Five Mesmerizingly Dynamic TV Villains
Nuanced category today. Not just villains who are brilliant, but those who, with time, began to metamorphosize into some form of a hero. Maybe not all the way good, but by the time their character arc was done, they were wildly different than when they started. First, those that I considered strongly…
Honorable Mentions:
–Carey Elwes as Pierre Despereaux, Psych
Ultimately not chosen because first, it’s quite unclear if he ever becomes good or not. And secondly, he doesn’t change as much within the series as the five I chose. Yet don’t be mistaken; he’s brilliant and brilliant from the jump. He’d be at the top if the category were villains based on sheer entertainment value. He’s almost as cool and outrageous as Moriarty from Sherlock. Perhaps my favorite TV villain of all time.
–Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute, The Office
He shows up on these kinds of lists, but I ultimately find him hard to define as a villain. It’s a paper company, and he’s “just” a supremely annoying co-worker. I was really aiming for bad guys on this list. Criminals. Or at least truly evil intentions. I confess, though, that if mega-fans of the Office disagree, I respect that opinion.
–Wayne Knight as Newman, Seinfeld
Much like Dwight, is he really a bad guy? He’s clearly a rival to Jerry, even if they never explain why. And much like Dwight, he is bothersome. Yet other than one dog-napping case, he’s never really portrayed as a mastermind of malevolence. Just someone who wanted to be there, in all his glory, to see all of Jerry’s little play world coming crashing down.
–Joe Keery as Steve Harrington, Stranger Things
He is the poster child for dynamic characters, and he was clearly a villain in the majority of Season 1. Yet he changes quickly and becomes a hero for the rest of the show’s 5-season run. I decided to favor those who were some form of wicked for lengthy portions of their shows.
Now, the list!
5. Darryl Philbin as Doug Judy, Brooklyn 99
It’s scary just how amazing Philbin is in this role. Riotously funny. Insanely likeable. And even if he didn’t (more or less) become a hero at times, you’d still love him. Granted, playing off of Jake helps, and Jake is far more often the straight man in this sketch. He surely is still a car thief by the end of this series, but he has a lot of repentance and heroic moments. “The Pontiac Bandit” could be on a different million Best TV character lists. That’s how sublime this role is.
4. James Marsters as Spike, Buffy The Vampire Slayer
I’m not even going to sort of pretend I didn’t start watching this show because Sarah-Michellle Gellar was the lead. However, it did not take much screen time for Spike to endear himself to legions of fans. And the show is not lacking in star power. Along with Buffy, I found Angel and Willow both very captivating. And Rupert, to me, is impeccably portrayed.
Yet Spike takes a back seat.to no one in this show and steals many scenes he is in. And he earns a spot on this list because of how many twists and turns his character takes as a villain, forming alliances and even falling in love! If you’d told me in 1997 that I’d ever appreciate a bleach-blonde vampire villain as much as I would Spike, I’d never have believed it.
3. Ted Danson as Michael, The Good Place
The plot twists in this show are legendary, and Michael is at the center of about all of them. If there was any doubt that Ted Danson was the sitcom GOAT, this show seals it. He has some great quotes (“We’ve found lies to be much more believable when they’re closer to the truth”), and his mannerisms and facial expressions are immaculate. He has a joy even when playing a devious demon that is infectious through the screen. But it’s how he transforms throughout the series that lands him at #3 on this particular list.
2. Amy Acker as Root, Person of Interest
This one is probably the most obscure in a list that isn’t dominated by super-famous villains. Yet Root is just so delightfully and brilliantly nefarious when she shows up on Person of Interest. Much like #1 below, she is cunning, smarter than the heroes at first, and can manipulate people and situations in a mind-blowing way.
Yet by the end, she is fully redeemed, and her character arc is both satisfying and leaves you wanting more at the same time. I’m stunned Amy Acker hasn’t been in anything else I’ve seen, as sadly, I’ve never watched the Buffy spin-off, Angel.
1. Michael Emerson as Ben Linus, Lost
Man, this guy deserves a novel of articles. And to our credit, he did show up on Rambling Ever On’s list of Top 10 Lost Characters at #2.
But this role is just everything you want in entertainment, especially in a villain-turned-hero. He’s an academic and social genius. He is marvelously witty. He can land a monologue with the best of them. And every gesture is perfectly delivered. My world was rocked by Benjamin Linus when I binged this show in 2013.
And for him to be completely revolutionized by series’ end just makes me smile all these years later. He always loved the island, and that sense he was very consistent. But he went from being a clear and intimidating antagonist to the survivors to standing with Hurley at the very end. And everything in between. He is very hard to nail down in typical character archetypes. And as such, he is an easy #1 for this list.
What about you? Who are your favorite TV Villains, notably those who changed and became good?
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“The Walking Dead” contains a perfect example of this type of villain. I won’t name them for fear of spoiling the show but it’s a dynamic character arc if there ever was one.