22 Most Underrated TV Characters of 2018

There are far too many characters in a television year that deserve showcasing to keep track of them all. So, sadly, among all the fandoms and the shows, a lot of wonderful characters don’t get the spotlight they deserve.

Maybe a show’s lead characters were fantastic but we know they would be nothing without a good supporting cast. Or maybe the show never truly got a large following which means its leads never got the attention they deserved. 

We’re shining a spotlight on a few TV characters from 2018 who were absolutely wonderful but may not have gotten as much attention or fandom love that they should have.

Without further ado, here are 22 of the most underrated TV characters of 2018. (Tread carefully, you may find spoilers on this list!)

1. Charlotte Richards (Lucifer)

We all love Lucifer’s title character but the real MVP of Season 3 was definitely Charlotte Richards.

Tricia Helfer brought so much pain and joy to the character you couldn’t help but root for her. Her path to redemption was extremely relatable, as was her fear of going back to hell.

Her friendship with Ella was endearing, especially her standing up for the forensic scientist when she got put down by Pierce. Who can forget when Charlotte told him that if she wasn’t on a path of righteousness she would crush him like a cockroach, and we believed she would. 

We saw her worrying about her kids, going to therapy with Linda, and falling in love with Dan. She became a true part of the Lucifer family. Then she sacrificed herself for Amenadiel and broke all our hearts — especially Dan’s.

Our beautiful defense attorney and her unique way of looking at life will always be missed.

2. Dan Espinoza (Lucifer)

Dan Espinoza has been a part of Lucifer from the very beginning and has grown to be one of the best characters on the show.

When we were first introduced to him he seemed to be the stereotypical ex — a dirty cop who was going to get between Lucifer and Chloe.

He turned out to be a man who struggles with doing the right thing, loves his family, and has a really good heart. Once his relationship had fallen apart he actually moved on and learned to cope with it in a hilarious way — through improv.

Dan truly shines in Season 3 through his friendship with Lucifer and Chloe, his relationship with Charlotte, and his struggle to become a better version of himself.

3. Stone Siblings (Manifest)

The Stone siblings came to us in late 2018 but that doesn’t make them any less important. Ben and Michaela Stone, portrayed wonderfully by Josh Dallas and Melissa Roxburgh, are the leading roles of the new NBC series Manifest.

As passengers of the mysterious Montego Air flight 828, Ben and Michaela Stone came home to a whole new world. Ben’s daughter had grown up and his wife had fallen in love with another man, Michaela’s fiancee married her best friend, and to top it all off they hear voices in their heads.

Both of the siblings were wonderful as they approached these so-called “callings” in wildly opposite ways. Michaela wanted to believe their callings were a religious connotation while Ben was a man of science and numbers. They did have one thing in common, however, they both wanted to protect their loved ones and unravel the mystery.

Manifest is just starting but I bet Ben and Michaela have a lot more to offer.

4. Eleanor Henstridge (The Royals)

Eleanor Henstridge started out as the typical party princess. That was, in fact, her role for a good part of Season One of The Royals. All we saw was a troubled young woman who didn’t trust anyone, had a terrible relationship with her mother, almost no relationship with her twin brother, and had just lost her older brother.

She coped the only way she could — with a lot of drugs and alcohol.

As the series went on we saw beyond the layers. We saw all the pain she was in, we saw her trust issues and her guilt at failing to live up to her father’s view of her. Season 2 brought her character to new heights. We saw her and Liam’s twin bond grow closer to the point where they could truly rely on each other.

We saw how she blossomed in her relationship with James Hill, as he was finally someone who didn’t let her down. We saw her relationship with her mother improve. And of course, we got confirmation that Princess Eleanor Henstridge was a bisexual princess.

But it wasn’t until Season 3 and more importantly Season 4 that we saw her truly come into her own. She became a leader and a beacon of hope in a time when hope was needed. We saw her try to help the less fortunate in a robin hood-esque way, standing up for what she believed in even if it meant going against those she loved.

The show might have been canceled but at least we can be happy with the fact that at least Eleanor ended it on a good note. She was beloved by the people, had a good relationship with her mother and twin, and she was in a loving relationship. No matter what challenges came her way, Len could deal with them all.

5. Jasper Frost (The Royals)

Just like his better half, Jasper had quite the journey from his first appearance to his last. After all, not everyone starts out as a blackmailing con-man and ends up a heroic and respected ally to the royal family.

Jasper’s development was quite wonderful but he was still underrated. It’s normal for people to have written off a character at first glance because he starts off kind of awful. Whenever recommending this wonderful show to people I would always preface it with, you’re going to hate Jasper at first — because well, he kind of deserves it.

However, he is the type of character that sneaks up on you and by Season 3 you’re like, “that’s my screwed up son”. And boy did he screw up a lot. It’s understandable considering his background because just like Len he had a lot of trust issues. But once he had committed to something he didn’t back down.

From the end of Season 1 forward his loyalties were cemented (particularly to Eleanor and Liam). His redemption arc was beautiful as he proved to be a wonderful ally by uncovering killers and regaining trust. Jasper had some missteps but most of the time it was because he was trying to protect those he loved and he learned from his mistakes.

In a television world where bad boys stay “bad boys”, it’s good to see characters that actually move forward and become better versions of themselves. It was wonderful to see him become the hero we all knew he could be.

6. Rodrigo de Souza (Mozart in the Jungle)

Rodrigo de Souza will forever be a favorite character of mine. He was the lead of the criminally under-appreciated Mozart in the Jungle. Rodrigo de Souza was a fantastic character all around, which is a credit to the writing and of course to Gael Garcia Bernal’s portrayal.

He was a famous composer who didn’t really do things by the book. He was phenomenally talented, he had conversations with dead composers, and he put his entire heart and soul into everything he did.

This is the kind of character we don’t see very often and that we probably won’t see again for a while. Not to mention Rodrigo was a Mexican character who didn’t fall prey to stereotypical traits such as a shady past or ties to drug dealers.

For Mexican viewers, you have no idea how much of a relief that is to see. Rodrigo is 100% authentic Mexican and this is probably due to Garcia Bernal wonderful portrayal of the character’s cultural background. Most of the time Mexican characters on television don’t have the nuances of the culture. Rodrigo spoke in Spanish, he inserted bits of culture to his every day, and it was just a natural part of him.

Rodrigo was his wild self, whether he was conducting the youth orchestra, believing in Jai-Lai (Hailey), talking to Mozart, or just telling people to “play with the blood”. It’s a pity we won’t get to see more of where he and the orchestra go but at least we can always go back and watch the four seasons we did get.   

7. Dr. Cassandra Railly (12 Monkeys)

Watching Dr. Cassie Railly this year was, to put it mildly, a rollercoaster of emotions — but one with the best payoff. From the very beginning of Syfy’s time travel drama, she was established as the moral backbone of the team; the doctor who only wants to fight to save as many lives as she can.

She’s the sort of character you just know from experience that you really shouldn’t fall in love with since the morally good ones are always going to be put through the wringer again and again and it’s only going to be painful for you in the end. Yet you just can’t help yourself here — due in no small part to the brilliance of Amanda Schull.

Schull’s acting range simply cannot be overstated. Cassie was compassionate, resourceful, and unapologetic. But she could also be fun and sweet, which is so rare in a show with such a dark premise. She had been devastated in vastly different ways every season, and Schull had brought a distinct quality to each situation to make our hearts ache for her in new ways every time.

Season 4 is no different. Whereas previous seasons have seen her carry heartbreak in a manner that propels her forward, driving her ‘mission,’ this season she was much more noticeably weighed down by an ancient sort of sadness, exhausted by the nonstop heartbreak and the seeming inevitability of losing all she loves.

She still fought, but she struggled to see why. It was the most stunningly human response, and culminates in a finale with some of the most powerful and emotional scenes you will see — and, without spoiling, an extremely satisfying and rewarding end to her arc.

Dr. Cassie Railly has been an absolute highlight and will be sorely missed on our screens in 2019.

8. James Cole (12 Monkeys)

In an era where male sci-fi heroes still err towards the overtly gruff and super masculine stereotypes (pushing loved ones away, keeping them at arm’s length, and making all the decisions “for their own good” — you know the type), 12 Monkeys’ James Cole has been a breath of fresh air.

While he lost his family at quite a young age, it doesn’t direct him onto some mad path of vengeance. It just means we get to experience him finding a new family for himself. James is still a tough guy, but he’s also a man who values his loved ones above all else.

He is kind, and that kindness is beautiful to witness. It’s a huge part of what makes his relationship with Cassie the beating heart of the show — and not just their romantic relationship but their partnership which is imbued with deep respect and trust, making them a delight to watch and cheer on in their mission.

She taught him how to open his heart again and the results have been so rewarding. This year, we watched as Cole grappled with something deeply personal to him that he has long held close to his heart, protecting it from potential time-traveling distortion — the identity (and motivations) of his long-absent mother.

Watching him balance this deep vulnerability of his with the need to keep his new family safe, and to make sure that there’s a world in which they can live at the end of all this, felt like the perfect culmination of the show’s message, and prompted many a tear to fall. We could all do with more sci-fi heroes like James Cole.

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