Characters of the Week: The Pitt, Will Trent, Industry & More Result in Chilling, Powerful Performances

There is a diverse array of characters and personalities worth discussing.

Some of our Characters of the Week are compelling leads battling with their own darkness, others are off-putting characters with complexity worthy of acknowledgment. And we even have to give a shoutout to the return of a reality star to a popular franchise.

Let’s dive into our list of characters who moved us, shocked us, inspired us, and even horrified us.

Will – Will Trent

Will Trent Season 4 has delved deeper into Will’s trauma, and Ramon Rodriguez nailed it when Will used his unique skills to enter the killer’s mind and learn their motivations.

It was so creepy to think that Will might have become a Special Agent and a serial killer in the opening scenes, but Will embodied the character frighteningly well.

That’s what scared him because he never wanted to become like James Ulster, and it was almost amusing to see Ulster as the devil on his shoulder, encouraging him to come to the dark side.

Will has been working on understanding where his anger issues stemmed from, but he never realized he was that angry as a child.

I appreciated that the series revisited how he watched his foster father kill his foster mother, eliciting a fear of guns and putting him on high alert.

That made perfect sense why he’d react badly when Paul wanted to play toy guns with him as kids, and I’m so relieved that Paul was there to help him process this emotional breakdown. – Laura Nowak

Dana and Illana – The Pitt

There have been so many powerful stories happening on The Pitt Season 2.

And we’ve already mentioned multiple times how it feels like Katherine LaNasa’s season.

That truly becomes more evident during The Pitt Season 2 Episode 7 as Dana tenderly helps a sexual assault survivor, Illana (Tina Ivlev), through the heartbreaking process of collecting evidence for a rape kit.

Illana is so deeply sympathetic throughout this process. She leaves you longing to reassure her at every turn, as she grows increasingly more jittery and the full breadth of what she’s endured, and what she now must go through to document it.

What’s most striking, in such a way that it hits you right in the gut, are the little moments — when she flinches from Dana’s touch involuntarily, how she starts rationalizing what happened to her, mitigating the harm caused — the exact moment when it all gets to be too much.

And Dana, in turn, is a masterclass in what it means to show empathy.

The soft steadiness of her voice is soothing and non-threatening. She uses all the language that restores the power Illana had taken away, carefully talking to this young woman and to us through this process.

She’s so achingly tender it brings tears to your eyes, I know it did mine.

And in the quiet moments, away from Illana, we see Dana crack — the sheer weight of what this young woman endured takes it out of her, and the fact that she hasn’t processed her own assault.

Dana didn’t press charges against the man who punched her, and she’s still hypervigilant and not back to her old self after that attack. But she can at least help someone like Illana keep the option of getting justice open. – Jasmine Blu

Merlin – The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin

I’ve enjoyed Merlin’s character throughout the entire series, but focusing on his backstory and his relationship with Ganieda allowed viewers to see the different layers to his character.

Being a prophet to share the word and save people was a lonely job when you couldn’t save the ones you loved, and that was written when he was young, but he didn’t realize it.

Merlin could only be happy for a brief moment, making his relationship with so beautiful and brutal.

It’s rare to become invested in a couple so quickly, but their connection seemed believable, and they were determined to make it on their own.

Merlin proved his worth by leading King Pendaran’s men to victory and saving him and his kingdom from barbarians. It was heartwarming to see the king make Merlin his heir and his battle chief.

He finally had it all – an extended family, a wife, and a baby on the way, so it hurt even more to watch him lose it.

Merlin had to suffer to test his faith, and for the first time, he looked like he might sway to the dark side to avenge his wife’s death.

It was menacing and brilliant to watch. – Laura

Eric Tao – Industry

Sometimes, a performance is so good that it becomes more about the actor than the character.

Television is such a fascinating medium where we can have a powerful story of a survivor of sexual assault in one show and a complicated story involving a morally bad character who ultimately partakes in a disturbing sexual act in the next.

But I first have to say that Ken Leung is one of the most brilliant and criminally underrated performers of our time. And a routine travesty is that he hasn’t earned an Emmy yet. Eric Tao is one of his most complex roles in an illustrious career.

Essentially, Industry Season 4 Episode 6 served as a shocking swan song for one of Industry’s most compelling, albeit complicated, characters.

When Eric got a blackmail text revealing the passport of the sex worker he had sex with, his facial expression alone was enough to break the internet. Pure, unadulterated, bone-deep horror, shock, and self-loathing

My own blood ran cold.

Ultimately, it led him on a suicide mission to help Harper take down Whitney — a public evisceration of Whitney, all the while accepting his fate that his reputation and legacy were in ruins, but not before he took Whitney down, too, for Harper.

Eric’s confident assertion that he could NEVER feel pride for anyone other than himself until he met her, and his gratitude, are powerful declarations from a “monster” who couldn’t even meaningfully tell his actual daughter that he loved her.

Turning over the company to Harper, giving her all that she needs, an unspeakable ruin lording over him, and abandoning her to protect her, as he disappears into a suburban hellscape that he hates, is quite the swan song for one of Industry‘s profoundly captivating characters.

Ellie – Below Deck: Down Under

Every season of Below Deck needs a villain, and just when I thought returning franchise alum Ben was going to be cooking up a storm of drama, Ellie returned. 

Ben has been allowed to belittle women for far too long, and Ellie’s stealth casting is sure to shake up the dynamics and give Ben a formidable foe. 

Ellie has been a polarizing figure in the past, but her entrance alone solidifies her as one to watch as Below Deck: Down Under Season 4 heats up. 

I never thought I’d say this after how she acted on Below Deck: Mediterranean Season 9, but I’m rooting for her. – Paul Dailly

Gustavo – Cross

How is it even possible to love someone so deeply whom you barely know?

It’s something worth pondering in Cross Season 2 Episode 4, given the whirlwind, tragic romance between Gustavo and Luz.

Gustavo was a twisted but accurate depiction of loving someone wholly and unconditionally. He was selfless in his willingness to die for the cause — for Luz.

What made him such a compelling character was how he saw her. It doesn’t seem like anyone has actually seen Luz in her life — but Gustavo did, and they understood each other.

A joint quest for justice and vengeance united them, and Gustavo poured his all into ensuring that Luz could carry on her mission (his mission, too) well after he was gone.

He was a soldier for the cause and a true believer in Luz, and his pure love and idolization of her and acceptance of sacrificing his life were so utterly fascinating.

Also, Rene Moran just generally put forth an incredible performance across his stint on the series.

We’re not yelling about algorithms — just the things we love.
If you love them too, let us know. Comments and shares make a difference, especially for small outlets like TV Fanatic.

TV Fanatic is searching for passionate contributors to share their voices across various article types. Think you have what it takes to be a TV Fanatic? Click here for more information and next steps.