Rate those DS Bad Guys/Gals

[VAM]

Many of you say Angelique has scored many points in this category-possibly the winner here. But there were many other villains in DS who performed some dastardly or hateful deeds such as Laura Collins  SPOILER...........



Lt. Forbes, Gerard Stiles, Quentin Collins, Brutus Collins, Nicholas Blair, John Yaeger, all the Trasks, Count Petofi and the list goes on.....

Who do you feel is the all-time villain on DS and why?

[Luciaphile]

Spoilers sprinkled throughout (you have been warned!)

Who is do you feel is the all-time villain on DS and why?

My first and flippest answer is Count Petofi, simply because he made my skin crawl  

But it's a good question . . . I don't know that I could just pick one (the choices, the choices!)

For pure insanity, we have Count Petofi, Brutus and the Cyrus/John Y combo package, Gabriel, half the PT cast (who really were just very annoying to watch, IMHO ).  Brutus wasn't around long enough for me to come up with a strong reaction to him.  Petofi has the ick factor going, but I think for sheer mad/serial killer/weirdness, the award has to go to the perverse Cyrus/John Yaeger.  Creepy and disgusting and just all around scary.

The obsessed: Angelique, Laura, Barnabas, Cassandra, Reverend Trask (monomaniacal with a religious bent).  Lots of competition here.  And all believed their own press.  Cassandra is a hoot to watch, but all of them are disturbing in their own unique little ways.  I guess I'd say Laura.  None of them have any qualms about harming kids, but Laura was the only one who planned on it.

The Snidely Whiplash category.  Nicholas and in a fairly lame attempt, Gerard.  I get an enormous kick out of Nicholas Blair.  Yeah, he's a snake, but he was such a witty, intelligent guy while he was plotting and doing evil that it made for great tv viewing.

Then there are the scoundrels who would sell their grandmas to the knackers if it made them a dime or got them out of a jam: Jason McGuire, Nathan Forbes, Suki Forbes, Quentin (I add him in here hesitantly because he was a bit more complex than that), Roger Collins, Gregory Trask.  Suki was regrettably only in a couple of episodes, but she was highly memorable.  Nathan was awful, but God, what a hunk (yes, I can be shallow).  Jason was fun to watch.  Maybe it was the brogue, I don't know, but it was a sad day for me when he moved into Eagle Hill. I don't know though if any of these people could ever qualify as "all-time villain".

I've left out characters.  There are so many of them . . .

I guess I'm going to have to go with Barnabas.  A lot of fans see him as a hero.  I just don't.  Even when he was "helping," he had no qualms about sacrificing others, e.g. he picked Maggie to be the lifeforce for Adam and then five minutes later was talking to her like he cared about her as a person--was really a disturbing scene, much like watching a serial killer picking a victim and then luring her in.

He's got that whole larger than life thing to him which fits the mood of the show (Romanticism meets the Gothic movement).  The attraction/repulsion factor is there.  His guilt, doom-laden persona gives him complexity.  I want to slap him most of the time, but there's no denying his importance on the show.

Yeah, I guess that's my vote for the Big Bad.  

Luciaphil

[Raineypark]

Excellent Luciaphil!!

You've covered the whole spectrum so completely there's nothing left for the rest of us to do but argue!

So, when they start coming at you with pitchforks for having the gaul to call Barnabas a villan instead of a 'tragic' hero, count me in with you....I waited YEARS for Willie to whack him with his own cane...to no avail.

[ProfStokes]

My nomination for all-time villain is Gregory Trask!  His crimes are numerous: plotting Minerva's death, attempting to drive Judith mad, arranging for her murder, abusing the children in his care.  (Some of his comments to Rachel Drummond also made me suspect that he may have been a child molester too.)  I think he was twice as hateful because he claimed to represent the forces of goodness and yet was so corrupted by greed and other vices.  Just watching him was enough to make me want to pull out the disinfectant and start scrubbing.  A truly sickening human being! He gave me the willies.

Tied with him for first place is Angelique.  Her obsessiveness turned her into a juggernaut, destroying everybody in her path without a qualm.  

The runners up are Nathan Forbes and Gabriel Collins.  Originally Barnabas's friend, Nathan transformed before our eyes from mere rake to one of the most despicable, opportunistic scoundrels on the show.  Gabriel also sank to the depths by framing Quentin for the murders that he committed.  However, I do admit to feeling a little more sympathetic in his case considering that he did have such a rotten upbringing; nevertheless it's no excuse.

Another great poll, VAM!

ProfStokes

[VAM]

Thamks ProfStokes for both your contribution and

         C :)MPLIMENT!

[ROBINV]

SPOILERS!!!!!!!!

DS villains are unique.  Whether it's the human Nathan Forbes performing heinous human deeds for the sake of greed or Angelique working her spells to attain a very human life (imagine her a Samantha Stephens, pretending not to use her powers, but bringing them out every time Barnabas needs help with a business deal?) when you boil it down, except perhaps for Count Petofi, all of them are simply looking for love.

Consider--Barnabas did evil things in order to turn Maggie Evans into his long-lost Josette.  Why?  For love.  

Nicholas Blair wanted to be with Maggie, but when his Big Bad Master ordered him to bring her down to hell, he cooked up a Big Bad Ceremony to comply.  It didn't work, but ultimately, love foiled Nicholas Blair's plans for a race of superpeople--and resulted in his destruction.

Angelique wanted nothing more than to love and be loved by Barnabas, and everything she did for nearly 200 years was in pursuit of that goal.  When she finally got to hear him say those words to her, she had been shot by Lamar Trask and was probably dead and didn't hear them.  Love was what kept her going, and love killed her--more than once, when you consider that Barnabas strangled her to death in 1796 once he learned she'd cursed him as a vampire.  Sigh.  

I adored Jason McGuire.  He was slick, wicked, greedy and deceitful.  Another human villain, his goal was not love, but money.  He ended up in an anonymous grave, strangled by Barnabas Collins.  I think in his own way, Willie loved Jason (as a friend), but Jason loved no one but himself.  He was a charming fella, and I maintain that Liz might have finally smiled if she'd married Jason and let him into her bed.  Too bad he didn't turn on the Irish charm instead of the blackmail.  They could have made beautiful music together, and surely she had enough bucks to keep them both happy.

Jeb Hawkes was another supernatural creature/villain who succumbed to loving Carolyn and begged Julia to turn him human.  He turned Barnabas back into a vampire, but even Barn tamped down on his fury when he saw Jeb's love for Carolyn (who actually married the non-Leviathan Leviathan leader).  Jeb's love didn't keep him alive, however, and after battling Angelique's shadow (don't ask), he ended up in a watery grave at the bottom of Widows' Hill.  All Jeb truly wanted was Carolyn, and she was devastated when she lost him--another supernatural guy who just wanted love and was the vixtim of destruction.

Laura wanted to burn her son along with her, but for love; she sought to give both of them eternal life.  She meant well, but in the human world, no mother who truly loves her son does such a thing, and we were glad to see her perish--alone and loveless.

Now, as to which was the worst of them, I'd actually have to say Cassandra, Angelque's alter ego who showed up in Collinsport and married poor Roger by putting him under a spell.  Her efforts to restore the vampire curse on Barnabas fell apart because of Adam (another poor shnook just trying to find someone to love); failing that, she attempted to shoot the now-human Barnabas, but ended up her true age and was spirited away by Mr. Blair; Nicholas turned Angelique into a vampire and allowed her to go after nearly every man on the show before siccing her on Barnabas; her plan to turn him back into a vampire failed AGAIN; she tattled on Nicholas for daring to succumb to the human frailty of love (and of which she was equally guilty); she made a deal with Diabolos, and never did end up with Barnabas, not at this point in the story, anyway.

Quentin was handsome, devil may care, a womanizer; he loved Beth, Jenny, Amanda, Rachel, but the one person he couldn't love was himself, and that was his undoing.  When he finally hooked up with Ms. Corey in the future, she ended up dying, leaving him alone.  Quentin never did find love, but I'm sure as long as he roamed the earth, he was forever looking.

Love, Robin

I'm rambling, I know,

[WileyS]

I think Gregory Trask was the most "evil" character.  Won't say much more so as not to spoil anything but I can't think of a single nice thing he did for anyone LOL.  Jerry Lacy was good in all of his roles but I thought he was doubly good as Gregory.

[Patti Feinberg]

Howdy all.
IMO...yes, Petofi is the BAAADEST dude...possibly because he hates and goes against Barn AND Quentin.
I dunno...I remember watching 2 yrs ago (first time seeing Angelique)..I HATED her for ruining Barnabas.

I guess though, Laura is a worthy contender..hmm..
she's malicious, where as Ang could be 'funny'...

I also HATED Chris Pennock when he turned Barn (well, I'll say no more),,,,BUT, as most of you know....always thought he was yummy in the jeans/leather.

This could actually lead to another topic of those we LOVE to HATE.

This would be Angelique and Petofi

Patti

[Patti Feinberg]

Actually though....Barnabas in the PRE-1795 eps is very very nasty , n'est pas?
Cruel, creepy, etc.
Just cause we get to see his rationale for his behavior, let's not let him off the hook.
Patti

[JCOLLINS]

Reverend Trask has to be the badest of the bad - there is something particularly horrid about Evil that is cloaked in Holy.  

But can't believe that Barn made the top of a list ?!? -- Yeah he has his faults, but at his core is always his great love for Josette.

[Luciaphile]

Reverend Trask has to be the badest of the bad - there is something particularly horrid about Evil that is cloaked in Holy.  

The thing about Reverend Trask was that he actually believed in what he was doing.  He wasn't the hypocrite that Gregory was.  Not saying this makes Reverend Trask was a nice or good guy, that's why I call him an obsessive.

But can't believe that Barn made the top of a list ?!? -- Yeah he has his faults, but at his core is always his great love for Josette.

Well, see that was the top of my list.  As for motivation, well, that's something to take into account, but seeing as how the love of his life seemed to be fairly interchangeble with whoever was the flavor du jour, I don't give the ol' boy many points

Luciaphil

[The charming Mr. Blair]

I would have to say that for me it is Rev. Trask.
I guess I have a major problem with the holier-than-thou people who condem other in the name of religion.
Second, 1795 was about 100 years after all the Salem witch hoopla, so this guy was a real crackpot. This guy was about as fanatic as the Taliban.
I would also say that Angelique is right there with Rev. Trask, but I am so impresses by Laura Parker that I find it impossible to hate her just yet. This is my first time seeing her, and let me tell you she is one heck of an actor. Great speaking voice too! And those eyes that are both evil and innocent!!

Brain

[kuanyin]

OK, here is my "favorite", Angelique Stokes Collins from PT. She...

SPOILER







... killed her own twin, and I can't even remember what all else. Icky girl.

I have to second (or third) on Gregory Trask, a thoroughly despicable human being. I agree that Rev. Trask seemed to believe he was doing good for the Almighty, as he would say.

I don't think it has been mentioned that Quentin  got off to a start as a pretty creepy guy, and he did very well in that role. I certainly appreciate him more in the romantic lead that he became though. Gerard was a great villain in my book, and he never really improved, though he was almost likeable for a day or two.

[IluvBarnabas]

All of the male Trasks....I hated all of them....there wasn't a one of them who was any good! (Gregory was the worse without a doubt!)

Aristede was just as bad, he did so many horrible things to a lot of the characters I cared about. True it was usually under Petofi's orders, but Aristed relished the torture he inflicted on his victims. I was SOOOOOOO glad when he got his comeuppance.