Some characters steal the spotlight with a hilarious one-liner. Others break your heart, surprise you with growth, or move you so much that you can’t stop thinking about it.
Our Characters of the Week had a little bit of everything.
From Coop’s struggle to figure out where she belongs, Rafe Cameron’s surprising redemption, and Alden’s absolutely glorious antics on Furious, these characters kept our TV Fanatics talking. Spoilers Ahead!
Kiara (Outer Banks)
If Outer Banks Season 4 was JJ’s season, then Outer Banks Season 5 belonged to Kiara.
Madison Bailey delivered Kiara’s best work, balancing her vengeful determination to kill Chandler Groff and her emotional grief over missing JJ.
Kiara sold the season, but I truly felt for her when the cops couldn’t charge Groff, and she lost it, screaming that he murdered JJ, while he kept taunting her. It wasn’t about taking the treasure to her. It was about JJ.
Kiara seemed like the person who missed JJ the most. Almost everyone else moved on, but she only wanted to see him again. It was all she cared about.
As much as I wanted the Blue Crown to resurrect him, I wasn’t surprised that it only flooded Kiara with memories of her and JJ. After remembering how they met and their best moments, she finally let go of her grief and began living again.
Not without killing Groff, though. That creep had to die for everything he put them through.
Rafe (Outer Banks)
Let’s make it an Outer Banks double header. I never thought I’d like Rafe Cameron, but here we are.
Rafe showed up for the Pogues and formed an uneasy alliance in Season 5.
While some of them still distrusted him, he tried to prove his loyalty to Sarah most of all. The old Rafe never would have given up his share of weed money, but now he wanted Sarah and the baby taken care of.
Rafe proved he could think of other people besides himself when he reconciled with Sofia. He still loved her, and he stayed behind when she got arrested because of him.
He broke her out of jail during the hurricane and showed his loyalty to the Pogues again when he restored light to the lighthouse in the middle of the hurricane.
Part of me wanted Rafe to stay, but I understood he and Sofia would be on the run now for his past mistakes, and he’d be separated from his sister.
Coop (All American)
All American finally began its character-centric focus, and All American Season 8 Episode 7 dove into Coop’s arc.
Coop tried to mature and excel at her law internship, but she’s still the young girl who wants to fight for those she loves. It’s part of her core personality.
It’s why Amina admires her and why Amina knew Coop wouldn’t let her down. Coop fought to free Amina, but she’s at a crossroads in her career and her relationships.
She’s not the type to be in a suit and an office. Coop should be fighting in the streets, fighting for justice, even if it means disrupting others. – Laura Nowak
Alden (Furious)
I’ve never seen someone steal a scene, let alone a full-blown episode, to the degree that Alden stole the show during Furious Season 1 Episode 6.
Steve Way was absolutely divine, leaning into the sass and humor he does so well while still bringing Alden’s heart into play.
By now, it’s clear that Alden genuinely loves Catherine/Vanessa, and he doesn’t care about her past; that love is as pure and unconditional as it gets, which is awe-inspiring.
It also leads to some of the funniest set of scenes as the authorities interrogate him about his killer fiancée and her whereabouts. Like a devoted partner, he distracts, deflects, and refuses to give up anything in the most glorious fashion.
The number of jokes he lets off with Choi, who reads as the typical non-disabled person fumbling around himself, not knowing how to handle Alden, was priceless.
It’s especially great at subverting disability jokes by making Choi’s ignorance the butt of the joke rather than Alden himself.
And his moments with an unfazed Danny bring more heart and vulnerability; we hear a man of conviction who challenges Danny, allowing Danny to reflect on his own relationships (and with a damning flash drive).
If you need me, I’ll be somewhere repeating “I don’t respect you,” and giggling to my heart’s content.
Jacob (Reacher)
Real heartbreak was watching Jacob process so much devastating news in Reacher Season 4 Episode 4 and beating himself up about it.
At the midway point of the season, we’re right there with him discovering not only more details about why his sister died and realizing that there was so much about her he didn’t know, but also realizing that his nephew is dead.
The entire episode, his concern for his nephew ratchets up, almost as if his gut was telling him deep down that the kid was already gone. And he sought comfort and reassurance from Tamara.
But when that band-aid is ripped off, and the theory goes from that to reality, Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette’s performance is emotional and layered, and it’s so utterly heartbreaking as you watch the range of emotions from devastation to rage overtake Jacob.
Reacher Season 4 has done a great job of allowing the B-Team to shine, and Jacob is very much proof of that.
Particularly as we watch him shift before our eyes into a man steely in resolve to get justice and avenge his loved ones.
Over to you, TV Fanatics. Who is your character of the week?! Let’s hear it below!
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