6. "Nicholas Brody" Homeland
Perhaps Brody's place would be slightly higher on this list in a couple years time, but as of now, the US war hero, prisoner of war and spoiler alert... al Qaeda terrorist played by Damien Lewis in Homeland ranks only at 6th place. For much of the show the audience almost loves Brody... well at least we really want to. This is perhaps the bravest TV protagonist choice (arguably antagonist) to come along in a long while, and a shockingly risky decision from a US TV station that has seemed to pay off (it won pretty much all the Emmy's). The fact that I almost like a character who is a terrorist, and even worse, the fact that he is made somewhat sympathetic is difficult to take in. We really shouldn't like this character at all, and neither should Carrie, but she does, and we kind of do also. The fact that this is also Obama's favorite show is kind of interesting... does that give us the permission to be OK with this. Regardless of this, this character is a really interesting anti-hero who we are still somewhat unsure of. Having only recently been revealed as a terrorist, season 2 has a difficult time in trying to make this character sympathetic again...if it even tries. But I for one am eager to see where this next season, and particularly Brody's character is headed. Maybe there are many levels to Brody which we haven't yet figured out which will make it acceptable to like him, and if season 1's ending is anything to go on, he is having a slight change of heart isn't he? Still, he is a terrorist, so it will be difficult to make myself and the audience see him as anything other than a murderous, unsympathetic villain.