20 Best Characters from Limited TV Series in 2021
Limited series seems to be a popular move for TV these days. Everyone loves a clear-cut story designed with an ending in mind because it allows for a well-thought-out finish. However, there’s nothing to pull in the audience without likable characters.
This past year there have been a remarkable number of stories that brought about characters who struck many hearts. We’ve seen the stories about a disgruntled detective who has to overcome the painful reality of life, a woman fighting for her life to escape abuse, and a beloved superhero finding the light inside of himself again.
In no particular order, here are the 20 Best Characters from Limited TV Series that touched our hearts, opened eyes to injustices in the world, and helped bring a laugh into our lives.
1. Mare Sheehan (Mare of Easttown)
Mare of Easttown’s Mare Sheehan, a small-town Pennsylvania detective, is revered and loved all around for her bravery, rawness, and vulnerability. She’s known as a hero in her town of Easttown from her earlier days as a basketball star in high school. But, things have never been the same for her since that day.
Sheehan has had a hard life. She has a lot going on between getting a divorce, losing her son to suicide, and now having to raise her four-year-old grandson. Nevertheless, as many people do, she persists and gets through her day-to-day life. Sheehan is relatable on various levels, but the authenticity is the most loved.
Winslet’s performance of Sheehan and adamance to portraying an authentic, fully functioning woman of her age who doesn’t have a care in the world is celebratory. Without Winslet’s insistence and pushback on decisions for Sheehan, the traits that fans love about her would be nonexistent.
2. Louise (Behind Her Eyes)
Behind Her Eyes is a mind trip of a series exploring toxic relationships, adultery, and a touch of the supernatural that left some viewers wondering what they had watched afterward. But, one thing for sure, Louise did not deserve the fate that’s dealt to her.
Louise is a single mother who sparks a budding relationship with David, a psychiatrist who works in the building where Louise does. Things get hectic when Louise soon begins a friendship with Adele, David’s wife. But, in reality, Adele is a man named Rob.
Rob met Adele at a mental health/rehab facility years ago, where she helped him understand astral projection. After his obsession with David began, it didn’t take long for him to trick Adele into soul-swapping with him, where he immediately kills his own body to take over Adele’s life. His undying love and affection for David was too enticing for him to turn down.
In Louise’s misguided attempt to help her friend, Adele, Rob takes the opportunity to astral project into Louise’s body as she’s doing the same to save Adele from the burning apartment she’s trapped in. In the end, Rob kills Adele’s body, essentially killing Louise’s soul and taking over her life. It’s an ending undeserved for Louise.
3. Sheriff Hassan (Midnight Mass)
Sheriff Hassan is the resident sheriff on Crockett Island who is relatively new to town but solidifies himself as the best character on Midnight Mass pretty early in the series. His devotion to his religion and refusal to be affected by racism in the middle of a town full of religious residents who verbally harass and assault him is heroic and makes him loveable.
His resilience and ability to put his personal feelings aside to protect a group of people who have no respect for him is admirable. After a few weeks of dealing with Bev Keane, most people would pack up and run the other way or resort to nasty behavior in retaliation, but Hassan remains kind.
Hassan is arguably one of the kindest characters on Midnight Mass, caring about the wellbeing of everyone in town, like Joe Collie, whereas everyone else doesn’t bat an eye. He is genuinely a good person deep down, but as miraculous as he is, I can’t see anyone else besides Rahul Kohli portraying him.
Kohli is a masterclass actor and an overall genuine person who is brilliant in every role he embodies. His general attitude and ability to bring passion to whatever he’s playing is the reason why he’s a fan favorite and will continue to stay booked and busy.
4. Frances Welty (Nine Perfect Strangers)
From Nine Perfect Strangers, Frances Welty is a best-selling author with a beautiful career, but in reality, things are crashing down around her. Her whole reason for being at Tranquillum is to convince herself that the critics are wrong and that it’s not time to hang her hat up just yet.
On top of that, she was recently scammed on the internet by someone pretending to love her; a vacation is a must for her at this point. Frances is relatable to not only writers who fear rejections and total failure but also people who are looking for love in a messed-up world.
Melissa McCarthy is a powerhouse actor that can embody any role, and she certainly delivers with her performance of Frances Welty. Her fashion and dazzling hats add to the already relatable and loveable character.
5. Sophie Brewer (Clickbait)
The Netflix series Clickbait had us hooked from the start, proving to be a fun and suspenseful show to binge-watch. On the series, Betty Gabriel’s Sophie Brewer is put through the ringer, not only dealing with the murder of her husband Nick Brewer, but then being faced with various lies about who he really was.
Through it all, she remained a pillar for her family, even as the stories about her husband become more and more outlandish and her own reputation began to be tarnished.
6. Cora (The Underground Railroad)
Based on Colson Whitehead’s novel The Underground Railroad, the show follows Cora and Ceasar on their journey to escaping the Randall plantation in Georgia.
Throughout their journey to freedom in the series, Cora’s spirit begins to grow, allowing her to regain a sense of self that she wasn’t allowed to have on the plantation as she seeks true freedom.
While Cora goes through an unimaginable amount of loss, trauma, and abuse, that’s not all that accompanies her. Eventually, she joins a thriving Black community at the Valentine Farm, a place where she can breathe a little easier but not drop her guard completely.
Thuso Mbedu, who plays Cora, delivers a jaw-dropping performance throughout the season, perfectly embodying the character and showcasing her breathtaking acting abilities.
7. Wanda Maximoff (WandaVision)
WandaVision is a new touch on the anthology aesthetic as each episode changes timelines, jumping from decade to decade, exploring Wanda’s life with her husband, Vision. However, fans know that something is up from the jump when Vision is alive and well when he should be dead.
Wanda has been a fan favorite for quite some time and is arguably one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel universe based on her past actions. She’s controlled the Avengers with ease, ripped Ultron’s heart out, defeated Vision in Civil War, and destroys an infinity stone, killing Vision in the process.
WandaVision centers around Wanda’s grieving process and the hopelessness she’s running from after Vision’s death. She is capable of great destruction and could become one of the most heinous villains the MCU has seen if left unchecked. However, those aren’t her true intentions, and the finale of WandaVision explains how Wanda doesn’t wreak chaos on purpose but could do so potentially in the future.
Elizabeth Olsen continues to shine as Wanda Maximoff, capturing the audience’s attention with her actions and conveying depth and emotion without uttering a single word. A better Wanda Maximoff could not be asked for, and I can’t wait to see where this character progresses from here.
8. Dr. Robert Henderson (Dr. Death)
Dr. Death follows Texas-based neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch, Joshua Jackson, and spotlights the horrific actions he performs at the expense of his patients and how justice prevails in the end. The adaptation is based on real events, with the real Christopher Duntsch currently behind bars thanks to two doctors who took it upon themselves to get him out of the operating room.
Dr. Robert Henderson, played by Alec Baldwin, is one of the show’s main stars as he works with Dr. Randall Kirby, Christian Slater, to investigate Duntsch’s sociopathic career. The two of them provide a comedy relief that is much needed throughout a series that puts haunting events at the forefront.
Dr. Henderson is honed in and composed as he focuses all his attention on revealing the truth about Dr. Duntsch’s horrific incompetence. Without his obsession and tenacity to getting Duntsch out of operating rooms, Duntsch may have never been caught. Alec Baldwin delivers a magnificent performance in Dr. Death alongside Christian Slater.
9. Carlton (True Story)
True Story follows Kid, Kevin Hart, and his older brother Carlton, Wesley Snipes, as Kid stops in his hometown of Philadelphia, and things quickly turn into a matter of life and death for the comedian.
10. Ritchie Tozer (It’s A Sin)
Ritchie is the epitome of a young queer person in the beginning days of the virus. There’s no second thought about the disease until it affects the people around him and himself shortly after. But that still doesn’t stop him from living his life, until he’s on his own death bed.
It’s A Sin was not made to be an easy watch but a testament to what happened during the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the bloodshed. Alexander brings Ritchie to life in a gripping way, flourishing in his first acting role in six years.
11. Prudence Aberdeen (Miracle Workers: Oregon Trail)
In the world of 1800s America, Prudence Aberdeen is a woman ahead of her time. She has more money than she could ever know what to do with — thanks to her husband. And yet, she prefers to rough it and act like one of the guys. She wants to get her hands dirty and learn how to hunt.
Her behavior catches the attention of outlaw Benny the Teen, who tries to recruit her. What should be a deterrent from the affections of Reverend Ezekiel Brown, but instead, it endears her to him.
She has feelings for Zeke, but knows he is a man of God and that she is married. However, by the time they reach Oregon the two have decided to make a go of things.
12. Alex (Maid)
Alex Russell, portrayed by Margaret Qualley, is a 25-year-old mother who lives with her husband Sean Boyd and 2-year-old daughter, Maddy.
After one too many traumatic incidents at the hands of Sean, Russell leaves with her daughter, with only eighteen dollars in her pocket and nowhere to go. Nonetheless, she fights to survive and shortly begins working as a maid, where she has the opportunity to turn her life around.
Russell is a character that hits home for many women in abusive relationships. The experiences that she endures are ones that victims of mental, physical, and emotional abuse can relate to, but the character also inspires. Her ability to focus on her goals and achieve a brand new life for her and her daughter is what touches the hearts of viewers, allowing them to root for her success.
There are many moments throughout the series that can make it hard for viewers to watch, but thanks to Russell’s inner-fight and determination, in the end, she achieved her goals. Russell can be seen as an inspiration for women worldwide who may be in an abusive relationship and fear that there is no way out.
13. Sam Wilson (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier)
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier opens the series with Wilson’s decision to reject the shield and responsibilities that come with it and promptly follows his journey of overcoming those doubts.
Wilson has been in the marvel cinematic universe for almost a decade but has never been in the spotlight until now. Through his interactions with his loved ones and the criminal injustice revealed around him, he realizes the opportunity he has and works throughout the season to prove to himself that he is more than worthy enough to continue on the name of Captain America.
His journey to overcome his follower status to a fully-fledged leader that someone can look up to is impeccable. It leads him to headline the final battle against the Flag-Smashers, where he utilizes both the shield and his wings in a transcendent first moment of him being Captain America.
What would be the point of all the pain and sacrifice if I wasn’t willing to stand up and keep fighting? – Sam Wilson.
14. Cherifa Lamour (Little Birds)
Little Birds is the TV adaptation of Anais Nin’s infamous collection of erotic short stories. It follows Lucy Savage, a wealthy heiress to an arms manufacturer, and Cherifa Lamour, a woman who left her family early on and moves to Morocco.
15. Kate Bishop (Hawkeye)
Hawkeye’s Kate Bishop believes she was born careful. In actuality, this 22-year-old archer is a reckless protege with volatile tendencies, a heart of gold, and a habit for word vomiting. It’s safe to say, we love everything she’s about.
Between her iconic purple street style and offbeat humor, Hailee Steinfeld’s spot-on portrayal of this future Avenger has made her a series standout. Kate’s outspoken nature and rich upbringing should make it difficult to relate, but her starstruck outlook to the superhero lifestyle brings a quirky likeability to the role.
Kate approaches Clint’s mentorship with a playfulness that has turned the gritty vigilante trope on its head with ugly sweater parties and trick arrows. She has much to learn, and that’s okay because it’s enriching to see her process mistakes with witty streams of consciousness and constant deflection.
This hero isn’t entirely battle-tested but she sure is a riot. We will gladly follow Kate and her adorable pizza dog wherever the next adventure takes them!
16. Christine Woods (Brand New Cherry Flavor
Brand New Cherry Flavor is an American horror drama based on the 1996 novel by Todd Grimson. It follows Lisa Nova, an aspiring film director in the gloomy world of 1990’s Los Angeles. Lisa ends up crashing with her old friend, Code, where she meets the astounding Christine Woods.
Christine may not be the center of the show, but she has no issue stealing the spotlight whenever she’s on scene. Her quirky, blunt, and sometimes almost emotionless responses to Nova’s actions bring about a comedy that is unexpected and much needed.
Hannah Levien’s portrayal of Christine is downright mesmerizing and captivates the audience anytime she’s on-screen. It’s time that she is given a proper role in a series that revolves around her to properly get her accolades.
17. Phyllis (The Shrink Next Door)
Scene-stealer Kathryn Hahn strikes again. This time, it’s on The Shrink Next Door as Phyllis, sister to Will Ferrell’s Marty. She sees very early on that something’s off about Dr. Herschkopf (Paul Rudd), and she was the one to recommend him in the first place.
There’s a scene on Season 1 Episode 3, “The Treatment,” where Phyllis confronts Dr. Ike at his office, and it is an absolute master class in acting. The emotional beats and the shifts and the rhythms are all working together—she’s so in the moment, yet the performance seems beautifully choreographed.
You don’t want the scene to end, yet are left breathless still.
18. Betsy Mallum (Dopesick)
In the height of the opioid epidemic, Betsy Mallum is a Virginia coal miner trying to prove to her family that she’s capable of being a miner. Her dreams are soon a thing of the past after a back injury leads her to be hooked on pain pills. But she’s more than that.
Mallum is an LGBTQ+ youth who has to come to terms with her sexuality and embrace it in front of her highly religious family. She has goals and dreams for her life, only for them to be torn away by an addiction to oxycontin thanks to a minor accident.
Dever’s charismatic acting brings this magnificent character to life, allowing viewers to root, connect, and sympathize with her throughout the series as she struggles with overcoming the addiction and getting her life back.Her character represents the youth demographic ravaged throughout the opioid epidemic, and it’s not easy to watch Mallum’s life fall apart around her.
19. Bridget Meyer (Dopesick)
Bridget Meyer, portrayed by Rosario Dawson, is hands down one of the best characters on Dopesick. Meyer is a DEA agent who begins her investigation into Purdue Pharma after witnessing the horrific results of oxycontin.
Meyer is one of the few characters on Dopesick who hones in and goes after Purdue Pharma with everything she has, taking the fight against opioids to heart. She faces countless obstacles in her way, even failing at one point, but never allows it to discourage her from continuing.
Rosario Dawson gives it her all in her portrayal of Bridget Meyer, perfectly encapsulating the character and making the viewers fall deeper and deeper as the story unfolds.
20. Liv Whitley (American Horror Stories)
Liv Whitley, portrayed by Billie Lourd, is one of the best characters introduced in the American Horror Stories universe, having one of the best storylines by far. When the hopes of her getting pregnant seem slim to none, Whitley incorporates using a fertility statue to conceive. After the birth of their baby boy, weird things start to happen around the house, causing Whitley to stab her husband, Matt, in the shoulder by accident.
Lourd does a magnificent job of bringing Whitley to life, commanding attention and forcing viewers to sympathize with her struggles. While her decision to force Ba’al into giving her another child is admittedly messed up, it’s nice to see her realize the truth and live her life instead of being in a mental facility for being gaslit.
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What limited series characters made your list this year? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Additional contributions from Mary Misasi, Ashley Bissette Sumerel, Erin Allen, and Alicia Gilstorf.
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Cade Taylor
Cade Taylor is a television and film critic living in St. Louis, Missouri. He is a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV. His love for television developed at a young age, with a concentration on queer stories, sitcoms, teen dramas, and science fiction thrillers. In addition, he works full-time as a news producer, telling the stories of Missourians and helming "Produced in the Bi-State," a segment spotlighting actors, musicians, and entertainers from the St. Louis area. He can be reached by email at cade@telltaletv.com.