My Ten Favorite TELEVISION VILLAINS

Here is a list of my ten (10) favorite television villains . . . so far:



MY TEN FAVORITE TELEVISION VILLAINS



1. Seska "Star Trek Voyager" (1995-2001) - Actress Martha Hackett portrayed my favorite television villain of all time, the Cardassian spy that had herself surgically altered as a Bajoran in order to infiltrate Chakotay's Maquis cell. Following Voyager's arrival in the Delta Quadrant, Seska was revealed as a spy and she became an ally and lover of the crew's first enemy, Kazon Nistrim leader Maje Cullah.






2. Nina Myers - "24" (2001-2010) - Sarah Clarke was excellent as Jack Bauer's second-in-command at CTU Los Angeles, who ended up killing his wife Teri and being exposed as a mole. Following her revelation as a mole, she appeared on the show for another two seasons before she was murdered in cold blood at the hands of her former boss and lover.






3. Wo Fat "Hawaii Five-O" (1968-1980) - Khigh Dheigh was a joy to watch as the Communist Chinese intelligence officer who became the main nemesis of Hawaii State Police chief, Steve McGarrett.






4. President Morgan Clark "Babylon Five" (1993-1998) - For at least three to four seasons, actor Gary McGurk appeared only a few times as the Earth politician who became head of state and dictator of Earth Alliance via political assassination. Despite his limited appearances, Clark proved to be one of the most effective villains in recent television history.






5. Owen Crawford "Taken" (2002) - Joel Gretsch first made a name for himself as the aggressive and ruthless Owen Crawford, an Air Force officer who schemed and murdered his way into control of the private program in charge of investigating aliens that crashed in New Mexico and the U.S. citizens who had been "taken" by said aliens.






6. The Borg Queen "Star Trek Voyager" (1995-2001) - Alice Kriege first became a science-fiction icon in her portrayal of the eader or avatar of the Borg Collective in the 1996 film, "STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT". But she did memorably reprised her role in the two-part series finale for "Star Trek Voyager".






7. Luther Mahoney "Homicide: Life on the Street" (1993-1999) - Erik Dellums gave a memorable performance in the recurring role as the Baltimore drug lord who made a big impact upon the lives of some of the police detectives in the series - in life and after his death.






8. Elkhanah Bent "North and South Trilogy" (1985; 1986; and 1994) - No fan of the television adaptations of John Jakes' trilogy could ever forget Philip Casnoff's twisted portrayal of the demented West Point cadet-turned Army officer-turned mercenary who made the lives of the Hazards and the Mains miserable before, during and after the Civil War.






9. The Borg Queen "Star Trek Voyager" (1995-2001) - Susanna Thompson also gave memorable performances as the Borg Collective's leader in two two-part episodes from the series. Whereas Kriege had "the voice", Thompson had "the eyes". And both were fantastic.






10. John Goetz "Jericho" (2006-2008) - D.B. Sweeney surprised the hell out of me in his chilling portrayal of the mercenary in post-apocalyptic Kansas, who inflicted a strong impact upon the town of Jericho. His cold-blooded murder of the adolescent deaf-mute Bonnie Richmond sent shock waves throughout the series' fandom.

Top Ten (10) Favorite Episodes of "HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREETS"

Below are my top ten (10) episodes from NBC's "HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREETS" (1993-1999):


TOP TEN (10) FAVORITE EPISODES OF "HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREETS"



1. (5.19) "Deception" - The murder of a Nigerian drug courier sets the scene for an explosive encounter between gangster Luthor Mahoney and Detectives Mike Kellerman, Meldrick Lewis and Terri Stivers. Kellerman's action will result in repercussion for the squad in over a year.





2. (1.06) "Three Men and Adena" - Tim Bayliss and Frank Pembleton bring in an arabber named Risley Tucker as the prime suspect in the murder of the 11 year-old girl, Adena Watson. With a 12-hour time limit, the two partners try one last interrogation in a desperate attempt to get a confession. Writer Tom Fontana won an Emmy for writing this episode.





3. (3.04) "Crosetti" - The squad reels with shock over the news of Detective Steve Crosetti's suicide death - especially former partner Lewis, who has difficulty accepting the detective's death.





4. (3.10) "Every Mother's Son" - Pembleton and Bayliss investigate the shooting of a 13-year-old boy, Darryl Nawls. During the course of their investigation, the mother of the shooter unknowingly meets the mother of the victim and finds that they have much in common.





5. (6.22) "Fallen Heroes (Part 1) - Junior Bunk is arrested for the death of a corrupt judge named Gibbons. After stealing a revolver from an officer's death while no one is looking, Junior engages in a shooting spree, killing and wounding several officers - including Laura Ballard and Stu Gharty.





6. (6.23) "Fallen Heroes (Part 2) - The squad goes after the Mahoney organization, following Junior Bunk's shooting spree in Part 1. This leads to Bayliss getting seriously wounded. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Al Giardello and Pemberton eventually learn about Kellerman's killing of Luthor Mahoney.





7. (2.02) "Black and Blue" - The department and community pressure the Homicide Unit to solve a cop-involved killing. With the lives and reputations of fellow officers at stake, Giardello clashes with Pembleton over the investigations. Giardello demands a pursuit of civilian suspects, but Pembleton's instincts tell him the cops are lying.





8. (5.13) "Betrayal" - Bayliss's shaky history with child victims leads him to reveal a family secret to Pemberton after the two work the beating death of a young girl found by the interstate. Kellerman rejects the Fifth Amendment before a grand jury, and is let off the hook.





9. (7.10) "Shades of Gray" - Rene Sheppard is assaulted when she and Lewis investigate an incident involving the accidental death of a West Indian immigrant at the hands of a white bus driver.





10. (1.07) "And the Rockets' Dead Glare" - When a student who was a political refugee is murdered, Lewis and Crosetti take it upon themselves to investigate individuals at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC. Kay Howard and Beau Felton spend the day in court testifying in the ongoing case against "Pony" Johnson. Pembleton weighs the pros and cons of a possible promotion within the department.