Transformation is part of what makes a series worth watching. The really good shows give you deeply complex characters and then show you how they grow and change over the course of the series in pursuit of their goals and dreams. Sometimes it is a journey of redemption (Chuck Bass attempted to rape Jenny in season 1 of Gossip Girl but by series’ end the audience rooted for him), other times it is a journey of self-discovery (Kurt became self-confident and proud to be himself in Glee), still other times it involves growing up (think commitment-phobic Robin who is getting married in How I Met Your Mother‘s final season). When done well, the change gives the character more depth, making them more sympathetic, interesting, and/or relatable. When done poorly, the character seems inconsistent or boring.
Best-
Caroline (The Vampire Diaries)-
Caroline started out as a selfish, obnoxious cheerleader. Everything she did and said was about boys, often sabotaging or badmouthing her supposed best friends because of a crush. Basically, she was the standard mean girl from every teen TV show out there. Then Caroline became a vampire and learned that her worst character traits were magnified (insecurity), but so were her good traits (loyalty). She became dependable and strong, but by no means perfect (she did just sleep with an Original vampire who not only tortured many of her friends but also has killed hundreds of people over the centuries). She went from whiny and annoying to easily my favorite character on the series. She may not have been the best human being at the start of the series, but even the other characters on the series agree that she is the best vampire (“Almost too good at it,” is how Elena described it.)
Carl/Michonne (The Walking Dead)-
Although Carl and Michonne are two very different people, I am listing them together because much of their change comes from being around each other. Carl has, understandably, become crazy. He killed a teenager who had the potential to be dangerous but presented no danger in the moment. He pushed to be given more responsibility, often putting himself in danger unnecessarily. Michonne, meanwhile, has long been a closed off, quietly intense character. Anyone who earns her loyalty can count on fierce protection, but she has never been one to open up. But as the people in the prison have been dispersed, Michonne has found herself with only Rick and Carl and the maternal instinct she has long kept buried has risen to the surface. Carl and Michonne’s moments together are so simple, so normal. They have quickly become some of my favorite moments of this current season. Michonne lets Carl be a kid, but she also doesn’t discount the skills he has learned during the apocalypse.
Julia (Parenthood)-
Julia started out as one of my least favorite characters on Parenthood. She always seemed a little full of herself, carrying around an air of arrogance and superiority wherever she went. She was a hard working lawyer who seemed to look down at anyone who wasn’t a professional like she was. (This included her husband who mostly just stayed home and raised the kids.) But recent events—losing/quitting her job and having her marriage fall apart—have led to Julia’s unraveling. Where before I found myself thinking that she took her husband Joel for granted, now I find myself rooting for her and wanting to yell at Joel. She has not so much improved as a person (her core personality hasn’t necessarily changed) rather she has been humanized. Now she’s vulnerable, her struggles are ones I can connect to and don’t feel like petty problems.
NEXT: The Worst Character Transformations
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