23 TV Characters Were Added Into A Show Seasons In And Totally Revamped It
So, a bit ago I wrote about the best and worst character additions to TV shows, and people in the comments had THOUGHTS. In honor of all your comments, I made a list of everyone’s favorite character additions to TV shows!
1.Frank on It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (added in Season 2, Episode 1)
FX
"The best addition to a TV show was Frank Reynolds on Always Sunny. Danny Devito joined the cast in Season 2 under the order of the network and instantly improved the show. It would be hard to imagine the show without him."
2.Jess on Gilmore Girls (added in Season 2, Episode 5)
The WB
"He definitely helped to give Luke a storyline that wasn’t Lorelai, his back and forth with Taylor over community spirit, and the various temporary love interests."
3.Toph on Avatar: The Last Airbender (added in Season 2, Episode 6)
Nickelodeon
"It's one of the few shows where the show starts on a high note and then gets progressively better; it could have been damaging to add a new character to a hero's journey story, but I can't imagine the show without everyone's favorite snarky blind girl."
"Season 1 was missing something, and I don’t think anyone really knew what, but then Toph came in, and oh my god did that just make the show 100 times better than it already was."
4.Julian, Clay, and Quinn on One Tree Hill (Julian was added in Season 6, Episode 8, and Clay and Quinn were added in Season 7, Episode 1)
"My personal favorite ... is Julian, Clay, and Quinn in One Tree Hill. They were fresh new characters who were honestly better than Peyton and Lucas. Also, Julian finally gave Brooke Davis the love interest she deserved!"
5.Woody on Psych (added in Season 4, Episode 7)
USA
"Yes! He was one of the only bright spots in the latest movie. Wished it was written better."
6.Douglas on IT Crowd (added in Season 2, Episode 2)
Channel 4
"One example that came to my head right away was the new boss played by Matt Berry in The IT Crowd. I liked the first one, but Matt Berry was hilarious and made the show even better!"
7.Ben and Chris on Parks and Recreation (added in Season 2, Episode 23)
"Parks and Rec would have gotten so boring without Ben and Chris and their storylines with Leslie and Ann."
"Whenever I tell someone to watch Parks and Rec, I tell them to push through the first two seasons because it doesn’t become iconic until Ben and Chris show up. That duo launched Parks into the stratosphere."
8.Castiel on Supernatural (added in Season 4, Episode 1)
The CW
"His addition was a great benefit to the show. Misha has great chemistry with both Jensen and Jared."
"He wasn’t even supposed to become a main character, but he was so well loved by the fan base, he returned, and the show wouldn’t be the same without him."
"He added a great new dynamic to the team and helped spice the show up with some new plotlines!"
9.Juliet on Lost (added in Season 3, Episode 1)
"Juliet helped Lost. I absolutely HATED Kate and Sawyer together. He was just such a sexist asshole. Juliet was a part of his character development. He was such a better person after her."
"I wasn't sure what to do with Juliet at first. She was an enigma, but they slowly started peeling back the layers and revealed a really fierce, loyal, smart, strong woman who I grew to like more than I thought I would."
—tkgm
10.Leon Black on Curb Your Enthusiasm (added in Season 2, Episode 2)
HBO
"He is hilarious and the perfect sidekick for Larry."
11.Andy on The Office (added in Season 3, Episode 1)
NBC
"I know I’ll probably get a lot of anger for this, but I loved Andy in the office. I’ve seen the show so many times now, and yeah, Andy’s annoying, but he’s annoying in a hilarious and awkward way. I also really didn’t like Michael Scott. He bothered me so much, and when I was rewatching, I found myself fast-forwarding through his parts. He bothered me so much, and I thought Andy had a lot of charm, even when he was annoying."
"I don't care what anyone says: Andy is my FAVORITE character from The Office — he's so hilarious. I absolutely love him. He helped the show 100%!"
"Andy is one of my least favorite characters, but in terms of adding to the show, he definitely brings in a new dimension that works with the chemistry of The Office."
12.Lexie on Grey's Anatomy (added in Season 3, Episode 24)
ABC
"She was the goofy genius that got so popular that half the fandom was OK with the idea that she can helm the show if Ellen Pompeo (aka Meredith) were to step down. Also Slexie was perhaps one of the best ships on the show. Her *SPOILER* exit from the show is still the most heartbreaking moment!"
13.Stephanie on Grey's Anatomy (added in Season 9, Episode 1)
ABC
"At first she was just another intern; however, as time passed she became more self-assured and badass, and the fire episode is when she really shone with some incredible acting! I was really sad to see her leave, as she was such a strong female role model."
14.Patrick on Schitt's Creek (added in Season 3 Episode 8)
Pop!TV
"That show was already amazing, but he helped take it to a new level. He’s one of the reasons that David changed into a more confident person, and their relationship was so cute! He was more of a supporting character for David’s development, but he still stood [on] his own, especially with his coming-out storyline."
15.Tormund on Game of Thrones (added in Season 3, Episode 1)
HBO
"Tormund was a great addition in Season 3. His 'relationship' with Brienne was one of the few lighthearted spots in an otherwise bleak run-up to the finale."
16.The Mikaelson siblings on The Vampire Diaries (Elijah was added in Season 2, Episode 8; Klaus was added in Season 2, Episode 19; Kol was added in Season 3, Episode 3; and Kol and Finn were added in Season 3, Episode 13)
The CW
"The Mikaelson siblings were amazing, hands down."
"I loved when they added The Originals to TVD!! I hate not seeing them right now where I'm at in the show because they're all in New Orleans."
17.Vince and Luke on Friday Night Lights (added in Season 4, Episode 1)
NBC
"Since it was a high school show, they would have to have new students come up, which could’ve been a disaster, but Vince and Luke were amazing. Plus, it helped even more that Vince was played by some guy named Michael B. Jordan. 😍"
18.Max on Stranger Things (added in Season 2, Episode 1)
"I absolutely love when they added Max to Stranger Things."
19.Nathaniel on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (added in Season 2, Episode 9)
"Nathaniel in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was an amazing addition to the show."
"OMG, yes, I loved Nathaniel."
20.Marley, Kitty, Unique, and the other New Directioners on Glee (Unique was added in Season 3, Episode 16; everyone else was added in Season 4, Episode 1)
"I loveeeeeeed the 'New' New Direction. They were great and had amazing storylines and voices. Justice for Unique! 👑✨"
"Marley, Jake, Unique, Kitty, and Ryder (actually, I hate Ryder) were fine. It was the second round of new New Directions in Season 6 that were bad."
21.Woody on Cheers (added in Season 4, Episode 1)
"For lovers of old shows: Woody on Cheers. I know he replaced Coach (sadly, that actor died), but he really added so much to the show. Besides, I can’t imagine Coach running for City Council."
22.Yachi on Haikyu (added in Season 2, Episode 2)
JNN
"First of all, the show was in real need of more main girl characters at that time, and it was obvious Kiyoko couldn’t continue to be the manager past the spring tournament. Adding sweet timid little Yachi in there to kind of balance out the volleyball team’s over exuberance was the right move, in my opinion."
23.And finally, basically all the new characters in Season 2 of You (added in Season 2, Episode 1)
"Almost every new character added to the second season of You (obviously not including Chris D'Elia). But Love, the landlord, and her ambitious/gifted little sister in the apartment complex — even Love's mess of a twin brother!!! I loved it!! I did sorely miss Peach, though."
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
