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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ome" data-source="post: 259871" data-attributes="member: 2"><h2>70. April Ludgate (Parks and Recreation)</h2>[ATTACH=full]25503[/ATTACH]Played by Aubrey PlazaThere were a lot of characters that kept Pawnee, Indiana under control, but few thrived beyond their schtick quite like moody intern-turned-inspired team member April Ludgate. Both the poster child for college kids who'd rather be on their phone than interact with anybody else and an unlikely source of youthful frivolity, April poked fun at the stereotype while showing that her figure-it-out-later lifestyle of frisbees for dinner plates and adopting three-legged dogs could be plain fun. She may have exhibited a clear lack of work ethic, but everything she did was rooted in an odd form of care, especially if that meant refusing to take phone calls or schedule meetings for the ornery Ron Swanson. Love it or hate it, April's very unenthusiastic, weird girl personality basically catalyzed Aubrey Plaza's own sense of deadpan humor and quirkiness -- and in the sitcom it worked well. Her widow-with-a-secret-alter-ego Janet Snakehole would probably murder you if you disagreed. -- SB<h2>69. Wayne (Letterkenny)</h2>[ATTACH=full]25504[/ATTACH]Played by Jared KeesoOne only has to watch a few minutes of any Letterkenny episode (though we recommend the very first, masterful cold open) to get a handle on exactly what you're in for with the Canadian import's main character. Armed with a permanent nonplussed squint, an intimidating physique, and the kind of razor sharp, bullet-quick comic intellect one never expects from a dude in bootcut jeans and plaid from "hick" country, Wayne is an instantly lovable protagonist, even though his exploits and plans to jazz up life in his small Ontario town are, more often than not, doomed to fail. Through affable Wayne and his friends, Letterkenny, which was developed by both Keeso and Jacob Tierney, deftly and hilariously interrogates everyday stereotypes about masculinity, gender representation, racism, and whether or not one could have sexual relations with an ostrich (allegedly). -- ES<h2>68. Michael Burnham (Star Trek: Discovery)</h2>[ATTACH=full]25505[/ATTACH]Played by Sonequa Martin-GreenSpock, from the first iteration of Star Trek, was a Vulcan slowly discovering his human side. In its latest, Michael Burnham is a human raised by Vulcans, constantly at war with her emotional nature, forced to balance the analytical ways she's been taught to live with the pure instinct that's part of her biology. Every Star Trek show pits reason against emotion; Michael is a fusion of both, leading the crew of Discovery via her unique way of experiencing the universe. Sonequa Martin-Green is instantly compelling, her at first robotic portrayal of Michael giving way to a softer, kinder, stronger side as the show treads the cosmos with steadily more confidence -- especially in her friendships with her fellow officers, in particular with the timid yet imposing Kelpien Saru. In Michael, Star Trek: Discovery is able to deftly examine its own mythology, as time and again Michael herself proves that only a balance between logic and feeling has the power to save a universe. -- ES<h2>67. Richard Harrow (Boardwalk Empire)</h2>[ATTACH=full]25506[/ATTACH]Played by Jack HustonBoardwalk Empire was not an easy show to love. In its first season, it seemed like an old-timey rip-off of The Sopranos focused on a tiresome anti-hero, Steve Buscemi's Nucky Thompson, who just came off as a facsimile of other more successful heavies in TV history. But near the end of that initial run, Richard Harrow came along. Harrow is a deliberately odd character. He's a traumatized WWI veteran working as a hitman, who wears a Phantom of the Opera-esque mask across half his face to cover his injuries. Jack Huston made Harrow deeply sympathetic and scary at the same time -- not because of his looks but because of his mercilessness. In a series that often seemed like it was playing out the greatest hits of other, better works, Harrow was totally unique. -- EZ<h2>66. Seth Cohen (The O.C.)</h2>[ATTACH=full]25507[/ATTACH]Played by Adam BrodyIs Seth Cohen the best character on The O.C. in terms of being the best person on the show? No, Seth sucks. Ryan Atwood is the sweetest boy to ever live, Summer Roberts is a genius, Julie Cooper is a legend, and Sandy Cohen is a mensch. These are all things you realize watching The O.C. as an adult and not a googly eyed teenager. From the very beginning, Seth uses his underdog status as a weapon, pitting two girls against one another for his affections. Seth makes everything about himself even when his friends are going through some real issues. So is Seth Cohen annoying? Yes. Is Seth Cohen also inherently watchable and worthy of all our girlhood obsessions? Also yes. While other characters on this list inspired other TV characters, Seth Cohen inspired an entire brand of human being (or maybe validated the existence of a brand of human being). Nerdy indie boys who loved Michael Chabon and Death Cab for Cutie were suddenly the objects of lust. Is Seth Cohen and his comic book obsession directly responsible for the rise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Honestly, I'd argue yes. But Seth also helped ground the series. As Ryan brooded, Seth was just being a normal, shitty teenager.  -- EZ</blockquote>

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