One of the best things about the TV show format is that having multiple seasons gives the creators a chance to expand on the world of the show, adding new characters along the way. In fact, sometimes the best characters are the ones that weren’t always there from the start. Here are (some of) the best TV show characters not on certain shows’ first seasons. (Spoiler warning for all of the shows being discussed).
Max Mayfield from “Stranger Things”
The first season of Stranger Things introduced us to a group of rowdy middle-school-aged friends, made up entirely of boys, that befriend the psychic lab runaway Eleven (or El, for short). El’s introduction to the group causes some tension among them at first, but the boys’ desire to help El eventually brings them together.
In the absence of El from the boys’ lives at the start of Season 2, the natural thing to do was to add a new friend to their group. Enter Max.
Max adds a unique element to the group’s dynamic, seeing as the sarcastic, no-BS Max becomes their friend almost out of sheer spite. The boys initially have no desire to become Max’s friend, especially since her brother, Billy, is their school’s newest bully, but she quickly becomes involved in their supernatural monster-hunting shenanigans and fits right in.
Max eventually serves as El’s only female friend and guide to being a normal kid in the 80s in Season 3, and becomes integral to the group’s actions and the plot of the show in both the third and fourth seasons. By the end of Season 4, it’s hard to imagine that Max wasn’t on the show from the beginning, especially after what arguably became the show’s most iconic episode and a heart-wrenching almost death.
Killian “Hook” Jones from “Once Upon A Time”
Oh, Hook. After the last half of Season 5’s plot centered almost completely around Hook (or Killian Jones, his given name), it’s hard to imagine “Once Upon A Time” without him. The devilishly handsome and self-serving pirate was introduced as an adversary to protagonist Emma (Snow White and Prince Charming’s daughter, for the uninitiated) as she tries to travel back to Earth after getting stuck in the fairytale world at the start of Season 2, but quickly became one of the show’s most beloved characters.
Initially driven by his want for revenge against Rumplestiltskin for killing his lover (who was also Rumplestiltskin’s ex-wife, because of drama) and cutting off his hand, Hook goes from a side-switching (but mostly villainous) middleman to a loyal and selfless love interest for Emma. Over the course of the show, Hook learns to let go of his hatred and morally questionable pirate ways and eventually becomes one of the show’s biggest heroes, and not just to win Emma’s affection.
During Hook’s redemption, he became an incredibly popular fan-favorite that was soon seen in every episode, rather than as a recurring guest role. In fact, at some point, the show hinged so much on Hook’s popularity that an entire half-season arc was dedicated to bringing him back from the dead. It was a low point for the show’s quality, but it speaks to the likability of the character, who at that point, was a mainstay of the show.
After a majority of the show’s principal cast’s contracts expired ahead of Season 7, most cast members decided to leave, including Jennifer Morrison, who played Emma. Despite this, Season 7 still took place, and Colin O’Donoghue was one of the few that stayed. However, the version of Hook we know and love was not in that season, and O’Donoghue played an alternate-universe Killian (it’s difficult to explain and equally difficult to understand while watching). That said, fans were not happy with Season 7’s entirely new cast of characters, plot and setting, and the show’s main cast of characters returned for the final episode of the show, including the “real” Hook.
Ben Wyatt from “Parks and Recreation”
Not many shows can say they were saved by a single character (or, really, two characters), but “Parks and Recreation” finally found itself as a well-rounded, full show with the introduction of Ben Wyatt and Chris Traeger, the new city manager and planner of Pawnee, Indiana, respectively. After a lightly funny first season that couldn’t really find its footing, Ben and Chris were introduced toward the end of Season 2 as a drastic effort to round out the main cast. Eventually, the characters (more or less) became the replacement of now-forgotten series regular Mark Brendanawicz, completing the transition from just-okay comedy to the classic we know and love.
Initially serving as a foil and light antagonist to plucky, overachieving protagonist Leslie Knope, Ben’s role in “Parks and Rec” became more unique and important than anyone could’ve predicted. Ben first is introduced as a state auditor brought in to slash the Parks department’s budget, much to the dismay of Leslie, but after spending so much time with her and the other department employees, Ben finds himself as an irreplaceable unit of the show’s main cast. As the show goes on, Ben and Leslie’s relationship blossoms into the best romance on the show (and, arguably, in any comedy), going from hatred to friendship, to secret romance and finally, to married.
Ben’s lovable sarcastic geek nature becomes a staple of the show, and it gels nicely with Leslie’s overenthusiasm for local government and also bounces off the other characters’ sometimes lax and uncaring attitudes. Ben’s contributions to the show also include a plethora of iconic memes (“Do you think a depressed person could make this? No.”) and some of the show’s best emotional moments. Ben eventually becomes a congressman and (possibly?) the POTUS in the show’s final season.
Saul Goodman by “Breaking Bad”
A discussion on characters not initially conceived as part of their shows would not be complete without bringing up Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman. Initially conceived as the comic-relief aid of “Breaking Bad’s” two main characters, and as a much smaller guest role, scammy lawyer Saul became integral to the story of the show. Bob Odenkirk’s portrayal of the smart-alecky and shady legal expert became so iconic that, following the success of “Breaking Bad,” it launched an arguably even more successful spinoff show, “Better Call Saul,” as well as a legion of memes dedicated to the character.
Given Saul’s relevance not just in his spinoff show, but in the original run of “Breaking Bad” and in the cultural consciousness, it’s difficult to imagine that he wasn’t initially part of the show and that he was only supposed to be in a few episodes when he was brought on. Introduced in Season 2, Saul served as a guide for the drug-cooking antiheroes, and even caused the creation of another iconic “Breaking Bad” character, Mike, after Odenkirk was unavailable to shoot the Season 2 finale.
“Better Call Saul” just ended in 2022 after six seasons and garnered several Emmy nominations and wins during its run.
