Our heroes are always tried and true. Our leading stars capture our hearts and minds. But can these stars make it without their supporting cast? Our weekly Don Quixote require their own Sancho Panza, besides the writers need someone to throw the good jokes to once in a while;  someone to put through the ringer without tarnish the shine of our star. Here five of my favorite supporting characters in dramas.

5: Alex “Tig” Trager. This man is about as sick as they come. He is absolute deviant however he has a heart of gold. Family above all else.  The love for his daughter has driven him to kill. The love for his club has driven him to kill. The love for, well shall we just say love, has really just seemed to have driven him

4: Jesse Pinkman. I am only at the beginning of season 5, got to love Netflix, but this kid has been through more life in five years than most will live in a lifetime. He has lost his aunt, prior to the show, whom he loved very much. He lost his family, as they turned away from him. He has lost what may have been one of his greatest loves, excess is costly. And yet through all this pain and loss he has yet to discover a thesaurus or another exclamation point besides “Bitch”. He has matured beyond his years and remains so childlike in nature. If not for the drugs and killing he would be a role model.

3: Leo McGarry. Possibly one of the shrewdest characters on television, and not to mention the true voice of President Bartlet, without Leo nothing gets done.  He leads us through the show. He brings us along when we don’t understand the legality or constitutionality of an issue raised by the writers. He is truly the guide.

2: Art Mullen. This character could be just another angry boss at the cop shop. The guy who has to clean the mess of his underlings but the writers keep him calm and cool, plus some of the best lines are his. Art provides us with perspective and occasional insight. One of my favorites on television, obviously.

1: Charlie Skinner. Played to perfection by Sam Waterston; Charlie embodies the romanticized dream of journalistic endeavors. He is what the rest of imagine when we say “journalist”. This is a character you just know can survive anything you throw at him and get the story, plus the girl. There has to be a huge back story on Charlie Skinner. I would love a documentary devoted to the life and times of this character. Part Hemmingway part Murrow and all superman, as he fights for truth, we need more like him.

Did I forget your favorite? Let me know in the comments.