4.-5. Rust Cohle and Marty Hart –– True Detective: You can’t really have Rust without Marty and vice-versa. Sure, the natural chemistry between real-life friends Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey may have played a part in making this duo such an instant hit, but credit where credit is due, these characters are wonderfully written. Even if, as some critics argued, Rust and Marty are archaic constructions of a macho culture gone by, you have to admit they’re beautiful relics.

By Jason Kempin/Getty Images

3. Ensemble –– You’re the Worst : One more cheat to include the central four characters on You’re the Worst. Pitched as a meet-cute love story between Jimmy and Gretchen, the FX sitcom eventually showed its true colors. It’s Friends with a nasty, hilarious edge, and I mean that as the highest compliment. The show works perfectly well with any combination of Lindsay, Edgar, Gretchen, and Jimmy, but it practically sings when all four are together. See, for example, the episode “Sunday Funday.” Jimmy and Gretchen’s relationship may wax and wane, but this core group is here to stay.

Courtesy of FX/Chris Large

2. Molly Solverson –– Fargo : Molly is the perfect answer to the concerns over the über-masculinity of True Detective all wrapped up in a comely Allison Tolman–shaped package. Molly is Fargo’s most brilliant creation because as much as she might resemble Frances McDormand’s Marge Gunderson (pregnant belly and all!), Molly is somehow completely distinct. Smart, brave, kind, sharp, and funny, Molly is one of the most fully formed and lovable characters in recent memory. The way she bumps up against gendered expectations is both frustrating and, ultimately, rewarding because you know Molly, the smartest person in the room, will have her day. Fargo may be bleak, but Molly shines.

Courtesy of Macall B. Polay/HBO

1. Oberyn Martell –– Game of Thrones : Like How I Met Your Mother, Game of Thrones only had a very short time to make us fall head over heels for the Red Viper of Dorne. And fall we did. Hard. Against all odds, a nation of Game of Thrones fans who swore they wouldn’t be fooled again after last year’s Red Wedding, cried out when Oberyn met his doom. Pretty nifty trick, right? It helps that Oberyn is one of the best characters in George R.R. Martin’s books, but it won’t hurt to spread the credit around to actor Pedro Pascal and the HBO writing staff. That’s the last time you fall in love with a Game of Thrones character, right? Sure. I’ve heard that before.