[Mystic Mock]

A sequel thread to this one https://www.thisisbigbrother.com/for...d.php?t=377566

Shameless plugging aside.

Which characters on TV would you say had for the most part fantastic writing that really sticks with you? They don't necessarily have to be your favourite characters (again favourite character & best written character can sometimes be two totally different things) but you appreciated the amount of detail given to the character.

Again for me I'll be adding animated characters on my list.

Anyway here's my opinion on who I personally think are/were very well written characters.

In no particular order.

Wesley (Angel) - I say Angel over Buffy for Wesley's character because his journey that I really loved in the Buffyverse starts on Angel. I never used to like Angel as a TV Show, but thanks to my family members telling me to get to the Faith two parter in Season 1 I finally managed to get into the Show. And thank god that I did because I really loved Wesley's growth as a character, and the actor delivers a fantastic performance too. Imo Wesley is the best thing about Angel imo as he always remains a consistently great character throughout.

Guts (Berserk) - Tbh I'd be here all day trying to describe how great Guts is as a character, I personally recommend people just checking Berserk out if you're into Dark Fantasy, and can handle certain sexual scenes that begin with an R & end with an E. Guts has a fantastic journey though if you can get around that content. It's nice to have a lead with alot of personality for a change too.

Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender) - Tbh I don't want to spoil Zuko's journey too much for people that haven't seen the Show, but imo Zuko is the best written Cartoon character that the Western market has ever created imo.

Griffith (Berserk) - Again I don't want to spoil Griffith's character too much for people that haven't experienced Berserk before, but Griffith is a very well written character imo with an interesting journey of his own you could say.

Skull Knight (Berserk)

Zodd (Berserk)

Serpico (Berserk)

Azula (Avatar: The Last Airbender) - Again another character that I thought was very well developed.

Holtz (Angel) - A very unique and very well written villain for Angel imo, let's just say in most Scenarios he'd probably be a hero, but he got dealt a bad hand that twisted him. Personally I think that Holtz helps carry season 3 quite nicely.

Baltar (Battlestar Galactica Re-Imagining) - To me I liked how BSG were able to one minute make Baltar funny, then mildly villainous & then at some points even heroic, but all done in a way that didn't feel out of character imo which takes some skill to pull off.

Starbuck (Battlestar Galactica Re-Imagining) - The Show imo did a surprisingly really good job with Starbuck, she could be seen as a feminist icon without being really obnoxious about it like some Shows sadly can do. Plus they were able to make her really flawed but also still likeable. I think when creating strong & capable female characters on TV then Starbuck is always the one to try and emulate I feel.

Gintoki (Gintama)

Hijikata (Gintama)

Shinsuke Takasugi (Gintama)

Sasaki Isaburo (Gintama)

Those four for Gintama have really blown me away with their writing as of late.

Levi (Attack On Titan)

Erwin (Attack On Titan)

Eren (Attack On Titan)

Admittedly I haven't watched Season 4 yet.

Ginoza (Psycho-Pass)

Kogami (Psycho-Pass)

Shogo Makishima (Psycho-Pass)

Akane (Psycho-Pass)

It's Psycho-Pass, I've got some catching up to do, but they always write strong characters imo.

Dexter Morgan (Dexter) - Besides certain parts towards the end, I always felt like Dexter was really well acted, and was interesting to watch to see what he'd say or do next.

Darla (Angel) - Again another character that I thought had a really strong journey on Angel.

Lilah (Angel)

Jerome & Jeremiah Valeska (Gotham) - They were show stealers imo.

Ned Stark (GOT)

Joffrey Baratheon (GOT)

Tywin Lannister (GOT)

Arya Stark (GOT)

The Hound (GOT)

Sadly all of the other GOT characters got too badly ruined for me to put them in my list.

The Governor (TWD) - To me the only character from TWD that was actually really well written throughout his journey. It feels weird to be nice about TWD.

Orga (Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans)

McGillis Fareed (Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans)

Yagami Light (Death Note)

L (Death Note)

Setsuna (Mobile Suit Gundam 00)

Allelujah (Mobile Suit Gundam 00)

Flit Asuno (Mobile Suit Gundam AGE)

Asemu Asuno (Mobile Suit Gundam AGE)

Zeheart (Mobile Suit Gundam AGE)

Tieria Erde (Mobile Suit Gundam 00)

Lockon Stratos #1 (Mobile Suit Gundam 00)

Naze Turbine (Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans)

Katsuki Bakugo (My Hero Academia)

Shoto (My Hero Academia)

I've probably forgotten characters, but my list has already got out of control.

I'm looking forward to who other members are gonna pick, and if you disagree with any of my picks.

[Toy Soldier]

Norman in Bates Motel.

Actually, also, Norma in Bates Motel, and Dylan (the brother) as well. Just generally a show with extremely well-written characters. I was unsure about the casting of Norman himself in the early seasons but in the final few where he actually starts to genuinely lose his grip on sanity, it's both written and acted brilliantly, by all three of those characters.

I also agree with you wholeheartedly about Wesley in Angel. He came into Buffy as sort of comic relief, but the character development throughout Angel is pretty much the best there is in either Buffy or Angel.

On that note - Cordelia would also get a mention from me, however, I think it was cut short and apparently the circumstances of her leaving are not entirely pleasant, with Joss Whedon essentially being a pig to her throughout both shows, and then berating her for daring to get pregnant and more-or-less firing her for it, and he trashed the character before she left as well. A real shame. Her development from S1 Buffy through to S3 Angel is great.

Octavia Blake (The 100) - great character arc throughout, from frivolous teen, to "Skyripper", to "The Red Queen", to complete mental breakdown and back again. Best character arc on the show. Although John Murphy is also good. I just wrote about Octavia's brother Bellamy Blake on the "worst writing" thread .

Daryl Dixon (The Walking Dead). His writing went through a rocky patch for a couple of seasons in the early Alexandria days, but if you ignore that and rewatch the series from the start to where it is now, Daryl has easily one of the best character arcs on the show, along with Carol. Rick actually has a great character arc too. And Shane is a fantastically written and acted character - though he has more of a straight vertical fall than an arc . Amazing to watch though.

And with that in mind - John Bernthal's "Punisher". The acting makes it special more than the writing to be fair. But it's two seasons of what is essentially a one-man character study and it's great. Also despite being only two seasons, it feels like a complete story.

[Marsh.]

I thought obnoxiousness was one of Starbuck's defining traits? I thought that was part of her.

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Norman in Bates Motel.

Actually, also, Norma in Bates Motel, and Dylan (the brother) as well. Just generally a show with extremely well-written characters. I was unsure about the casting of Norman himself in the early seasons but in the final few where he actually starts to genuinely lose his grip on sanity, it's both written and acted brilliantly, by all three of those characters.

Omg, so few people have seen this show.

Vera Farmiga was exceptional as Norma too.

[Mystic Mock]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

I thought obnoxiousness was one of Starbuck's defining traits? I thought that was part of her.

I mean more obnoxious to the viewers about it rather than to the other characters.

Like some women get turned into He-Man on TV Shows just to show that they can keep up with the men, rather than it feeling natural like it did with Starbuck imo.

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

Omg, so few people have seen this show.

Vera Farmiga was exceptional as Norma too.

It didn’t get a council telly airing (until this year, I think?) And so think it aired on the now-defunct “Universal” on Sky, I think it kind of slipped under the radar in the UK. It also had mixed ratings in S1 and lost a lot of viewers which is a tragedy because seasons 3/4/5 are really essential viewing (for fans of TV fiction) IMO.

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

I thought obnoxiousness was one of Starbuck's defining traits? I thought that was part of her.

Originally Posted by Mystic Mock

I mean more obnoxious to the viewers about it rather than to the other characters.



Like some women get turned into He-Man on TV Shows just to show that they can keep up with the men, rather than it feeling natural like it did with Starbuck imo.

I get what both of you are saying here. I think Starbuck IS supposed to be arrogant/brash but what the success is, is that they managed to make that character without making her masculine and without writing her as “bitchy”. I feel like I should clarify here, that’s not a word I’d ever use to describe a woman in the real world, rather, I’m referring to the stereotypical way male writers have a habit of portraying confident female characters.

[Vanessa]

I loved Angel as a show.
It was really well written and had some great characters.
Some wonderful regulars and others added in later seasons.
Wesley was a hoot

[Vanessa]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Norman in Bates Motel.

Actually, also, Norma in Bates Motel, and Dylan (the brother) as well. Just generally a show with extremely well-written characters. I was unsure about the casting of Norman himself in the early seasons but in the final few where he actually starts to genuinely lose his grip on sanity, it's both written and acted brilliantly, by all three of those characters.

I also agree with you wholeheartedly about Wesley in Angel. He came into Buffy as sort of comic relief, but the character development throughout Angel is pretty much the best there is in either Buffy or Angel.

On that note - Cordelia would also get a mention from me, however, I think it was cut short and apparently the circumstances of her leaving are not entirely pleasant, with Joss Whedon essentially being a pig to her throughout both shows, and then berating her for daring to get pregnant and more-or-less firing her for it, and he trashed the character before she left as well. A real shame. Her development from S1 Buffy through to S3 Angel is great.

Octavia Blake (The 100) - great character arc throughout, from frivolous teen, to "Skyripper", to "The Red Queen", to complete mental breakdown and back again. Best character arc on the show. Although John Murphy is also good. I just wrote about Octavia's brother Bellamy Blake on the "worst writing" thread .

Daryl Dixon (The Walking Dead). His writing went through a rocky patch for a couple of seasons in the early Alexandria days, but if you ignore that and rewatch the series from the start to where it is now, Daryl has easily one of the best character arcs on the show, along with Carol. Rick actually has a great character arc too. And Shane is a fantastically written and acted character - though he has more of a straight vertical fall than an arc . Amazing to watch though.

And with that in mind - John Bernthal's "Punisher". The acting makes it special more than the writing to be fair. But it's two seasons of what is essentially a one-man character study and it's great. Also despite being only two seasons, it feels like a complete story.

I love Bates Motel. They're showing it again on BBC1

[Vanessa]

Sylar from Heroes.
What a fascinating character he was and the actor was fantastic!

[Vanessa]

Agent Mulder from the X Files.
Just wow, both the actor and the character were incredible!

[Mystic Mock]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

I get what both of you are saying here. I think Starbuck IS supposed to be arrogant/brash but what the success is, is that they managed to make that character without making her masculine and without writing her as “bitchy”. I feel like I should clarify here, that’s not a word I’d ever use to describe a woman in the real world, rather, I’m referring to the stereotypical way male writers have a habit of portraying confident female characters.

Exactly this.

[Niamh.]

Walt and Jesse from Breaking Bad



Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Walt and Jesse from Breaking Bad



Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk

Pretty much every character in Breaking Bad to be honest. Though Walter White is a masterclass in both writing and acting.

[Niamh.]

Moira Rose



I want to say June from The Handmaids Tale but I think it's Elizabeth Moss rather than the writing that makes her so great

[The Slim Reaper]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Moira Rose



I want to say June from The Handmaids Tale but I think it's Elizabeth Moss rather than the writing that makes her so great

I'd never watched an episode of the show until a couple of months back, but I've fully caught up now, and I agree about EM. I think her character has been shafted a bit by the writers since the last episode of season 2, but it's barely noticeable because she's so good.

I think Janine and aunt Lydia have been well written.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by The Slim Reaper

I'd never watched an episode of the show until a couple of months back, but I've fully caught up now, and I agree about EM. I think her character has been shafted a bit by the writers since the last episode of season 2, but it's barely noticeable because she's so good.

I think Janine and aunt Lydia have been well written.

Yeah Aunt Lydia is a very interesting character as is Serena I think. The fact that they're such awful people but also you have moments where you kind of understand their thinking and almost *almost* feel sorry for them at times

[The Slim Reaper]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Yeah Aunt Lydia is a very interesting character as is Serena I think. The fact that they're such awful people but also you have moments where you kind of understand their thinking and almost *almost* feel sorry for them at times

Yeah, it's the occasional glimpse of humanity that makes her more believable.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by The Slim Reaper

Yeah, it's the occasional glimpse of humanity that makes her more believable.

That's what i like about the show in general, no one is just "good" or Bad" most are victims of circumstance and are varying shades of grey