7 TV Bosses Who Deserve Hugs (and 6 Who Definitely Don’t)

Everyone has a boss — even your favorite fictional TV characters. Sometimes, those TV bosses are wonderful and supportive, like a substitute parental figure. But sometimes they’re overbearing, critical, and cruel — an obstacle in our main character’s daily life.

In honor of National Hug Your Boss Day, we’ve compiled a list of some TV bosses who deserve to be celebrated, as well as a list of a few bosses who definitely won’t be getting hugs from their employees today.

1. Phil Coulson (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)

Under Coulson’s direction, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s ragtag little team became a family.

Coulson and the team have gone through the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D., a HYDRA traitor on their own team, the discovery of Inhumans, and the battle against Hive. They’ve lost team members, friends, loved ones, and limbs along the way.

Trust has been won and lost a number of times, but Coulson cares deeply for every member of his team, and he always finds a way to unite everyone to serve the greater good, as S.H.I.E.L.D. has always been meant to do.

2. Raymond Holt (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

The Nine-Nine’s captain before Holt was apparently a very hands-off, inattentive boss who didn’t really care what sort of shenanigans his detectives got into.

Captain Holt seemed strict by comparison at first, but his detectives quickly grew to care for him, and he for them. The Nine-Nine brought out some of the fun in his usually stony personality, and he gets to “josh around” with the squad, like he always wanted to do with his peers when he was younger.

In the Season 2 finale, he even sacrifices his job as captain so that the squad will not be torn apart by Madeline Wuntch. Holt is willing to do anything for the Nine-Nine, and the Nine-Nine is willing to do anything for him, too.

3. Darryl Whitefeather (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend)

Darryl clearly wants his employees to enjoy their jobs, trying things like “Weekend Tuesday” in an attempt make their day more fun.

He goes to Rebecca’s house to search for her out of concern when she doesn’t show up to work and he can’t get in touch with her. He even considers Rebecca and Paula to be his best friends (even though they may not feel the same way), and he convinces Paula to patch things up with Rebecca when the two of them get into a fight.

Whitefeather & Associates may not be the fanciest law firm in West Covina, but Darryl’s huge heart definitely helps make it a great place to work.

4. Ravi Chakrabarti (iZombie)

Most bosses would probably not be thrilled to find out their employee was a zombie, but Ravi doesn’t mind in the least.

When Ravi discovered Liv was a zombie, he was downright fascinated. He’s totally fine with her eating brains from the morgue, supports her using her powers to help Detective Babineaux solve murders, and frequently seems to be delighted by the personalities she takes on from eating brains.

For the past two seasons, he’s worked tirelessly to try to find a cure for zombie-ism, and he keeps Liv’s hope up when she’s feeling low. If anyone deserves a massive hug on National Hug Your Boss Day, it’s Ravi Chakrabarti.

5. Michael Scott (The Office)

Would any list about TV bosses really be complete without Michael Scott?

Michael could be incredibly embarrassing and unintentionally insensitive at times, but there’s a reason Jim called him the “best boss I ever had.” Among all of his goofy moments, there are plenty of touching moments throughout the series that stand out as well, like when he was the only one to support Pam’s art show, and his joy and excitement at Jim and Pam’s wedding and Dwight and Angela’s wedding.

Deep down, he felt like all the employees at Dunder Mifflin (except maybe Toby) were his family, even if they didn’t always feel the same.

6. Leslie Knope (Parks and Recreation)

The employees at the Pawnee Department of Parks and Recreation were constantly being showered with compliments, words of encouragement, and declarations of pride because their boss was the eternally optimistic, sunshiney Leslie Knope.

It’s been a running theme on this list, but the Department of Parks and Recreation truly was a family. Leslie inspired everyone and brought them together, even if they were sometimes apathetic toward their jobs. They would do their best and put 110% effort into a project because it meant a lot to their boss, and they wanted to support her. Leslie wanted the best for everyone, and everyone wanted the best for Leslie in return.

If a National Hug Your Employees Day exists, Leslie Knope knows about it and has it marked on her calendar, and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t really matter because Leslie doesn’t need a special occasion to hug her employees. Likewise, her employees don’t need a special occasion to give her a hug.

7. Cat Grant (Supergirl)

It’s doubtful that many employees at CatCo would feel Cat deserves a place on this list, but Kara Danvers certainly would.

Cat is demanding and blunt with Kara, but not because she doesn’t care. Her not-so-cuddly attitude helps to shape Kara into “the best assistant [she’s] ever had,” which in turn gets Kara a promotion. She’s a mentor to Kara — which also makes her, unknowingly, a mentor to Supergirl. Her critiques on Supergirl help the budding superhero when she’s starting out. When she needs it the most, Cat opens up, telling Supergirl how inspiring she’s been and reminding her why she’s the superhero that National City needs.

Knowing Cat, she probably wouldn’t actually want any of her employees to hug her, but she deserves a hug all the same.

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