They break boundaries, challenge authority, and take new risks as they conquer their dreams. Sometimes they succeed, and sometimes they fail.

These women are often driven by a mutual desire — love — and they’ll run towards that unapologetically every time. They will defend their choices, whether protecting their child, running towards a new romance, or defending their title.

These women are entertaining to watch because they are outspoken and passionate about their cases. They light up the screen with both their confidence and their vulnerability.

These imperfect females are the entire package.

Thony De La Rosa (The Cleaning Lady)

Thony De La Rosa is the epitome of an unapologetic, imperfect woman. She would do whatever it took to save her young son, Luca, including committing many crimes.

When The Cleaning Lady began, she worked as a cleaning lady for the mob, and Arman helped to finance medical treatments for Luca’s rare, life-threatening illness.

She soon walked the morality tightrope, where she believed she broke the law for the right reasons.

This became more complicated as the seasons progressed when Arman, Thony, and Nadia got involved in selling Robert Kamdar’s drugs in exchange for Luca’s medicine.

In Thony’s eyes, everything was for Luca, but it fell apart when she tried to operate on him herself, and a doctor called CPS on her and Fiona.

Thony fights for freedom and medicine for her and her family, yet constantly finds herself working for the mob or a drug cartel instead.

Watch The Cleaning Lady Online

Angie Polaski (Will Trent)

Angie Polaski on Will Trent is the type of detective who follows her gut instincts, and sometimes, that pays off or gets her in more trouble.

Since Angie was sexually abused in foster care, she has an affinity for working with teenage victims and a keen sense of justice.

While many in the precinct and the GBI initially thought Angie was an emotional disaster after Angie rescued Joey, a teen in recovery from a drug house, they looked at her with new respect.

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Angie’s main problem is that she first jumps to rescue someone and then thinks about the consequences later. It’s the reason we love her, and Erika Christensen plays her with such depth.

Angie had made such progress. She had been sober for months, had reunited with Will, and seemed to be in a healthy relationship.

But she hid that Crystal stabbed Lenny, and the teen killed many other sex predators. Angie meant well because she related to the girl, but her compassion landed her in trouble.

We can’t wait to see this one play out.

Watch Will Trent Online

Sloane Ford (Three Women)

Sloane Ford is the most outspoken and unapologetic female on Three Women. You must respect her, even when it’s difficult to like her.

Not many women initiate swinging relationships into their marriages, but she did. She admitted she longed to be desired and cherished but not controlled.

Even though Sloane has a nearly perfect marriage, she doesn’t fit into the mold. She was exhausted from trying to fit the ideal image, and her bulimia even returned.

Sloane’s need to be free caused her to begin an affair with Will, a sexy boater and oysterman who was not from her crowd. For the first time, she lit up the screen and seemed happy.

She’s the type of woman who would do anything to get what she wanted. Sure, Sloane felt guilty about hurting others, but she was addicted to Will and determined to keep him.

You have to respect that gameplay, especially when she arranged a foursome with Will, his girlfriend, and Richard, and they got high on mushrooms. She masterfully acted like they all agreed, even if it was her idea.

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Penelope Featherington (Bridgerton)

We love all of the leading ladies in Bridgerton. They knew how to land their man, and most did not conform to society’s rules.

But there was something special about Penelope Featherington. Perhaps it’s because she was often overlooked as the youngest daughter.

Even though women weren’t supposed to work back then, Penelope created her destiny by crafting the successful Lady Whistledown column.

Sure, it was scathingly witty at times, but also observant and fun.

For Bridgerton’s first two seasons, Penelope was in that awkward friend zone, and she crushed on Colin hard. She cleverly went after him, begging for a kiss, saying it didn’t have to mean anything, and we all know how that turned out.

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When he finally returned her advances, Penelope worried she would have to change her career and herself since being a gossip columnist wasn’t proper. You should never change who you are.

Watch Brigerton Online

Amanda Rollins (Law and Order: SVU)

Amanda Rollins has been a vital part of Law and Order: SVU since she joined the cast in Season 13. However, she doesn’t like following the rules and speaking her mind, especially to get justice.

If Law and Order: SVU and Will Trent aired on the same network, Amanda and Angie Polaski would likely be friends. They’re both outspoken, impulsive, and passionate, which sometimes backfires on them.

It’s always entertaining to watch, though. Since Amanda arrived, her past often triggered how she dealt with cases, whether it was her dysfunctional family relationships or her gambling addiction.

In several episodes, she went undercover in dangerous situations, some without backup or permission, to catch rapists. She did that more than once to learn a psychopath’s type and get him to become attracted to her.

Amanda was also outspoken about domestic violence victims. At times, she didn’t have much sympathy for them because her mom never left her dad years ago, so she had to balance her views with her career.

It took years, but she finally found her happy ending: marrying Sonny Carisi and having a family. We love that she found a new career and frequently appears on the show.

Watch Law and Order Special Victims Unit Online

Clare Pierce (Tiny Beautiful Things)

Clare Pierce from Hulu’s Tiny Beautiful Things is a hot mess, so we love her.

Something is endearing about someone who can mess up yet pick themselves up and give others advice based on their failures.

Clare Pierce (Kathryn Hahn) has lost everything. Her husband disowned her after she spent their daughter’s college fund to bail out her drug-addicted brother.

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She took out her sorrows on a one-night stand with an Uber driver.

She no longer recognizes herself, so a friend suggested she take over the “Dear Sugar” advice column.

It was a real-life Cheryl Strayed column, and Carol Pierce gave energizing and witty advice on avoiding certain life scenarios.

Watch Tiny Beautiful Things Online

Olivia Baker (All American)

Olivia Baker has been passionate and outspoken since All American began.

Typically, her Liv the Truth podcast served a beneficial purpose, such as when she spread the word about racism in Crenshaw. However, sometimes, her views were extreme, like releasing the police body-cam footage of Tamika’s death.

Olivia has always been a social activist, and getting off scot-free for the drunk driving accident fueled her.

That could have wrecked her mother’s legal career since Laura was trying to get justice for Tamika.

Olivia was similar to her father, and they even followed a story together about a corrupt football coach. When she won an award for it, she dedicated it to Billy.

All American won’t be the same without Olivia chasing a story or leading a cause.

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Rue Bennett (Euphoria)

Rue Bennett is the type of character that many viewers relate to. She’s memorable because so many of us have experienced loss.

Rue had access to drugs since she cared for her father, who died of cancer. That’s heartbreaking for a young teenager.

Like many teenagers, she went to rehab, and when she returned, she plastered a happy smile on her face and pretended she was sober.

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She became so memorable because she deals with everyday teenage issues while coping with addiction, anxiety, and depression.

Rue then falls in love with Jules. In the beginning, this seems healthy, but as the story progresses, it almost seems like her relationship with Jules is a co-dependent replacement for drugs.

The drugs almost wrecked Rue’s life until her family did an emotional intervention during Euphoria Season 2. It was painful, haunting, and healing.

Watch Euphoria Online

Rhaenyra Targaryen (House of the Dragon)

Rhaenyra Targaryen has never followed the rules of the House of the Dragon.

Since she was a young girl, she understood the pressures of a woman being named to the throne in a man’s world.

She was her father’s daughter to the core and wanted to please King Viserys, but that didn’t mean she bowed to his will, especially with matters of the heart.

Her romantic choices often cause issues with the court, but she maintains control of her family and destiny.

Firstly, Rhaenyra is a mother, and she’s horrified when Aemond kills Luke and demands revenge.

It’s only when more children die that she begs Allicent to stop this war.

While Rhaenyra wants to prove she deserves the throne, she despises the senseless deaths of children.

Watch House of the Dragon Online

Georgia Miller (Ginny & Georgia)

Georgia Miller once said on Ginny & Georgia that she loves a good scam. That’s partly how she got a job working with Paul at the mayor’s office since she was not a lady of society.

Georgia had been abused by her stepfather as a young teen and ran away. That experience taught her not to take that behavior ever again, and when her boyfriend and Austin’s dad, Gil, abused her, she left him.

Georgia had a habit of running from abusive men, and that’s why the cops were after her. She killed her last husband because he hit on Ginny, and Georgia wanted a better life for her daughter.

Even though Ginny and Austin’s childhoods may not have been stable, Georgia tried to protect her children. Her decisions caught up with her, and she was arrested at her wedding. We can’t wait to see how she gets out of this one.

Watch Ginny and Georgia Online

Now that you’ve seen our picks, which imperfect TV females are on your list?

Let us know in the comments below.

The post Unfiltered and Unapologetic: Celebrating TV’s Imperfect Females appeared first on TV Fanatic.

They break boundaries, challenge authority, and do it all with a mix of style, wit, and fierce independence.

Whether they’re power-hungry department heads, queens of high society, tough-as-nails cops, or even nuns (yes, really!), they don’t just embrace risk — they run toward it, unapologetically standing their ground every time.

What makes them so thrilling? It’s their fearless attitude, razor-sharp tongues, and the way they totally own the screen with unwavering confidence.

Whether they’re dropping one-liners, scheming up something big, or just being their bold selves, these leading ladies define what it means to be unapologetically fierce, even if they’re low-key about it!

Diane Tavener (Slow Horses)

Diana Taverner is a powerhouse of manipulation and ruthlessness as MI5’s Deputy Director-General. She epitomizes cold, calculated leadership, where power and control come before loyalty or ethics.

Diana’s chess-like approach to the intelligence world is all about using people as pawns — whether it’s her subordinates, Slough House’s misfit agents, or anyone who stands in her way.

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She has no qualms about bending the rules or making morally questionable decisions if it means furthering her goals.

Pragmatic to the core, Diana is always focused on the bigger picture, even if it means throwing others under the bus.

Her ability to charm, despite keeping an emotional distance, makes her all the more dangerous. She uses her icy demeanor to stay detached, manipulating those around her without ever letting emotions cloud her judgment.

Her interactions with Lamb reveal a dynamic of mutual respect wrapped in disdain. She views Lamb and Slough House as expendable, but her strategic mind sees opportunities in their failures.

Diana is hungry for First Desk, and she’s not wrong to think she deserves it. She knows how to play the game better than anyone, and her sneaky, behind-the-scenes moves prove just how sharp she is.

Even though the top spot slipped through her fingers once again, Diana’s already plotting to undermine her new boss, Claude Whelan — just like she did with Ingrid Tearney. She’s nothing if not persistent.

Every move Diana makes is a calculated power play. In her world, it’s not about playing nice — it’s about getting results, no matter the cost. And since it’s Slow Horses, you just know she’s not done yet!

Catherine de Medici (The Serpent Queen)

Catherine de Medici is the ultimate power player in the world of French politics. Starting as a powerless young girl, she rises to become one of the most formidable figures in French history, wielding her sharp wit and ruthless strategy like a pro.

Catherine knows early on that surviving the French court means outsmarting everyone around her — and she does it with precision.

Orphaned as a child and married off to a prince who barely notices her, Catherine thrives by playing the long game in a male-dominated world on The Serpent Queen.

Her political savvy is legendary, and she’s willing to go to great lengths to maintain her family’s grip on power. Whether it’s through manipulation, strategic alliances, or even orchestrating a bit of violence, Catherine’s approach is cold, calculated, and always effective.

While she might seem tough as nails, Catherine isn’t without depth. Beneath her hard exterior lies a longing for love and acceptance — especially from her indifferent husband — but she never lets those emotions interfere with her quest for power.

She’s all about protecting her family, even if it means using her children as pawns in her political games, marrying them off to secure alliances and ensure her legacy.

What really sets Catherine apart is her ability to read people and situations like a book. She’s always one step ahead, using court dynamics and human behavior to her advantage.

Swift, ruthless, and incredibly strategic, Catherine is both feared and respected, ensuring that the Medici name remains powerful for generations.

She’s the kind of ruler you don’t mess with — unless you want to be outplayed at your own game.

Harper Stern (Industry)

Harper Stern is the definition of fearless ambition in the cutthroat world of international finance.

She navigates Pierpoint & Co.’s high-stakes environment on Industry with razor-sharp instincts and a rebellious streak that sets her apart from her more by-the-book colleagues.

As an outsider — both as an American and a woman of color — Harper knows she has to play the game differently, and she’s not afraid to take extreme risks to secure her place at the top.

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Her bold moves often involve bending (or outright breaking) the rules, whether it’s going behind the backs of her colleagues to snag major clients or outsmarting her superiors to get what she wants.

Harper has no problem defying authority, knowing that in her world, playing it safe won’t get her ahead.

Her survival instincts kick in every time she’s faced with office politics, and she uses them to her advantage, often manipulating situations to stay in control.

Her cunning actions make her stand out in an environment where only the strongest and shrewdest can rise.

She’s not content to follow the traditional corporate ladder — she’s carving her own path, no matter how many people she has to step over to do it.

Whether she’s closing high-stakes deals or navigating personal turmoil, Harper’s confidence never falters, even when the risks she takes could easily backfire.

Driven, ambitious, and undeniably daring, Harper’s relentless pursuit of success is what keeps her climbing higher, showing time and time again that she’s willing to risk it all to get to the top.

Sister Andrea (Evil)

Evil‘s Sister Andrea is far from your average nun. With her sharp wit, supernatural abilities, and unshakable faith, she’s a spiritual warrior who isn’t afraid to mix it up with demons or church leadership.

While others might tremble in the face of evil forces, Sister Andrea remains fearless, calmly facing off with demonic entities without batting an eye.

Her interactions with the sinister Leland Townsend are pure gold. She calls him out, mocks his attempts to intimidate her, and consistently shows she’s not someone to mess with.

But it’s not just about her supernatural strength. Sister Andrea is bold in every sense — she’s not afraid to speak truth to power, even if that means clashing with the church hierarchy.

When she feels the church isn’t taking the threat of demonic possession seriously, she’s quick to challenge their reluctance, pushing back against the bureaucracy with a fierce resolve.

One of Sister Andrea’s most striking qualities is her hands-on approach to spiritual warfare.

She doesn’t just rely on prayers or rituals; she physically fights, making her one of the most proactive and unconventional figures in the church.

She also plays a mentor to David Acosta, guiding him through his spiritual battles and encouraging him to question things and dig deeper into his faith. Thus, she proves that belief isn’t about blind obedience but personal discovery.

Unconventional, courageous, and deeply connected to the supernatural, Sister Andrea is a force to be reckoned with in her spiritual battles and her fight against the powers that be.

Emily Cooper (Emily in Paris)

Emily Cooper may not always get it right, but she sure knows how to live life on her own terms.

As a young, ambitious American marketing exec, she arrives in Paris full of bright-eyed optimism, blissfully unaware of the cultural clashes, language barriers, and professional challenges that lie ahead.

Instead of adapting, though, Emily sticks to what she knows best: being unapologetically herself.

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She doesn’t speak French, isn’t exactly a marketing genius, and often stumbles with her colleagues. But does that slow her down? Absolutely not.

Emily navigates awkward situations with resilience and humor. Even when her ideas don’t quite hit the cultural mark, she’s determined to prove her worth.

Her bold, colorful fashion choices mirror that attitude. In a world of understated Parisian chic, Emily’s eclectic outfits stand out — but she never compromises.

And when her American “work-hard, play-hard” mentality clashes with the more relaxed French work culture, she keeps pushing forward, convinced that her way is just as valid.

Over time, her bright-eyed optimism and refusal to conform start to win people over. Though she may not change her approach, others come to accept that Emily’s uniqueness is part of her charm.

Whether it’s through her work, style, or personal life, Emily marches to her own beat –and in a world that constantly tries to rein her in, that’s about as bold and brazen as it gets.

Monet Tejada (Power Book II: Ghost)

Monet Tejada is a master of deception, and she’s not afraid to use every trick in the book to keep her grip on power.

She regularly withholds key information from her family on Power Book II Ghost, including her own children and husband, manipulating the narrative to suit her needs.

Whether it’s lying about the family business or covering up major, Monet is always working an angle. She knows how to play both sides, and she’s a pro at pitting people against each other to create drama that benefits her.

Her lies don’t just cause tension; they drive wedges between her children, often leading to explosive confrontations.

Monet thrives on control, and she’ll go to any lengths to keep it. She’s spins half-truths and tells outright lies just to stay in control.

But Monet’s manipulation doesn’t stop at words. She’s willing to get her hands dirty, covering up multiple murders to protect the family while keeping her kids in the dark about who was responsible or what really went down.

She projects herself as the protector, but her motives are always self-serving. She wants to maintain her control and ensure the family’s empire stays intact, no matter the cost.

Monet is ruthless in her approach, and there’s nothing she won’t do to stay in power.

While she might not be the warmest person, one thing’s for sure: she doesn’t hold back when it comes to getting what she wants, and she’s never afraid to play dirty.

Donna (FROM)

Donna is the no-nonsense leader of Colony House, the refuge where many residents seek safety from those terrifying monsters that come out at night in that creepy town.

She runs a tight ship, and she won’t let emotions or soft-heartedness get in the way of survival.

Donna’s tough exterior is her armor in this chaotic and dangerous world she’s inexplicably found herself in. But beneath that, she fiercely cares for the well-being of her community.

From‘s Donna doesn’t sugarcoat reality; newcomers quickly learn that there’s no hope of escape and that the creatures that come out at night are very much real.

She’s blunt, sometimes brutally so, but it’s her way of keeping people grounded in a world where even a momentary lapse in judgment could be fatal.

Whether she’s crushing false hope or snapping someone back to reality with a few choice words, Donna’s leadership is all about survival.

And in a town where one wrong move can be your last, her tough-love approach might just be the key to staying alive.

Stacy Beale (Tulsa King)

Stacy Beale is someone who finds herself walking a tightrope between her duty as an ATF agent and her personal desires, which often leads her into morally murky territory on Tulsa King.

She’s dynamic because she constantly juggles conflicting priorities — her responsibility to uphold the law, her own personal code, and her complicated feelings for mob boss Dwight Manfredi.

Falling for Dwight creates a whirlwind of internal conflict. Her emotional attachment leads her to blur the lines between her job and her personal life, making decisions that put both her career and ethics on the line.

Stacy’s willingness to bend the rules for Dwight, including feeding him information and covering his tracks, shows how far she’s willing to go to protect someone she cares about — even if it means compromising her integrity. 

Yet, in the end, her ultimate betrayal of Dwight to save herself stands out as one of her most brazen moves.

It’s not just because she crossed a dangerous line with the mob but because she threw away a friendship that had been built on trust, even if Dwight had mistakenly given her the benefit of the doubt.

She’s the type of person who uses her position for personal gain, withholding crucial information from her colleagues to maintain control over the situation. 

Stacy’s ability to manipulate the system to her advantage highlights her moral flexibility.

Claiming that her struggles with alcohol clouded her judgment may offer an explanation, but it doesn’t excuse her willingness to toss aside relationships to serve her own interests.

Angie Polaski (Will Trent)

On Will Trent, Angie Polaski is the kind of detective who doesn’t play by the rules — at all.

Whether it’s in her personal life or on the job, she regularly bends or outright breaks the law, driven by a complex mix of trauma, addiction, and a fierce sense of justice.

Angie’s rebellious streak means she often disregards standard police procedures, preferring to rely on her instincts, which leads to both breakthroughs and some serious trouble.

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She’s not one to wait for approval from her superiors, often choosing her own judgment over following orders, which creates plenty of tension in the precinct.

Her defiance isn’t just about being reckless — it’s fueled by her past traumas and her determination to get results, no matter the cost.

When Angie feels justice isn’t being served, she takes matters into her own hands, sometimes skirting or outright violating the law.

Whether it’s directly confronting a suspect or ignoring proper channels to shield those she cares about, like Will, she’s willing to blur the lines between law enforcement and vigilantism.

Her emotional ties to Will often lead her to make decisions that put both of them in risky situations, sidestepping official investigations or bending the rules to protect him.

Angie’s impulsive, spur-of-the-moment actions sometimes land her in dangerous territory, both professionally and personally.

Her willingness to push ethical boundaries makes her unpredictable and, at times, reckless.

But beneath her defiant exterior is someone trying to navigate her own pain while ensuring justice is served — on her terms, even if it means going rogue.

Rhaenyra Targaryen (House of the Dragon)

Rhaenyra Targaryen isn’t someone who simply follows the rules laid out for her.

As the first woman in her family named heir to the Iron Throne, she immediately disrupts expectations, asserting her right to rule with a confidence that’s hard to ignore.

From a young age, Rhaenyra understood the challenges ahead of her, particularly as a woman in a world that favors men for leadership. 

But instead of bowing to tradition, she actively shapes her own path, consistently pushing back against societal norms and refusing to be boxed in by anyone’s expectations.

Her loyalty to her father, King Viserys, runs deep, but that doesn’t stop her from questioning his decisions – especially when it comes to matters of her own future. 

Whether she refuses marriage alliances that don’t align with her desires or forms strategic connections that suit her ambitions, Rhaenyra ensures that she maintains control of her destiny on House of the Dragon.

Even in the face of powerful opposition, she remains undeterred, showing a remarkable ability to maneuver through the court’s complex politics.

Her relationships are complicated, particularly with her family, where tension is constant. Despite this, Rhaenyra carves out her place, unafraid to make moves that might upset the traditional order.

As she grows older, the weight of her responsibilities and the betrayals she experiences only strengthen her resolve.

She’s not just fighting for a throne; she’s fighting to prove that she deserves to be there, no matter who doubts her. 

In a world that consistently tries to undermine her, Rhaenyra’s determination to assert her authority is what makes her stand out as a true leader — one who won’t settle for anything less than what she’s earned.

Beth Dutton (Yellowstone)

Beth Dutton is a force of nature, charging through life with sharp wit and an unstoppable focus on protecting her family on Yellowstone.

As John Dutton’s daughter, she’s relentless in her mission to defend the family’s land and legacy.

Whether in the corporate world or out on the ranch, Beth dismantles anyone who threatens what’s hers, using her intelligence and ruthless business tactics to stay steps ahead of her enemies.

Her fiery personality shines brightest in her relationships. She shares a deep bond with her father, acting as his enforcer and always ready to get her hands dirty.

At the same time, she’s never afraid to challenge him, speaking her mind even when it might lead to a clash. Her ability to stand her ground, even against him, showcases just how strong-willed she is.

Beneath her tough exterior are deep emotional scars, particularly from her troubled past with her brother Jamie. Her hostility toward him is palpable, with no love lost between them.

Yet, in her relationship with Rip Wheeler, she reveals glimpses of vulnerability, showing that beneath all the fire, she is capable of love and tenderness.

Beth’s sharp tongue and quick wit make her both feared and admired. Known for delivering biting remarks and putting people in their place without hesitation, she commands attention wherever she goes.

Her mix of brilliance, ruthlessness, and emotional depth makes her an unforgettable force, always ready for whatever life throws her way.

Shauna Shipman (Yellowjackets)

Shauna Shipman is a complex individual who has lived through some extraordinary circumstances.

As a teenager, she was part of a high school soccer team that was stranded in the wilderness after a plane crash.

Forced to adapt quickly, Shauna’s practicality and ability to make tough, often ruthless decisions played a key role in the group’s survival.

Her ability to navigate such dire situations left a lasting mark, shaping her into someone who handles even the most dangerous, tense moments in life with calm efficiency.

However, the trauma she carries from that time, particularly regarding her complicated friendship with Jackie and the events leading up to Jackie’s death, still haunts her.

This unresolved guilt and emotional baggage show up in her adult life, where she balances dark humor and detachment as coping mechanisms.

Outwardly, Shauna appears to live a fairly typical suburban life as a mother and housewife, but underneath this ordinary facade lies a much darker side.

Shauna’s life today reflects the duality of her nature. She’s involved in an extramarital affair, and her willingness to resort to violence when pushed shows just how far she’ll go to protect her secrets.

Her loyalty to those around her, particularly her former teammates, is often overshadowed by her need to look out for herself.

Manipulation and secrecy are tools she uses to maintain control of her life, even if it means bending moral lines or keeping crucial information to herself.

Shauna is a master at reading people and situations, using her smarts to manipulate circumstances to suit her needs.

Her complex mix of survival instinct, self-preservation, and emotional trauma makes her both fascinating and unpredictable in her approach to life.

Jessica Knight (NCIS)

Jessica Knight is a standout Special Agent who brings an impressive mix of skill, intelligence, and emotional depth to NCIS.

Before joining the team, she worked with REACT, specializing in high-risk tactical operations. Her expertise in crisis situations, combined with her ability to handle extreme pressure, makes her a valuable asset in the field.

Jessica is fearless and determined, whether she’s chasing down criminals or solving complex investigations.

She tackles her job with confidence, but her tough exterior hides the emotional toll of losing her entire REACT team in a deadly explosion. 

Instead of letting that trauma stop her, Jessica returns to the field with remarkable resilience, channeling her grief into determination to seek justice.

Her ability to bounce back from tragedy speaks to her incredible strength and dedication to her work.

While she excels as an individual, Jessica quickly proves she’s also a team player, forming strong bonds with fellow agents like Torres and McGee.

She’s loyal and committed to the mission but doesn’t hesitate to speak her mind or push back when she believes there’s a better way to approach a case. Her tactical experience and instinct often give her a fresh perspective, helping break open tough cases.

Jessica’s assertiveness is one of her most notable traits.

She’s unafraid to challenge her superiors or teammates when she feels strongly about a lead or approach, and she’s persistent in following her instincts — even if it means taking unconventional routes. 

Her tactical brilliance and willingness to stand up for what she believes in make her an invaluable part of the team, while her sharp wit and occasional humor bring a bright spot to high-pressure situations.

Lady Agatha Danbury (Bridgerton)

Lady Agatha Danbury is a commanding presence in high society, known for her sharp wit, strong opinions, and unapologetic attitude.

She’s a force to be reckoned with, effortlessly navigating the male-dominated world of Regency-era London with grace and confidence.

Lady Danbury knows how to bend the rules to her advantage, and she’s not afraid to call out the hypocrisy or absurdities of the upper class. Whether she’s offering advice or delivering biting comments with a smile, she never holds back.

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Despite the rigid social conventions of her time, Lady Danbury refuses to conform to the expectations placed on women, particularly widows.

She’s fiercely independent and often challenges societal norms, making it clear that she’ll live life on her own terms.

She is a champion for love and equality, encouraging those around her to follow their hearts rather than be limited by status or tradition.

Her progressive views on personal freedom and happiness are refreshing, especially in a world where rank dictates everything.

While Lady Danbury is a powerhouse in the social arena, she also has a compassionate side.

After Simon’s mother’s death, she takes him under her wing, helping him navigate his complicated relationship with his father and the trauma of his past.

Her mentorship extends to many young debutantes, guiding them with a mixture of tough love and genuine care.

Her fearless attitude even extends to royalty — she’s not afraid to subtly challenge Queen Charlotte herself, often poking fun at the matchmaking season.

Lady Danbury’s ability to cut through the pretensions of the ton with humor and grace makes her both admired and feared in equal measure.

Jan Bellows (Only Murders in the Building)

Okay, so I kind of cheated with this one. Jan isn’t a leading lady in Only Murders in the Building, but she’s definitely bold and brazen in the most evil of ways.

Jan is the kind of person who lures you in with her charm and sophistication, only to reveal her truly sinister side when it’s too late.

As a talented bassoonist, she initially presents herself as refined and intelligent — someone who catches the eye of Charles and quickly forms a romantic relationship with him.

But behind the cultured musician facade, Jan is a master manipulator, hiding darker intentions that tie her directly to the murder mystery at the heart of Only Murders in the Building Season One.

From the start, Jan knows how to keep people guessing. She appears aloof yet captivating, using her musical talents and mysterious personality to intrigue Charles.

Her relationship with him seems innocent enough at first, but as the investigation into Tim Kono’s murder heats up, it becomes clear that Jan is hiding far more than anyone realizes.

Jan’s manipulation is a work of art. She uses her connection with Charles not just to cover her tracks but to stay dangerously close to the investigation, all while expertly throwing off suspicion.

Her obsession with control drives her to not only deceive Charles but also fake her own stabbing to appear as another victim, all in an effort to keep the spotlight away from her.

But perhaps her boldest move is re-entering Charles’ life after her murderous attempt on him. To go back to the very man she tried to kill shows just how brazen she really is.

Her cunning and dangerous behavior makes her a formidable figure (even in a guest role), and you can’t help but admire the audacity — no matter how twisted it is.

Unstoppable, Unapologetic, and Utterly Fearless

From the fierce to the downright terrifying, these leading ladies don’t play by the rules—and they don’t care if you like it or not.

Whether they’re breaking down barriers or ruthlessly protecting their own interests, these women refuse to back down. 

They may not always be admirable, but they are undeniably unforgettable. Love them or fear them, these characters own their space, making sure no one forgets who’s in charge.

Now it’s your turn — who’s the most bold and brazen leading lady on your list? Drop your pick in the comments below!

The post TV’s Bold and Brazen Leading Ladies appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Well, you’re certainly not flying those skies alone.

In fact, the hirsute, chronically suspendered genius/procrastinator who created the world of Westeros is calling the show out for making “misguided” changes to storylines originally found in his 2018 book Fire & Blood.

In a new blog post, author and House of the Dragon executive producer George R.R. Martin revealed that he was not pleased with some of the changes in the show’s second season.

Specifically, like many other viewers, he took issue with the execution (no pun intended) of the infamous “Blood and Cheese” sequence.

Martin says he discussed the changes with co-EP Ryan Condal and now wishes that he’d insisted on sticking with his original vision.

Condal chose to eliminate a young character, Prince Maelor, who would barely have seen any screen time before being coldly dispatched by two hired goons.

Still, Martin believes that Maelor’s absence has diminished the story’s emotional impact.

“When Ryan Condal first told me what he meant to do, ages ago (back in 2022, might be) I argued against it, for all these reasons,” Martin wrote.

“I did not argue long, or with much heat, however. The change weakened the sequence, I felt, but only a bit.”

Having collaborated with showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff throughout all eight seasons of Game of Thrones, Martin is obviously familiar with the demands of TV budgets and production schedules.

And while he acknowledges that certain changes must be made, he seems to believe that Condal diverged too far the story’s original path.

“Ryan had what seemed to be practical reasons for it; they did not want to deal with casting another child, especially a two-year old toddler,” Martin recalled in his blog post.

“Kids that young will inevitably slow down production, and there would be budget implications. Budget was already an issue on HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, it made sense to save money wherever we could.

“Maelor by himself means little. He is a small child, does not have a line of dialogue, does nothing of consequence but die… but where and when and how, that does matter.

“Losing Maelor weakened the end of the Blood and Cheese sequence, but it also cost us the Bitterbridge scene with all its horror and heroism,” the author continued.

“It undercut the motivation for Helaena’s suicide, and that in turn sent thousands into the streets and alleys, screaming for justice for their ‘murdered’ queen.

“None of that is essential, I suppose… but all of it does serve a purpose. It all helps to tie the story lines together, so one thing follows another in a logical and convincing manner.”

Martin concluded his message with a portent of doom worthy of a Westerosi soothsayer, writing:

“And there are larger and more toxic butterflies to come, if HOUSE OF THE DRAGON goes ahead with some of the changes being contemplated for seasons 3 and 4.”

It’s uncommon for one EP to second-guess another so publicly.

And Martin never shaded Weiss and Benioff in such a manner during GoT’s historic run.

Condal seemed to anticipate this criticism when he admitted during a recent podcast interview that he was forced to “make some compromises in rendering the story.”

Even so, he was probably caught off guard by the bluntness of Martin’s latest musings.

Meanwhile, GoT fans just wish the bearded steamboat-captain’s-hat enthusiast would focus some of this energy on completing his long-(long-, long-)awaited Winds of Winter novel!

The post George R.R. Martin Calls Out ‘Toxic’ Changes In Key House of the Dragon Storylines appeared first on TV Fanatic.

The series showed that massive audiences would respond to fantasy series with dense mythologies. It also included a massive number of characters and place names.

And even though the series eventually got beyond Martin’s published books, many fans were dissatisfied with how the series ended. But Game of Thrones remains mostly well-remembered. 

As with most popular franchises in the present day, the overseers of what is now Warner Bros. Discovery have sought to extend the franchise in additional directions and indefinitely into the future. 

Even though George R.R. Martin still has to finish the A Song of Ice and Fire series, he has written several other works set in that universe that are natural fits for adaptation. 

A look at the different series set in the Westeros universe: 

Game of Thrones 

The main Game of Thrones series ran for eight seasons, starting in 2011 and continuing through 2018. Created and run by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, it told a sprawling story.

It focused at first on the War of Five Kings and continued through the quest of Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) to recapture the throne for the Targaryen dynasty. 

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The series’ other major storylines included Tyrion Lannister’s (Peter Dinklage) quest for respect within his family and later his emergence as a political adviser.

There was also Jon Snow’s (Kit Harington) evolution from a bastard son of a Northern dynasty to a Night’s Watch recruit and King in the North.

The series built throughout to the clash between humanity and the army of White Walkers. 

An offscreen subplot throughout the years that Game of Thrones was on the air was whether the series would outrun the books before Martin could finish them. The series would beat the books to the end—it turned out, by several years. 

Game of Thrones spent most of its run as one of the most popular and pirated television shows. And it also stood astride major changes in the industry.

When it began, HBO was a premium cable channel. By its end, streaming was beginning to gain a foothold. The company first launched HBO G and later HBO Now. 

Bloodmoon/The Long Night 

Even before Game of Thrones ended, it was clear HBO wanted more shows set in its universe. At one point, the network announced that it was pursuing several different spinoffs simultaneously. 

The first one to reach a pilot did not go forward as a series. 

According to A Wiki of Ice and Fire, that particular series had the “production title” of Bloodmoon. It was also sometimes known as Game of Thrones: The Long Night.

The series was set thousands of years before the events of Game of Thrones during the “Age of Heroes.” Jane Goldman was the showrunner. 

HBO announced the pilot in June 2018. Naomi Watts, who plays Morven Casterly, is the biggest name in the cast. Other cast members included Josh Whitehouse, George Henley, Naomi Ackie, and Sheila Atim. 

They shot the pilot, although it didn’t quite work out well, and the network announced in October 2019 that it would not proceed.

On the same day, HBO announced that it was moving forward with a different prequel series, which received a straight-to-series order. 

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House of The Dragon 

That show was House of the Dragon, also a prequel but set much closer to the events of Game of Thrones, about 200 years before the War of Five Kings started. 

The series has direct source material in Martin’s 2018 book Fire and Blood, which depicts an intra-Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons.

Martin and Ryan Condal created the series, with Condal and Miguel Sapochnik serving as showrunners in the first season.

From the start, the series has been streaming on what was then HBO Max (now Max) in addition to HBO. 

One march is Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy), assisted by her uncle/husband Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith).

The other is King Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney), assisted by his mother Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke).   

The series also has many more dragons than Game of Thrones did. Dragons are a part of regular life in Westeros in that particular era. 

House of the Dragon debuted its first season in the summer of 2022, with the second season arriving in the summer of 2024, thanks to strike delays. HBO has announced that the show will run for four seasons. 

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms 

HBO announced in June of 2024 that the next series in the franchise, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, had begun production after it officially received an official order the year before. 

The show is based on Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas, starting with the first one, The Hedge Knight.

The series covers the adventures of a knight named Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his much shorter squire, Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), who is also a Targaryen prince. 

The series is set after the events of House of the Dragon but before those of Game of Thrones. The six-episode first season will air on HBO and Max in 2025. 

Untitled Aegon’s Conquest series

In February of 2024, HBO announced that it was developing a series about Aegon’s Conquest. Those were the events that led to the Targaryens first taking control of the Kingdom of Westeros.

Aegon the Conqueror was the first of many Targaryen kings named Aegon, whose conquest came before the events of House of the Dragon.

Mattson Tomlin, the screenwriter of The Batman, is writing the series, although the series still has not received a green light.

Snow 

In the years after Game of Thrones wrapped up, there were reports of a sequel about Jon Snow’s adventures following the main series. 

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However, the show was never greenlit, and Kit Harington revealed in an interview in 2024 that it was “no longer in active development.” 

“Currently, it’s off the table because we all couldn’t find the right story to tell that we were all excited about enough,” Harington said in an interview.

Other shows 

Those will unlikely be the last Game of Thrones spinoffs to arrive, but they are the only ones officially announced so far.

Among the series mentioned in development is The Sea Snake (also known as Nine Voyages), a show that focuses on the character of Lord Corlys Velaryon, played on House of the Dragon by Steven Toussaint.

Different versions have been either live-action or animated but have not been greenlit.

Another is Ten Thousand Ships, another potential prequel that would examine the history of Dorne, one of the more underdeveloped corners of the Seven Kingdoms.

The show was scrapped and then revived but is not officially moving forward.

As Martin wrote about in a blog post in 2022, an animated spinoff called The Golden Empire was also at one point in development, although there’s little indication it is still in the works.

There are a couple of thousand years of lore to explore.

That includes everything from Robert’s Rebellion to events after the end of Game of Thrones, which could be taken up by future series. 

The post Making Sense of the Game of Thrones Universe Spinoffs appeared first on TV Fanatic.

TV history is rife with bizarre and nonsensical occasions that make sense only within the numbers — sometimes, not even then.

Firefly is a legendary example of this. It had a loyal fanbase and critical acclaim, but Fox nonetheless cut its legs out from under it.

There are countless instances of relatively popular programs ending on massive cliffhangers, never to return.

Then there are the shows that audiences hate, yet a new season is in the works each and every year.

There’s a great deal of head-scratching here, so the ultimate answer is yes.

A show can succeed if viewers aren’t satisfied, and for several reasons that make more sense in context. The virulent nature of news, audience vs critical reactions, and, of course, money play their roles.

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People also tend to be forgetful. We’ll break it down further below, but Game of Thrones is a perfect example of this.

Audience Versus Critical Response and Rankings

Critical response tends to drive viewership rankings in the beginning, with a show’s initial success driven by viewers’ interest, which often comes from reading reviews.

When a show is bad, the audience plummets with each succeeding episode.

The Wheel of Time is an accurate illustration of this. Love it or hate it, 55.7% of the audience didn’t return for season 2, according to Nielsen’s weekly minutes viewed.

It also saw a massive drop at the week three mark and another significant drop at week four. The Rings of Power was stable from week one to two, dropped off somewhat in week three, and saw a more severe drop in week eight.

Despite this, Wheel of Time is returning for Season 3, and The Rings of Power will kick off another season as well. Successful? You be the judge.

The overall critical response for both shows is positive.

The Rings of Power holds an 83% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 38% audience score. The Wheel of Time, despite its massive drop-off, has a 70% audience score and an 83% critical score.

Despite the ups and downs, Amazon is heavily invested in the show and is reluctant to toss all that money into the garbage disposal.

The initial success of both shows is also a driving factor.

Plus, there is a degree of strategic decision-making, in terms of franchise potential, that we simply aren’t privy to.

The Forgetfulness of the Audience

Sometimes, it is astonishing to see a show’s massive success, only for viewers to loathe it a few years later. Game of Thrones is the show that immediately springs to mind.

Its final season, and arguably the two prior seasons, were rushed and nonsensical.

The quality of the dialogue took a nose dive, and the decision-making process among well-established characters went off the rails.

Now, whenever people talk about Game of Thrones, it’s the damning aspects of the final few seasons that infect the conversation.

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However, by every measure, Game of Thrones was a massive success.

House of the Dragon owes its existence to Game of Thrones. Even some of the shows Max ultimately canceled owe their considerations to the show that started it all.

Heroes, True Blood, Lost, Merlin, and The Sopranos are examples of the same, to varying degrees.

If the show leaves the audience with a bad taste in their mouths, all the good things that came before become irrelevant.

All of these shows were successful (some of them massively so) despite the current sentiment.

Successful Shows That Viewers Panned

Often, it’s difficult to tell the difference between review-bombing and overall fan dislike because two things can happen simultaneously.

Fans can react negatively to a show and review-bomb it.

On the other hand, showrunners and media coverage are more than capable of blaming review-bombing for distracting from relevant and extensive viewer dislike.

Star Trek Discovery ran from 2017 to 2024, a success in most measures.

Discovery may not be a groundbreaking, knock-down-doors, runaway success, but you don’t get nearly a decade of run time for an abysmal failure.

The Witcher makes for a weaker argument but is still part of the conversation.

Despite fan outcry over changes to the source material (and some of those changes are indeed extensive), the show is coming back for fourth and fifth seasons.

With Henry Cavill out and Liam Hemsworth filling the role, it’s hard to see if the show’s early success will translate to positive returns from the viewers.

Riverdale is another good example of a show finding success despite its viewers.

With nearly an equal runtime to that of Star Trek Discovery, Riverdale had a loyal fanbase, though its audience review score sits at 47%.

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Bad Shows Can Right the Ship

Lastly, there are popular series that didn’t begin that way.

A show’s success isn’t always dictated by a fantastic start, and viewers appreciate a comeback story.

Believe it or not, Full House didn’t start off as a great show that drew in viewers like a magnet.

After a lackluster first season, the showrunners made some alterations to the characters, including a haircut and a job change.

Fans originally felt that Fringe was nothing more than an X-Files ripoff.

Early on, It had a monster-of-the-week format, just like The X-Files.

It wasn’t until they ditched it in favor of a singular, more complex storyline that Fringe truly took off. This is especially true with the mystery of the alternate reality.

Other notable shows, such as Torchwood, Happy Days, Family Matters, and Parks and Recreation, fared badly out of the gate but recovered when changes were made.

Most shows will flounder when the going gets tough or disappear entirely after a rocky premiere season. But these prove that a show’s success can change despite the dissatisfaction of viewers.

However, it’s definitely not proof that it happens all the time or that there is any sense behind many of the decisions made throughout the entertainment industry.

Sometimes, shows just don’t work out, and sometimes, they do, despite the odds stacked against them.

Is there a show that grew on you over time or one that you initially couldn’t stand, only to change your mind later?

Drop a comment below and tell us your own experience!

The post Can a Show Be a Success if Viewers Aren’t Satisfied? appeared first on TV Fanatic.

No one wants to shake hands and drink with these fictional manifestations of all the worst characteristics. But visually indulging in their underhanded dealings and delightful sadism is just too entertaining to turn away.

Why rage, seething hatred, and ominous discomfort attract us time and time again is worth its own article. Civilized society has its caveats, after all.

Perhaps a Joffrey Baratheon lurks within the dark recesses of the seemingly inert portion of everyone’s gray matter.

Maybe it’s best to talk about the characters we find fun to watch but wouldn’t want to meet, leaving our inner psychosis to slumber away and, hopefully, never to awaken.

Joffrey Baratheon – Game of Thrones

It’s hard to imagine a more fun-to-watch individual than this colossal prick-made flesh. How in the world he made it through more than one season without Cersei strangling him to death is a valid question.

Of course, Cersei herself probably belongs on this list as well. No matter how bad Joffrey became or how potent the urge to rearrange that smug little face into interesting new shapes, we all tuned in to every episode.

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House of the Dragon’s Aegon and Aemond seem like caregivers at the local dog shelter beside the mulish, prattling, smug sadist-moron that is Joffrey.

Like a drooling imbecile with a proclivity for torture and off-handed sadomasochism, Joffrey marched through four seasons as we watched with bated breath, waiting to see what he would do next.

Ubba Ragnarsson – The Last Kingdom

There are a lot of villains that are fun to watch throughout The Last Kingdom’s five seasons and movie, though Ubba stands out from the rest.

It wasn’t necessarily that he was a seethingly hated character, similar to Joffrey. Ubba was the very picture of manic. No one knew what he might do.

His intimidation factor was fascinating, especially in front of Uhtred, a yet unchallenged (at least not by a seasoned warrior) fighter.

Rune Temte, who plays a warrior of another sort in Taika Waititi’s Time Bandits, was utterly chaotic. If this were a Dungeons and Dragons description, chaotic neutral is Ubba Ragnarsson.

The brains behind The Last Kingdom foreshadow him well through the first season, and he chews up his scenes with hilarity, insane and instant rage, calm dismissiveness, and dangerous undertones, all in less than a minute of screentime.

The Cigarette Smoking Man – The X-Files

This guy is on every list, and for good reason. He probably breaks the fourth wall to ensure his name is enshrined on every listicle, for good or bad.

His backstory is an enigma within a puzzle — a series of controversial conspiracies. The smoking man was always fun to watch, but he’s definitely not the guy you want to hang out with.

You might disappear, along with your entire bloodline, familial history, and your family dog for good measure.

All the vast secrets of the FBI, CIA, DHS, and (insert three-letter agency here) are hidden within the depths of his hippocampus and cerebellum.

The worst part about his shadowy machinations is that he believes himself to be in the right, destined to save humanity, only by sacrificing several billion or so. No biggie.

Harmony Cobel – Severance

Perhaps the most mysterious, insidious character to emerge from the minds behind Apple TV+’s Severance is Harmony Cobel. There’s definitely some shadowy psyche coiled behind that stone veneer and calm, dismissive gaze.

Until she throws a coffee cup at you or a raging scream explodes from her suddenly, for little reason.

Harmony is far from the top of the food chain at Lumon, but she is the floor manager, controlling the “Innie” lives of her severed underlings.

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She also plays the kindly neighbor to Mark Scout’s “Outie,” though there is something nosy and overly inquisitive about her eager eyes. As a worshiper of Eagan, her bedroom and cellar are the quintessential serial killer motif.

She may be fun to watch, but all of her scenes are laced with tortile vipers, slithering out from their restrained positions in the corners of the mind’s eye. Never underestimate Harmony.

Robert Sims – Silo

Fun to watch is an understatement when it comes to Common. The guy even went toe-to-toe with John Wick. That’s a heck of a pedigree all by itself.

His character, Robert Sims, is a shadowy agent of a hidden government, fascinating in a lot of ways, not least of which is the potential path for redemption.

Since he’s prone to throwing people off of stairwells thousands of feet in the air, right after hiring them, no less, is a good reason to avoid hanging out with the guy.

Robert Sims is an absolutely dedicated, no-BS, black-and-white head of security for the Judicial branch of the technocratic government pulling the strings in Silo.

He’s capable of going from 0 to 110% at any given moment, like a cobra luring its victim into a calm reticence before the lethal strike.

Donna Berzatto – The Bear

Donna Berzatto is stress and anxiety personified, buried within a show that is all about amplifying stressful situations. The few scenes in which Donna makes an appearance are enough to push viewers towards a physical heart attack.

Dealing with this sort of person in real life would be a travesty of epic proportions. Donna is not inherently bad. She only qualifies as a semi-sort-of-villain on The Bear because the show really doesn’t have a villain.

Donna is a self-made martyr, committing to or creating a cause and making herself the sacrificial center of it. She expects everyone else to alter the very fabric of their beings to cater to her atonement.

While there are several theories as to the psychological conditions she potentially suffers from, there’s little doubt she is an immediate whirlwind of chaos wherever she goes. She’s fun to watch and all, but only if you have an entire bottle of Scotch on hand.

Aemond Targaryen – House of the Dragon

You always have to be wary of the one person in the room who rarely speaks. When they do, it’s barely above a whisper. The fact that Aemond only has one eye makes it more difficult to ascertain the thoughts lurking behind that lone, glassy orb.

Aeomond commands the screen and draws all the attention in the room despite his often reserved demeanor.

As calm as he may seem, at times, he would not hesitate to mount his dragon and burn your home and family to ash and smoldering cinders if it boosted his Facebook profile.

His brother is a burnt, shallow ruin, and now, Aemond is king regent with the largest remaining dragon in the world. He’s a bit outnumbered now, so the ebb and flow of his emotional disposition is likely to change on a dime.

Aemond is fun to watch for his commanding presence, a far cry from his former role as a warrior monk and bastard son of a king in The Last Kingdom.

Dorothy Turner – Servant

It was a tough choice between Dorothy and Nell. Dorothy takes the cake, however, as she’s the one cooing to a plastic and rubber baby.

Her surface personality is all cheerful and sweet until you make an observation about that awful rubber baby in her hands.

Suffice it to say that Dorothy has gone through a severely traumatic experience. Understandable when you discover that you’re responsible for the death of your own child.

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Unfortunately, this makes Dorothy a very unstable person and not someone you want to spend time with around the dinner table each evening.

She’ll cheerfully welcome you into her home and fly into a manic rage with equally minimal effort.

Of course, that’s what makes Lauren Ambrose so much fun to watch in the role of Dorothy. You never know what you’re going to get from one moment to the next.

Quintis Benedictus Dio – The Chosen

Charismatic, talkative, witty, and subtly homicidal, Quintis strikes viewers as a man who is just as at home with a casual sarcastic joke as he is beheading you as a public spectacle.

He’s fascinating to watch. He’s not too bright but smart enough to manage the small portion of the Roman empire in Galilee.

Whether he’s thinking of ways to starve the local people out of their encampments or having a casual conversation over wine, Quintis never telegraphs his intentions, making him a dangerous individual.

As a Praetor throughout most of the series, he has the power to make life hard for just about anyone who crosses his path.

Quintis is proof that the maniacal strings of power are often bestowed upon the worst of humanity—the kind that laughs as they murder and exploit.

These fine, upstanding folks are a lot of fun to watch but not hang out with unless you prefer dangling your life and sanity on a string.

What do you think? Is there someone else (not necessarily a villain) who is a lot of fun to watch but you would avoid like the plague? Drop us a comment and let us know!

The post Fun to Watch But I Wouldn’t Want to Know Them appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Fans have been open about their feelings, taking to online forums to express disappointment with how the season ended.

Now that we’ve had some time to reflect, we’re ready to give the entirety of Season 2 an overall grade.

What We’re Rating about House of the Dragon Season 2

For this report card, we’re going to rank House of the Dragon Season 2’s best and worst episode, character, storyline, and relationship.

Stick around until the end because we have a few honorable mentions to throw in, too.

In the interest of full disclosure, House of the Dragon is one of my favorite shows.

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It’s not just because of the incredible cast, though they’re certainly a big part of what makes the show so great.

The first season was fast-paced, pulling off a major time jump halfway through the season.

The time jump required a large portion of the cast to be replaced with different actors, which was a considerable risk when fans had spent four episodes getting attached to folks like Millie Alcock, Emily Carey, and Ty Tennant.

The show handled the change incredibly well, and it didn’t take long for fans to fall in love with the actors playing the older versions of the main characters.

But as many disgruntled fans will tell you, House of the Dragon Season 2 did not keep up the same pace as the first installment.

In fact, sources tell us that Season 2 covered a mere 33 pages of “Fire and Blood,” the book on which the Game of Thrones spinoff is based.

There is certainly a lot of action that will now take place in the promised final two seasons.

But plenty of us were left quite bummed out when virtually nothing happened in the highly anticipated Season 2 finale.

Alas. There’s nothing to do about it but complain, I suppose, so let’s get into what we loved and hated about this season now that it’s behind us.

Best Episode: House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 4

Without question, the best episode of the season was House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 4.

Not only was it visually stunning, but Eve Best gave an absolutely mind-blowing final performance as Rhaenyra Targaryen (RIP).

It was the most action we saw all season, with an explosive battle between Rhaenyra, Aegon, Aemond, and their dragons.

We rated the episode five stars, and that’s not something we do lightly.

Worst Episode: House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 8

It should come as no surprise that House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 8 ranks at the bottom of this list.

Thanks to an intense buildup to a battle that didn’t happen, the 70-minute episode has been called an extended trailer for Season 3.

Showrunner Ryan Condal defended the decision to end the season on a low note, but I’m not sure it made much of a difference.

On the bright side, the cast gave several moving monologues in the episode, so at least we got to see some character development.

Best Character: Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen

If Rhaenyra Targaryen has no fans, it means I am dead.

Nothing could make me hate this character.

Rhaenyra has been through hell and back, and even as she fights for her rightful place on the Iron Throne, she struggles with how to do so as ethically as possible.

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Emma D’Arcy is possibly one of the best actors of the generation.

Their range is unmatched, and they’ve performed some of the most gut-wrenching emotions in visceral ways.

Regardless of how it turns out, Rhaenyra will always be the Queen to me.

Worst Character: Larys Strong

Could I have chosen someone like Aegon, who had all the rat catchers in King’s Landing hung for the crimes of one? Sure.

Maybe you’d have preferred the title of worst character to be awarded to Alicent. I get it; her maternal instincts leave much to be desired.

Sorry, but none of them hold a candle to this little freak.

Larys Strong is Season 2’s worst character because, frankly, he gives me the heebie-jeebies.

Between the foot worship blackmail (not to kink shame, but if the shoe fits) and the constant creepy political posturing, this guy is just the worst.

I could give him credit for being smart enough to leave town before things get crazy, but I won’t, because I hate him.

Best Storyline from House of the Dragon Season 2: Daemon Goes Off the Deep End

Okay, okay, hear me out: I know a lot of people hated Daemon’s little Harrenhal side quest, but I really enjoyed it.

His weird dreams and visions were entertaining (with the exception of one, but we’re never speaking about that one again).

Plus, he befriended the cool witchy goth girl, Alys Rivers, who landed a few good jokes during her scenes, breaking up the tension.

Simon Strong wouldn’t have become the icon he is without this storyline, either.

Simon’s petty digs at Daemon (like emphasizing the “consort” part of his royal title) ended up being some of my favorite lines all season.

Worst Storyline from House of the Dragon Season 2: Gawain Hightower Shows Up For … Reasons

Seriously, does anyone know why Gawain is here?

Or better yet, does anyone care?

Maybe his role in the books was more important, but his entire arc was pretty useless in House of the Dragon. My guess is he’ll join this list of characters no one remembers.

He and Criston Cole could have had a fun friendship that kept us entertained during their road trip scenes, but instead, they just bickered a lot. Annoying.

Best Relationship: Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen

Eve Best and Steve Toussaint are both phenomenal actors. The kind of chemistry they share is rarely seen on screen.

Their relationship may have ended with Rhaenys’s death, but Corlys and Rhaenys were a beautiful example of devotion.

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The two understood each other in a way that other couples on the show can’t seem to replicate.

In a lovely tribute and one of the only good parts of the finale, Corlys renamed his ship after his beloved wife: The Queen Who Never Was.

Worst Relationship: Daemon and Rhaenyra Targaryen

Even if you looked past the grooming, the incest, and the age gap, this couple would still be a great candidate for marriage counseling.

Daemon’s thirst for power caused him to come very close to betraying Rhaenyra, and if you ask me, she went way too easy on him.

Plus, we got the tiniest hint of a sapphic relationship when Rhaenyra and Mysaria kissed during House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 6, but it seems that relationship is doomed because Rhaenyra plans to stay with Daemon.

From almost the moment Daemon left for Harrenhal, Rhaenyra was suspicious of her husbuncle’s intentions.

She even went so far as to send someone to check in on him. Can you say, “trust issues?”

Plus, I don’t care how great you think he is. Fantasizing about his mother — nope, not going to go there. Suffice it to say that Rhaenyra deserves better.

Honorable Mention — Coolest Cameo: Daenerys Targaryen

As promised, there are a few honorable mentions that I couldn’t leave out of my full-season review.

The winner of House of the Dragon Season 2’s coolest cameo is none other than Daenerys Targaryen.

We only saw a brief glimpse of her from behind while her baby dragons crawled over her.

It was in Daemon’s godswood vision, and as far as we can tell, it wasn’t Emilia Clarke in the role.

But it was still a cool nod to the beloved Game of Thrones character as her ancestor saw centuries into the future.

Honorable Mention — Best Dragon: Sunfyre

Sunfyre was Aegon’s beautiful golden dragon.

As far as anyone knows, she died after Aemond and Vhaegar attacked Aegon and Rhaenys simultaneously.

She may have had a total wanker as a bonded human, but Sunfyre’s energy was that of a golden retriever.

The scene where Aegon goes to get her before taking her into battle shows Sunfyre nuzzling him with her snout in a loving gesture.

She was a good girl, and she deserved better.

Honorable Mention: Best Composer

Fine, this is an easy one, given the fact that there was only one composer.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Ramin Djawadi puts his whole heart and soul into the music he creates.

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There is something incredibly energizing about the intro song. There’s no wonder it was recycled from Game of Thrones.

The powerful score behind the show’s scenes brings drama and emotion. Honestly, House of the Dragon wouldn’t be the same without it.

House of the Dragon Season 2 Overall Grade: B-

It’s never easy to criticize the things you love, even when they disappoint you.

The season came to an abrupt halt and left us wanting more in the end. That said, it was still one of the best parts of the summer.

I’m giving it a B- because if the finale had delivered what I hoped for, the season would have been as close to perfect as it gets.

Most of the episodes came close to getting a rare 5-star rating. You can see for yourself by looking through my reviews.

Sadly, that 2.5-star finale brought down the overall grade. But hey, there’s always next season.

Now It’s Your Turn

What did you think about the season overall?

Do you agree with our grade, or would you go higher or lower?

Did anything in particular stand out about the season that we might have missed?

Let us know all your thoughts in the comments! We’re counting down the days (okay, years) until we can reconvene for House of the Dragon Season 3.

The post House of the Dragon Season 2 Report Card: A Slow Hike to Nowhere appeared first on TV Fanatic.

It’s been fewer than 24 hours since it aired, but the response from fans online has been nothing short of scathing.

Maybe that’s why the showrunner felt the need to explain himself.

Honestly, the episode was altogether unmemorable and anticlimactic.

None of the excitement we expected happened, even after a slow season of character development and buildup.

Now that reviewers (myself included) and fans have voiced disappointment with the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale, a defense campaign has begun.

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Ryan Condal, showrunner and co-creator of the HBO hit, spoke candidly during a press conference about the finale and the show’s future.

Despite waiting for the entire short season for a massive battle, the powers that be made the call to roll credits right before things got good.

Condal ultimately blamed the production’s lack of “infinite time and resources” for how the season ended.

“As a showrunner, you’re always in the position of having to balance storytelling and the resources you have available to tell that story,” said Condal.

He went on to promise that the Battle of the Gullet was coming and swore that it would be worth the wait.

But we’re talking about one of HBO’s most popular shows.

It has a deeply devoted fan base.

To many of us, Condal’s defense feels like a copout and a slap in the face.

We waited two years for House of the Dragon Season 2, and there’s no telling when Season 3 will arrive.

Condal says they expect to start production on the third installment in early 2025.

However, we all know how quickly schedules change in this industry.

And look — I don’t mean to sound entitled by any means.

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I’m absolutely aware of the amount of work that goes into developing massive projects like these.

The cast and crew have produced incredible work, and I have zero beef with them.

That said, we deserved better than that ending.

Condal swears that the forthcoming battle will be “the biggest thing to date” that House of the Dragon has produced.

But if his best defense for delivering a dead-end season finale is that he wanted to “build some anticipation” for the Battle of the Gullet, then was the intention always for Season 2 to be filler content?

It would explain why the season felt so slow.

That theory may also be why certain episodes focused on details that hardly seemed worthy of the screen time they consumed.

House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 4 gave fans the most action we saw all season.

We all figured that with a midseason episode that incredible, the season finale should have been epic.

It sounds like the show will end with Season 4, so now there’s a shared concern among fans that the next two seasons will be rushed.

There’s still quite a bit of the “Fire and Blood” story to be told.

Will two more seasons be enough, especially after virtually nothing happened in Season 2?

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There are two other Game of Thrones prequels in the works (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and Aegon’s Conquest).

Clearly, HBO is going all-in on George R. R. Martin’s work.

Given the letdown we experienced last night, it’s hard to stay hopeful about these new projects.

Are we in for more shows that will start off great and break our hearts with an underwhelming ending?

Let us know in the comments if you think Condal’s explanation is enough to justify the wait for the Battle of the Gullet!

The post House of the Dragon Showrunner Defends Season 2 Finale: “We Don’t Do Any of This Stuff Lightly.” Is It Too Little, Too Late? appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Dear old Alicent Hightower was presented with this question in the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale, and boy, did she get it wrong.

It’s genuinely painful to write this review after what was quite possibly the most disappointing season finale of a TV show I’ve ever seen.

And no, Game of Thrones doesn’t count.

A Few Good Notes on House of the Dragon Season 2 Finale

First, the good news: there were some high points throughout the episode, driven largely by the cast.

Emma D’Arcy, Fabien Frankel, Olivia Cooke, Ewan Mitchell, Phia Saban, and Abubakar Salim stood out with remarkably delivered monologues and believable emotions.

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As always, Ramin Djawadi deserves his flowers for the score, which remains one of the best parts of the show.

And despite minimal real action in the finale, the team behind bringing the dragons to life did a phenomenal job of making them seem like a realistic part of the landscape.

Unfortunately, that’s about all I’ve got for praise, as hard as that is to write.

A Disappointing End to the Season

If you’ve been following my reviews this season, you know how much I love this show.

The entire season has been a thrill to watch, laying the groundwork for what fans expected to be an absolute bombshell finale.

That’s just not what we got.

Sure, there were some notable events, including Daemon’s big change of heart after his vision at the Godswood.

His reaffirmed allegiance to Rhaenyra is great because it cuts down on a lot of what would have been unnecessary drama for House of the Dragon Season 3.

Alfred Broome’s quiet shuffle into the crowd got a chuckle out of me, too. Now he gets to sleep with one eye open, wondering if betraying Rhaenyra will come back to bite him.

Families Fall Apart in the House of the Dragon Season 2 Finale

Ewan Mitchell was serving attitude as Aemond Targaryen in the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale. It may be the most emotion we’ve seen out of him in a while.

He’s learned he can’t force his sister to mount Dreamfyre and rush into battle for him, and Helaena also gave him a taste of his future. Who knows if he believes her, but he’s definitely freaked out.

Aemond also realized that Rhaenyra now has a distinct advantage over him, even with Vhaegar in tow. Her advantage will soon grow, as well, now that it seems Rhaena has found a wild dragon to bond with.

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As for Aegon, no one can blame him for fleeing with Larys. Side note: if I was Aegon, I’d probably keep a sock on that exposed foot with Larys roaming around the castle, but that’s me.

It took some convincing, but playing on Aegon’s ego was the winning strategy for Larys to get the bedridden king out of King’s Landing.

Yawn.

This Just In: No One Cares About Cole or Lannister

The episode spent a baffling amount of time tracking Tyland Lannister as he built up his army.

I’m a fan of the newly introduced Master of Ships and her many wives (let’s go, LGBTQ+ representation!). Still, what is it about Lannister and his new crew that deserved so much screen time?

Meanwhile, after realizing what was obvious to everyone else, Gawain started a fight with Criston Cole.

So, he’s sleeping with your sister. Don’t we have bigger fish to fry?

Cole certainly thinks so.

He launched into a monologue that was equal parts haunting and bleak. He’s definitely planning to die in this war.

Mistakes Were Made

Despite being given ample opportunity, Corlys still failed to admit that Addam of Hull is his bastard son.

He also hasn’t identified his other son, Alyn, as another possible dragon rider.

Alyn (Abubakar Salim)’s monologue about growing up fatherless was beautiful, though.

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Salim’s performance in the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale outpaced anything he’s done on the show so far.

Corlys may be keeping secrets, but he did warn Rhaenyra about the Greens’ other potential dragon and dragon rider threats.

In a move that was completely and totally out of character, Rhaenyra dismissed those concerns.

It truly didn’t make any sense. Rhaenyra? The queen of being underestimated?

Surely she knows better than to brush off her Hand’s very legitimate worries about things that could cost her, well, everything?

Her new dragon riders have clearly given Rhaenyra a confidence boost, which is great. But at a certain point, it’s just arrogance that can’t lead to anything good.

Daemon Comes Around in the House of the Dragon Season 2 Finale

Before returning his loyalties to Rhaenyra, Daemon’s Godswood-induced vision was a cool glimpse into the distant future.

We got several Game of Thrones easter eggs, including a shot of Daenerys Targaryen and her baby dragons and one of the famed Three-Eyed Raven.

Daemon saw Rhaenyra on the throne and thus realized his role was to support her quest to get there.

Alicent’s Last Resort

In probably the most exciting part of the episode, a panicked Alicent shows up at Dragonstone in the middle of the night.

In my review of House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 7, I mentioned that she should definitely do that but didn’t think she actually would.

Alicent had to put aside years of built-up pride to fall at Rhaenyra’s feet the way she did. Then, she showed she could cast aside much more than just pride.

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Offering easy access to the Iron Throne was a bold move. Rhaenyra correctly asserted that in order to be taken seriously as a conqueror, she’d have to kill Aegon.

SO ALICENT AGREED TO LET HER DO JUST THAT.

I know we’ve established that Alicent isn’t exactly going down in history as a wonderful mother, but damn.

Unfortunately for all of us, we’ll have to wait to find out if this new plan will come to fruition.

It was the least action-packed episode of the season, and that made for a giant bummer.

Sure, the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale set up Season 3 to kick off quickly and dramatically, but that doesn’t change the fact that virtually nothing happened in this episode.

I think 2.5 stars is the lowest rating I’ve ever given an episode. As much as I hate rating it so low, this finale just didn’t do it for me.

So, now it’s your turn. What did you think of the finale? Were you disappointed, or was there enough going on to keep you satisfied until Season 3?

Let us know in the comments, and thanks for sticking with us this season!

The post House of the Dragon Season 2 Finale Review: This is How it Ends appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Some of TV’s dysfunctional families are so messed up that we probably wouldn’t want to join their family tree, while others are chaotic, love hard, and are often entertaining.

Here is TV Fanatic’s list of the 13 TV most dysfunctional families.

The Bunkers (All in the Family)

When All in the Family came out, dysfunctional families on TV didn’t exist.

Sitcoms were almost always portraying “typical” families, which really weren’t. Every family has some degree of conflict or dysfunction.

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Archie Bunker took that to another level because he ignored his wife, Edith.

Meanwhile, he treated his adult daughter Gloria like a child, causing both of them to walk on eggshells around him more often than not.

Then, there was all the verbal sparring he did with Gloria’s husband, whom he always called “Meathead.”

The Bundys (Married…With Children)

Archie Bunker may have pioneered the dysfunctional TV dad, but Married with Children had four willing participants in the dysfunctional antics, which gave it an entirely different feel.

The parents, Peg and Al, and their teenage kids, Bud and Kelly, mostly agreed that they hated their lives. They were always short on cash, bickering, insulting, and even ignoring each other.

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There was very little actual decent parenting involved.

That whole combination of Peg’s stripper-like outfits, Al practically living on the sofa when he wasn’t at work, and Bud and Kelly constantly making up stupid, unsupervised schemes made the show hilarious.

It also helped put FOX on the map back in the day.

The Sopranos (The Sopranos)

It really can’t get more dysfunctional than a crime boss and his family.

Tony Soprano, the dad, was always trying to balance his actual family life with his crime family life, which was full of violence and created even more of a mess, especially due to his bad temper. 

He even had to see a therapist because his stress levels got so high while he was trying to balance his crime boss duties with family issues.

The Bristows (Alias)

So much of the early part of Alias focused on repairing the strained relationship between Jack and Sydney and learning to work together.

Once they finally made some progress, Irina Derevko resurfaced and attempted to kill Sydney in their first meeting.

Sydney was reluctant to trust her mother, but both her parents strived to protect her from the other. This opens a new can of family secrets that were solved with angst, threats, and drama.

This family put the fun in dysfunction, and it was disappointing that Irina (Lena Olin) was only a series regular in Season 2. Storylines were so much more dramatic and entertaining when she was around.

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The Luthors (Smallville)

The Luthors brought entertainment to Smallville, but they were sometimes downright evil.

They were all capable of murder, as Lex learned during Season 3 that Lionel had killed his own parents, Elza and Lachlan Luthor. He had Lionel sent to prison so he could take over LuthorCorp.

Lionel and Lex always played cat and mouse for power and information, especially about Clark’s secrets.

Father and son kept information on each other’s heads and sent each other to prison and Belle Reve numerous times.

In a final showdown, Lionel fell out the mansion window and died. In Season 8, Lex tried to train a new protégé and his half-sister, Tess Mercer, to follow his ways until Lana warned Tess about Lex. Tess eventually joined the superheroes, and Lex killed her, too.

The Roys (Succession)

Money can make life easier, but it can also complicate relationships. The Roy family of HBO’s Succession is a prime example of this phenomenon.

Maybe if he’d worked in a steel mill, Logan Roy would’ve been the perfect dad. Instead, he founded a media empire and used his power almost exclusively for evil.

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Logan particularly delighted in pitting his kids against each other, a situation that resulted in at least three and a half very damaged psyches.

His decision to move out West might have saved actual “oldest boy” and sourdough enthusiast Conor Roy from being completely destroyed by his father’s machinations.

The Bluths (Arrested Development)

It’s possible that no family represents as many different types of dysfunctions as the Bluths of Arrested Development. Sure, with the possible exceptions of Michael and his son, George Michael, they’re all absurdly out of touch, but each Bluth is delusional differently.

 Take Buster and Gob, for example:  One thinks the world is out to get him, and the other thinks the world is his playground. Somehow, they’re both right. We learned many important lessons from the Bluths.

There’s always money in the banana stand; loose seals can be surprisingly vicious, and, of course, there’s no limit to how bad parenting and childhood trauma can mess someone up for life.

The Lannisters (Game of Thrones)

 A Lannister always pays his debts. Unless he owes his kids a debt for how horribly he messed them up.

Like the Roys and the Bluths, the Lannisters are never short of cash but deeply lacking in the humanity department.

To be fair, Tyrion is a good dude despite being overly fond of wine and prostitutes, and Jaime experiences flashes of humanity.

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But they both turned out okay despite Tywin’s dictatorial parenting, not because of it.

While her love for her kids might be her saving grace, Cersei is so broken by the family dynamic, so eager to please her father by amassing power, that she ultimately proves incapable of protecting her offspring.

The Targaryens (House of the Dragon)

You’d expect to find a lot of fiery tempers in a family that keeps dragons as pets. But even by Westerosi standards, the Targaryens are a very angry bunch.

And because they control the medieval equivalent of nuclear weapons, they’re capable of doing a whole lot of damage — both to themselves and to the world around them.

Viewers who were confused by Daenerys Targaryen’s sudden heel turn in the final season of Game of Thrones might feel that House of the Dragon has provided some crucial context.

The war of succession depicted on HotD took place nearly 200 years before the Khaleesi was born, but generational dysfunction can be as resilient as a giant flying lizard.

The Duttons (Yellowstone)

Why are the wealthiest families always the most screwed up? When we think of emotionally unstable rich people, we usually imagine them sweating through their Armani suits, like Kendall Roy.

But the Duttons of Yellowstone prove that neuroses can also exist in wide open spaces.

The Duttons’ story has yet to wrap up.

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Still, we know that the climactic battles will not involve family patriarch John Dutton, as Kevin Costner has left the ranch for good, partly due to tension between himself and showrunner Taylor Sheridan.

We guess all that family drama boiled over into real life!

The Tejadas (Power Book II: Ghost)

 One of the most powerful drug-dealing families in New York also happens to be the most dysfunctional in a series filled with less-than-stellar familial dynamics.

With her husband Lorenzo in jail, Monet held down the fort, but her family began to fall apart while the business prospered.

While some of the kids have resisted falling in line and not pursuing their dreams, others have done what Monet asked, which has caused a lot of resentment and pain.

Monet orchestrating Lorenzo’s eventual death has created a chasm in the family that may not ever be fixed.

The Lyons (Empire)

With great power clearly comes family discord and drama, and the Lyons understand this well.

The matriarch and patriarch of this family have one of the most convoluted dynamics ever, both straddling two different worlds, a street life full of secrecy and violence and a drug dealing past with the wheeling and dealing fast life of managing the most dynamic entertainment agency.

Lucious’s conniving demeanor often stokes family issues. He pits his very different sons against one another while dangling the family empire above them to determine which is worthy of upholding the family legacy and taking over.

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Meanwhile, Cookie, the Brains behind everything who never got her just desserts, often volleys between trying to keep her sons together and weaponizing them against Lucious.

The Lyons drama is pure Shakespearean levels of dysfunction; rightly so, it’s inspired by King Lear, after all.

The Gallaghers (Shameless)

When you think of dysfunctional families, you think of the Gallaghers from Shameless. The series focused primarily on the chaotic and alcoholic patriarch Frank Gallagher and his many offspring.

The eldest, Fiona, suffered the most from her dad’s alcoholism and neglect and her mom’s outright abandonment and raising her younger siblings from the time she was a child. She finally was granted legal guardianship of them, but Frank still had custody, too.

Most of the children suffered the effects of not getting enough parental attention. Ian struggled with bipolar depression, Debbie became a teen mom, and Carl had issues with drugs before going to military school.

These were only a few of the dysfunctional TV families. Did we cover your favorite? Who else would you have included?

Let us know in the comments below.

The post 13 of TV’s Most Dysfunctional Families appeared first on TV Fanatic.