TVSquad

For the most part, television is filled with wacky whimsical characters designed to help us forget about the darkness that invades our daily lives. However once in awhile a character comes along who dares to make us face our own evil within. What follows are my personal favorites.

Dexter Morgan (Dexter)
Just because Dexter only preys on bad people doesn't excuse the fact that he has a compulsion to kill people in very sadistic ways. Dexter may be the perfect psycho because he is completely self-aware. He knows full well that what he is doing is unacceptable but also firmly believes that he can do nothing to change who he is.

"Crazy" Joe Davola (Seinfeld)
Although his innate hilariousness might make him seem harmless, let's remember a few important points. Crazy Joe kicked Kramer in the head so hard that it cracked his motorcycle helmet. Crazy Joe tried to assassinate Jerry at the taping of his pilot. Crazy Joe listens to Pagliacci alone in his apartment. Also you have to be a little crazy to date Elaine.

Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
While technically not dangerous, Larry's anti-social, selfish behavior has proven to be source of irritation not only for him but for his family and friends as well.

Oliver Trask (The OC)
Clearly one of the best head cases in prime time. The best part about Oliver was that he wasn't just nuts but he was a true manipulator. The way he made it seem that Ryan was the bad guy would have made Machiavelli proud.

Adrian Monk (Monk)
I know we all get a big kick out of Monk's "quirks" but, seriously, if you knew a guy who had a fear of milk wouldn't you be worried about him? The sad truth is that without his problems Monk probably wouldn't be the brilliant detective that he is.

Drusilla (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Dru was my favorite kind of crazy. No rules, no reasoning, just flat out batshit crazy with an occasional neck biting thrown for good measure. I always enjoyed how she seemed so placid and calm but even Spike knew how dangerous she was.

Uncle Fester Frump (The Addams Family)
The insanity gene ran pretty strong in the Addams/Frump bloodline but in Fester's case it was working overtime. What was his deal anyway? The guy was practically invulnerable, had tons of electricity coursing through his veins but was still shy around women.

Chuck Campbell (Soap)
I've always felt that most ventriloquists are a little crazy but Chuck made no excuses. He and Bob went everywhere together, dressed alike and whenever Chuck couldn't bring himself to say something out loud, Bob was more than happy to do it for him. The proof that Chuck was nuts was that he was a gifted ventriloquist but he never worked as one.

George Williams (Desperate Housewives)
Not satisfied with just being the creepy pharmacist, George entered psycho territory when he killed Rex Van de Camp and threw Bree's shrink off of a bridge.

Paulie 'Walnuts' Gualtieri (The Sopranos)
When it comes to nut cases on The Sopranos there's plenty of flavors to choose from but Paulie's mood swings and excessive acts of violence definitely put him on top. Remember the look on his face as he tore up Christopher's lawn with his car? Truly scary.