Samuel Brace on the best TV characters of 2018…
Continuing our countdown to 2018’s end, and following on from last week’s roundup of ‘The best TV moments of 2018’, today we are going to dive into the best characters that have populated the small screen this calendar year, highlighting a selection of vibrant, complex characters that have delighted, shocked, amused, and surprised us like no other. There exist a true plethora of great characters to choose from when looking back on the year’s television highlights but the below figures demand just that little bit extra attention. So, with no further ado, here are the best TV characters of 2018.
Dr. James K. Mantleray – Maniac
Where on earth do we start with James K. Mantleray, the whacky and disturbing mad scientist from Netflix’s Maniac, and portrayed so memorably by the stupendously good Justin Theroux? Well, for one, this guy has been the most hilarious thing on TV in 2018, providing a surprising amount of laugh out loud moments in a show steeped in misery. James’ disturbing relationship with his mother, his colleague Azumi, and, of course, GRTA – the three women in his life – provided one hilarious moment after another. James is easily the most eccentric person on this list and a character we won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
Rip Wheeler – Yellowstone
Yellowstone is replete with fascinating characters all vying for our attention. Rip Wheeler (played by Cole Hauser), the confounding foreman, is, however, the character we must include on this list. We see Rip in a different light with every relationship he has formed: his devotion to John Dutton (who treats him like the son he always wanted), his love-hate relationship with Beth, and his big brother role to Jimmy, which is simultaneously cruel and protective. Rip is a complex man and while he isn’t a good guy, so to speak, in a world as grey as Yellowstone, he ends up being the type of man it requires but one that it will never admit it wants.
Matt Murdock – Daredevil
Matthew Murdock (Charlie Cox) has never been more intricately painted than in Daredevil season three. Matt is unique for many reasons but it was his tussle with God and the battle over his soul with Fisk in 2018 that really set him apart. There are not many devout Catholic heroes on our screens and few shows treat faith and God with the same respect that Daredevil does through the gaze of its protagonist. Matt doesn’t just dismiss God in his darkest moments, he wrestles with Him, until he can be reconciled with his Lord once more, fortified to do battle – not to flatter Fisk too much – with Satan himself.
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