Tuesday, August 02, 2011

My Favorite TV Villains

Anything that isn't the federal budget. I was going to a "best" list except my favorites rarely show up other people's lists. This is a personal list (suck it if you don't agree) and in no particular order.

Callisto (Xena)
To me, it is important to love your work and nobody loved being a murderous warlord like Callisto. She always had an insane smile on her face as she thrust a dagger into someone's heart. A shark jumping moment in the series was when they made mad Callisto an angel.

Dr. Miguelito Loveless

But only the Michael Dunn version from the original Wild Wild West. Dr. Loveless was a deranged megalomaniac who wanted to take over the world just to make it a better place. He proved that you could be an evil genius and still be a perfect gentleman.

Wo Fat (Hawaii 5-0)
The original Wo Fat played by Khigh Dhiegh is far better than the version in the current series. Communist Chinese agent, evil mastermind, Fu Manchu look-alike, Wo Fat was the one criminal that Steve McGarrett could never defeat. One thing I loved is the respect that McGarrett and  Wo Fat had for each other, enemies ought to respect each other.

Angelus (Buffy, the Vampire Slayer)
There were so many great villains on Buffy - Dark Willow, the Mayor, Glory, Spike, Drusilla. But that half season when Angel lost his soul and became Angelus was special. Angelus would inflict the most vile torments "with a song in his heart." What made it special is that Buffy was in love with someone who had become an unforgivable monster.

#6 (Battlestar Galactica)
No, not Gaius Baltar who was mostly a wuss. Number 6 would kill without remorse because she was a machine. She could seduce without falling in love because she was a machine. And she was that really hurtful voice in Baltar's brain that could always seduce him into doing something horrible.

Angélique (Dark Shadows)
Lara Parker from the original soap opera. Dark Shadows was so low budget they would never do a second take so all kinds of mistakes from boom mics and stage hands in the frame to horribly flubbed dialogue would passed through. Angélique was a witch who had cursed Barnabas Collins, making him a vampire. And she had this wonderful maniacal laugh whenever she had done something evil, which was frequently. She would laugh until she had to suck in air to continue laughing. It was cute as a puppy.

The Brain (Pinky and the Brain)
Two lab rats - one is a genius, the other insane. The genius has only one goal, proving his mousy worth through global conquest
Brain: We must prepare for tomorrow night. 
Pinky: Why? What are we going to do tomorrow night? 
Brain: The same thing we do every night, Pinky - try to take over the world!

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