Certain shows’ protagonists are not always the most honest, upstanding “heroes” that the good-guy-always-wins Hollywood has trained us to expect them to be. Some shows feature down right criminals and monsters and somehow build a story around them that causes the viewer to sympathize with, and even root for, the antihero.
Not all of these shows hit the mark, but the ones that do really explore the intricacies of circumstance, free will, and human emotion.
Last week, you voted Tommy Shelby from Peaky Blinders as your favorite by a wide margin. This week, we've got Round 2:
Olivia Pope
Scandal – ABC
Partially based on former George H.W. Bush administration press aide, Judy Smith (who also serves as the show’s co-executive producer), Scandal stars Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope—a former White House Communications Director for the President, who now runs her own crisis management firm.
See also: The Five Best (and Worst) Things About Scandal
Jackson “Jax” Teller
Sons of Anarchy – FX Networks
An American crime-drama series on FX Networks, Sons of Anarchy stars Charlie Hunnam as Jackson “Jax” Teller and centers on an outlaw motorcycle gang that runs guns through the western United States. Initially the vice president of SAMCRO, Jax struggles with the direction of the club and the legacy of his father, the original founder.
Hannibal Lecter
Hannibal – NBC
Hannibal is a psychological thriller/horror series whose characters are based on the Thomas Harris novel Red Dragon. The show features Mads Mikkelsen as the cannibalistic serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter, who is recruited by the FBI, and psychologically manipulates the fragility of his partner’s mind in order to attempt to turn him into a killer himself.
See also: Hannibal 3.13: “The Wrath of the Lamb” is Ended
Frank Underwood
House of Cards – Netflix
Based on the novel by Michael Dobbs and adapted from the BBC miniseries of the same name, House of Cards stars Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood—a Democrat from South Carolina that develops a ruthless and intricate plan to further his political career. Frank’s eyes are on the presidency and he’ll do anything it takes to call the oval office his.
Don Draper
Mad Men – AMC
Set in the 1960s in New York City, Mad Men stars Jon Hamm as Don Draper—a dapper, chain-smoking, hard-drinking man with a shady past that finds success in advertising. Lies, power, greed, and excess, Don Draper is essentially living a fantasy life that he created.
See also: Mad Men’s Season 6: What Happened and Why You Should be Watching
Vote below:
Gotta go with Hannibal Lecter.