Best TV Characters of the past Decade, what say you?
.....not just because of the actors who played them but also b/c of the character's overall level of allure and magnetism.
[for shows and mini-series]
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In no particular order:
Captain Malcolm Reynolds & Kaylee Frye - Firefly
Jax & Gemma Teller - Sons of Anarchy
Louis Litt - Suits
Omar - The Wire
Admiral William Adama & Captain Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace - Battlestar Galactica
Captain Jack Harkness (guilty pleasure pick) - Doctor Who/Torchwood
10th Doctor (David Tennant) - Doctor Who
Veronica Mars - Veronica Mars
Tyrion Lannister - Game of Thrones
Sherlock Holmes/Dr. John Watson - Sherlock (BBC)
Daryl Dixon - Walking Dead
Eric Northman - True Blood
Dr. Walter Bishop - Fringe
Dexter Morgan - Dexter
Probably forgetting a couple and I'm sure folks will disagree with half of it but then there are great characters but I just didn't like the show (ie: House)Mainge, NaboCane, ToddPhin and 1 other person like this. -
Gaius Baltar - Battlestar Galatica. Admiral William Adama and Saul Tigh get special mentions
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1. Walter White
2. Michael Scott
3. Al Swearingen
4. Dexter Morgon
T5. Larry David
T5. Ari Gold
I'm also partial to both characters on True DetectiveToddPhin likes this. -
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Colorado Dolfan ...dirty drownin' man?
Can't believe no one has mentioned Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham who, while technically being older characters, have been given new life in the NBC series.
NaboCane likes this. -
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In no order:
- Dr. House
- Tyrion Lannister
- Crazy Eyes
- Arya Stark
- Luther
- Everyone from Firefly
- Everyone from Breaking Bad except Skylar & Walt Jr.
- Barney Stinson
- Ichabod Crane
- The preacher form Carnivale
- Sam Axe
- Sherlock & Watson (BBC)
- Deb Morganrafael likes this. -
I would definitely add Olivia/Fauxlivia Dunham; President Roslyn was so central to BSG, and so pitch-perfectly-portrayed, that I can't see it ever reprised even if there's a remake.
Johnny Miller's Sherlock is light-years better than TinTin's. Miller's portrayal is iconic, yet vulnerable and terribly flawed, like the literary character himself.
I didn't know Captain Jack Harkness came from Dr. Who! I knew both shows were made by the same people.
EDIT: No Stringer? -
I'd put Mouzone before Stringer. Not sure he qualifies because very limited screen time he got.
Side note, my WiFi is called "Omar Comin"MikeHoncho likes this. -
You might want to go back to season 2/3 of the rebooted Doctor Who. He only does 11 episodes but you see how he became immortal........and you see when/how he actually dies.
First appearance of Captain Jack in typical Captain Jack manner.
[video=youtube;MYkCdnZi_x4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYkCdnZi_x4[/video] -
It's difficult for me to give a short list since I've seen so many shows, so I'll just break mine down into tiers I guess.
Tier 1
Hannibal Lecter, Hannibal
Daniel Holden, Rectify
Al Swearingen, Deadwood
Sterling Archer, Archer
Walter White, Breaking Bad
Dexter (early seasons)
Iceman (Alexander Skarsgard), Generation Kill
Hank Moody (David Duchovny), Californication
Frances & Claire Underwood, House of Cards
Tier 2 (best supporting characters)
Louis Litt, Suits
Rudy Wade, Misfits
Joe Gatto, Impractical Jokers
Saul Goodman, Breaking Bad
Stringer Bell (Idris Elba), The Wire
Hank, Breaking Bad
Crazy Eyes, Orange is New Black
Donna, Suits
Murr, Impractical Jokers
Charlie Runkle, Californication
Nathan, Misfits
Glenn Quagmire, Family Guy
Doug Wilson (Kevin Nealon), Weeds
Arby (Neil Maskell), Utopia
Steven Linder (Thomas M. Wright), The Bridge
Tier 3
Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht), Suits
Tony Soprano
Cleaver Green (Richard Roxburgh), Rake
LutherSpartacus(Andy Whitfield only. The show died when he died as far as I'm concerned.)Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels), The Newsroom
Will Graham, Hannibal
Eddie Izzard, The Riches
Sarah, Orphan Black
Paul Spector, The Fall
Ray, Ray Donovan
Dr Tom Jackman, Jeckyl
NPH, How I Met Your Mother
Christian Troy, Nip Tuck
Detective Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis), The Shield
Tier 4
Sal and Q, Impractical Jokers
Nancy Botwin, Weeds
Jackie (Edie Falco), Nurse Jackie
Stella Gibson (Gillian Anderson), The Fall
Sonya Cross (Diane Kruger), The Bridge
Sloan Sabbith (Olivia Munn), The Newsroom
Thad Castle, Blue Mountain State
Bill Haverchuck (Martin Starr), Freaks and Geeks
Lucas Hood, Banshee
Selena Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Veep
Carl, Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Marty Kaan (Don Cheadle), House of Lies
Jeanie Van Der Hooven (Kristin Bell), House of LiesBoik14 likes this. -
Debra Morgan annoyed the s*** out of me after the first couple years once the distraction of her potty mouth wore off and the terrible acting shone through.
Claymore95 likes this. -
Tyrion, Tywin, Jamie, and Cersei Lannister, Arya Stark (GoT)
Omar Little, Stringer Bell (The Wire)
Sherlock Holmes, Moriarty (Sherlock)
Dixon brothers (The Walking Dead)
Ben Linus, John Locke, Sawyer (Lost)
Walter Bishop, Olivia Dunham (Fringe)
Hannibal Lector (Hannibal)
Eric Northman, Russell Edgington (True Blood)
Eric Cartman, Randy Marsh (South Park)
Daniel Holden (Rectify)
Walter White and everyone else from... (Breaking Bad)
Dexter Morgan (Dexter)
Al Swearengen (Deadwood)
Titus Pullo, Lucius Vorenus, Mark Antony (Rome)
Charlie, Dennis, Mac, Dee, Frank (It's Always Sunny)
Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
Carrie Mathison (Homeland)
Dr. House (House, MD)
Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother)
That's all I can think of for now.Boik14, MikeHoncho and ToddPhin like this. -
Debra was the only fully fleshed-out character in that series. Even Dexter was caricaturish, made relatable only by sheer volume of screen time plus the narration of his inner voice, plus Harry. THAT'S what it took to make him halfway believable.
LaGuerta (what a moronic, made-up name) was the absolute worst; but all of the rest of the cast was little more than cardboard cutouts. I couldn't have cared less if any of them lived or died. -
Eric Cartman is a good one I forgot.
Ditto for Batiatus (John Hannah) from Spartacus. One of the greatest users of profanity ever.Boik14 likes this. -
cuchulainn likes this.
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Ronnie (jersey shore)
Farrah (Teen mom) -
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NaboCane likes this.
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BTW, anyone who HASN'T seen the mini-series Generation Kill should immediately grab a sturdy belt, walk into the nearest closet, and hang yourself.
C'mon, the best character on True Blood [Alexander Skarsgard] in the performance of his lifetime; from the creator of The Wire [Ed Burns]; winner of 3 Emmy's and nominated for an additional 8? WTF is holding you idiots up? -
Problem is getting past the corny special effects. If you get past that, you are in for a ride of a lifetime. -
Don Draper has "BMF" tatt'd on his johnsonNaboCane likes this. -
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So, start w/ S5; but doesn't the series go back to — literally —the 1950s? -
Diego "Doc" Soto — Alcatraz
Frylock —ATHF
Carl Brutananadilewski — ATHF
Sterling Archer — Archer
Lana Kane — Archer
Gaius Baltar — BSG
Laura Roslyn — BSG
Kara Thrace — BSG
Bill Henrickson —Big Love
Barb Henrickson —Big Love
Margie Heffman —Big Love
Nicki Grant —Big Love
Bob Belcher — Bob's Burgers
Tina Belcher — Bob's Burgers
Walter White — Breaking Bad
Hank Moody — Californication
Rebecca Moody — Californication
Charlie Runkle — Californication
Gil Grissom —CSI
Greg Sanders —CSI
Horatio Caine —CSI: Miami
Calleigh Duquesne —CSI: Miami
Danny Messer —CSI: New York
Al Swearengen — Deadwood
Debra Morgan — Dexter
Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham — Downton Abbey
John Bates — Downton Abbey
Johnny Miller — Elementary
Joan Watson — Elementary
Brian —Family Guy
Peter Griffin —Family Guy
Lois Griffin —Family Guy
Stewie Griffin —Family Guy
Mal Reynolds — Firefly
Olivia/Fauxlivia Dunham — Fringe
Walter/Walternate Bishop — Fringe
Tyrion Lannister — Game of Thrones
Hannibal Lecter — Hannibal
Will Graham — Hannibal
Beverly Katz — Hannibal
Alana Bloom — Hannibal
Bedelia Du Maurier — Hannibal
Carrie Matheson — Homeland
Francis Underwood — House of Cards
Claire Underwood — House of Cards
Jack Taylor — Jack Taylor
Garda Kate Noonan — Jack Taylor
Sam Waterston — Law & Order
Robert Goren — Law & Order: Criminal Intent
John Luther — Luther
Don Draper — Mad Men
Roger Sterling — Mad Men
Sally Draper — Mad Men
Betty Draper/Francis — Mad Men
Pete Campbell — Mad Men
Peggy Olson — Mad Men
Bert Cooper — Mad Men
Joan Holloway/Harris — Mad Men
Layne Pryce — Mad Men
Megan Draper — Mad Men
Ryan O'Reily — Oz
Simon Adebisi — Oz
Chiwetel Ejiofor — The Shadow Line
Vic Mackey — The Shield
Jon Kavanaugh — The Shield
Jax Teller — Sons of Anarchy
Tig Trager — Sons of Anarchy
Jennifer Melfi — The Sopranos
Sylvio Dante — The Sopranos
Paulie Walnuts — The Sopranos
Joe Pantoliano — The Sopranos
Steve Buscemi — The Sopranos
Junior Soprano — The Sopranos
Tony Soprano — The Sopranos
Gloria Trillo — The Sopranos
Randy Marsh — South Park
Robin Griffin — Top of the Lake
Rust Cohle — True Detective
Selina Meyer —Veep
Gary Walsh —Veep
Jed Bartlet — The West Wing
CJ Cregg — The West Wing
Leo McGarry — The West Wing
Donna Moss — The West Wing
Charlie Young — The West Wing
Josh Lyman — The West Wing
Omar Little — The Wire
[FONT=&]Stringer [/FONT][FONT=&]Bell[/FONT][FONT=&] — The Wire[/FONT]ToddPhin likes this. -
Added Randy Marsh and Stringer Bell. Stringer was another massive oversight. In fact, Stringer Bell might be the most important black character in the history of television. How come none of the other Lannister's are making these lists besides Tyrion?
NaboCane likes this. -
[video=youtube;WVVVFFPt_oA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVVVFFPt_oA[/video]
This is the preview of season 5 which started Matt Smith. As you can see visually it looks much improved at that point. -
I should've added Malory and Cheryl from Archer as well..... and Marcy Runkle from Californication.
Speaking of Top of the Lake, as good as Elizabeth Moss was as Robin, I thought Peter Mullan (Matt) was equally as good. Best performance of Holly Hunter's career as well IMO. -
Part of his genius is: every character gets moments to shine in the brilliance of the writing; the other part is that he has chosen actors—one when she was only five years old—who are up to every challenge, and more.ToddPhin likes this.
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