New posts

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ome" data-source="post: 259889" data-attributes="member: 2"><h2>35. Taylor Mason (Billions)</h2>[ATTACH=full]25538[/ATTACH]Played by Asia Kate DillonYou might argue that the wildcard Wags, shark-eyed Bobby Axelrod, or either Wendy or Chuck Rhodes are the best characters of this show, but that would be ignoring an essential truth: Billions didn't get into its full fighting form until the wunderkind Taylor Mason came around to shake things up at the poker table at the beginning of Season 2. As the first-ever nonbinary character in a major role on television, Taylor wasn't just an important inclusion for LGBTQ+ representation, they've become the fulcrum of the Axe-Chuck pendulum and the grounding moral compass the two men try to pull into their favor. But Taylor is a bonafide genius, and while they might have fallen into Axe's elaborate trap before, they don't make the same mistake twice. As Billions has progressed, Taylor has figured out how to step out of the line of fire and exploit what they can from Bobby and Chuck's seemingly inevitable crash-and-burn, perhaps making them the savviest mind in the biz. -- LB<h2>34. Meredith Grey (Grey's Anatomy)</h2>[ATTACH=full]25539[/ATTACH]Played by Ellen PompeoMeredith Grey belongs on this list partly thanks to mere longevity. Ellen Pompeo has been the constant force behind Shonda Rhimes' series for 15 years now. She's gone from the ambitious but messy resident having an affair with her boss to the elder stateswoman of Seattle Grace Hospital. By now, Grey's Anatomy has survived through countless incarnations and any number of truly insane plotlines, but when all else fails, you know you can turn to Meredith for a sense of consistency. And, hey, when Taylor Swift names a cat after you, you know you've made it. -- EZ<h2>33. Sydney Bristow (Alias)</h2>[ATTACH=full]25540[/ATTACH]Played by Jennifer GarnerPunching, kicking, shooting, and espionage-ing her way through the criminal underworld, Alias's savvy double agent Sydney Bristow covertly infiltrated her way onto our television screens in 2001, right at the peak of a blooming interest in globetrotting spies with cool little gadgets and secret identities. Sydney is beautiful, smart, and deadly, like a female Ethan Hunt with a mean streak and significantly cooler hair. Her many colorful wigs she wore to disguise herself on various jobs became so iconic they nearly deserve a place of their own on this list. The character would be fun enough just as a high-kicking leather-clad covert operative, but Jennifer Garner imbued Sydney with a depth and fragility not usually afforded to action heroines with lots of guns and eyeliner. She weeps for lost loved ones, allows herself to get candid with the few real friends she makes, and fixes her steely glare on the agents of international organized crime syndicate SD-6, whom she pretends to work for while informing on their actions to the real CIA, standing on the edge of a knife, forever balanced between trust and betrayal. -- ES<h2>32. Lorelai Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)</h2>[ATTACH=full]25541[/ATTACH]Played by Lauren GrahamIt's Lorelai Gilmore's unconventional life story that gives Gilmore Girls its hook. She's a daughter of a Daughter of the American Revolution who ran away from her ritzy upbringing once she got pregnant in high school to raise her daughter on her own in a cutesy Connecticut town with the almost ridiculous name of Stars Hollow. Watching Amy Sherman-Palladino's series, it's hard not to dream of being in the little club Lorelai and Rory have made for themselves, joining in on the reference-laden secret language they've crafted or stuffing their faces with coffee and junk food. Lorelai could seem so fun to be around that it's often a shock when you realize just how frustrating Sherman-Palladino wrote her to be. Lorelai is stubborn to a fault, which is never more evident than in her interactions with her stuck-up mother Emily. Those two are more alike than either would want you to believe, both prone to digging their heels in when challenged in any way. The thing is: For as fun as she is, Lorelai can also be an asshole, which is why she's so fascinating to watch. -- SB<h2>31. Nick Miller (New Girl)</h2>[ATTACH=full]25542[/ATTACH]Played by Jake JohnsonNew Girl was sold as a series about an "adorkable" girl played by Zooey Deschanel, but it was actually more about the men she lives with and their inability to deal with emotions. That sounds like sort of a bad thing, but New Girl's focus on the male psyche is what made it sing. Chief among those men-children is Nick Miller, played by Jake Johnson. Johnson gives easily one of the savviest sitcom performances in recent memory, somehow swinging from smoldering love interest to pitiable alcoholic in each half hour. He's one of the most believable drunks on screen, turning moments like the time Nick tries to eat a grape while extremely wasted a masterpiece of physical comedy. Nick's life is an absolute mess: He's a bartender with lingering daddy issues and a paltry bank account who doesn't know that you have to wash a towel. ("Towel washes me.")  Still, it makes sense that there's a cultish affection for the dude: Nick is alternately charming and relatable in his slovenliness, but then turns on the sex appeal when wooing Deschanel's Jess Day. Their first kiss is so deeply felt, it makes viewers weak in the knees. -- EZ</blockquote>

Verification: What month follows July?