Fall is here, and that includes some of our favorite television series.
It also means we have a plethora of great characters to choose from when it comes to who lands a spot on our Characters of the Week list.
From a charismatic baddie on High Potential to a powerful woman on Law & Order, and some of everything in between, here’s our list of standout characters.
Ellen – Outlander: Blood of My Blood
Ellen has been the backbone of Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 1, but her arc reached a terrifying point this week when she was forced to tell Brian there was no hope for them, and that she never loved him.
Obviously, she was pushed to this by her meddling brother, but given that it doesn’t seem like Colum is holding up his end of their deal, it’s a real shame.
Ellen has fought so much adversity and is slowly losing herself, and Harriet Slater has brought every part of this wonderful character to life.
With the season finale around the corner, Ellen will probably find more heartache, but her resilience is her greatest strength, and she will somehow prevail.
Matthew Clark AKA “The Game Maker” – High Potential
Every crime-fighting show has to have at least one compelling villain, and for High Potential, it’s no question that the Game Maker fits the bill.
Maybe it was the easy charm of David Giuntoli or the fact that the Game Maker was giving Morgan a run for her money, but their cat-and-mouse game was so intriguing, and the second they came face-to-face for real, it was practically explosive.
His easy taunting at the police station gave the impression that he was far too slippery for them to ever truly catch. And the unusual way he connected with Morgan almost felt like something was tethering them beyond his deceptively straightforward backstory.
The Game Maker had a way of being utterly terrifying and oddly sympathetic at once, which made him so great to watch. In hindsight, it sucks that he’s going to be away for a while. Morgan was ready to “swerve,” but as a viewer, we weren’t!
Sam Maroun – Law & Order
There aren’t enough words to express how excited I was that the Law & Order Season 25 premiere picked up with Carter Mills’ murder, and everyone suspecting Sam.
Odelya Halevi showcased some of her best work as Sam portrayed a range of emotions, from feeling betrayed as the cops searched her place, to breaking down and admitting to Nolan she threw away her gun before she could hurt Carter.
Sam was so raw and honest in those scenes. She wanted that jerk to pay for killing her sister, but she stopped.
While Sam should not have prosecuted Carter’s girlfriend since she had too much empathy, I’m glad she did.
She taught Nolan compassion, and they didn’t always have to prosecute to the fullest.
Jeremiah Fisher- The Summer I Turned Pretty
Sure, summer is over, and so is the series, but we all know that people still aren’t finished with dissecting this show!
We can toss him into the fray here because he was more like the character of the season. Sure, the final season ultimately confirmed that it was about Belly and Conrad’s love story.
But if it comes down to tipping our hats to the character who walked away with the strongest character arc and development (though the bar was in hell), not just from the season, but from the series, then onscreen, Jeremiah Fisher is taking it.
No, he didn’t get the girl in the end, but it was still rewarding to see him walk away with some direction, a passion for cooking, freedom from his father’s judgment, and a desire to make him proud, along with a close-knit group of friends who are good for him.
It was the summer Jeremiah Fisher found himself and thrived, despite everything, and the best part is that the series didn’t take it back. Well, yet, anyway. Let’s just hope they don’t undermine everything they did to progress this character in this movie.
Tracy Quartermaine – General Hospital
I’m relatively new to this soap, so I didn’t have the same connection with the late Monica Quartermaine as long-time viewers did. Nevertheless, Tracy’s spiral into grief got me crying.
Her performance on Wednesday, when she declared that she had buried enough people and that it wouldn’t make any difference to the deceased if she attended the funeral or not, was especially moving.
Jane Elliot is, of course, one of daytime’s best actresses, and I remember her as Days of Our Lives’ Angelica Deveraux over 3 decades later.
Still, soaps don’t always give their most senior actors meaty enough material, and it was as refreshing as it was logical for Tracy to carry the pain of Monica’s death this way.
Jake Heller – Doc
It’s a tough call when it comes to Doc because all the characters are so great, and Amy Larsen kills it every single episode.
But one of the most interesting aspects of the season premiere was how Jake gave himself the space to be hurt and upset without necessarily punishing Amy for it.
Amy hurt him, and even knowing the truth about the closure she sought with Michael didn’t change the primary issue for him regarding his insecurity about being a rebound or simply not being the person she turns to first.
It’s probably the first time since Amy’s accident that they had to address some of the issues of what her memory loss means for their relationship.
However, Jake made it abundantly clear that there is nothing he won’t do for the woman he loves (he may face some repercussions for the heart situation, along with Michael). He made it known that he’s very much aware of who Amy is and her heart and intentions.
It was a strong episode for Jake; he also had a very moving scene with the family of an organ donor. And it feels like we’ve only just scratched the surface of exploration for his character this season.
Emma Meyer– Gen V
Gen V is full of alluring characters, but Emma has proven time and again to be the scene stealer.
Since the first season, she has had one of the best backgrounds, and Lizzie Broadway’s portrayal of the character makes her a joy to watch.
It’s easy to dismiss her as a comedic character, something she excels at, but she is the glue that holds the show together. She is always spearheading missions to uncover the truth and makes huge sacrifices in the process.
If I shrank and found myself inside the toilet of my evil dean, that’s the last everyone is hearing of me. Emma shines in Gen V because she brings levity to an otherwise dark show.
Gen V Season 2 Episode 4 is Emma at her prime, and the show is better for it. Fingers crossed that she masters getting big. No one is stopping her!
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