The Look Up

With the spirit of awards season upon us (Sundance is under way and Oscars noms have been announced), let’s honour some of the characters that the actors play in order to get their awards in the first place. I’d like to introduce a category of my own; the Top Villains on TV 2011! While Luke is a respectful, courageous, morally apt hero, let’s be honest, he wouldn’t be half of what he is if it wasn’t for Vader. We all watched The Dark Knight to see Heath strut around as the Joker, not Bale give the worst Batman voice of all time. While contemporary standards ask for the celebration of Heros, sorry, but Villains are just that much more interesting. So without further adieu, in the spirit of every single type of End-of-the-Year list that we’ve recently had to endure with the passing of 2011, I bring you the Top 5 Villains of the past television season! Enjoy! 

(WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS. If you do not follow the certain show, DO NOT read about it)

5. Joffrey Baratheon/Lannister - Game of Thrones (2011)

“…But they the soft hearts of women, so long as I am your King, treason shall never go unpunished. Ser Illyn….bring me his head!” 

             

One of the year’s best rookies, Game of Thrones seemed to have single-handedly revitalized HBO’s recent plunge from “Best Network on Television” to “Just Okay Network on Television.” With its high production value and well organized setting, GOT has garnered some of television’s most loyal and devoted fans. Praise has been especially given to the show’s child actors, especially in the case of Jack Gleeson, who plays Joffrey Baratheon. Coming from the wealthy House of Lannister, Joffrey is made Crown Prince when his mother Cersei weds the King of the Seven Kingdoms, Robert Baratheon. When Robert is on his deathbed, Joffrey is made heir to the throne by Cersei against the King’s wishes. To make matters worse, it is slowly revealed that Joffrey is indeed not Robert’s son, but an incest child born to Cersei and her twin brother Jaime. Joffrey exemplifies all the attributes that is the spoiled, delusional, narcissistic child born to a wealthy and powerful family. He shows little to no remorse to the use of violence on his people. This is a character who, even at the most obvious moments, is completely oblivious to his own childishness and immaturity. Joffrey maintains the self-belief that what he does is morally correct. Out of all of the characters on this list, I had the most difficult time watching this one. Jack Gleeson plays him perfectly to the point of zero sympathy. Season 2 will undoubtedly bring its drama as the Seven Kingdoms prepare for war. 

Best Villain Moment: While standing before a crowd for a trial of treason, Joffrey promised his to-be bride Sansa Stark that he will spare her father Eddard’s life and instead exile him from the Kingdom. However, at the last second, as if to please the crowd, Joffrey instead orders death upon the Father Stark. In a split second, the realm’s most noble leader, the true Hand of the King, a man who knew of Joffrey’s in-genuine bloodline but yet kept it to himself, was beheaded in front of his daughter, much to Joffrey’s delight. One of the hardest scenes to watch on television this year. 

4. Travis Marshall / Professor Gellar - Dexter (2006) 

“You don’t know who you’re messing with. Do you have any idea how dangerous he is? He is crazy. I know that now. He will finish his mission and he will kill anyone who tries to stop him.” 

      

Oh Dexter, you sure know how to stir up the controversy don’t you? Not only does this season of Dexter pay successful homage to the 1960s classic Psycho, but it does so in glorious fashion with the integration of the double identity character arc to the ever proceeding doom that will “allegedly” be bestowed upon us: the End of the World. Dexter has always carried with him a resident of his violent psyche; his Dark Passenger. And for the first time ever, we see Dexter face a foe with his own version of the Dark Passenger. Throughout the season, the audience is led to believe that Professor Gellar and Travis Marshall are the two members of the “Doomsday Killers”, a group of serial killers beset on warning the world about the upcoming Apocalypse through a collection of artworks on death and violence. Each day, a sacrifice is made and showcased in the form of an art tableau. We are led to believe that the mastermind behind these killings is Professor Gellar, and that Travis Marshall is merely a confused disciple of Gellar’s, not sure as to whether his doings are truly right or wrong in the face of God. However, the audience soon finds out, in stunning fashion (even the music being played during this scene was similar to the infamous violin screech from Psycho), that Professor Gellar isn’t real, and that killings are all the work of Travis. Professor Gellar, is Travis Marshall’s double identity, the mentor of his past who he killed and kept alive in his head. Professor Gellar is Travis’ Dark Passenger. Here we have a character so delusional and obsessed with the teachings of his mentor, that he literally kills him so to prove that they are immortals. And even after killing Gellar, Travis believes that his mentor is still alive, and keeps him stashed in his head for 3 years. It is not until Dexter, the False Prophet, comes into play that Travis finally confronts himself and “his” Gellar about what really happened. A character so lost and conflicted, Travis represents what Dexter fears he’ll ultimately become. Travis is so deeply far down in his belief that he would do anything to fulfill his mission, as we see that even after Travis realizes that Gellar is truly in fact dead, he continues on the mission by himself.  

Best Villain Moment: With only his loving sister as the last part of his family that would accept him, Travis kills her and uses her in his tableau of the Whore of Babylon. Of course, he blames Gellar for the act. 

3. Shane Walsh - The Walking Dead (2010)

“These things ain’t sick. They’re not people. They’re dead. Ain’t gonna feel nothing for them cause all they do, they kill. These things right here, they’re the things that killed Amy. They killed Otis. They’re gonna kill all of us.”

     

In a zombie apocalypse, a few precautions need to be taken. First, you will increase your chances at survival if you travel with a group. Second, groups have to be dynamic; they need their leaders and they need their specialists. In the first season of The Walking Dead, Shane was the bonafide, undisputed, alpha male of the group. That changed quickly, when his sheriff partner, best friend, and husband of his lover Lori, reappears from what was surely his coma-tic death, and eventually reestablishes himself as the leader of the pack. Ever since that moment, no matter how much indifference he displays, we all know Shane is bothered about his late best friend’s return from the grave. Throughout the course of the series, it is growing evident that Shane wants and cares about nothing except for Lori and her son Carl. What begun as a weak second season about a hunt for a lost girl, quickly became an intense storyline about the moral dilemma that is the state of the zombie apocalypse; are they creatures of chaos, completely robbed of any form of human nature, or are they just merely sick human beings? While to some of us the answer is obvious, to some, like Hershel, it is not. During the midseason finale, everything that Shane had bottled up was released in the form of a mass gun slaughter. While Herschel has provided shelter and safety for the group, Shane grows increasingly hostile to his rule of no guns on the camp site. After Shane finds out that Herschel is keeping walkers, some of which were part of his family, locked up in the barn, he flips and goes on a tirade about the moral dilemma on hand. With the sight of Herschel bringing back a walker on to the camp site, Shane explodes and releases the zombies from the barn, forcing the gang to shoot them all one by one. Shane is clearly blinded and pushed to the limit by the isolation that is the apocalypse. With the end of the world, he had one thing that kept him going, and now that one thing has been taken away from him. He will do whatever it takes to get what he wants, even if it means killing some of the last people on the face of this Earth. Recognizing his true character, Dale put it the best; “This is where you belong Shane, this world, what it is now, this is where you belong.” Back up zombies, there’s a new villain in town. 

Best Villain Moment: You probably guessed this one; the most un-heartfelt “I’m sorry” of 2011. While retreating from a giant pack of Walkers with the equipment for Carl’s operation, Shane shoots Otis in the knee for bait to buy time for his own escape. Of course, no one else knows this but Shane.

2. Nick Brody - Homeland (2011)

“If that were true, if any of this were true… wouldn’t I just kill you right now?”

                 

This one will probably be disputed, because out of all the members of this list, Nick Brody is the most sympathetic. In fact, whether Brody is indeed a villain can still, and should be, disputed. Here’s what we know: he spent 8 years in captivity as a Prisoner of War, during which, he was turned by elite members of Al Queda and sent back on a suicide attack mission on high-ranking members of the US government. No one knows this, but Carrie Mathison, a brilliant, talented, and definitely bipolar CIA agent. If Game of Thrones was on the All-Rookie Team, then this was the Rookie of the Year. Throughout the season, Homeland masterfully depicts the obstacles and inner conflicts of Carrie, her daily struggles with her disorder and her growing obsession with the potential terrorist intentions of America’s biggest war hero. Even with all her resources and insightfulness, Carrie just cannot break Brody. With one last shot at proving Brody’s terrorist intent, she screws up and instead ends up with a public bombing and a civilian body count. With Carrie in complete disarray, she is fired from the CIA and left a complete mess. This just goes to show to amount of planning and detail that was put into Brody’s mission, that one of the CIA’s most talented agents was left to wallow in her failures. In the season finale, we see Brody give up on his mission after a failed bomb detonation by the consulting words of his daughter. This tells us that Brody still has some sliver of second thoughts. So now we can ask, is Brody truly a good guy or a bad guy? While it really can’t be determined yet, I for one think that Brody has good intentions. After all, the motivation of his attack was to avenge the death of a child he grew close with during his captivity, a child that was killed under the orders of the US government. So we might not have an evil character after all, but I can definitely conclude on one thing; in the first few episodes of Homeland, Brody displayed all the qualities of an articulate, thorough, and unstoppable villain. He felt like a villain, and sometimes, the feeling that arises when you watch a character is just as powerful of a representation as the role itself. The reason he is so high on this list is the profound feeling that you get when you watch him and end up being effortlessly convinced that he is completely unstoppable. Every word spoken, every little smirk of expression on his face, leaves you in a state of determination as to whether or not you want to trust him. After being confronted by Tom Walker about the failed mission, Brody kills Walker, his former Marine partner, by the orders of his overseas superior. Season 2’s Homeland is guaranteed to be filled with more thrills and suspense, as Brody will juggle his moral conflicts, the love of his family, Carrie’s nuisance, and of course, his unfinished mission. 

Best Villain Moment: While this may not be an “Evil” act per say, it is one that illustrates the dangers and power of Brody as a potential terrorist. When put on the lie detector test, Carrie immediately orders the question of if he has ever been unfaithful to his wife, something that she knows the answer to. Brody looks into the camera as if he knew Carrie was on the other side, and says no, passing the lie detector test without skipping a heartbeat. A small scene that ends up being one of the most suspenseful, we still don’t know how he was able to pass. What we do know though, is the extent of his training and skill.  

1. Gustavo Fring - Breaking Bad (2007)

“Don Eladio is dead. His capos are dead. You have no one left to fight for. Fill your pockets and leave in peace. Or fight me, and die!” 

    

The fourth season of Breaking Bad was more or less about Walter White’s counterpart, Gus Fring. While Gus was first introduced during the latter parts of the second season, not much has been revealed about his past or background. We only knew him as the low-profile, cautious, professional drug trade business man that had taken a liking to Walt’s product, and eventually became Walt’s employer. This season has revealed much more about the character of Gus Fring, highlighting his diligence even further, and most importantly, revealing the motivation behind his work. While Gus may control the whole of the Southern American methamphetamine trade, money and power aren’t necessarily what drives him. With no indication of any family, the hundreds of millions of dollars that he makes is more than likely enough to support himself. There is something else that motivates Gus. The eighth episode of the season, “Hermanos” is devoted to finally telling us what Gus is all about. In this episode, we learned that Gus is actually acquainted with Hector Salamanca, or better known as the wheelchair ridden, bell ringing uncle of Tuco. In the intro, we see a flashback to a scene in season 3, shortly after the gunfight between Hank and The Cousins. Gus pays a visit to Hector and mocks him with the news of his nephews’ deaths. Hector, we now know, is an enemy of Gus’, an enemy in which Gus particularly enjoys seeing suffer. During the climax of the episode, we see another flashback, this time back a few decades. A young Gus and his associate, Marco, having set up a meeting with the Cartel, tries to convince the high-ranking Don Eladio to get into the methamphetamine business with them, citing the ease and efficiency of cooking meth as a replacement for cocaine. Marco, who had his education paid for by Gus, would be the cook. Initially unconvinced, it seemed that Don Eladio was gradually beginning to agree with the points being given. That is until, a young Hector Salamanca suddenly shoots Marco in the head, prompting Gus to go in a frenzy. Eladio spares Gus’ life, telling him that “he knows who he is”, and has his men hold Gus down beside the dead Marco, ordering him to watch him bleed his head out. Now we know what motivates Gus: revenge.

      

Back in the present, methamphetamine has become a more dominant drug than cocaine. And with the control of Walt’s extremely potent Blue Crystal, Gus has finally gotten the attention of the Cartel once again. Don Eladio, now sporting gray hair, sets up a meeting with Gus asking him for the services of his methamphetamine cook, Jesse Pinkman. In what may be one of the most intense scenes on TV this year, Gus is finally able to exact his revenge, using a tequila bottle to not only poison Don Eladio and all of his henchmen, but himself as well. While in the bathroom, Gus purposefully vomits so as to get as much of the poison out. After a small gunfight with the remaining henchman, Gus, Mike, and Jesse escape to a locally set up tent in order to be revived by doctors. With Eladio dead, Gus makes another visit to Hector. He tells him of the Don’s fate, as well as of the fate of his henchman, some of which were the few living members of Hector’s family. He informs Hector that the Salamanca name will now die with him, and decides to spare his life in the time being so that he can suffer longer with this knowledge. 

     

I can’t say more about Gus other than that he is most definitely the most diabolical and unstoppable villain on TV in recent years. A character so well protected and hidden under the suspicions of his enemies, he is the modern two-face of our generation. Giancarlo Esposito plays him to perfection, as he masterfully illustrates the polarizing dimensions of two identities. There are few actors that can act alongside Bryan Cranston and hold his own, and Giancarlo is one of them. We don’t know if getting his revenge was Gus’ plan all along. Maybe, just maybe, Gus had planned Combo’s execution in order to get the attention of Walt. Maybe, Gus knew that the only way to see Eladio’s face again was to introduce a product so superior that he couldn’t refuse. Maybe, everything was planned all along. What we do know is, that Gus Fring took Breaking Bad to epic proportions, a journey of chaos that caused a small time high-school chemistry teacher to become the world’s biggest drug manufacturer. I’ll go far as saying Gus Fring may be the greatest villain in television history. The ultimate epitome of badass, I’d welcome anyone to argue otherwise. 

    

Best Villain Moment: If not the mass-poisoning of the Mexican Cartel already described above, I guess we can put the slow execution of his former henchman Victor in this slot. After Walt escapes execution by ordering Jesse to kill his replacement, Gus unleashes his anger on Victor, who had not been “careful” enough and showed his face at the crime scene. Gus slowly descends to the basement Meth Lab, puts on a lab coat, takes a box cutter knife, stands beside Victor, and in vicious fashion, slits his throat. All without saying a single word.