The Best and Worst Characters in Miracle Day

[Cockney Charmer]

With the series coming to an end, its safe to start a discussion about which Characters lived up to expectations and which, of the new characters, failed to set your entertainment cells on fire.

for me

Best

Lauren Ambrose/ Jilly Kitzinger - Immediate on screen presence from Jilly, the striking Redhead (Karen Gillan inspired lol) playing the field from the start and really excelling in Episode 8 with the scenes with Danes is a stand out character and actress in Miracle Day...of all the side stories going on, hers is really the only one I am intrigued to see how it will end
Eve Myles / Gwen Cooper - Eve had some outstanding singular moments in this story, taking the super solidier/spy thing out of the mix, Eve truly acted her way into our hearts all over again, the moments with her family...washed away the poor use of Baby in helicopter fight in episode 1, and Gwen became the one to watch whenever she was on screen....and the little black dress.....just Bangtidy!!
Arelene Tur / Vera Juarez - Amazingly striking woman, like Lauren Ambrose, when she was on screen, you watched her.....the character of Dr Vera Juarez was the only new character that I immediately accepted, and really did see being a viable new member of any new Torchwood team following this series, until they killed her off lol But the impact of her characters death brought home the human element of the Miracle Day event for me
Kai Owen / Rhy Williams - Owen is always a pleasure to see on screen, and in any Torchwood story, loved his development in CoE and in Miracle Day, really came to represent the Welsh roots of Torchwood. the interactions with Gwen and family needed Rhys to be the anchor for Gwens emotional pain, though mostly used in comedic style, Rhy is a real part of Torchwood and glad to see him any time he pops up
John Barrowman / Jack Harkness - Strange one this, Miracle Day depsite focusing primarily on Jack, has been a very non Jack series. Due to the series being a test vehicle for Stars more then an actual BBC Torchwood series, Jack had to take background position to allow the focus for the new characters.....but the series was fun when it ventured into Jacks past, allbeit a lame romance story with Angelo, but the violent scenes of his constant "murder experiementation" was a powerful moment. The interaction with Gwen in Episode 7 was long awaited, only for it to be turned into an act, which was really disappointing....can only hope the ending to the story brings it all home for Jacks Character...and you gotta love Jack!!
Worst

Alexa Havins / Esther Drummond - Meh....the moment this blonde barbie character showed up on screen I knew I wasnt going to like her, and after 8 episodes...Kleenex needs to sponsor this show!! The Character of Esther Drummon, the reluctant member of the group...had a single gimmick, "Im not used to this, cry for ten minutes, do something out of character, be the weak link and then cry some more".....repeated over and over and even after 8 episodes what where is the character....crying and saying "i dont know what to do"...ok enough already, you are pretty to look at Esther but jesus...sshh already
Mekhi Phifer / Rex Matheson - Another generic gun ho american character who just bored me right from the start. His gimmick of the "ow the pain please dont touch the injury" again was repeated to death. Hadnt noticed that Mehki was in 8 Mile, he had alot of screen time in multiple episodes and was vehicle to show how a character can change during the story, only memorable parts are the one liners and skits with Jack and Gwen...failed to care when he cried up over meeting his father, laughed when he got down to it with Vera but enjoyed his running up the stairs to save the day to get the "you shot him in the throat!" line from Gwen. Can see him being a part of the next Torchwood but his character needs more substance
Bill Pullman / Oswald Danes - dear god, for me, the worst element of the series. On Paper, the Danes character was very interesting, but its execution (pardon the pun) was so very flawed. Like the other new characters, there was a singular theme Gimmick with Oswald "see him as the child raping murdering bastard and hate him but let him speak and have everyone crying and in awe of him" which was so over repeated that when we finally got to an Episode which didnt have Danes in it i was so pleased. The story element of Jack feeling a sinister connection with Danes as a result of his sacrificing Stephen in CoE and Danes as a pedophile child killer was very unique and interesting and then so easily dropped before it could deliver. Pullman, for me, was the wrong choice to play this role, often looking confused about what emotion he was suppose to show, he looked wooden and hammed up his moments that if it really wasnt down to the efforts of the actors around him giving the reaction needed to the Danes character, it would have really died on its arse..which for me it did. Dont care about what happens to the character, Lauren Ambrose excelled in her part in the scenes with Danes, the disgust in her eyes sold the scene but Pullman and Danes are so forgettable that I would happily skip the epsiode just to forward past his presence....can only hope he suffers a big on screen death, for one final laugh at the Danes character...such a waste of something that could have been memorable for better reasons
so, your thoughts??

[Kezzy]

I like Gwen,Jack(especially his scene in episode 7 with Gwen and Angelo,Rhys and Esther (but only sometimes) i don't feel like i know Esthers character well enough to care much about her yet.I also quite liked Vera because she was fiesty and independent and she had a good heart too.

I find the Jilly and Oswald scenes really boring and uninteresting most of the time.Maybe that will change in the last two episodes?

[barnsleyman]

I think that Jilly Kitzinger has been a little bit of a female Dick Dastardly type character, but despite that I've really grown to enjoy the role, she's become one of the highlights of the series, even if there has been a little overacting sometimes I've enjoyed it. I agree Cockney Charmer with your assessment of Rhys. Kai Owen continues to excel in the role, His role has got bigger since series 1 yet he still doesn't have an awful lot of screen time but he is excellent whenever he appears, an example that sometimes less is more.

It was wonderful to see John De Lancie as Allen Shapiro. A solid actor he was faultless. He brought in a much needed fresh approach. It was also good to see Nana Visitor but a shame she only had a relatively small role.

The Character's of Esther and Rex haven't really been developed as much as I'd have hoped for.

[Hollyboppers]

My fave character is Oswald. He's just so interesting and intriguing. I don't like Esther very much, she seems a bit too naive to have been in the CIA.

[godxmachine]

I really don't dislike any character particularly. I wasn't crazy about Vera, something about the way she acted put me off. Esther is cute. Which for me, buys her a bit of pardon. She's like the little kid they took in. She still gets stuff done, she's just kind of...unsure about how to do it. She's just...adorable.
I love Gwen and Jack, especially lately. Especially when they are essentially threatening each other for things they value. It made the scene so real, I really appreciated it.

[cherry]

I do like Oswalds -and i do look forward to seeing him each week. I think he's creepy, scary and un predictable and i think as an actor Bills played the role tremendously well. I guess for me, and youll all know this anyway lol, my fav character is Rhys...Rhys has always been my fav character in tw...as for the man who plays him...i love Kai to bits.
apart from the 3 main peeps in tw, Jack, Gwen and Rhys...ive not seen any of the other actors/actresses in anything before so i just see their role in tw. The man who plays Rex....is good also. Esther is ok.

[Meef]

Oh I think most of these concepts change in episode nine. There are great moments with the characters and some strong scenes with many of them. I like Esther and if this gets another season, I have a feeling she will be staying with Torchwood.

[Cockney Charmer]

Oh I think most of these concepts change in episode nine. There are great moments with the characters and some strong scenes with many of them. I like Esther and if this gets another season, I have a feeling she will be staying with Torchwood.

Episode 9 reinforced my views of the characters......so glad its almost over

[whoknows]

I like Jack somtimes in this but like all the characters they seem to be all over the place for me, they are either
Superheroes or Supertwats and their storylines don't go anywhere
All the way back to ep 1 why were Gwen & Rhys in hiding aside from lets have cool actions shots when everyone converges to get them

Individually , i would have liked more personal understanding from these characters ,Esther sister is one in which
you are supposed to be empathising with Esther and her family situation and how MD has made it worse but it
only seems to arise when they need filler next ep nothing, same with Gwen and her dad, i would have liked to see it weigh
down on Gwen as the series went along, the more she was away the worse her guilt, but once again it seems more like filler to stretch it out to 10 eps. Rex bleed every so often but that was it for his MD experience and Jack his obessession
with Oswald went nowhere, no mention of his daughter and it's not like they didn't have time to explore all of this

Just hasn't worked for me at all, won't be buying it or any books or anything else that comes from this, unless they do Torchwood Lost Files again, that's it for Torchwood for me sadly

[cherry]

Oswald had a daughter?

[godxmachine]

Cherry, I had the same thought. This is the first time I've heard about that, and if it's supposed to be character development, it was poorly executed. It wasn't mentioned till JUST NOW? I kind of think it was misunderstood, because he implies to the prostitute that he has never been on a date before, and I kind of assume he would have 'dated', kinda sorta, at least, the mother of his child.

I liked Esther's development in the last episode, it was just kind of abrupt, and I wish we could have seen it as it happened.

[godxmachine]

I think it may have been an attempt at character development for him, if he is supposed to have a daughter, but I think it was very poorly executed. I really think it was poorly written script that led to a misunderstanding. Because when he talks to the prostitute, he implies he's never been on a date before. If he acknowledged that a woman has his child, I assume he'd consider that a date, of sorts.

I also really liked Esther in episode nine. I wish we had been able to see her development from 8 to 9, though.

[Salim]

I think the comment

and Jack his obessession with Oswald went nowhere, no mention of his daughter and it's not like they didn't have time to explore all of this



referred to Jack's Daughter not Oswalds.............

[cherry]

I wasnt sure-it didnt make it make very clear in the post as to whos daughter it actually was...be interseting to see what happens with oswald i think at the end.

[Salim]

Everyone hates Oswald and rightly so as he has done something vile, but I think people hate him bacause of what the character has done rather in the past rather than what he has done on screen in this series. In the first episode he sent the lawyer packing and I was expecting a megalomaniac rather the cry baby. Then the crying in his first tv appearance to get sympathy (I think it was said that this was faked). When he got annoyed that another character was getting all the tv and walked into the camp and picked up a baby. Could have been a great manipulative character pulling strings but instead we get an immature one - not sure what they plan to do with him.

Did feel a bit sorry for him when the hooker refused to even talk to him but I can't blame her, Danes hasn't even expressed remorse for the action (I kinda take the view that his first tv appearance where he cried was an act to gain sympathy).

But here's a question......if Danes did express guilt, sorrow and remorse and did try and to make amends - is his crime so awful that no one would allow him back in society - even in a limited way. (I'm not saying this should happen just throwing it out to debate to see if anyone would take pity on him if he expressed remorse???, personally wouldn't want anyone with that kind of history near the kids in my family). And if he sacrifies himself to save humanity, will that change anyones opinion of him?

[Cockney Charmer]

Danes was written to be hated, but through poor use in episodes and, in my humble opinion, poor choice in Pullman to portray him, The Danes character character just became the same tired gimmick each week, "have people hate him, let him speak and they cry and love him"....just meh.

But, to answer your last point Salim, I dont think it would matter if Danes was to suddenly repent his previous actions, Danes is supposed to be hated, the audience is supposed to be shocked and disgusted by him, it was a shame that the storyline between him and Jack wasnt explored better then just a couple of private chats...it would have been very interesting to see Jack talk about his emotions about sacrificing his grandson in CoE to Danes but it was dropped.

How they end the Danes Story will be interesting to see, especially with the build up in Episode 9........I think its weak how they have kept his character around, and can only pray they dont use some cliche ending for him......Danes, could have been more memorable then he was

[Meef]

I don't remember the mention of Oswald having a daughter?? But I'm only on my 3rd for some episodes 4th rewatch of the season so maybe I missed it.

But at least John Hart's wish was for filled. Torchwood does have a blond in Esther.

[averybean]

Cockney Charmer, this is a really well done and thought out post. I agree with you on most points. Big ups for Lauren Ambrose, she carried a lot of the show for me as well (but I've loved her since "Six Feet Under." I'm a bit biased).

I also liked the idea of the Oswald Danes character on paper. But his pacing as a character was so all over the map, for me. What might have been a coherent character, revealing his aspects to the audience, in the author's mind, didn't quite translate to the schreen. Don't know if it's the actor, the writing, or actor+writing. Regardless, it was hard for me to deal with his presence in the series. Largely, I was because distracted by how Miracle Day felt like the later series run of Prison Break--after all the actual prison breaks. I don't think Bill Pullman had a chance for me because the actor that played "Tea Bag" in PB sort of set the standard for murderous, mercurial, sympathetic, while still creepy pedophile. So comparing the two very similar characters, I wonder how much of it comes down to writing, because Tea Bag was one of the only elements that was wonderfully written throughout PBs run (And consistently acted to perfection).

But this leads to my biggest distraction with the whole series...I was so troubled with how this felt like the closing series of PB, when stuck in the LA wearhouse...blah blah blah. It was more tedious than exciting in execution, despite MD having some very exciting concepts and really deep/gritty premise (where prison had run it's course). I just found myself remembering plots and gimicks from PB. I give credit to Eve Myles and John Barrowman for making the best of what was presented in the script. There were some great moments interlaced in this, and I still find them to be engaging performers.

For the record: I'm not adversed to shaking up the forumlation of a character, challenging cannon or audience expectations. But, I'm still feeling short-changed and sort of "meh" about the overall series. I can take change if the heart is still there. In this case I felt the heart and continuity of the characters was subordinate to the premise. Though I JUST finished episode 10, and have a bit of anticipated "series withdrawl" carrying me at the moment.

Without going into spoilers, how did folks feel about the Rex-situation? Personally, I was not to thrilled with this. Actually I was a bit perplexed, but will hold off on going into this for the moment because I haven't read the "spoiler tag how too yet."

Finally, I'll close by saying that for all the negative I may have written, the low point in MD are still leagues better than most of what is offered for US programming (especially during the summer months).

[blackcat1000]

LOL - no, Jack's daughter! The sentence is broken but whoknows is talking about Jack.
Oswald had a daughter?

[whoknows]

LOL - no, Jack's daughter! The sentence is broken but whoknows is talking about Jack.

Thanks for that:smile:

Sorry if i didn't make myself clear, i meant Jack's daughter and while we see Jack trying to deal with killing Steven in the first half of MD via his chats with Oswald, you get no mention of Alice and i would have thought that she was an important
person to Jack, silly me wrong series

[Undead Medic]

Without going into spoilers, how did folks feel about the Rex-situation? Personally, I was not to thrilled with this. Actually I was a bit perplexed, but will hold off on going into this for the moment because I haven't read the "spoiler tag how too yet."

To hide spoilers simply enclose your spoilers with the spoiler tags thus: Your text goes here.

or you can use the "Go Advanced" button to bring up the full editor and from there click on the 383 button to auto generate the tags.

[Kefirah]

I know it's picky but I have to say I HATED Esther/Alexa's voice. O.M.G. that nasal whine got on my nerves and I only watched a few episodes. Rex/Mekhi's voice was lovely..can't imagine their kids voices if they ever had them! lol

Hated Oswald/Bill. I know we're supposed to hate Oswald, but I kept having issues with Bill's acting. I just found him off at times. And no, I can't explain it exactly. I wrote it down somewhere in my diary so if someone calls me on it, I'll pull that up.

I'm gonna be cliche and say I love the original characters/actors. Eve, John, Kai, Tom Price...all brilliant. Of the new characters Rex was pretty cool in a steadfast sorta way. John DeLancie's character was wonderful, but I've always loved him. Jilly/Lauren was good...well worth watching her. Charlotte/Marina, was a great villain. My eyes kept squinting with laserbeams of "ooo I hate you" whenever she came on screen! lol

[Lyra]

I like Rex, I like the contrast with Jack - he's the focused, serious CIA man and he finds all of this Torchwood stuff a bit mad. Esther is just too one note for me. I thought that the character had potential at the beginning, but she's not developed beyond that. Jilly, I love, great character and the actress does a fine job. I thought that Shapiro was great too and came in at just the right moment to shake things up a bit.

[sci fi babe]

Out of the new characters I would say my favourite was Shapiro - real shame he didn't make it to the end of the series as he was a good match for Jack and I loved the "Snoopy" quote :). As for the worst, I just couldn't get to grips with Oswald, I know that it's probably what the character did in his past that sways my decision and yes Jack probably needed to chat to him to help himself deal with Stevens death. But he gets my thumbs down.

[leadintea1]

Jilly is hands down my most favorite Torchwood character. Granted, I've only watched MD and some of Season 1, but I really enjoyed her character. I also really liked Charlotte and Shapiro, and The Mother seemed like she could have been interesting. Other than that, I pretty much disliked everyone else, especially Esther and Danes.