possible. Red does it with threats of his foot and Kitty passive-aggressively babies him.
And yet- they have a fairly healthy relationship with Hyde.
I don't think they qualify as "worst", but they aren't paragons of Positive Parenting either.

Best mom: Now and forever, Joyce Summers on Buffy. She managed to play a real mom so well on a sci-fi/vampire show, which deserves lots of love. Also from the Whedonverse, I nominate the best set of, as Strega said, "only decent, sane people in the world" , Fred's parents the Burkles. They were realistic parents in every sense of the word.



I hate Susan, but not for that reason (look at Gilmore Girls). Why I think Susan is the Worst Mother EVER is that her 14-year-old daughter shouldn't have to take care of her.

At least with DH, they make sure to show that what Susan is doing is bad, bad, bad. But on GG, Lorelai is portrayed as the best. mom. ever. Bleh.

Nominees for best parents are Elliot and Nancy Weston of thirtysomething. They could be extremely selfish but seemed to put their kids first. I also loved how Nancy and the son bonded over the making of a children's book.

I am seriously on the fence with these two. Yes, they clearly love their son very much. They're involved with his life and they taught him to stand up for what he believes in. But. They have so inculcated the absolute need for secrecy in him that he is almost incapable of a normal relationship or of judging when and when not to tell the truth.

Worst Parents: Definitely the Camdens.

Best Parent: I think Keith Mars deserves some praise. He may be a bit lenient with Veronica, but she is remarkably mature and well-adjusted considering everything that she's been through. They obviously love and respect each other. It seems they would do just about anything for each other.

My vote for parents who started out bad but vastly improved? The Morgendorfers on Daria, especially the mother.
In the beginning, Helen (that's her name, right?), was pretty much a self-absorbed, career obsessed Baby Boomer yuppie who didn't take much of an interest in Daria's life and unfairly compared her to Quinn. But in later seasons, Helen finally took time to step out of her own little world and started recognizing and respecting Daria as an individual, and soon became her biggest defender. I love the episode when Daria, ashamed of kissing her friend Jane's boyfriend, drops in on Helen at work and Helen immediately shows concern, drops everything and takes Daria to a coffee house to talk things over. She gave Daria good, sound advice and didn't sugar coat the situation (since Daria's not one to welcome sugar coating). She realized that both her daughters had quirks and foibles, but also had admirable strengths and became more family oriented.
Dad Jake, on the other hand, will always be a basket case, but eventually mellowed out a bit in later seasons.

Best Dad Ever? Jack Bristow, now and forever.

Even though he had been extremely distant from Sydney's life for almost 20 years in the Pilot, he didn't hesitate to organize an extraction that could have cost him his cover at SD6, as well as his life, just because Syd and Danny were in trouble. When that didn't work, he was always there with practical help and advice whenever she needed it, despite being accused by his daughter of being former KGB. When Syd's friend Will was kidnapped, Jack again swung into action and orchestrated another potentially cover-blowing extraction.

Throughout the second season, his relationship with Sydney continued to grow with the added stress of his formerly dead, ex-KGB wife reappearing on the scene. The first words out his mouth to her: don't hurt Sydney. When Vaughn was in trouble - Jack to the rescue. And when he needed rescuing from Reuter Hauer and later, Sloane: done.

He never believed she was dead. He teamed up with someone who had ripped his heart out, all the find his little girl. Got thrown in solitary for it and how did he manage to survive it all? By thinking about how Sydney would have handled it. The "murder" Andrian Lazaray was covered up quite nicely by Jack's efforts, as was Sydney's trip to Creepy Cronenberg. $3 million paid to Shaft for an extraction. Willing to assasinate the closest thing he has to a best friend in order to pay for Syd-saving measures. Willing to kill the love of his life to stop a hit from taking Syd out.

Season four: We see Jack comethisclose to tears when Syd comesthisclose to dying in a box in Cuba. We also see him run into a NUCLEAR REACTOR to save his daughter. This, of course, leads to some wacky hallucinations, Syd finally seeing her dad's pad, and a trip to Helsinki to find the only doctor in the world that can cure him. This is all peanuts when Jack reveals to Sydrina that he always loved Syd more than anything in the world and would have gladly quit the CIA to spend more time with her. And when Irina comes back from the dead, Jack takes his punches and allows Syd to keep her mom by letting Irina escape.

So, in conclusion, Jack Bristow, by way of WALKING INTO A NUCLEAR REACTOR, owns this thread. Thank you and goodnight.

And, on the flip side of that, we have Lianne Mars in the running for worst parent.

The clincher on that was the stealing the reward check at the end of "Leave it to Beaver".

The not knowing who Veronica's father was, the affair with Jake Kane, the drinking, the running away, the checking out of rehab that Veronica paid for, the lying about being sober bits are just gravy.

Canspy, if I didn't already adore Jack Bristow and consider him an extraordinary dad, your brilliantly organized and written post would have converted me.

I do get so annoyed with Sydney, though. It seems as if Jack has to prove himself, and his love for her, over and over. Every time something suspicious happens, Sydney turns on him and we start all. over. again.

Word to that. CanSpy, I love you. Every Alias fan (whether they are already Jack fans or not) ought to read your post. Spy Daddy indeed is the best dad ever.

THE WORST:
The Camdens for a myriad of reasons: sanctimonious, smothering yet neglectful, self righteous, delusional and just plain nuts
Lianne Mars: Drunk, daughter gave up her future to send you to rehab you blow the cash then steal her money let alone the infidelity and the uncertainty about your daughters paternity as you stood silently by as she dated a boy who could be her brother. All commas and punctuation excluded so as to allow the reader to feel my rage.
Joe Simpson/ Lynne Spears: exploiting their children so that we are left with these emotionally and intellectually stunted wochildern (Bodies of women/ minds of children).
The Matthews (Boy meeets world): Dude your daughter has been missing for years and you do not put up a flyer let alone an Amber Alert? For shame.
W\Mrs. Rosencrantz (Willow's mom): the one time we see you, you try to kill your daughter. Notwithstanding the unbelievable rudeness of attempted murder, she is oblivious to her daughter.

The Best:
Jack Bristow: emotionally inarticulate but willing to sacrifice so much for his daughter.
Helen Girardi: Namely because she tries and even when she is hurt she does her best for her children
Keith Mars: Who's your daddy?

Best:
June and Ward Cleaver: Even though they didn't like Eddie Haskell, they still allowed Wally to hang out with him.

Worst: Cate Henessy and her father from Eight Simple Rules (season two): They always let Bridget be a brat and allow her to get her way. Bridget's like Michelle Tanner if they let Full House continue into Michelle's teen years.