The best TV villain of 2011

[1001001]

Jessica Lange on American Horror Story, for sure...the final minutes of the season finale cement her as a villian, even if ya decide to ignore everything else in the series!

Her speech at the beauty parlor should win her the prize....

 

[Spot's Meow]

I would say the whole cast of American Horror Story besides the three Harmons. The queen/mayor and Rumpelstiltskin from Once Upon a Time were very good as well.

 

[ArcherFanForever]

I'd go with that villian that Zachary Quinto played on Heroes....

 

[Obiwanshinobi]

Sylar, but I think that show ended in 2010. So unless you meant his character on American Horror Story, technically doesn't count.

 

[od0_ital]

And his character on AHS wasn't really a villian, more of a victim, in life & death...poor gay bastard.

 

[Enterprise is Great]

The guy who greenlit NBC's Fall schedule.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

The guy who greenlit NBC's Fall schedule.

Poor Bob Greenblatt, he wasn't hired soon enough to do anything about the fall disaster! Let's see if he can turn things around starting with midseason, but really, it's 2012-13 that's the test for him.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Cersei and Jaime (or Jamie, as all the actors insist on calling him) Lannister in Game Of Thrones as a tie.

 

[Anwar]

Prince Joffrey, Gus at least got you to respect the guy somewhat. Joffrey is just utterly detestable, chaotic, and his actions have set in motion events that will kill thousands.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Prince Joffrey, Gus at least got you to respect the guy somewhat. Joffrey is just utterly detestable, chaotic, and his actions have set in motion events that will kill thousands.

Joffrey's only a kid brought up by incestuous maniacs - he doesn't know any better, cos Cersei and Jaime have made him like that.

 

[Roger Wilco]

Could say the same thing about Cersei/Jaimie and Tywin Lannister.

At some point you have to take responsibility for your own actions. And in the ASOIAF universe Joffrey is plenty old enough to be beyond that line.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Could say the same thing about Cersei/Jaimie and Tywin Lannister.

At some point you have to take responsibility for your own actions. And in the ASOIAF universe Joffrey is plenty old enough to be beyond that line.

True...

But then I'm also picking my choice of villains based on the acting performances, and Lena Headey, in particular, is bloody good at being bad, if you see what I mean.

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

I would mention the Silence on Doctor Who but I don't think anyone remembers them.

John Goodman on "Community" has been pretty awesome as the series first real villain.

Pierce Hawthorne was pretty villainous in Season 2. He convinced a bunch of at-risk kids that drugs were cool in "Celebrity Pharmacology 212." He was the equivalent of a corrupt Western mayor in "A Fistful of Paintballs." And he was relentlessly cruel to Fat Neil in "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons."

"I can't hear you over the sound of me rubbing his sword on my balls."

"For my turn, I rape the Dusquene family... again."

"I won. I won Dungeons & Dragons, and it was Advanced!"

 

[Anwar]

Weird thing is, the audience seem to think Jeff is more of a villain than Pierce when he's done little to nothing to earn that title.

 

[Harvey]

...what audience has been saying that? Jeff can be a dick sometimes, but not nearly on Pierce's level.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Could say the same thing about Cersei/Jaimie and Tywin Lannister.

At some point you have to take responsibility for your own actions. And in the ASOIAF universe Joffrey is plenty old enough to be beyond that line.

Oh, and I meant to say, most of Joffrey's villainy in the ASOIAF universe is *after* Game Of Thrones - I certainly expect to be nominating him for the villain of 2012, once we get properly into his Caligula-type reign. *If* the actor can do well enough, that is...

 

[Anwar]

Believe me, Jack Gleeson has been doing a GREAT job as Joffrey. He may be on the same level as Peter Dinklage, but because the character he plays is so loathsome he gets overlooked.

I'm still mad Mark Addy didn't even get an Emmy nomination for King Robert.

 

[Kegg]

Oh, and I meant to say, most of Joffrey's villainy in the ASOIAF universe is *after* Game Of Thrones

Hang on now.

Spoiler: Game of Thrones Season 1

He kills Ned Stark. They were going to let him free, but he decides to be merciful and kills him after the theatrical pleading for his life.

Joffrey does do a lot in the books but I think he's got a pretty credible case for vileness and a decent contender for best TV villain and yes Jack Gleeson has been hitting him out of the park, he's one of the best young actors in a series unusually strong with them.

All this said, I have to go with Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister, also from Game of Thrones and from the same wonderful, generous family. In a series full of menacing political figures, he was by far the most chilling.

That is if I'm going with series based on when they first aired anywhere in the world as opposed to when they may or may not have first aired on UK/Irish TV. If considering the latter, and since I'm honestly uncertain if Big Love has ever been aired here before last year's SkyAtlantic coverage...

I'd go for Hary Dean Stanton's memorably creepy and self-righteous turn as polygamist patriarch and prophet Roman Grant from that show. Definitely the best villain I saw on TV last year by a very generous margin, no doubt in part because I don't quite have it in me to call Veda Pierce from Mildred Pierce a villain, although she... certainly inspires a special loathing.

 

[Lonemagpie]

The kid isn't doing it for me - looks too much like they're trying to get a Draco Malfoy lookalike...

Charles Dance is brilliant as Tywin though!

(On a side note, with Sean Bean out of it, I wonder who'll get top billing this year? I'm guessing Lena Headey)

 

[Anwar]

Thing is, Joffrey was created BEFORE Draco and his appearance (as described by the books) fits with Jack Gleeson. It's just amazing coincidence that he and Draco seem alike (though Joffrey is worse than Malfoy ever could be).