20. Steve Murphy (Boyd Holbrook) 19. Javier Pena (Pedro Pascal) on Narcos 2014-2015 Rank: NEW SHOW Narcos follows the rise and fall of Pablo Escobar and the people who fought to capture him. There was an American presence in Columbia trying to help them, as the cocaine coming out of Columbia was becoming a big problem in the United States. Two of those agents, Steve Murphy and Javier Pena are central figures in the show. Murphy is new to Columbia and brings his wife and new child. The job becomes a big problem for Murphy as they continue to fail taking down Escobar. By the end of the season, his wife runs back to America with their child. |
18. Obergruppenfuhrer John Smith (Rufus Sewell) 17. Nobusuke Tagomi (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) on The Man In The High Castle 2014-2015 Rank: NEW SHOW In The Man In The High Castle, Nazi Germany and Japan split the United States to each own part of it. The Nazis get east of the Rocky Mountains, while the Japanese get the West Coast. The show follows a handful of characters on each side, and those in The Resistance looking to take down these powers. Two mid-to-high-level authority figures that we get to spend a lot of time with are Obergruppenfuhrer John Smith with the Nazis and Nobusuke Tagomi with the Japanese. They are both interesting characters for various reasons. Smith is a high-ranking officer who is leading the charge to find and defeat the Resistance. He seems well rooted in the Nazi way, though by the end of the season he faces many challenges that should be making it difficult to believe in the Nazis. Tagomi is a spiritual man who is concerned about the Nazis making a power push to take out the Japanese. |
16. Oleg Burov (Costa Ronin) on The Americans 2014-2015 Rank: 28 (+12) Oleg works as a Science and Technology officer in the Soviet embassy in Washington. He started a strange relationship with the FBI's Stan Beeman, initially extorting him for information but later bonding with him over their shared love for Nina. Nina was a Soviet who worked both sides but was eventually imprisoned in the USSR and executed. I do enjoy Oleg and Stan's interactions, and though they won't admit it, I think they've grown to sort of like each other. |
15. Joe Blake (Luke Kleintank) on The Man In The High Castle 2014-2015 Rank: NEW SHOW Joe Blake is a Nazi spy who was given the job of infiltrating the Resistance and help to recover secret films that they are collecting. During a mission to the Neutral Zone, he met Juliana Crane who was recently thrust into the middle of the Resistance. It's hard to get a read on Joe. Sometimes I want to like him and think he's going to turn on the Nazis, but then other times he does something to make you think otherwise. He definitely seems to care about Juliana and if anything helps him switch sides it would probably be her. However she is with another man and doesn't seem to be leaving anytime soon. |
14. Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura) on Narcos 2014-2015 Rank: NEW SHOW Pablo Escobar was a notorious Columbian drug lord who came to power in the 90s. Narcos follows the multiple sides involved, including Escobar himself, the Columbian government trying to stop him, the US DEA agents in Columbian trying to help, and rival drug lords (or sicarios). Escobar is certainly the villain here, but the show does a good job of humanizing him. His family is a big part of his life, but then again he does a lot of treacherous things. Definitely an interesting character to watch and fascinating to see how it all played out. |
13. William Crandall (Dylan Baker) on The Americans 2014-2015 Rank: NEW CHARACTER William is a Soviet spy who has been in the United States for many years. He is a scientist who works with the development of viruses and bio-weapons. William had only worked with Gabriel for a long time until recently being introduced to Phillip. The Soviets became aware of a powerful virus that was being developed by the US and asked William to retrieve it and pass on to Phillip. They both questioned the task as their concerns had grown about what it could do to mankind if used. During the eventual scheduled drop, the FBI figured out who William was and got to him before he could pass on the virus. Before being captured, William broke the vial. He was captured, and soon passed away without giving up any information about the people he worked for. |
12. Joe Caputo (Nick Sandow) on Orange Is The New Black 2014-2015 Rank: 23 (+11) I can't remember how I felt about him in the early seasons, but Caputo is a generally likable guy. He is now acting as the head of Litchfield prison, but unfortunately for him he always seems to be putting out fires. He likes to be respected but also tries to remain friendly with many of the residents. This past season he was caught in a struggle between professional success and the well-being of his prison. Though he wants to become more important and powerful, he doesn't want to compromise his values. |
11. Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich) on The Americans 2014-2015 Rank: 25 (+14) Stan Beeman is a good FBI agent, but . But that has to come into question with his personal situations with Soviets Nina and Oleg, and not knowing that his neighbors and friends Phillip and Elizabeth are Soviet spies. This season he discovered that a secretary in his office had been providing valuable information to the Soviets (though she didn't know her fake husband was a Soviet spy). He also has developed an odd friendship and Phillip and Elizabeth's son. I'm worried there will eventually be a Walt/Hank situation with Phillip and Stan, though I like Stan a lot more than I liked Hank. |
10. Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek) on Mr. Robot 2014-2015 Rank: NEW SHOW Elliot is a very complex character. Though one season of Mr. Robot, it is nearly impossible to determine what is reality and what is a figment of Elliot's mind. He definitely is dealing with some mental challenges. He sees and talks to his dead father, but doesn't know it is his father (or a dead person). He also forgets many things, like who his sister is. It is a bit of a confusing show, but Elliot is a very fascinating person to watch and wonder where his mind will take him (and us the viewer). |
9. Ian Gallagher (Cameron Monaghan) 8. Lip Gallagher (Jeremy Allen White) on Shameless 2014-2015 Rank: UNRANKED, 14 (+6) As is always the case, the Gallaghers continue to struggle with everything in their lives. Lip had a good run for a while. He was going to college and was working as both a Resident Advisor and a Teacher's Assistant. He was also secretly seeing one of his professors, which made him very happy. Unfornately for Lip, his ex found photos Lip took of the professor naked and leaked them, causing lots of punishment for the professor. She then wanted to separate herself from Lip and that caused him to go off the rails. He got too drunk and caused destruction to property, leading to his expulsion. Ian ended things on a high note this past season as he found a job as an EMT, proving to be very good at his job. He is also in a relationship with a fireman. |
7. Det. Lionel Fusco (Kevin Chapman) on Person Of Interest 2014-2015 Rank: 10 (+3) Fusco has long been kept at a certain distance from the rest of his Machine Team (not an official name). Harold always felt by keeping him mostly out of it he could maintain his legitamacy as a detective in case trouble came to the group, as it often seems to. Fusco had felt underappreciated for a long time and even threatened to isolate himself from the rest of the group, but finally he was let in on everything about the Machine. He came a long way in the series, starting as a dirty cop but transitioning into a good and valuable member of society. |
6. Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) 5. Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) on Better Call Saul 2014-2015 Rank: 7 (+1), 9 (+4) As season two has rolled along, we get to see more of the paths of both Jimmy McGill and Mike Ehrmantraut that will eventually lead them to their questionable actions that we've already witnessed in Breaking Bad. This prequel series has found its own pace and both of these previously supporting characters have been great to watch as leads. They were shining stars of Breaking Bad and continue to make it worthwhile to watch Better Call Saul. |
4. Phillip Jennings (Matthew Rhys) on The Americans 2014-2015 Rank: 12 (+8) Ever since the beginning of The Americans, Phillip has shown reservations about continuing his life as a Soviet spy in America. This season challenged him more than ever. he had to tell his fake wife Martha the truth about him and while doing so sending her off to Russia. He dealt with the consequences of telling his teenage daughter the truth about her parents, and her going and spilling their secret to her pastor. And finally, he questioned his actions when ordered to help deliver deadly viruses the US was working on to his people in Russia. Every moment he seems to be living on the edge and is afraid that at any moment his life and family could all be taken away from him. |
3. Harold Finch (Michael Emerson) 2. John Reese (Jim Caviezel) on Person Of Interest 2014-2015 Rank: 3 (-), 2 (-) Person of Interest has been a fun ride, and the characters are a large part of that. I feel like Michael Emerson (Benjamin Linus from Lost) was a big reason why I was interested in this show in the first place all those years ago. But the partnership between his Harold Finch and Jim Caviezel's John Reese was definitely the heartbeat of the show. Other supporting characters became just as important, but without Finch's Machine and Reese's "skills" their mission would have failed before it began. It was sad to see Reese killed in the final moments of the show, but he died protecting his friends and the Machine that had helped him rediscover himself over the last five years. |
1. Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount) on Hell On Wheels 2014-2015 Rank: 1 (-) The final season of Hell On Wheels has been split up into two halves. This first half was a big change from the previous seasons. Bohannon left the Union Pacific Railroad he became such a part of to search for his wife and child further west. He would then join up with the Central Pacific Railroad hoping the proximity to the Mormons and the region would help him find his family. He was forced to work alongside his longtime nemesis Thor Gundersen, but was finally rewarded with The Swedes self-destruction and demise. |
Next 5:
21. Thor 'The Swede' Gundersen (Christopher Heyerdahl) on Hell On Wheels
22. Kevin Ball (Steve Howey) on Shameless
23. Frank Frink (Rupert Evans) on The Man In The High Castle
24. Nacho Varga (Michael Mando) on Better Call Saul
25. Gabriel (Frank Langella) on The Americans