The best stories often feature messy and morally complex characters, and the Bravo television series Imposters does a great job with this. Most of the characters are con artists from the beginning, or learn to become con artists.
None of the characters have it all figured it out, and the ones that think they have it figured it out learn otherwise when the rug is pulled out from under them. Whether they're being conned or they're conning other people, each character is tested in different ways. Some characters become more likable through these experiences while others only prove to be more unlikable.
10 The Doctor
The Doctor is the most unlikable character because he is a cruel, manipulative, and narcissistic individual with no redeeming qualities. Once someone completes a job for the Doctor, he believes that he owns that person and they must work for him forever.
He would rather kill or hurt the people that work for him than let them go free. He has conned countless individuals out of all their money and unlike some of the people who work for him, he has no remorse or inner conflict about ruining these people's lives.
9 Patrick Simons
Patrick's smug arrogance makes him the show's second most unlikeable character. As an undercover agent trying to get Maddie to fall for him, he is too impressed with himself and gets too much enjoyment out of flaunting his charm and lifestyle.
Imposters tries to make Patrick more empathetic in the second season after his spectacular failure to take down Maddie and the Doctor. He is continuously mocked by his fellow FBI agents and is revealed to be a father struggling through a divorce. Nevertheless, Patrick remains arrogant, impatient, and believes he knows better than everyone else.
8 Lenny Cohen
A character who exists to intimidate and hurt people is usually unlikable. This is the role of Uma Thurman's character Lenny Cohen, as the Doctor sends her to brutally convince his people to do their jobs. However, Lenny Cohen is quirky enough to make her more likable than the average goon.
When she confronts the people she is tasked with course correcting, she usually cooks delicious meals and engages them in thoughtful and sometimes terrifying conversations. Before Jules realizes who she's talking with, Lenny helps her realize that she needs to stop punishing herself for something that happened in Jules's past. Besides, fans can't help but like a character who says things like, "See you soon, macaroon!"
7 Max
Max is an irritable and pragmatic individual, but his relationships with other characters shows a different side to him. He cares about Maddie like she's a daughter to him and he and Richard develop a fun and unlikely bromance.
Unfortunately, Max becomes less likable after he double-crosses Sally. Even though he and Sally have a long history of working together and looking out for each other, Max betrays her to save himself, knowing that this means the Doctor will have Sally killed or seriously hurt. Max regrets what he did and suffers in several ways because of this betrayal, but it doesn't erase what he did to his partner.
6 Sally
Sally may con people for a living, but there is a sweet and compassionate side to her that most people don't see. She adores Maddie and treats her like a daughter. She loves Max, who she often refers to as Maxie, and enjoys little things about him, like the fact that she thinks it's cute when he gets all riled up.
After Max betrays her--which leads her to suffer at the hands of the Doctor--she becomes a colder and more ruthless individual. Yet, Sally still cares about Max and is even affectionate toward him after he gets hurt. She does go down a dark path when she chooses to murder the Doctor in cold blood instead of sticking to the plan she made with the others, but it's understandable given everything the Doctor put her through.
5 Sofia
Sofia is a clever and charismatic character. She and Ezra make a good team and she feels like a better romantic fit for him than Maddie does, especially when considering the complex history that Maddie and Ezra share.
There is nothing unlikable about Sofia, but she mostly exists as part of Ezra's storyline, and unlike the other main characters, she is not introduced until the second and unfortunately final season. Sofia is not given enough time or individual development to make her truly compelling or to become one of the show's most likable characters.
4 Ezra Bloom
Imposters begins from Ezra's perspective. He is the first person that the audience sees being deceived and conned by the woman he thought was the love of his life. He is a normal guy who has always craved adventure, who is now heartbroken and feeling lost. The audience can't help but empathize with him and root for him, as he feels like an underdog when teaming with Richard and Jules to find Maddie.
As the show progresses, Ezra not only becomes skilled at conning people, but he revels in it, especially when he feels like his marks deserve it. While he becomes more confident overall, he also becomes more arrogant. Ezra never goes fully down the dark path, though. He is conflicted by an emotional con where he pretends to fall in love with a woman just so he can acquire the 1.3 million dollar wedding ring hidden inside of a Toby Jug she bought. The end of season 2 hints that he will take on the Doctor's mantle, but the show's cancellation means fans won't know for sure what direction his development would've taken.
3 Richard Evans
Richard has a big heart and provides much of the humor in Imposters. His character develops in many positive ways as he learns to see his own value as an individual instead of depending on others to see the value in him. He shows genuine remorse for how he treated people in the past and he learns to own these mistakes.
The only thing that keeps Richard from being the show's most likable character is that some of his humorous antics grow tiresome. Calling the FBI the Federal "Burrow" of Investigation is funny the first few times, but the joke eventually loses its charm.
2 Maddie Jonson
Maddie Jonson is a woman who gets someone to fall in love with her, she marries this person, and then she steals all their money, leaving behind nothing but a message that she will never be found and a threat of what will happen if the person does try to find her. It is a testament to Inbar Lavi's acting and the writing of the show that Maddie still manages to be one of the show's most likable characters.
Beneath the brilliant con woman, the audience gets to see Maddie's vulnerability and her humanity, especially as she struggles to leave her old life behind and make a fresh start for herself. The genuine relationships Maddie forms with other characters also make her likable. She cares deeply for Sally and puts herself at risk to protect and avenge her. She also grows to respect and genuinely care for Ezra, Jules, and Richard.
1 Jules Langmore
Jules Langmore's deep compassion for others makes her the show's most likable character. After agreeing to team up with Ezra and Richard, she quickly becomes like a sister to them. Even though they drive her crazy sometimes, she loves them and always looks out for their best interests.
Her compassion is also seen in Mexico where she loves working with children and teaching them art. Unlike some of the other characters, Jules never becomes arrogant and none of her quirks or humor ever become tiresome.
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May 31, 2021 at 05:30AM
