Here is Why Nobody Loves Tim Fleming in Heartland

Today, we are going to discuss one of the most controversial characters of Heartland: Tim Fleming. Yes, we know it sounds weird to use the words “controversial” and “Heartland” in one sentence. However, even a pure, light show like Heartland can have some disputed personalities that divide the fandom.

That being said, we have to admit that even the worst character on Heartland would be a better person than any of the average TV personalities since the series is consisting of angel-like figures. They are not unrealistic by any means, but they are the best version of themselves at all times, which is a luxury that most of us lack.

Tim Fleming, however, stands out among other characters of Heartland. He is like us, a normal human being, who is highly flawed but also not lacking self-awareness entirely, thus he can be held accountable for his bad deeds. Still, it would be a mistake to claim that everyone loves Tim. Most of the Heartland fans hate him. Why, though? Do we hate Tim? Or do we hate to see a flawed human being like us on the screen? Is Tim forcing us to face everything wrong with us? Let’s find out together. 

Tim Fleming

Who is Tim Fleming in Heartland?

First, let’s get to know Tim. Tim Fleming is a middle-aged man who is a talented cowboy and rancher, who is great at his profession, to the point that he even has a training school for kids. He is the father of Lou and Amy, and the son-in-law of Jack Bartlett. Naturally, he is an inseparable part of the Heartland family. Currently, he is happily married to Jessica and enjoying his life in Alberta, Canada, as usual. Well, since everything looks so ordinary with him, why is he hated this much?

The Hatred against Tim started back when the show initially premiered 15 years ago. Heartland began with the death of Amy and Lou’smother, Marion. The bitter incident caused Tim to come back home after 10 long years. Tim left his family when the girls were just children and came back only after his wife died in a tragic accident.

Naturally, neither of these developments showed Tim in a positive light. On the contrary, after hearing about what he had done, we all guessed how he would manage to make up for all those lost times. That being said, we have to admit that Tim worked hard for the girls to accept him as a father once again, which was admirable. Still, we never forgot that he left the girls behind. 

Chris Potter plays Tim Fleming in Heartland

Who are Tim Fleming’s Children in Heartland?

Then, we learned that Tim had another child from another woman when he was away. This son showed himself out of nowhere and shocked us all, including Tim himself. Nevertheless, even though he wasn’t aware that there was a son of his, we still could not believe his reckless behavior when he was away from home. We won’t even mention the fact that he cheated on Marion at this point, since it seems like a given premise with guys like Tim unfortunately. 

After his son emerged, we hoped that Tim would take care of things properly this time. But, we were wrong again. At the time, he was seeing a colleague of his, who was madly in love with him. Unfortunately, Tim did not value her love and utilized it for his selfish interest. He proposed to her to have leverage in the custody trial over his son. When this scheme of his was revealed, everyone got brokenhearted, as it was beyond selfish.

Tim Fleming is a rancher.

Who is Tim Fleming’s Wife in Heartland?

Also, we have to mention the fact that Tim has dated a lot of women over the years, and failed to do any of them any justice. On the contrary, it seemed like he always moved from one woman to another, as if they were nothing for him. However, when he was in the relationship, he was pretending as if the woman in question was the love of his life. That is to say, Tim wasn’t exactly a reliable boyfriend or husband, and we never appreciate any of these qualities in a man.

As we mentioned before, Tim is a highly selfish character and unfortunately, even if he tries to change, this side of him always causes problems. Lastly, we saw his selfish behavior in his relationship with Jessica. Although she let him know that she doesn’t want a wedding ceremony, Tim organized everything the way he wanted, as if his desires are the ones that mattered. He lacks respect for others’ demands, which is annoying, to say the least.

Chris Potter as Tim Fleming

Is Tim Fleming a Bad Person?

He is also not a sensible person and often struggles with empathizing with others. When there were constant burglaries in the Hudson, we saw him siding with the self-centered locals of the Hudson and blaming the foster kids for the crime without any basis. 

He is also very impulsive. He always acts before thinking and then has to deal with the feeling of regret afterward. The most recent example of such an incident took place when he punched at the guy who killed Ty and then could not understand why he didn’t feel satisfied or relaxed. Nevertheless, we still have to mention that Tim always feels remorse.

Yes, it is too little too late, but still, it is there and we cannot ignore it. In the last couple of seasons of Heartland, we see him trying hard to change some undesirable characteristics of his. We know that it is very difficult to change some personal characteristics, especially after a certain age. Therefore, even though we despise some of the actions of Tim, we also empathize with him since he is the only truly human character among all the other angel-like characters. 

Also Read: Heartland Season 16 Ty Returns! – How Will Ty Return To The Show?