The original post: /r/television by /u/emgorode on 2025-11-13 18:21:49+00:00.

So this isn’t about “annoying kid characters.”

This is about child performances so rough they actually damaged the show — like The Strain absolutely face-planting the moment Zach 2.0 showed up, or The Walking Dead derailing entire arcs because Henry couldn’t carry the emotional weight.

I’ll start with the ones everyone seems to agree on:

The Strain — Zach Goodweather

The Walking Dead — Henry

TWD: World Beyond — basically the entire cast under 25

Under the Dome — Joe & Norrie

Falling Skies — Matt Mason

Drop the shows where the child acting wasn’t just “meh” — it actively damaged the tone, pacing, or credibility of the whole thing.