She's Got It: Favorite Female Characters

[andromeda331]

Dutto to the ones mention I loved early Rory Gilmore it was refreshing to see a girl who liked school and books, Lucinda Walsh, 

Emma from Once Upon a Time, and Lilith.

 

Others I loved Lorelai Gilmore, Lane, Gypsy and Babette from Gilmore Girl. Snow White on Once Upon a Time. Cora from Downton Abbey, and Juliet on Lost,

[magdalene]

Phryne Fisher. I want to be her and I want her wardrobe. Donna Noble. 

[merylinkid]

Julia Wainwright.   Tough attorney who could love like no one's business her family's enemy while still being loyal to her family.   It was complicated, but damn it worked.   Played by the ever awesome Nancy Grahn.   Who wen to General Hospital and play another kick ass lawyer -- until she got sucked into the mob life like every other fricking character.   

[amensisterfriend]

I just started watching Leverage and The Mentalist and already adore Parker (Leverage) and Libson (Mentalist.)

 

Parker is...kind of insane. She manages to be really unique and amusingly 'out there' without presenting as just a collection of quirks. She's incredibly funny and entertaining but has surprising depth, IMO, and a background that helps to explain her unusual strengths, weaknesses and vulnerability. 

 

Libson, meanwhile, is a much less unique and vibrant character than someone like Parker, but she's one of those women I kind of wish I could emulate in real life. She gets major bonus points for being one of the few TV female detectives who I find utterly believable and convincing in the role, which is probably a credit to the actress as much as the writing, if not more. She had a tough childhood that explains why she's somewhat closed off and slow to trust, but she also has real warmth and kindness and a good sense of humor. She comes across as having actual depth and an inner life, and she's defined and fulfilled by a lot more than just her love life, which isn't a given with female TV characters! She's not dully and unrealistically perfect, but she's someone I really admire.  

[GHScorpiosRule]

Plus Laura Holt (Remington Steele), the titular characters of Cagney & Lacey, Murphy Brown,

 

There are specific things I loved about each, but the fundamental attraction is their status as, gasp, real people.  They have ideas, interests and ambitions of their own, care about the world around them, and do not define themselves by the men and/or children in their lives.  They are varying degrees of smart, some are professional, and all are resourceful, ethical and independent (regardless of their marital status), yet not at all perfect.

 

 

You left out Sabrina Duncan! (Charlie's Angels. Agree with you about Laura Holt, and Cagney and Lacey.  And of course Jessica Fletcher. (The Cabot Cove episodes are my favorite ones).

 

I just loved how Sabrina would go all in with her undercover assignments, and that she was smart. Intelligent. And unlike with the others (of the original, and even the later ones to come in...) never had to do the ridiculous B-movie "screams" that sometimes Jill, Kelly, Kris, Tiffany and Julie ended up doing.

 

Frankly, I'm drawing a blank when it comes to current shows...

[Bastet]

Oh, Sabrina was definitely my favorite of the Angels, but I don't put her up there with the others on my list.

 

As for current shows, I don't watch very many, but Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles fit my criteria, as do the two leads in Playing House.  Both shows revolve around the friendship between two women, which means I forgive a lot of storytelling flaws because I'm just so damn happy to see that.

Edited March 30, 2015 by Bastet

[joelene]

I love DC Janet Scott and DC Rachel Bailey, along with DCI Gill Murray, on Scott & Bailey. Competent yet flawed friends and professionals (in their 40's and 50's no less, gasp!). I think Bastet's description fits well with them. I hope it gets another season.

Edited March 30, 2015 by joelene

[amensisterfriend]

As for current shows, I don't watch very many, but Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles fit my criteria, as do the two leads in Playing House.  Both shows revolve around the friendship between two women, which means I forgive a lot of storytelling flaws because I'm just so damn happy to see that.

 

You encouraged me to give that show another chance, and I really like what I've seen so far! I already love both Maura and Jane and their friendship, and I'm always a fan of mysteries, even when they're not exactly brilliantly plotted :) I've been rewatching Law and Order and missing Angie Harmon's Abbie Cramichael, so it's fun to see her on my screen again. The major stumbling block for me is that I'm already thinking Angela could easily be among my LEAST favorite characters, but that's for another thread... 

[DeLurker]

Melinda May from Agents of SHIELD

Peggy Carter from Agent Carter

[Proclone]

Dutto to the ones mention I loved early Rory Gilmore it was refreshing to see a girl who liked school and books, Lucinda Walsh, 

Emma from Once Upon a Time, and Lilith.

 

Others I loved Lorelai Gilmore, Lane, Gypsy and Babette from Gilmore Girl. Snow White on Once Upon a Time. Cora from Downton Abbey, and Juliet on Lost,

 

Ditto on the love for Emma on OUT, despite having other issues with the show * cough* the woobification of Regina *cough, but Emma still kicks ass.  I also think Jennifer Morrison is a really underrated actress.

 

I just started watching Leverage and The Mentalist and already adore Parker (Leverage) and Libson (Mentalist.)

 

Parker is...kind of insane. She manages to be really unique and amusingly 'out there' without presenting as just a collection of quirks. She's incredibly funny and entertaining but has surprising depth, IMO, and a background that helps to explain her unusual strengths, weaknesses and vulnerability. 

 

Parker was an awesome character. And I really liked her relationship with Hardison, which was both sweet and played out realistically without taking over the show.

 

I may be in the minority, but another female character I really love is Elizabeth from the Americans.  I can see why it's hard for some people to like her, she is distant, seemingly unfeeling and she a cold blooded killer (but then again so is Philip but he seems to get more sympathy because he seems a bit more tortured by it all).  I've liked her from the beginning though.  I think she's a fascinating character and I think Keri Russell is fantastic in the role.  Yes, she may seem a bit cold on the surface but there's a whole lot going on underneath. I think she clings so tightly to her beliefs because without them she'd fall apart.  So, when she tells someone the reason she's killing them is because "It will make the world a better place," she honestly believes it.  It doesn't make what she does right, but I almost have to respect her for it.  I kind of dislike that she seems (at least to me, in what I've read in forums) to get most of the flack for her and Philip's evil deeds when they have both killed innocent people in cold blood.  I don't know if it's because she's a woman, or because she is rather aloof, but there seems to be a lot of sympathy for Philip and not much for Elizabeth.

[kiddo82]

Been watching a lot of SVU lately. I love both Alex Cabot and Casey Novak. I get the sense that Alex is the more beloved ADA amongst the fans, but I honestly can't separate the two. Both are awesome in their own way.

[callie lee 29]

 Most of mine have been mentioned but her you go...

 

Hmm, current shows:

- Melinda May from Agents of Shield

- Abbie Mills from Sleepy Hollow

- Winona from Justified (this may be more Natalie Zea, I would follow her anywhere)

- JJ Jareau, Criminal Minds

 

Past shows:

- Ainsley Hayes, West Wing. I still want to be her!

- Dana Scully, X-Files

- Kay Howard, Homicide: Life on the Street

- Brenda Barrett - General Hospital. She drove me nuts, but damn could Vanessa Marcil sell that character. She was perfection.

- Felicia Jones, General Hospital.

[ToxicUnicorn]

I don't think I've nominated the character Ruth Evershed (Nicola Walker) from MI-5.  The character was smart and tortured and was a pivotal member of the plot while not being the glamorous one on the team.  And the actress could act her ass off.

[FormerMod-a1]

One more I'm surprised I overlooked initially. "Ma'am"/Control from Person of Interest. (and Camryn Manheim plays her superbly).  Yes, she is only semi-recurring, but she is very memorable and I love her.  She is not a "nice guy" character, but she has such resolve and such commitment. She does believe what she's doing is good for the country and she will stop at nothing (which leads to her bad deeds). She's literally in charge (or at least used to be) but still doesn't mind getting her hands dirty when necessary.  It's odd for me to root for a character that has killed so many in cold blood, but I do.  

[ToxicUnicorn]

It's odd for me to root for a character that has killed so many in cold blood, but I do.

 

This is exactly the way I feel about 24 and The Americans.  I can't stand the serial killer dramas, but something about watching people who are doing the (unquestioned) "right thing" to save the US lets me suspend disbelief quite happily to root for the good guys.  Then again, the thing I love about Flashpoint (which I started watching again, thanks to someone somewhere in this forum) is that the team tries so hard to save every life.  (It's a Canadian show, and I think the sensibility is clearly different.)

Edited April 29, 2015 by ToxicUnicorn

[DkNNy79]

Been watching a lot of SVU lately. I love both Alex Cabot and Casey Novak. I get the sense that Alex is the more beloved ADA amongst the fans, but I honestly can't separate the two. Both are awesome in their own way.

I like them both equally as well.  I really like the first episode that Casey was in and how she got "introduced" to the special nature of SVU.

[Vixenstud]

Ann Romano from One Day at a Time.  I’ve always felt that Bonnie Franklin (RIP) never got her props for this character, who definitely should be included on the greatest TV moms list.

 

For me, Ann was the independent woman and I really related to her.  Just as my mom did with my siblings and me, she grew up with her children and while she didn’t always get it right, she did the best that she could.  I liked how she went from being an insecure divorced woman with no job skills to becoming a confident account executive, all without depending on a man.  Plus, she was unbelievably sexy.

 

 

Whitley Gilbert from A Different World.  She is a character who basically transformed throughout the show.  But more importantly, Whitley even when she was less than sympathetic, she was always root-worthy.

 

This.  She really grew into her own once she became friends with Kim, who didn't take any of her crap like Millie did in the first season.

Edited April 29, 2015 by Vixenstud

[fishcakes]

Edith Bunker, All in the Family. A dingbat for sure, but one of the kindest, most open-hearted fictional characters in any medium. Who wouldn't want Edith as a next-door neighbor?

 

Elaine Benes, Seinfeld. Because when she said she could drop Frank Costanza like a bag of dirt, you knew she could.

 

Joan Holloway, Mad Men. I have to quote Jeff Alexander from the Mad Men Marathon Diary: "She spouts some pretty antifeminist shit, and her non-reaction to her roommate's confession of love was heartbreaking. On the other hand, she's a woman in 1960, and she knows how to make that work for her. On the other other hand, she's at the top of the female hierarchy in the office, and she got pretty pissed off about the way Shirley MacLaine gets treated in The Apartment, so there's reason for hope there. One can only imagine how formidable she'd have been a decade or two later." Indeed.

 

Sue Heck, aka Sue Sue Heck, The Middle. The world's most cheerful, optimistic failure. Sue Sue is why I root for the underdog.

 

Trixie, Joanie, Jane, Jewel, Deadwood. Four flawed, fully human characters who show that sometimes just soldiering on in life can contain its own kind of grace.

 

Mallory Keaton, Family Ties. Even though she thought there might be special verbs for dead people, she knew what the meaning of life was: "be happy, try not to hurt other people, and hope you fall in love."

 

Mrs. Livingston, The Courtship of Eddie's Father. One of the very few Asian actresses to have a regular role in prime time, not just in the 1970s, but EVER. (Seriously, count them up, it won't take long.) And honestly, she just looks like she could be one of my aunties.

Edited April 30, 2015 by fishcakes

[millennium]

I could do this all night.   Most of my favorite television females have already been mentioned, from Lagertha to Dana Scully to Catwoman, so I'll acknowledge a few who have yet to receive recognition:

 

Madeline (Alberta Watson), La Femme Nikita.    Ice-cold.  Deadly.  Ever practical. 

 

Mrs. Olsen (Katherine MacGregor), Little House on the Prairie.   Dr. Smith's long-lost sister.  One of the greats.

 

Lassie.   LOL.

[amensisterfriend]

I have a complex relationship with Community's Annie Edison, but I'm nominating here because when the writers *aren't* intent on making her so overly coy and cutesy and deliberately manipulative with her sexuality, I adore her beyond the telling of it. She's Tracy Flick with a genuine heart! A less outwardly malicious Paris Gellar! I love the believable mix of strength/confidence and vulnerability/insecurity and how Annie's compassion for others is so evident even when she's being an annoyingly cutesy brat desperate to get her own way. I think I just have such a soft spot for Type 'A's---driven, smart, endearingly neurotic, passionate and somewhere between admirable and scary. Characters who care, even if it's too much and about questionable things, are always compelling to me. .  

[SunnyBeBe]

Sada Thompson as Kate Lawrence on series Family  ( She made me feel so secure.  What a nice mother figure to me.  Reminded me of my grandmother)

 

Meredith Baxter as Nancy Lawrence on series Family ( I thought she was so pretty and smart.)

 

Edie Falco as Nurse Jackie and Carmela Soprano. (Both characters are interesting and fun to watch.)

 

Chloe Sevigny as Niki Hendrickson on Big Love (Niki was so funny.  I love Chloe in any role, though.)

 

Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw on Sex in The City (I felt as if I knew this girl.)

 

Merrit Wever as Zoey on Nurse Jackie (This character cracks me up.  Always brightens my day.)

 

Maggie Smith as Violet on Downtown Abby (She always steals the show.)

 

Grace Zabriski as Lois Hendrickson on Big Love (Just her expression says it all. She doesn't even have to say one word. I love this actress. This character was both heavy with drama and comedy, sometimes in the same scene.)

 

Glenn Close as Patty Hewes on Damages (Patty was a force to be reckoned with.  I never knew what she was thinking.)

Edited May 27, 2015 by SunnyBeBe

[cheezwhiz346]

Wow, I'm so glad this thread exists! There are so many for me, for so many different reasons. Mainly, I will love a female character if she's written as a strong, fully-realized character. So there are many well-written character-driven shows (like Brooklyn Nine Nine or Nikita) where I love ALL the female characters for this reason. But the ones I have felt the strongest connection to in my years of TV watching have been the following:

 

Veronica Mars, Veronica Mars: OMG this character is everything I've ever wanted and I wouldn't change a THING about her. This isn't to say she's perfect, but her blend of toughness and meanness and her ability to walk in different worlds and communicate with different people and just how difficult she could be at times... it's just absolutely everything that a lot of female characters never get to be and I didn't know it was missing until I saw it onscreen.

 

Cristina Yang, Grey's Anatomy: for many of the same reasons as VM, actually. She was allowed to be so badass on GA I still can't quite believe it.

 

Grace Polk, Joan of Arcadia: there is a scene in one of the early JoA episodes when Joan looks between these popular cheerleaders laughing on one side and Grace pounding the sh*t out of her locker on the other, and this is so in-character for Grace that her outburst is never explained or addressed, and I loved her immediately. It should be noted also that Joan herself was no slouch. I have seen complaints about her self-absorption but I thought that was so recognized and called out on the show and so amazingly realistic. Joan was great.

 

Lorelai Gilmore, Gilmore Girls: Despite the issues I have with the show overall, I will always be enamored with this character. She, especially in the earlier seasons, got a level of childlike joy out of life that I really aspire to have as well.

 

Olivia Dunham, Fringe: Oh, thank god for this character and her low-key emotions and facial expressions and grim determination. I love about Olivia what I love about a lot of women on this list: they play against what we typically think of as female 'types.' They do not necessarily like to wear dresses or makeup or talk about their feelings (not that there's anything wrong with any of that, of course), and they do it in such a believable way. They are not trying to prove anything, they are just trying to be themselves in a world that seems to want them to be softer and more typically feminine and feelings-oriented, and I can deeply, deeply relate.

 

Dana Scully, The X-Files and Stella Gibson, The Fall: I know they're different characters; I just figured since they're played by the same actress I'd list them together, and I love them both so much. Gillian Anderson is amazing.

 

Joan Watson, Elementary: This is another one of those shows where I love everybody, but Joan in particular- I love the way Lucy Liu plays her. She's so determined and hardworking and restrained in such a relatable, flawed way.

 

Zoe Washborne, Firefly: There are no words, really, but she was truly amazing and I still can't quite believe she came from a Whedon show (though Buffy herself is probably one of my favorites as well, because of just how much she was able to lead that show. Such an amazingly strong character). And OMG Faith. And Willow. And Cordelia (though I had some issues with the writing for the latter two in later seasons).

 

Jackie Harris, Roseanne: There is not enough praise in the world for that character and the actress who gave her so much life. She was hysterical and hilarious and real.

 

Honorable mention goes to Abbie Mills (who I love when she actually gets to be a focal point on the show, which was not as much in season 2, but season 3 is around the corner and I can't wait!), the women of Friends, and any character played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. And there are so many more, honestly.

Edited May 28, 2015 by damngoodcoffee

[jhlipton]

Yayyy, amensisterfriend! But you have to go back and watch Season 1 first.

 

Watch all of Season 1, but only the last 3 episodes of Season 2.  Trust me.

 

A lot of great choices.

 

I have to give very special props to Gina Torres.  I loved her as Zoe on Firefly, I would have let her eat my brain as Jasmine on Angel, and I was stunned by her performance on The Shield.  Dayuuuuum!!!

 

I liked Blanche on the Golden Girls.  She was one of the first "ethical sluts" on TV.

 

"CatTween" on Gotham is a pretty cool character.

 

I love Rosa on Brooklyn 99. It's a "tough as nails" character but infused with humanity -- blame it on the actress, she's awesome.

 

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Day by Day.

 

Uhuru on the original trek.  One of my first black "girlfriends".

[Actionmage]

Yeah, the Gina Torres love fest is rolling on with me.  I especially loved her portrayal of Bella Crawford on Hannibal. She had no patience for Hannibal after he used her most hurtfully as a pawn. I don't know if it was Hannibal or Mads, but Bella got a reaction, subdued as it was.   (It takes me back to my Aunt Marie love from S1 Grimm. Then again, I love Kate Burton. She is wonderful.)

 

I ended up loving Nicole Gravely from Backstrom.  She started out as that annoyingly by-the-book character, but grew into the one the squad knew could save their ass when needed because she knew the rules so thoroughly. She also grew to know when it was better to bend those same rules. Genevieve Angelson was ideal for Gravely and I cannot picture someone else in the role.

 

I have to echo fishcake's mention of Mrs. Livingston (Miyoshi Umeki)  from The Courtship of Eddie's Father. 

 

Happy Quinn ( Jayden Wong), from Scorpion, is another woman I enjoy. An engineer and mechanical genius. Due to background circumstances, she is slow to open up and trust folks, so seeing who and how she interacts with various cast members has been fun. I am pulling for a Happy/Ralph adventure, complete with hijinx. (There's enough wacky, so just plain hijinx tia, Show.)

[annzeepark914]

I guess I only have the old shows to draw on for favorite female characters since I dislike current shows.

 

Suzanne Sugarbaker--my number one favorite on Designing Women.  When she left the show (unwisely, IMO) the oxygen left the room so to speak.

 

Elaine Benes on Seinfeld.  Julia Louis Dreyfuss did such a fantastic job creating that character that to me, she'll always be Elaine.

 

Sue Ellen: the Happy Homemaker on the MTM Show brilliantly played by Betty White. (also loved the character Phyllis and her fights w/ Rhoda).

 

Carla on Cheers, played by Rhea Perlman...especially when one of her kids would show up (son Ant-onny).  Also Lilith - loved how she handled the men.

 

Lady Mary on Downton Abbey (the only current show I watch).

 

 

[supposebly]

Rewatching early season of Burn Notice and I'd like to add Fiona Glenanne, weapons and explosives expert, extremely loyal, passionate, a little crazy who scares even superspy Michael Westen sometimes. And good with a taser. I liked that she was flawed, impatient, a bit over the top, stubborn and despite all that, felt like a stabilizing influence. And she was good talking to a schizophrenic.

"In my experience, if something seems too good to be true, it's best to shoot it just in case"

 

The writing for her wasn't always entirely consistent but overall, I loved her.

[jhlipton]

More favorites:

 

Cookie Lyon from Empire -- not just a woman but a force of nature (Person of Interest's loss is Empire's gain -- so much so that PoI invited Hensen back after firing her!)

 

Rosalee from Grimm -- the only female character they've gotten right (I love Claire Coffee and if she had played Juliette, it would have been perfect, but Adalind is a mess).

 

Lisa Simpson -- love her.

 

Isabella on Galavant.-- this show had some great characters, and Isabella is among the best.

[DeLurker]

Zoe Washborne, Firefly: There are no words, really, but she was truly amazing and I still can't quite believe she came from a Whedon show

 

I'm just two episodes in to Firefly and she is already awesome!

 

Isabella on Galavant.-- this show had some great characters, and Isabella is among the best.

Agreed, but the combination of the cast and their scenes works all around for me.

[jhlipton]

Against all odds, Galavant is returning for another season. When and how many episodes is yet to be determined.

[kili]

Rewatching early season of Burn Notice and I'd like to add Fiona Glenanne

Can I add Mike's Mom as well? On paper, she's an insufferable mother, but the amazing Sharon Glass added so  many nuances to her character. There were lots layers of pain and denial beneath her old lady schtick.  She so wanted to keep up a certain veneer, but she knew the score and was great in your corner when the chips were down. I think Mike got most of his raw skills from her. Watching his relationship evolve with her as they both broke down their walls was amazing.

 

Full props to the actress. I don't think there are many that could have made Maddie as interesting and rootable.

[MyAimIsTrue]

Sue Ellen: the Happy Homemaker on the MTM Show brilliantly played by Betty White. (also loved the character Phyllis and her fights w/ Rhoda).

 

Carla on Cheers, played by Rhea Perlman...especially when one of her kids would show up (son Ant-onny).  Also Lilith - loved how she handled the men.

 

Sue Ellen Niven was definitely one of my favorite female characters.  You know she would eat men up and spit them out just for fun.  And ditto on the love for both Carla and Lilith from 'Cheers.'

 

But my favorite female character of all time?  And then there's.... Maude.  Brash, opinionated, progressive, she was a true force of nature and I'll never understand why Bea Arthur is remembered more for 'The Golden Girls' than she is for one of the most iconic characters in TV history.

[Gudzilla]

Two words...

 

Cheryl Tunt

[annzeepark914]

But my favorite female character of all time?  And then there's.... Maude.  Brash, opinionated, progressive, she was a true force of nature and I'll never understand why Bea Arthur is remembered more for 'The Golden Girls' than she is for one of the most iconic characters in TV history.

I was thinking this same thought about Bea Arthur.  Bea was so brilliant playing a character named Maude on the Archie Bunker show that they created the Maude show.  And her character emerged during an important early stage of the women's movement so her outstanding writers gave her terrific dialogue.  In Golden Girls, she was good but she seemed out of place having to play opposite the silliness of the other women (I don't mean Estelle Parsons who was also good).

[jhlipton]

Two words...

 

Cheryl Tunt

 

I don't watch Archer, but isn't Lana more aesomer than Cheryl?  

[opus]

Barbara Cooper, One Day at a Time . For no particular reason. Well, for one particular reason.

[amensisterfriend]

I kind of hate myself for forgetting to mention Dana Scully. 

[VanillaBear85]

Phryne Fisher is one of my favorite characters ever.

[SmithW6079]

Actually, it's Sue Ann Nivens from "Mary Tyler Moore." The Sue Ellen you're probably thinking of is Sue Ellen Ewing from "Dallas."

On paper, [Maddie]'s an insufferable mother, but the amazing Sharon Glass added so many nuances to her character.

I hated the character, but I remember one scene that was fantastic -- Maddie is helping with one of the gang's jobs, and Michael is the "bad guy" and has to hit her. He refuses, until she says, "It's not the first time" -- basically admitting that Michael's father used to beat her.

[Chaos Theory]

I don't watch Archer, but isn't Lana more aesomer than Cheryl?

Depends on the type of woman you go for. Lana is a badass and probably the only sane person there. Cheryl Tunt is a walking ball of crazy.

FYI Pam is cool too. She is middle ground between them. A bad ass walking ball of crazy. And she can beat you up with her bare hands.

Edited June 2, 2015 by Chaos Theory

[supposebly]

 

Can I add Mike's Mom as well? On paper, she's an insufferable mother, but the amazing Sharon Glass added so  many nuances to her character. There were lots layers of pain and denial beneath her old lady schtick.  She so wanted to keep up a certain veneer, but she knew the score and was great in your corner when the chips were down. I think Mike got most of his raw skills from her. Watching his relationship evolve with her as they both broke down their walls was amazing.

 

I agree. I loved her. I'm not sure if I would put her in my all-time favorites but I do appreciate what Sharon Glass brought to her.

[kiddo82]

All the main women on Veep but especially Sue Wilson. She manges to be the only sane one around that office, doesn't mince words, and doesn't put up with any crap.

[TeapotDiva]

"Coast Guard Abby" on NCIS & NCIS:NOLA.  (I kind of 'ship her with Meredith Brody of NOLA!)

 

Caitlin Todd on NCIS and Maura Isles on Rizzoli & Isles (because I love Sasha Alexander!).

 

Claire Kincaid on Law & Order (except that I hated her sleeping with Jack McCoy; the subsequent female ADA's were much better at calling out Jack on his BS.)

 

Sharon Raydor on Major Crimes (but not on The Closer).

 

Frankie Bergstein on Grace and Frankie (Lily!!).

 

 

[TeapotDiva]

Oops, how could I forget the fabulous Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart in The Good Wife, Maryann Thorpe in Cybill, and even Dr. Beverly Hofstadter in The Big Bang Theory (although *so* mean to Leonard!).

[MyAimIsTrue]

"Coast Guard Abby" on NCIS & NCIS:NOLA.  

 

I love Agent Borin too.  She'd be my choice for someone with whom Gibbs could settle down and actually be happy with.

[DearEvette]

Amy Santiago (Brooklyn Nine Nine)---She's amusingly and relatably anxious, competitive and neurotic, yet sweet and funny and smart and highly competent. It helps that she's played by an actress who's just eminently likable to me.

 

 

Oh, I just discovered Brooklyn 99 this past month and binged both seasons.  Amy  -- just for the reasons you state -- is my favorite. Love her.

 

Rose comes in  a very close second.  The character could be easily have become a one-note caricature, but the actress doesn't let that happen.  She makes Rosa feel human under that hard-ass, dead-pan, dead-eyed delivery.

[Danny Franks]

Definitely Amy Santiago, for reasons already mentioned. She could so easily have been the killjoy prude love interest that we've seen so often, but the writing and Melissa Fumero's performances elevated her well beyond that. She became someone who is fun, goofy, endearing, but also competent, smart, ambitious and above all, sympathetic.

 

Abbie Mills is a character I completely fell for from her first scenes in Sleepy Hollow. Tough and smart, and blessed with a wicked, sharp sense of humour that is brought to life so well by Nicole Beharie.  She's a great foil for Ichabod, and could easily be the sole lead, if she needed to be.

 

Amy Brookheimer is another. Harder to like, definitely. Let's face it, she's a monster a lot of the time. But one who is fun to watch and so cutting in nearly everything she says. Anna Chlumsky obviously has the time of her life, playing her.

 

Carol Rance from Episodes. Again, she's not really someone you can root for, but she just embodies the two-faced, double-talking, hypocritical-and-unashamed Hollywood exec stereotype. I've never seen someone turn on a dime as quickly as her, and be as capable of a barefaced lie that everyone knows is a lie.

 

Definitely Zoe Washburne. Someone you would just never, ever mess with. Loyal to a fault, stubborn as hell, and completely human in a way a lot of 'badass women' aren't allowed to be. But still capable of gunning someone down in cold blood if necessary.

 

Aeryn Sun. Farscape was a show that took all its characters on huge, life-changing, staggering journeys, and while John probably changed the most during the show's run, Aeryn was right behind him. She starts off saying that she's heard of compassion and hates it, a woman seemingly with no emotions other than anger, a woman who looks down on all alien life and believes herself nothing more than a soldier. And in the end, she's an integral member of a weird, multi-species family of misfits, and you know she loves them all to pieces.

 

CJ Cregg was just freakin' awesome. The writing sometimes let her down, but there was never a moment where I didn't think she could verbally, mentally (and, let's face it, physically) take down any one of the guys she worked with, whenever she felt like it. I liked Ainsley too, and was so annoyed that Sorkin did his patented thing of forgetting she existed.

 

Peggy Carter. Do I need to give any reason at all for this one?

 

Sarah Walker. I mean, come on. What's not to love about this woman? She was just the most amazing character, in so many ways. And Yvonne Strahovski can make you laugh or cry, almost on demand. I dare anyone to watch Chuck Vs. Phase Three and not be blown away.

 

There are some others I really like too, but sadly who are ruined for me because the show they're on sucks. Felicity Smoak, Jemma Simmons, Kate Beckett (before she became Andrew Marlowe's personal fantasy doll), to name but three.

[DeLurker]

Abbie Mills is a character I completely fell for from her first scenes in Sleepy Hollow. Tough and smart, and blessed with a wicked, sharp sense of humour that is brought to life so well by Nicole Beharie.  She's a great foil for Ichabod, and could easily be the sole lead, if she needed to be.

<SNIP>

Definitely Zoe Washburne. Someone you would just never, ever mess with. Loyal to a fault, stubborn as hell, and completely human in a way a lot of 'badass women' aren't allowed to be. But still capable of gunning someone down in cold blood if necessary.

<SNIP>

Peggy Carter. Do I need to give any reason at all for this one?

Nicole Beharie deserves an Emmy for Best Eye Roll which was called upon a LOT in the last season.

 

Just started watching Firefly recently and my love for Zoe grows with each episode.

 

Agent Carter is tv done right and Agent Carter works because of Hayley Atwell and good writing.

[Sharpie66]

 Out of all the fantastic female characters in Battlestar Galactica, my favorite was Laura Roslin. She starts out as a traumatized low-level politician going through a personal crisis, but very quickly steps into the leadership role that she was born for. I loved her from the moment in the original miniseries where she is challenged about her right to be in charge by the press guy and she just looks at him and shoots him down with a rundown of exactly how she came to be in this position and then puts him to work. (Spoiler -- the fact that the press guy was a hidden baddie just makes it even more delicious!)

 

I was going to add all the twists and turns her story arc took her on throughout the series, but since they are spoiler filled and if anyone is interested in checking out BSG and hasn't yet, I don't want to ruin the discovery for you. Suffice it to say that I love what she is throughout, even if she does stuff that I don't agree with, and I truly love Mary McDonnell's portrayal of her.

[Chaos Theory]

Battlestar Galactica has probably the largest number of strong female characters both good and evil I have ever seen in a single show. Love them, hate them, or love to hate them, they come in all kinds. They are never boring. Edited June 12, 2015 by Chaos Theory

[Sharpie66]

Exactly! After growing up on a science-fiction-on-television diet of Star Trek, Doctor Who, short-run shows like Buck Rogers and the original BSG, I had no idea that TV could give me the kind of strong female characters that I grew to love while reading SF and fantasy in my feminist lit class in college.