21 Most Underrated TV Characters of 2017

7. Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti (iZombie)

Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti is easy to dismiss as just a joker. His zest for Dungeons and Dragons, coupled with his gamer affinity mask Ravi’s depth of character on iZombie.

Ravi is a gentle and hilarious friend to Liv. He never doubts her or forces her to explain her often strange behavior. Rather, he does the best thing possible, he gets in the boat with her for the wild rides.

Ravi is a gorgeous South Asian male lead and that alone should make us turn our heads his way. But, we have some much more to capture our attention.

Rahul Kohli’s devious smile and effortless charm woo us to Dr. Chakrabarti, and his ability to seamlessly transition from silly to serious make us want to commit.

Liv and Ravi make a compelling team on iZombie. A male lead who understands true partnership, especially when there isn’t romance involved, is a character worth extra visibility.

That’s not to say that a Ravi and Liv ship would not be welcomed.

I for one would be beyond thrilled to see these two doctors take their connection to another level. But even if kissing is never in the cards for Ravi and Liv, their friendship and quest for healing their community is a story worth watching.

8. Rufus Carlin (Timeless)

Rufus Carlin is a time traveling genius who is the moral anchor for the Timeless trio. Lucy and Wyatt, the other two pieces of the trifecta, have a sexy romance blooming between them, so it is easy to underestimate Rufus.

However easy it may be to overlook him, Rufus should be recognized for his complex journey and contribution to the #TimeTeam.

His struggle to deal with ending another person’s life is a compelling arc that endears us to the tender and courageous heart of Rufus Carlin. The Lone Ranger advises Rufus to live his story and to seek out justice.

For Rufus, every episode leads him closer to defining what justice looks like for his secret agent, time-traveling reality.

There is good reason that Rufus and Malcolm Barrett, the extremely talented actor who plays him, has been deemed a #HeroInAHoodie. He inspires us to ask the tough questions, make the big moves, and travel wherever life is asking you to go.

We can’t wait to see where Timeless Season 2 takes Rufus.

9. Captain Ray Holt (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

Captain Ray Holt is the boss at the 99 precinct. He often holds himself at arm’s length from his team, at least in his affect.

Over the course of Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 5, Captain Holt opens up and becomes vulnerable to his detective family. He comes to a deal with a criminal to get Rosa and Jake out of jail, and he comes clean about his gambling addiction.

Captain Holt’s layers are shedding, and the fact that the only things that changes is his ability to give sound and appropriate advice is a testament to the incredible characterization of the Brooklyn Nine-Nine creators.

Captain Holt is a Black, gay, extremely rigid detective. Under the crafting of Andre Braugher, Captain Holt becomes a principled, competitive and sensitive officer who is difficult to label and easy to enjoy.

10. The Android (Dark Matter)

The Android from the now cancelled Dark Matter brought an amazing level of humor and strength to this science fiction show. The character was complex, misunderstood, and we never got to fully understand her backstory and future purpose that we got to see flashes of.

Zoie Palmer was ridiculously perfect with the subtle takeaways and hilarious complex scenes she was often tasked with.

Android has a unique story line as she gets a hold of hardware that allows her to, for all intents and purposes, seem human.

Palmer was outstanding in as she kicked ass, spoke in multiple languages, and made us all fall in love with what makes life great — the people in it. Android was loyal to her crew, and they were just as loyal back.

Though, we may never find out some of the answers we were looking for when it comes to Android, we will always have Zoie Palmer in our lives.

11. Lena Luthor (Supergirl)

Honestly, Lena Luthor is life goals.

This girl owns multiple companies and runs them like a boss, all while making a name for herself outside the dark shadow of her family. She’s also wicked smart and a great friend to have in good times and in bad.

We’ve loved watching her relationship with Kara evolve as they’ve become best friends over the last two seasons, and we’re also enjoying her budding romance with James this year.

Lena has had every opportunity to become a villain, but her warm heart and kind spirit win out every time, and they’ve made her a character we love with all our hearts.

12. Dylan DiMeo (Speechless)

The youngest of the DiMeo kids is definitely not the baby of the family. Her character is bold, independent, and so delightfully sarcastic.

There is a lot going on in the chaotic household, but Dylan holds her own and then some. Whether she’s tormenting Ray or besting a poor sap in some competition, Dylan is a funny, real, and well-developed character.

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