9 Supporting TV Characters Who Carried Their Shows (5 of 5)

Castiel — Supernatural

This man with the face of a cherub was supposed to be a guest who would appear once in a blue moon for plot reasons, but he was just too good to be let go. Misha Collins’ trench-coated angel arrived with gravelly confusion and a head tilt that launched a thousand GIFs. His hyper-literal takes on humanity and fierce bond with Dean expanded the show from “two brothers and a car” to a cosmic soap opera with feelings.

Captain Raymond Holt — Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Andre Braugher’s deadpan delivery became a staple of 99. A perfectly placed “hot damn” did more damage than a full slapstick set piece. Holt’s granite calm, weirdly specific quirks, and unblinking pride built the show’s funniest beats; his history as a gay Black man was amazing for representation, and the father-like bond with Jake gave the series stakes beyond weekly sitcom gags.