My Favorite TV Characters of 2010, Part 4

10. John Locke (Terry O’Quinn), Lost - ABC

John Locke is another character that was dead for the entire season this year, but reliving his journey as a wheelchair-bound man lusting for life had greater impact after we had gotten to know him for four (or five?) seasons. When he landed at LAX after skipping his conference, only to be refused a walkabout because of his condition, then to have his luggage lost, and ultimately fired for missing the conference was heartbreaking. Then he gets to come home to the wonderful Katey Sagal, who loves him no matter what and rekindles hope within him, enough to follow the possibility that Jack might be able to make him whole again, only to be ready to pass on to the other side. Wonderful acting by Terry O'Quinn in a most unique role.

9. Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford), Friday Night Lights - NBC

This year Matt decided to follow his artistic dreams, which meant quite literally abandoning his longtime girlfriend and finding himself in Chicago. By the time he realized it wasn't all it was cracked up to be without her and went back to Texas to invite her along, she had moved on. While he was home, he got the news that his father was killed overseas, bringing up all the issues he had over his own abandonment, coupled with the pressure of seeing his father as a hero, contrary to his own personal experience.

8. Clarice Willow (Polly Walker), Caprica - SciFi

Clarice was the leader of a secret monotheistic sect, the Soldiers of the One, existing on Caprica. Constantly doing battle with the militaristic arm of the sect over the hearts and minds of the youth, her aim was to convert them with the power of words. But her focus changed once she was introduced to Zoe Graystone, from whom she learned about virtual reality and the possibility of transferring consciousness beyond life expectancy, without end. She called this The Apotheosis and saw it as a way of guaranteeing life after death with monotheism, giving people the ability to not only see Heaven, but to pick their own form when they're gone, essentially eliminating faith and replacing it with a timeshare sales pitch. A fascinating exploration of just how far religion can be sold as a commodity.

7. Britt Pollack (Michael Raymond James), Terriers - FX

Britt was the younger and lighter of the pair of unlicensed detectives at the center of Terriers. Even still, he was the burglar trying to make good, not only by allowing himself to be taken under the wing of an ex-cop in order to do right, but also by committing himself to his veterinarian-student girlfriend Katie. The trouble with trying to do good is that life is inherently contrary, and will throw bad at you no matter what you do. So even as his investigations lead him to break the law again, have his life threatened and get thrown in jail, he maintains his optimism. His rooftop proposal to Katie was the most romantic moment of the year, especially considering that we knew what Katie had done. The heartbreak was felt even deeper because we had been complicit in keeping Katie's secret, and when she told Britt, it was too much for him, and he pushed everything away. Even though the series ended with a question, we get the feeling that Britt maintains his optimism and will make the right choice for everyone.

6. Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant), Justified - FX

Raylan is the Elmore Leonard-based character at the center of Justified. A US Marshall with a clear moral code and enough violence inside him to back it up, he's gotten in more than a little trouble with those higher up. As punishment, he was assigned to Kentucky, from whence he came. The theme of the show is less "You can't go home again" than "Who would want to?" Raylan left behind an ex-wife and a life intimately connected with crime, including a father who always had a crooked angle and friends who now blow up churches with rocket launchers, primarily as distraction for bank jobs. His wife has a new man and his new woman shot her old man. Raylan gets intimately involved in stopping the drug trade as he puts his old friend in jail, a local sheriff turns out to be corrupt, and the drug dealer he shot in Miami has friends with long arms. The long, patient road to the violent finale made us wonder where he would draw the line to protect the two women he had brought into this world.

My Favorite TV Characters of 2010, Part 3

15. Eric Taylor/Tami Taylor (Kyle Chandler/Connie Britton), Friday Night Lights - NBC

The Taylors have been the West Wing of family and education for four seasons now, the kind of people that are too good to be true, but stand as realistic portrayals of the best possibilities nonetheless. Even as Eric is forced from his old job, he finds purpose in his new one, guiding players facing difficult situations on a daily basis. By the end of the season, Tami had gone through the same fate, following her charge of providing the best possible information for a young girl who had gotten pregnant. Together, as parents, they face the prospects of raising a teenage daughter and all the problems that entails, including heartbreak, sexual awakening, and the dawn of poor choices. It is no surprise that this couple has been under the guiding hand of Jason Katims, the same man that has brought us another realistic couple on Parenthood.

14. Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), 30 Rock - NBC

Alec Baldwin has long been a favorite, but his portrayal of the self-important stuffed shirt at NBC/KableTown continues to be the role of his career. Jack's ability to skewer what is wrong with right-wing jingoistic capitalism gone wild while remaining both lovable and vulnerable is a bit of a miracle. His love triangle with Julianne Moore and Elizabeth Banks has been a high point, as has his playing off his parents, Alan Alda and Elaine Strich.

13. Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson), Fringe - FOX

Fringe has been a show I've just sort of stuck with until 2010. That's when the big reveal came, that Peter is not of this world, but of an alternate Earth where everyone here exists, just a little bit different. This wasn't, of course, revealing to us, the viewers, as we've known for a while now, but when the actual moment came, and we saw Walter go over not only to save the other Peter, but to bring him back so that he didn't have to say goodbye, it was even better than we had imagined. And Peter's dilemma about where he belonged was complicated not only by his consideration of the natural order of things, but that he now had two fathers to follow, how Walter's actions affected his mother's state of mind, his growing feelings for Olivia, as well as falling in love with the wrong one, or was he just falling in love with the right one with the wrong body, and does it make a difference? Fringe this year has taken a huge step forward, and Peter is a large part.

12. Zoe Graystone (Alessandra Torresani), Caprica - SciFi

Zoe has been dead for much of the run of Caprica, but it's her "avatar," an amalgam of data, attitudes, interests and emotions that has the drive to keep on living. Zoe, a typically TV rebellious teen, a genius caught up in religious zealotry, is an unwitting victim in terrorist attack, but her extensive use and programming in a virtual reality has created an AI presence within the system that gets tranferred into an external hard-drive and married with a military robot prototype, essentially making her the first Cylon. Caught between un-dead human and re-born computer program, she still finds ways to manipulate those around her, have bouts of nostalgic human longing and kick some ass in the process.

11. Adam Braverman/Kristina Braverman (Peter Krause/Monica Potter), Parenthood - NBC

Adam and Kristina are the most realistic parenting couple on television, even if their situation is extraordinary. They have a normal (read: problematic) teenage daughter, as well as a pubescent son with Aspberger's Syndrome that doesn't yet know his diagnosis. But the most extraordinary thing about this couple is how real it feels. Despite the hyperbolic TV drama, every word that comes out of their mouths feels real, from the over-compensation to the daily scheduling difficulties to the need to have time not only alone, but to themselves. The conflict within and without, and the constant nature of it, all give viewers reassurance that not only is this normal, but there can be love, support and happiness interwoven with the vagaries of life.

My Favorite TV Characters of 2010, Part 1

My posts on my favorite TV of the decade last year proved popular, so I wanted to do something again this year. But I don't watch as many shows as some. And I don't have access to all the stations, and I can't bring myself to watch everything, especially as I have other interests. So instead of breaking it down by show, I thought it might be fun to break it down by character, the people that keep me coming back to the shows I do watch, over and over. Before we get started, let me say that I realize there are several things that go into creating a character, and I think my choices reflect all of them, whether it be the writing, the theme and direction of the show, or the performance of the actor. Or, in the best cases, all three.

Warning: Spoilers will be included.

25. Vince Howard/Luke Cafferty (Michael B. Jordan/Matt Lauria), Friday Night Lights - NBC
In Dillon, Texas, football is everything - a way of life, how you are judged, and the key to moving on. And in Friday Night Lights, it seems everything is geared toward the weekly game. So when the town is divided between two high schools, the affluent Dillon and the low-rent East Dillon, the players not only have to deal with their own team and its issues, but they have to contend with competition in their own town. And on this show, it's never that simple, as everyone brings their own baggage as well. Vince lives in "the projects" of Dillon and his mom is hooked on drugs. There is temptation personified in the form of his friends who have chosen crime, but Vince finds hope in football, and in Coach Taylor. Luke is a farm kid, practically stolen from Dillon, who knows what he wants, which is out. He's willing to give up just about anything to get it, including his own health. Add in an unwanted pregnancy, and you have two fine additions to an already excellent cast.

24. Joseph Adama (Esai Morales), Caprica - SciFi

I refuse to spell it the other way. In this show that was nothing like its predecessor, and likely never given a chance because of that fact, Morales shone as the father who lost a daughter, and the man caught between two worlds, the "dirt-eating" organized crime of Tauron, and the clean, straight future of Caprica. His grief transformed his life, leading him away from his son (who would eventually command Galactica) and into worlds both familiar (that of his brother's criminal ties) and unfamiliar (turning himself into a digital avatar to pursue his daughter's fate. I'll grant you that there may be some Godfather/ Blood In, Blood Out fondness for the character, but it was stilled executed well.

23. Tommy Gavin (Denis Leary), Rescue Me - FX

This show, one of my favorites, has seen better days. But Tommy is still one of the most watchable characters on TV. His path to redemption (or not?) is still fascinating, if a bit repetitive, and also echoes some of the classic noir characters of the post-war period in the way that they reacted to the aftermath. 9/11 was Tommy's World War 2, and he's still trying to come to terms with it. The final season next year is leading up to the 10th anniversary of that fateful event, and I will be on the edge of my seat, waiting to see how Tommy makes out.

22. Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder), The Vampire Diaries - CW

Caught between competing schoolgirl fantasies (that of the brooding, cold, emotionless vampires that the right woman can imbue with passion and that of the hot-blooded, impulsive werewolves that the right woman can tame and civilize), Damon is the vampire caught in the middle, a good fit for no woman, the outsider, the exception that, of course, not only proves the rule, but creates his own troubled persona that needs fixing by the right woman. But at least he's fun.

21. Dan Stark (Bradley Whitford), The Good Guys - FOX

His mustache might be a throwback to the 80s, but his attitude is all awesome. Dan Stark exemplifies the go-get-'em cops gumption of Hunter or Baretta, but pairs it with a self-reflexive nod to the absurd. Add to that a legion of hilarious quotes ("Partner blood. It's thicker than brother blood. It's like a meat sauce."; "That guy's not a metal worker. He's a ninja."; "Wait a minute. You mean I don't get to touch a woman? And I get some typing in? Two of my least favorite things."; "They say if you love something, you should set it free. Then hunt it down."), and you've got an extremely watchable character.