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Best Character Progression...

Jonathon

By Jonathon
in Television & Film

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Jonathon Newbie

Jonathon

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I'm going to have to go with Kyle Secor's Tim Bayliss in "Homicide:Life On The Street". He starts out as a typical fresh, bumbling do-gooder rookie trying to prove himself. As the show progressed over the years, he transformed into a tortured, sleep deprived detective, a shaved head macho tough guy, broke down and admitted he was sexually molested as a child, an eastern religion spouting looney, a little bit of a man-whore, experiments with bisexuality and finally, a burnt out cop who takes a sabbatical..

 

Any others?

Black Lushus Newbie

Black Lushus

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Posted

Tobias Beecher-Oz

 

starts off as a timid man who did something stupid, not intentional to wind up in prison...starts of becomming a Nazi's bitch his first night there...eventually becomes a drug addict and falls back into alcoholism...the continued abuse along with the drugs make him a crazy motherfucker who doesn't give a shit and beats and kills his attackers...becomes normal again and falls in love with another prisoner who is actually plotting against him...after getting both arms and both legs broke and going sober, he returns crazier than ever...eventually he realizes he has a chance to get out and tried to change his life around, but his prison past keeps getting in the way...he has the greatest TV Show fued ever, IMO, with Vern Schillinger, the Nazi, capped off by finally killing his in the Series Finale...ends up becomming a product of the system by the time the show ends...

Anya Newbie

Anya

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Yes, Wesley. Goes from being a comic relief supporting character on Buffy to being a major player on Angel.

 

Anya, Spike & Willow too.

Darthtiki Newbie

Darthtiki

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Posted
Yes, Wesley. Goes from being a comic relief supporting character on Buffy to being a major player on Angel.

 

Anya, Spike & Willow too.

What about Cordy going from the uppity antagonist to Buffy's outside life into becoming a character who you cared about.

Jericholic82 Newbie

Jericholic82

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Posted
Yes, Wesley. Goes from being a comic relief supporting character on Buffy to being a major player on Angel.

 

Anya, Spike & Willow too.

What about Cordy going from the uppity antagonist to Buffy's outside life into becoming a character who you cared about.

agreed.

Guest Flyboy

Guest Flyboy

Posted
Posted

Fuck Buffy... seems like TSM can never get tired of talking about that show somehow in this folder.

 

But, getting back on topic, even though it had only been on two seasons:

 

Daisy in Dead Like Me had a tremendous character development I've seen on any show in a long time.

Robert Newbie

Robert

Posted
Posted

I'd probably say Vic Mackey as a man who went from being one thing to another. If you watch during the first few seasons (1-3) he is a brutal loudmouth cop, who takes money from drug dealers, hookers, and the Armanien Mob. He shot a guy just so that he would cover his ass. He stole money from the mob, nearly killed a man who took advantage of his hospitality. This season he's went from being a loudmotuh asshole to a silented humbled man. He's lost his wife, got de-moted, had to deal with a cop's worst nightmare, and a whole world of hell. He's my top guy for a guy who has rised and fallen. Now's he trying to get back up in life after being knocked down with a 1-2 punch.

RavishingRickRudo Newbie

RavishingRickRudo

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I think Wes is the only one from Buffy/Angel that can make a good claim for "best character progression". Cordy had a logical character progression, but I thought who she ended up being from who she was, was horrible. All the other character progressions weren't nearly as "far" as Wes'.

 

Wes' progression from who he was into who he is went through stages, that I thought really made sense for his character. When he met the red head early-on in season 2, he started to step out of being a child and move on into adulthood. When Angel left, he had to take charge. When he got shot, then he started to physically change - stopped shaving, etc., and got a lil darker. The thing with Fred in Season 3 compounded with the Connor-thing made him get more isolated, more distressed, and he physically changed some more. Then when he got his throat slit, and Angel tried to kill him, and he had to leave the group, it was the final stage into his progression into badassery.

 

Then you had his progression in Season 5, which was tremendous, where his death in the last episode made sense for his character.

 

I like Gil Grissoms progression. He was such a tool in the first episode, then he got better. Fantastic.

Justice Newbie

Justice

Posted
Posted
I like Gil Grissoms progression. He was such a tool in the first episode, then he got better. Fantastic.

I would like to also agree on Gil. He's perhaps one of the most interesting characters I've ever seen in a Television show.

Chazz Newbie

Chazz

Posted
Posted
Tobias Beecher-Oz

 

starts off as a timid man who did something stupid, not intentional to wind up in prison...starts of becomming a Nazi's bitch his first night there...eventually becomes a drug addict and falls back into alcoholism...the continued abuse along with the drugs make him a crazy motherfucker who doesn't give a shit and beats and kills his attackers...becomes normal again and falls in love with another prisoner who is actually plotting against him...after getting both arms and both legs broke and going sober, he returns crazier than ever...eventually he realizes he has a chance to get out and tried to change his life around, but his prison past keeps getting in the way...he has the greatest TV Show fued ever, IMO, with Vern Schillinger, the Nazi, capped off by finally killing his in the Series Finale...ends up becomming a product of the system by the time the show ends...

I second that.

DrVenkman PhD Newbie

DrVenkman PhD

Posted
Posted

Dave Nelson's (D. Foley) transformation from Wisconsin / Canadian youngster trying to have a go in big New York City as a news director while having some difficulty with his staff to totally pissed off "I can't stand these people" news director with grey hair starting to appear is a pretty damn awesome 5 year character arc.

Slayer Newbie

Slayer

Posted
Posted
Tobias Beecher-Oz

I've only seen the first season, but from what I've read about later seasons, I'd agree with this

 

One of my favorite bits from the first season was Beecher beating Schillinger in the weight room and then shitting on his face

JasonX Newbie

JasonX

Posted
Posted
Tobias Beecher-Oz

I've only seen the first season, but from what I've read about later seasons, I'd agree with this

 

One of my favorite bits from the first season was Beecher beating Schillinger in the weight room and then shitting on his face

The only character on Oz who REALLY grew and evolved was Said, who went from a cliched "I Hate Whitey!" figure and ended up becoming the moral center in Oz.

 

Beecher had his moments but the "will he, won't he" relationship with Keller kept him from fully evolving. Plus, for someone who killed a kid he never seemed THAT too upset about it given how he eventually grew to love being the subject of a feud towards who's prison bitch he would become.

 

As for "The Shield", the best character progression for the show has to be Acaveda and his transformation from somewhat sleazy police captain with a heart of gold to evil manipulative bastard who takes out the trauma inside of him from where he was raped by being a sexual sadist to a professional hooker.

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