22 Most Underrated TV Characters of 2018
22 Most Underrated TV Characters of 2018 (continued):
17. Toni Topaz (Riverdale)
Toni Topaz turned up on Riverdale Season 2 and has been stealing every scene she has been in ever since. She’s a spitfire from the Southside Serpents and she doesn’t care what you think about her. Toni speaks her mind and gets right to the heart of whatever is going on around her.
She loves her girlfriend, Cheryl, and goes above and beyond to make her feel safe and happy. Toni is a super sleuth as quick-witted as Betty, an expert photographer to boot, with a strong passion for social justice and the determination to fight for the people that she loves.
She may not be one of the core four, but Toni is easily one of the best characters on Riverdale, and like Cheryl, we can’t get enough of her.
18. Susie (Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina)
Susie Putnam’s story doesn’t quite come to the surface during the first ten episodes of the Chilling Adventure of Sabrina. Susie is Sabrina’s friend and is often bullied by football players at Greendale High, but her bravery is starting to emerge a little more with the W.I.C.C.A. behind her.
In many ways, it feels like Susie’s story is just beginning.
After Ms. Wardwell gave the class an assignment to dig into their own family histories, Susie found the journal of her ancestor Dorothea Putnam. An ancestor that dressed like a man and who had the courage to save and protect women no one else would help.
Towards the end of the first ten episodes, Susie starts speaking to an apparition of Dorothea who encourages her to have the courage to take risks. It feels like this plot point is still unfurling, but if it continues to branch out when the series returns in April, Susie could be a character to watch out for.
19. Yasmin Khan (Doctor Who)
Doctor Who Season 11 breaks a lot of rules, including giving the Doctor three companions. While Ryan and Graham could play off of each other, Yasmin seems like a floater who at times connects to the story and at other times does not.
Yet, that unattachment also gives her more leeway to engage with the alien worlds they visit, and reason to return to Earth on occasion. She’s the one who often asks questions and who isn’t afraid to drink in what she’s seeing.
And yes, sometimes the explanation for what’s going on is a little out there but she embraces it and tries to help solve the problem to the best of her ability.
While it doesn’t feel like she’s grown into her full potential yet, it’s starting to feel more and more like she’s fulfilling the companion role viewers are used to seeing. She could continue to branch out and be a very formidable character in the seasons to come.
20. Kelsey Peters (Younger)
Kelsey Peters is part of the heart and soul of Younger, and yet she’s easily one of the most underrated characters on the show.
Kelsey is accomplished, capable, and so delightfully ambitious. She has been running her own imprint at Empirical Press for a few seasons and in 2018 we watched her rise to the top of the entire company and get promoted to publisher.
Liza’s romantic life is often the focus of Younger, but really it’s her relationship with Kelsey that keeps everything anchored. Kelsey has become Liza’s best friend and she knows all of her secrets. They make an excellent team both in and out of the office.
Kelsey is well on her way to running the world by the time she’s thirty but she never forgets the people who helped her get there.
21. Kim Wexler (Better Call Saul)
Better Call Saul Season 4 wasn’t just a significant season for Jimmy McGill. It was a season that allowed Kim Wexler, portrayed by Rhea Seehorn, to shine as she established a new path for her career while simultaneously focusing on saving Jimmy.
Loyal, smart, and driven, we want so badly to see her succeed — she deserves it.
But it’s almost just as satisfying to see her agree to complex schemes to help her boyfriend. That’s one scenario that lets us see how Seehorn’s Kim is capable of showing a range of conflicting emotions with a single glance.
22. Louis Litt (Suits)
The most recent season of Suits has given a lot of focus to Louis Litt (Rick Hoffman), from focusing on his relationship with Sheila and their efforts to have a baby to his insecurities at the firm.
Amidst that, he’s mugged, which both plays on those securities and allows us to see how another of his relationships has grown — his friendship with Harvey.
Louis is dealing with several life changes at once, one of which is that he’s going to be the next managing partner. All of this has given a chance for Rick Hoffman to showcase his talents in powerful ways and to let us see just how much his character has evolved since the beginning of the series.
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So that’s our list! Do you agree with our picks? Anyone you think we missed? Sound off in the comments below!
Additional contributions by Mary Misasi, Samantha Coley, Hillary Esquina, Lauren Busser, Sarah Fields, and Ashley Bissette Sumerel.
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Maii Trueba de Buen
Maii is a 28-year-old writer who can be slightly invested in characters and their stories. She tries to give credit where credit is due but isn’t afraid to be honest in her writing. It's probably best not to ask about Lucifer or A Song of Ice and Fire, because you'll never hear the end of it. She graduated in film and has a certificate/minor in Art History. She brings that into her writing because, well, she’s a nerd. The only thing that beats her love of writing is her love of Pandas.