TVSquad

When I first saw Paul's post about the Ten toughest Bald guys on TV, I immediately brainstormed who I thought they'd be before I read the post. Boy, was I surprised, not only at some of Paul's choices, but more importantly, his omissions. I was inspired enough to write my own list.

For some of my list, I agree with Paul.

1. Hawk (Spenser for Hire)
I was so glad to see Hawk on Paul's list, as he was one of the first ones to come to mind. However, I would not agree that he is a stereotype. He was deep and sensitive, loyal and protective, none of which fit the stereotype of bad ass for me. Although am I biased because I read the books, which perhaps have Hawk as a far more developed character than the series did?

2. Jean-Luc Picard (Star Trek :TNG)
Total agreement here. Again, not a stereotype. His great leadership skills helped to make him the tough guy that he is.

3. Keith Mars (Veronica Mars)
Oh yeah, Keith can be scary all right, but it is a good thing Keith was around. Here is another protector -- of his loved ones and of justice. Kind of makes him sound like a superhero ...

Other entries on my list have me agreeing with the commenters.

4. Walter Skinner (X-Files)
Man, did I love this character. At first we were lead to believe that Skinner was just a suit, a bureaucrat fighting against Mulder and Scully. How wrong we were when the Skinner-centric episodes appeared. It takes a very tough guy to protect the secrets that Skinner knew.

5. James Doakes (Dexter)
Perhaps the frontrunner on my list, Doakes was everything a tough guy should be. Scary, stalky, violent, muscle-bound, man of few words and many secrets. He turned into a pretty strong character and I will miss him on the next season of Dexter.

6. Vic Mackey (The Shield)
OK, so I only watch The Shield under great duress, but I do recognize that it is a quality show that just doesn't appeal to my feminine tastes. Vic is seriously bad ass, in every outer way. But in a sense he is also a pansy on the inside, because he just can't seem to get out of the ... shall we say, awkward ... situations in which he finds himself.

Still others that made my list are originals from my scary little brain.

7. Eli "Weevil" Navarro (Veronica Mars)
Is it OK to have two tough guys from the same show? It's my list, so I say yes. Weevil was a tough guy in a different way from Keith, although they both used their toughness to protect Veronica. Weevil inspired fear in others for no really go reason, and that trait alone puts him on this list.

8. Steven Harper (Boston Public)
It takes a tough guy with a heart to be the principal of an inner city Boston high school. Heck, he makes the list just for coming to work everyday.

9. Charles Gunn (Angel)
So I'm a big geeky fan of the Buffyverse, but I still say Gunn deserves to be on this list. As a human, he formed and headed a vampire slaying team. Forget about the sissy who fell in love with Fred; this guy was all bad ass when it came to fighting the good fight.

10. Chris Daughtry (American Idol, season 5)
Yep, I'm going to get slayed (see #9) for this entry, but open your minds, readers, and see the potential for creative interpretation of tough guy. A singer and -- *gasp* -- songwriter, this American Idol contestant set the bar high. He never once sung something that made him uncomfortable and he stayed true to who he was throughout the competition. Add the edgy rock thing and you've got a tough guy in my book. And really, he is cool enough to go by just one name -- 'Daughtry' -- and he's probably the American Idol contestant you'd least like to cross in a dark alley.

So that's my take on the Top Ten Toughest Bald Guys on TV. And I was right -- writing this was fuuuun.