Favorite TV show throwaway character

[j9ac9k]

I don't think you understand what a throwaway character is. Neither of these is even remotely a throwaway character. They both have big to huge impacts on their respective shows and significant character arcs.

I agree a lot of these examples aren't really "throwaway" characters in my mind either, but if people want talk about a character they like...

"Buffy" did have "Anne" - who started out a throwaway character and was built up over a handful appearances over years and two tv shows.

[Sutekh]

Speaking of Buffy, Ethan was my favorite villain. I would have liked to see more of him.

He brought out a fun side of Giles, which was cool. I like when a short-lived character enhances another aspect of the show (even if it's no fun for that actor for their day's work to just advance someone else's story or characterization, and then they go away).

If Hyena Xander counts as a separate character (Xander himself hardly counts as a 'throwaway', being the Ron Stoppable to Buffy's Kim Possible), he was creepier to me than Angelus or that weirdo Nathan Fillon played in the last season ever were.

[Largo161]

Mr. Zamir---Will Truman's nosy/shady neighbor on Will & Grace in the early years. He didn't do a lot of talking, but he had a face that spoke volumes.

[JBatmanFan05]

Hank Scorpio from The Simpsons.

"Throwaway" characters seems somewhat difficult to understand, easy in some instances, less so in others, but I imagine it can encompass some more or less one-off characters, though that opens the door to listing so many characters.

[K7P5V]

Ruth P. McDougal from Hey Arnold! would be my choice. Once Lila became the object of Arnold's affections, Ruth got relegated BIG time (LOL):

[ChrisIII]

There was Rookie Holly Gribs in the first episode of CSI, although I'm not entirely sure if it was the intent for her to die so Sara could be introduced, or if she was originally planned for the long haul.



Star Trek DS9 also had Romulan commander T'rul who was with the Defiant crew to watch their cloaking device as it was on loan from the Romulans. She then vanished with no explanation later on.

[James Cameron]

There was Rookie Holly Gribs in the first episode of CSI, although I'm not entirely sure if it was the intent for her to die so Sara could be introduced, or if she was originally planned for the long haul.



Star Trek DS9 also had Romulan commander T'rul who was with the Defiant crew to watch their cloaking device as it was on loan from the Romulans. She then vanished with no explanation later on.

She turned into Seska

[caj]

On In The Heat Of The Night, the character of Tom Dugan (played by Joe Don Baker) came in on the last four episodes of season 2. This was due to star Carroll O'Connor needing bypass surgery.

Dugan has grew up in Sparta and knew most everyone in town. I liked the character but it turned out he was working undercover to take down a white supremest group and was killed in the final episode of season 2.

[babyblob]

On In The Heat Of The Night, the character of Tom Dugan (played by Joe Don Baker) came in on the last four episodes of season 2. This was due to star Carroll O'Connor needing bypass surgery.

Dugan has grew up in Sparta and knew most everyone in town. I liked the character but it turned out he was working undercover to take down a white supremest group and was killed in the final episode of season 2.

I liked Dugan and his good ol boy act that he had going on. The episode that he first appeared Forever Fifteen is still one of my favorite episodes in that series.

[babyblob]

Cal Hudson on DS9. A friend of Siskos and joined the Maquis. Found out in the episode Blaze of Glory that he died. I wish they had done more with him.

[Celgress]

Cal Hudson on DS9. A friend of Siskos and joined the Maquis. Found out in the episode Blaze of Glory that he died. I wish they had done more with him.

Agreed, Cal Hudson was an awesome criminally underused character and a far better mirror for Benjamin Sisko than Michael Eddington, IMHO.

[useridgoeshere]

It’s easier for me to think of ones I strongly disliked (Mel, Donny, the woman Jean Smart played on Frasier, Priya on BBT) than ones I liked.

On Lois & Clark, I liked the female district attorney who was into Clark and didn’t like Superman.

Hank Scorpio from The Simpsons.

"Throwaway" characters seems somewhat difficult to understand, easy in some instances, less so in others, but I imagine it can encompass some more or less one-off characters, though that opens the door to listing so many characters.

The Hank Scorpio episode was so weird to me. Funny, but I never knew quite how to view it. Does Homer own the Denver Broncos? It feels like a dream episode more than an actual story.

[DrNewGod]

Xavier Reed (aka The Mayor) from Arrow S2. I really thought we might be in for some genuine social commentary about crime and poverty, only to have The Mayor rapidly hogtied and serumed by way of introducing Sebastian Blood.

[DrNewGod]

Cal Hudson on DS9. A friend of Siskos and joined the Maquis. Found out in the episode Blaze of Glory that he died. I wish they had done more with him.

Agreed, Cal Hudson was an awesome criminally underused character and a far better mirror for Benjamin Sisko than Michael Eddington, IMHO.

Along those lines, I liked Thomas Riker, hokey tho his origin was. When introduced, I'd hoped they were going to ease continually-fading-into-the-background Will out the door and give us a new security chief in the volatile Tom. I was double disappointed when he made only one appearance (that I'm aware of) in DS9. He'd have been a fun frenemy for Sisko, et al. Tom misunderstanding why Worf seemed to take their adversarial relationship so personally would have been grist for all kinds of stuff.

[babyblob]

Along those lines, I liked Thomas Riker, hokey tho his origin was. When introduced, I'd hoped they were going to ease continually-fading-into-the-background Will out the door and give us a new security chief in the volatile Tom. I was double disappointed when he made only one appearance (that I'm aware of) in DS9. He'd have been a fun frenemy for Sisko, et al. Tom misunderstanding why Worf seemed to take their adversarial relationship so personally would have been grist for all kinds of stuff.

Thomas Riker would have been great. I enjoyed the episode Defiant but it would hav been great to see hime come back in some way. I would have loved to see Thomas in the war.