2010-2011 Rank: Previously Summer Show
By the end of last season, Fargo found love in the form of Dr. Holly Marten (Felicia Day) and was about to explore space. Unfortunately the first half of the final season has not been too kind to Fargo. First the crew of the Astraeus that was headed to the moon of Titan was kidnapped and plugged into a matrix. They were unaware they were in a matrix and instead thought they had jumped ahead three years and forced to live in a Eureka that moved on without them. While in the matrix, his beloved Holly was killed, though he didn’t find out until after they were rescued. Since then Holly was discovered to be sort of existing in the matrix and now has been transferred to Carter’s smart house as a hologram of sorts. The final half of the final season is yet to play out. Will Fargo be able to find a way to rescue and be with Holly or will he have to let go?
2010-2011 Rank: Unranked
When a character only comes around 17 out of 59 total episodes throughout a series, it can be tough to really form a bond with them. However over the seasons I always find joy when Nikola Tesla appears on screen. Maybe the fact that he’s a rare treat makes it more enjoyable. Tesla first appeared in the first season as being a member of “The Five,” a group of scientists who injected themselves with a strain of vampire DNA that accelerated abnormal abilities within each of them. The other four were Helen Magnus (decelerated aging), Dr. James Watson (heightened intellect), John Druitt (decelerated aging and teleportation) and Nigel Griffin (invisibility). Tesla had one of the more extreme transformations as he was the only one to actually become a vampire as well as obtain the ability to manipulate electricity. Over the seasons Tesla has proven that he is a loner determined to take over the world, which conflicts with Magnus and the Sanctuary at times. Near the end of the series however he became more helpful to Magnus. He’s loved her for a long time (she hasn’t reciprocated so much) and in the end was willing to sacrifice himself to help her (he did survive however). Though not used a lot, Tesla was always one of the most entertaining aspects of each episode he did appear in. He is intelligent, sophisticated and incredibly sarcastic.
2010-2011 Rank: Previously Summer Show
Speaking of intelligent and sarcastic (but definitely not sophisticated), Zane is what could be considered the “cool guy” of Eureka. He is a former felon, but his extreme intelligence and talents make him an important asset at General Dynamics. Though he still rebels from time to time, it’s usually for a good cause. Zane has matured over the last couple seasons and has proven he can be responsible. His ongoing battle for love with Jo has been a rollercoaster ride that probably has a lot to do with his newfound maturity. He does love to pick on people (especially Carter) but he has shown real heart in his quest to help Fargo save his beloved Holly.
2010-2011 Rank: 8 (+1)
Henry is the local tech guru and resident werewolf of the Sanctuary. Henry continues to be the primary comic relief on the show. The only other character that can provide laughs consistently is Tesla, but he doesn’t appear in many episodes. In fact the two of them being both technologically intelligent tend to have a little rivalry going when they’re around each other, which is a bonus for the viewer. They do learn to work well together by the end of the season and are impressive when doing so.
2010-2011 Rank: Unranked
5. Josh (Sam Huntington) on Being Human
2010-2011 Rank: 4 (-1)
After destroying his maker at the end of season one, Aiden was hoping things would become better for himself and all vampires in Boston. His old love interest (Suren) who’s been in isolation for decades is put in charge of Boston and Aiden is forced to be a sort of guide to her. They fall in love (again?) and eventually Aiden talks her into running away with him. Unfortunately it doesn’t work out and the powers that be (Suren’s mother who’s known simply as “Mother”) destroys Suren and buries Aiden alive. Not sure how he’s going to get out of this one next season.
Just like Aiden and Sally, Josh had just as much of a rough season as his roommates. His pregnant girlfriend (Nora) who he accidentally turned into a werewolf lost their unborn child. Then they met some purebred wolf twins who help Nora realize she likes being a wolf (while Josh wants to find a cure). Then Josh’s ex-fiancée (Julia) who he ran out on when he turned into a werewolf ends up working at his hospital. On top of that she starts dating Aiden before knowing Aiden and Josh are roommates. After Nora leaves, Josh starts getting close with Julia again and everything seems to be going in a good direction. Then Julia gets hit by a car when she sees Josh turning during an eclipse and she is killed. Finally, Josh decides he wants to kill his maker thinking it will cure him but is left at the end of the season with the viewer not knowing how that turned out.
2010-2011 Rank: Unranked
In a show with an ensemble cast of characters that can be difficult to truly like, there is one character that stands out head and shoulders above the rest. The interesting thing is that he is probably the person who least cares about being liked. Daryl is a bit of a hillbilly with strong wilderness talents. He acts like he’s an outsider and doesn’t care about anyone, but deep down he has a bigger heart than most. This is apparent with how he handled the missing Sophia situation, basically dedicating all of his time to finding her while the others dealt with other stupid issues. Daryl clearly looked defeated when they discovered Sophia was a zombie, especially since he exhausted so much time and emotion into finding her.
2010-2011 Rank: New Show
If I had to name one new character on television that I truly fell in love with this season, it would be Rumpelstiltsken/Mr. Gold from Once Upon a Time. In the show, fairy tale characters have been cursed to live in our world trapped within a town and not knowing of their past. There are only two people from that world who remember everything, the Evil Queen/Regina who cast the spell and the magical Rumpelstiltsken/Mr. Gold who provided the curse to Regina. So in fairy tale land, Rumpelstiltsken was a poor farmer who killed a dark lord to acquire his powers. He is now arguably the most powerful man in the land. The beauty of his character is that he is intertwined within so many other characters’ stories, so he gets a lot of on screen time. He is witty, evil, fun and deep down still has a heart that rarely shows itself but has a couple week spots. In the present (in our world), he is known as Mr. Gold and is the most powerful man in town (though Regina is equally as powerful). They have a bit of a rivalry, and though they’re both on the side of evil they are each willing to help the side of good if it means getting the upper hand on the other. A very exciting character indeed, and portrayed beautifully by the excellent Robert Carlysle.
2010-2011 Rank: Previously Summer Show
Jack has always been the heartbeat of Eureka. Being the average man stuck in a town full of geniuses is never easy for him, but what he lacks in intellect he makes up for in character. Colin Ferguson has been brilliant in providing a lovable, funny and most importantly relatable character to the show. He excels at physical comedy and one-liners. As this currently longest-running scripted show for SyFy (and previously Sci-Fi Channel) comes to an end, it will be sad to see him go. With only a handful of episodes left, here’s to hoping they continue to utilize his strengths to close out the series as they have in the first half of the season.
2010-2011 Rank: Unranked
Last year’s Emmy winner for Outsanding Supporting Actor in a Drama has certainly been verifying the win with a second season worthy of a repeat award. Peter Dinklage has gotten little exposure during his acting career. His breakout performance in the indie drama The Station Agent brought acclaim, but not mass recognition. The role of Tyrion Lannister almost seems as if it was written for him. He has gone from supporting cast in season one to replacing Sean Bean (whose character was killed) as top billing for season two. Tyrion is one of the smartest, most likable and most charismatic characters on Game of Thrones. It appears as if his mind can run circles around everyone else. He is a member of the hated Lannister family however he is a bit of a black sheep whom no one in his family truly respects. With an ensemble cast and multiple storylines, it’s tough to get a lot of screen time. It is however always a pleasure when Tyrion is front and center.
11. Jon Snow - Game of Thrones
12. Will Zimmerman - Sanctuary
13. Biggie - Sanctuary
14. Deputy Andy - Eureka
15. Rick Grimes - The Walking Dead
16. Tate Langdon - American Horror Story
17. Hershel Greene - The Walking Dead
18. Shane Walsh - The Walking Dead
19. Henry Deacon - Eureka
20. Ben Harmon - American Horror Story