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100 FEMALE TV CHARACTERS
(In alphabetical order by first name because, well, A) it would take me about 100 years to try to rank these 100 ladies, but more importantly, B) I want this to be more about celebrating how awesome these ladies all are and not about who's the best or whatever. And it's by first name instead of last because of the way I had my spreadsheet organized. And yes, I used a spreadsheet to figure this all out. It was the only way to narrow this down to 100 and keep track of everyone!!! I'm still afraid I might be forgetting someone I really love who should've made the list.)
41. Faith Lehane (Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel)
Faith: The road to redemption is a rocky path.
Angel: That it is.
Faith: Think we might make it?
Angel: We might.
I talked about my Faith feelings before here so I'm pretty much just going to echo what I said then, but ugh, Faith!!! Perfect narrative arc!!!!!! I love characters growing and developing, and her arc is just wonderful to me. She has one of the greatest redemption arcs, and my only complaint is that we couldn't see more of it. I wish she had become a regular character on Angel and we could've gotten more of her and her relationships with Angel and Wesley, but regardless, what we did get was excellent.
42. Fiona Gallagher (Shameless)
Fiona: We were living out of a car once. Uncle Nick had kicked us out, couldn’t find anyone else who’d take us in. Lip and Ian and me were sleepin’ in the backseat when Frank pulled over. Told me to take the boys and sit on the curb and he’d be right back. I was six. Few hours later, we’re still sittin’ on the sidewalk and Ian’s head is burning up. He’s hysterical, I don’t know what to do, so I ran down the street. Lip under one arm, Ian under the other, trying to flag down help. Would have been easier scoring crack than a ride to the clinic. I finally made it on foot. They said Ian had a fever of 104. Another couple hours, who knows. I didn’t find Frank until a couple days later. First thing he asks me was how much money I had on me. I wish I could say that was the only time, but it was just the first. My mother’s bipolar, and my father’s an alcoholic and an addict. He takes what he pleases and he offers nothing. No money, no support. I’ve done what I could to help raise my siblings. I wish I could’ve done more. I’m not asking for your pity or your admiration. I just want to be able to give these kids everything they deserve because they’re great kids. And they deserve better.
Fiona!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ugh I can't even begin to express my love for Fiona Gallagher. She is basically the only reason I am still even watching Shameless. She is just such a wonderful character. The love she has for her family is just awe-inspiring. I love how devoted she is to them and how she has dedicated herself to this role of raising them all and really never complains about it or considers doing anything else. Plus, Emmy Rossum is stunning and deserves all the awards.
43. Georgia Lass (Dead Like Me)
George: Life sucks, and then you die. And then it still sucks.
I think I first watched this show when I was like a sophomore or junior in high school, and I am definitely finding that I relate an increasingly frightening amount to George with each year. I just love how George wastes her life and ends up finding new meaning in death, while also realizing what she had with her family when she was alive and how she took them for granted. And found families are my favorite, so I just love the family she forms with with Rube and everyone. Her snark and deadpan also deeply speaks to me.
44. Jane Kerkovich-Williams (Happy Endings)
Jane: For the record, I'm not entirely sure that I'm not the universe.
It took me several episodes to really warm to this show, but Jane was definitely my first favorite. I love what a Type A personality she is and how she has to be in control of everything, but also how much she loves every single member of this group and how she would fight for (but also sometimes against) any one of them. And Brad and her are definitely the best marrieds!!! I'm also pretty sure that she is the universe.
45. Jaye Tyler (Wonderfalls)
Mahandra: What happened to you?
Jaye: I got into a fight with a middle-aged Texas housewife in the course of performing a good deed.
Mahandra: Why were you doing a good deed?
Jaye: I wanted to see what it felt like.
Jaye is another character I'm finding myself relating to more and more with time (what is it about Bryan Fuller leading ladies???). I love her dynamic with each member of her family, and her friendship with Mahandra is the greatest. I also love how the figurines and stuff talking to her isn't something she at all chose (and basically had to be dragged kicking and screaming into going along with), but they talk to her because she listens, and she does start going along with it and realizing the good she can do by listening to them. And she can be cutting and nasty at times, and I think that's kind of great? Plus, the snark!
46. Jess Day (New Girl)
Jess: Ugh! What am I gonna do? I guess I'll just have to use my eyes, hair, boobs, legs, and adorable personality. Fool.
Oh god, Jess!!!! It's crazy to think about how Jess was one of the major reasons I didn't continue with the show after first watching the pilot and was the main hurdle for me to get past in falling for this show, and now I would probably choose her as my favorite from this show??? Yes, even over Nick!!! Who I do love infinite amounts, but man, Jess!!! There's just something about her!!! She is awkward and dorky at times, but I love how completely comfortable she is with who she is, and how she made this family with these 3 dudes (found families!!!), and the love she has for all of them and Cece.
47. Jess Merriweather (Friday Night Lights)
Vince: You didn’t think about me? Not even a little bit?
Jess: You wish I thought about you.
ugh, the Gen 2 kids!!! idk if this is a popular or unpopular opinion, but the Gen 2 kids are easily my favorites. I often overlook Jess with my love for Becky and Vince, but man, Jess was stunning as well. I love that she's passionate about football and orchestrates getting the... whatever job that was (I want to say equipment manager?), but she's also allowed to be feminine and be part of the spirit squad (or whatever) stuff in season 4. AND HER RELATIONSHIP WITH VINCE, UGH. Future Coach and Mrs. Coach!!! I love how supportive she is of him, but she also doesn't take any crap from him. I feel like I should have more to say about her than I do, but it's been too long since I watched seasons 4-5 and I'm blanking on details, which clearly means I am due for a rewatch. But yeah, man, Jess is wonderful.
48. Joan Holloway (Mad Men)
Joan: I've been thinking about it and... I want you to go.
Greg: I'm glad you came around. It's only a year.
Joan: No, I want you to go and never come back.
Greg: Damn it, Joanie, they need me.
Joan: Well, then it works out because we don't.
Joan!!! Is there anyone who doesn't adore Joan? I've always loved her, but I feel like her arc the past couple seasons has been particularly fascinating and wonderful. I particularly loved her storyline this season with seeing opportunity and nabbing an account because she is concerned about her future with the firm, and the parallels between her arc and Peggy's are just endlessly interesting to me. Plus, it's always wonderful to see Joan lay a smackdown on someone. Her line to Don about, "If I could stand him, you could," or whatever it was about the Jaguar guy this season was possibly my favorite moment of this season.
49. Jules Cobb (Cougar Town)
Jules: It’s like my life is flashing before my eyes! I should have drank more wine.
I love everyone in the Culdesac Crew and all their relationships with each other, and Jules is definitely the glue that holds them all together. She's just such a warm and loving person to everyone in the group, and I also enjoy how unapologetic she is for who she is. I should also specifically mention her friendship with Ellie, because it is the actual greatest!!!
50. Julie Taylor (Friday Night Lights)
Julie: I know that you guys think that I'm young and that I'm making the wrong decision and I'm gonna drop out of college or whatever, but that's not me and you guys should know that. It's about getting to spend the rest of my life with my best friend. I want you to be on my side and trust me that I'm making the right decision.
I feel like a lot of people dislike Julie, or at least got really annoyed with her at times during the series (namely seasons 2 and 5), but I just always loved her. She can be a bit of a brat at times, but she's such a teenage girl, and I mean that in the best way. I love that she's allowed to make mistakes, and even though I cringed when she slept with her married T.A. because I knew that path could go nowhere good, I still completely felt what she was feeling and loved that she was able to come back from the heartbreak and humiliation stronger. And her relationship with Matt is just one of the sweetest high school romances I've ever seen.
Previous posts: 1-10, 11-20, 21-30, 31-40.
I'm finally to the halfway point with my 100 Ladies list! I feel like this is a good time to mention that I first made this list in June of 2012, and I didn't want to make additions and adjustments after the list was set, including female characters introduced to me post-June 2012, which is why this particular post is missing Joan Watson, for example, as she would definitely make my list if I were making it today. But it's just too complicated to try to adjust the list to add new awesome female characters when I'm already halfway through it. Maybe I'll do a sort of addendum to my list after I get through the rest. This is assuming I can pick up the pace a little and get through the rest of the list by the end of the year, though. Anyways, real post to come sometime in the next couple days. Hope everyone is having a good weekend!!!