I think my posts are often too broad, so here's something mega-specific! This is a really difficult list, especially for me, since I watch so much TV!
10. Alexander Mahone (William Fichtner), Prison Break
William
Fichtner's Sheriff Tom Underlay was the best thing about the
short-lived series 'Invasion', and once again he proves he can handle a
complex character with ease. Veering wildly between justice, vengeance
and angry instability, Mahone was a man you wouldn't want chasing after
you. Smart as hell, but also willing to kill in cold blood, he was the
perfect anti-thesis to Michael Scofield.
9. Susan Mayer (Teri Hatcher), Desperate Housewives
You've
gotta love her don't you. She's the dappiest, ditziest person you'd
probably ever meet, like a character out of a rom-com movie, extended
for 8 seasons. Yes its true that she does a lot of conniving,
manipulating things, and she's neurotic like no-one else, but these
things just seem to round her off, and make her more loveably human!
8. James Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard), House
All
the fuss is on House, but only a few people stop to consider how
important a character Wilson is. Wilson is the one that gives House
contrast, be it by showing the complete opposite of the rule-breaking
doctor, or by showing a lesser, more rationalised approach than what
House would go for. The banter between him and House forms some of the
funniest parts of the series, because Wilson is the one who allows
House's true nature to shine through. He's the kind of friend that would
have unending patience, a strong sense of ethics, but also a fun side
as well, as proven by his numerous practical jokes.
7. Burt 'Sock' Wysocki (Tyler Labine), Reaper
Tyler
Labine has played similar characters in most shows he's been in and
there's a reason....he plays them better than anyone out there! And the
best of all these characters is hands-down, 'Reapers' Sock. Loud, brash,
lazy and stupid, yet loyal to a fault, funny-as-hell and always
lovable, Sock is the best friend everyone wishes they had.
Interestingly, there has been many a comparison between 'Reaper' and
'Chuck', since both focus on slackers working in large retail stores. As
such, Sock's equivalent would be the Buy-More's Morgan Grimes, and while
I think Chuck is overall a far better show, Grimes aint got nothing on
Sock!
6. Meredith Rodney McKay (David Hewlett), Stargate:Atlantis
McKay
is one of those characters you love and loathe at the same time- no
easy feat. A narcissistic egomaniac who is also an uncompromising
genius, regularly saving countless lives, what makes him extra special is
his ability to continue being arrogant and insulting throughout the
entire run of the show, regardless of what situation he's in. His
interaction with Radek Zelenka, another excellently understated and
quirky character, is the perfect platform to show that the people that
save us aren't always perfect, and often they're as flawed as we are.
The reason Rodney rates above the others so far is that the premise
works so well- McKay only shows his nicer side in small enough bursts to
let you know he is overall a good person, but has still managed to
maintain the purity of his characters flaws right to the end. Alas the
show is no longer on the air, so we'll have to wait until the
'Extinction' movie is released [IF EVER!] to catch more of the doc.
5. Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), Dexter
I
love this character. I'm a huge fans of the books on which he's based,
and that character comes across nicely in the show. I think we all
acknowledge that we have very dark thoughts at times, thoughts we
wouldn't want even our closest friends to know about. Dexter takes that
to its extreme, and does the remarkable job of creating empathy. Dexter
is a character we understand and relate to, even as he runs around
tampering with evidence and looking for his next victim. I think the
only reason he doesn't feature higher is that the character in the book
is slightly more appealing to me. He's a bit more humorous and light
hearted, which I prefer to Hall's Dexter, who always seems to bear the
weight of the world on his shoulders despite being empty inside.
4. Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka), Heroes
Hiro
is a fan favourite, and for good reason. He displayed a child-like
innocence which was nothing short of endearing, and a much needed
antidote to the gloom surrounding the rest of heroes. Seeing the little
guy scrunch his face up, shout 'Mr Isaac!' and mumble on about being a
hero is exactly the sense of fun, wonder and excitement the show needed.
As Heroes went on, I think they tried to darken his character
considerably, by placing emphasis on the fact that Hero's often have to
make hard decisions. But the relationship between him and his best
friend Ando (another fantastic character, and a close contender for the
list) really helped define Hiro, without him loosing the great
idealism he embodies.
3. Johnny 'Drama' Chase (Kevin Dillon), Entourage
Drama
should perhaps be a lot lower on the list but I'm really Loving
Entourage at the moment, and its my list! The obvious choice from
Entourage might be Ari Gold, always found running around the agency in
panic screaming 'LLoyd!' but where as Ari gets a lot of the best
One-liners, I think Drama's biggest attribute is the jokes he shares
with the group. Entourage's best feature has always been the banter
between the main 4, reminding any guy of the sorts of conversation they
have with their friends. And in those conversations, its Drama that
shines. Combining colossal stupidity with snipey comebacks/putdowns, and
sometime a complete loss of reality, Drama is the lovable loser, devoid
of shame. Dillon, being the less successful brother of a Hollywood star
in real life, plays this to perfection, and we end up simultaneously
laughing at Drama's expense, and rooting for him as the underdog.
2. Benjamin Linus (Michael Emerson), Lost
Ben
Linus is the most spectacularly slimey, weasely character is recent TV
history. And that's what makes him so appealing. The man has almost no
brute strength ,and little in the way of possessions. He's committed
unspeakable acts and alienated everyone he knows, along the way creating
some truly menacing enemies. But despite all that, somehow he always
ends up alive, and its that facet of his character that creates such a
warped fascination. Part of you wishes you were that clever, that
skilled at manipulating people, and that prepared for any situation.
Numerous flashbacks and scenes show he is only human, and just a simple
man, but at every turn his actions seem to contradict this. As he says
himself, 'How many times do I have to tell you, John? I always have a
plan'. Chilling
.....and that takes us to my number one favourite character of the season.........
1. Jack Bauer ( Kiefer Sutherland), 24
Its
a cliche I know, but who cares. Jack Bauer is the coolest man alive. We
finally have a TV character not afraid to be a true bad-ass, to go to
every extreme possible. A real, understated hero, sacrificing his
conscience, maybe even his soul in the service of his country. All I can
say is, it gives people hope to think men such as Jack Bauer might
exist- if they did, the world would undoubtedly be a safer place.
And finally A few Honourable Mentions, who came close but didn't quite make it. In no particular Order...
Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) from The Big Bang Theory
Olive Snook (Kristin Chenoweth) from Pushing Daisies
Wiliam Adama (Edward James Olmos) from Battlestar Galactica
Buddy Garrity (Brad Leland) from Friday Night Lights
Agent Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski) from Chuck
Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) from Entourage
John Locke (Terry O'Quinn) from Lost
Bill Buchanan (James Morrison) from 24
Its
interesting to see that quite a lot of shows I watch didn't have any
characters make it to the list, while several shows had more than one. I
suppose it goes to show, good characters really are the backbone of
good shows.
