What chance did Caan really have playing opposite dreamy leading man Alex O'Loughlin? It turns out, an excellent one. No mere foil, the lippy Danno is a scene-stealer as he calls McGarrett on his over-the-top renegade BS, exhibits a fierce love for his daughter and makes bouffant, slicked-back hair look good. Consider us booked.

We were a little worried when we heard "that British guy from Love Actually" had been tapped to play the lead role of Southern Deputy Sheriff Rick Grimes, but it turns out that going with a lesser-known actor was a blessing. Rather than play the flashy hero, Lincoln showed all of Rick's colors — bewildered confusion, heartbreak, unwavering determination and steely leadership — and often without using a lot of words.

Yes, the show may be named Nikita, but it's Fonseca playing the mole Alex that allows viewers to infiltrate Division. Throughout the first season, she transitioned from the doe-eyed, squeamish newbie to a tarnished — but not yet jaded — killer. Part steely, part brittle, she somehow pulls it off even as she's being tortured or getting pumped with hallucinogens.

Look, all this comes down to is the fact that on national television one grown woman (Dionne "Legendary" Warwick) called another (Niki Taylor) a hussy (as in, "I got your number, hussy!") while smacking on a giant, frequently visible wad of gum. That is Dionne's crotchety turn on The Celebrity Apprentice in a nutshell and a painful reminder of why she left too soon. (First runner-up for best Dionne line came after she was eliminated and she looked NeNe Leakes straight in the eye and said, "You a coward, baby.") On a show made to spotlight ridiculous personalities, Dionne's endless entitlement and arbitrary crabbiness made her the most ridiculous (no small feat given that she was in the company of Gary Busey, La Toya Jackson, Star Jones and Meat Loaf).

He had Kurt — and us! — at "you - make - me, feel like I'm livin' a teen - age - dream." As Dalton High's lead Warbler, Blaine has been an exuberant performer, a compassionate shoulder for Kurt to cry on, a defender against bullying — and he's got the smooth moves to match (from the Gap Attack to the super silly confection that was the Warblers' sexy come-on, "Animal"). Criss manages to make Blaine a grounded teen in a Glee world and a total dreamboat.

Nina had us seeing double this season. The actress very convincingly sold both of her roles, alternating flawlessly between girl-next-door Elena, who wants to save the world and vampy vixen Katherine, who just wants to stir the pot.

Her character went through a bitter breakup, got pregnant, and was thrown through a windshield, but Ramirez navigated all the drama by infusing a touch of comedy. And on top of all that, she was the centerpiece of a risky musical episode. That episode might have fallen a little flat, but Ramirez's Tony Award-winning voice was reason enough to watch.

The exasperatingly competent HankMed physician's assistant Divya — who is nonetheless lovable for her posh accent and fondness for dangly earrings — suddenly became adorably vulnerable after falling for a patient and questioning her arranged marriage. We want her to be happy, truly, but Shetty made it fun to see Divya's world rocked.

Lowe literally went from playing even-keeled Mr. Kitty on Brothers & Sisters to the nicest, most positive guy in Pawnee. (That's right, you don't need to be a dingbat to get laughs.) We love the extra special care Chris takes of his body — especially when it upsets Ron — but we really loved when it broke down, as it did in "Flu Season." "The microchip has been compromised… Stop pooping."

If it's wrong to root for a homicidal sociopath — one unhindered by morals, like Dexter — then we don't want to be right. Alice Morgan killed her parents in such well-planned fashion that not even Luther could prove she did it. Against his better judgment and because of Wilson's irresistible devilishness, the two form an unlikely bond. She's useful when he's needed to exact revenge after all. So what if he's a cop?

Phaedra was a welcome absurdity in a season dominated by NeNe and Kim yelling at each other (old news) while Cynthia fussed over her wedding (boring). Mostly, Phaedra was a hilarious conundrum — a self-dubbed Southern Belle, from the church, she also enjoys "well-hung" male strippers, talking up the benefits of using sugar during sex (we don't get it yet). She also loves a good photo shoot, and we loved watching!

On a show as crazy and zany as Cougar Town, Josh Hopkins is as close to the straight man as this sitcom will ever get. And boy, does he do it well. While so much of the show excels by going overboard (see: the huge glasses of wine, the loud "Penny Can" shrieks and pretty much anything that comes out of Courteney Cox's mouth), Hopkins stands out for doing just the opposite. He knows when to pull back instead of go big. Plus, did we mention his killer tunes on the ukulele?

It's quite a task to pull focus from an actor as magnetic as Timothy Olyphant, but Martindale stole every scene she shared with him — and every other actor on the show. As Mags Bennett, the matriarch of a backwoods pot-growing clan, she ruled her family and the community with an iron fist (or sometimes a hammer or a poisoned glass). Sure, she was mean as a rattlesnake, but her particular brand of evil is the type that always had us craving more.

Strickland's usually tough and astute Charlotte faced a brutal beating and rape by a stranger who couldn't be prosecuted because of her sometimes promiscuous past of chatting on certain websites. Strickland's brave portrayal made it clear that Charlotte was a survivor, not a victim. We expect to see the effort rewarded come Emmy season.

Hatosy's Detective Sammy Bryant has always policed with his heart, but never have we seen so much emotion from him as this season. After his partner Nate was killed in the streets, Sammy went from an emotional wreck to a reckless time bomb we secretly kept hoping would explode. Meanwhile, he became a father despite being estranged from his wife. Whether he was breaking our hearts or making us stand and cheer, we couldn't keep our eyes off him.

Neil Patrick Harris has gotten all the glory during Mother's run, but we're tipping our hats to Segel this season for his not only keeping the laughs coming, but for showing his vast range and bringing us to tears. Look no further than "Bad News," in which Lily breaks the news to an ecstatic Marshall that his father has died. Segel's lightning-fast switch from euphoria to crestfallen heartbreak is a sight to behold — especially when you consider the fact that he had no idea what Alyson Hannigan was going to tell him and improvised his line, "I'm not ready for this." We're certainly ready for more Jason Segel.

Anyone can do innocuous, but no one does it like J. Lo. The multi-hyphenate who prettied up the American Idol judging panel (sorry, Steven!) also turns out to be a master of the all-purpose compliment. Over the course of an episode, listening to her rattle off useless nothings like, "All I want to say is, 'Wow!'" and, "You bring that type of special thing to music!" and "That felt really, really real!" can have a deliriously hypnotic effect. If that isn't surreal enough for you, perhaps her asking Scotty McCreery, "Do you watch rap?" is. If you took Paula Abdul's (alleged!) downers, replaced them with uppers and put her on the back of a unicorn galloping on a rainbow, you'd have something like Jennifer Lopez on Idol. What a score!

A good True Blood villain has to be both menacing and mordantly comic. Season 1's serial killer Rene wasn't exactly a laugh riot and Season 2's Maryann was more Ibiza party girl than sociopath. Enter O'Hare as Season 3's Russell Edgington, the King of Mississippi, who upended a central premise of the show: that vampires want to peacefully coexist with humans. His genocidal plan was made most clear when he interrupted a live news broadcast by tearing the spine from the anchor and announcing, "We will eat you after we eat your children. [Pause] Now time for the weather … Tiffany?"

Next to the reserved but captivating Alicia Florrick and her brash, boots-of-justice-wearing sidekick Kalinda, it's hard for anyone on the CBS legal drama to get a word in. But as cutthroat campaign manager Eli Gold, Alan Cumming has been able to do all that and more — becoming a major part of the conversation thanks to unpredictable storytelling and a performance that makes Eli so much more likeable than he should be.

Rossum may have grabbed headlines for her racy sex scenes, but she was the heart and soul of this often over-the-top dramedy. Her face showed the years of her life she'd lost while taking care of her drunken father and five younger siblings, and her tears proved that, despite her frustration, she wouldn't have it any other way. Rossum masterfully created a character with a stony exterior, but was always able to show just enough of her softer side to keep us invested.

An Irish brogue has never been more alluring as it is from MacDonald. Accents aside, the Scottish actress delivered a spellbinding performance on the HBO drama as Margaret Schroeder, the quiet immigrant seeking a better life and winds up as Nucky's mistress. Her compelling "rags to riches" tale was deftly handled by Macdonald, who juggled Margaret's opposing halves — tough cookie and easily manipulated wallflower — with aplomb. Let's hope an Emmy nomination follows her Golden Globe one.

With both Matt Saracen and Tim Riggins out of high school, Vince filled their shoes as the player that tugged at the viewers' heartstrings. He may have had an arc that made him seem greedy and cocky, but it was satisfying to watch him grow from a kid on the streets to an honorable man with a promising future ahead of him.

In a show full of talented and hilarious adult actors, Gould stands out — not just from the other children, but also from those who play his parents. While delightfully dim in many ways, Gould's Luke might just be the smartest Dunphy of them all. Look no further than his use of a squirt gun to get Haley to study for proof.

Never has Mad Men been so funny and in such an obvious way. The Karate Kid's mom was a walking, talking punchline, and she had the ridiculously thick glasses to prove it. Heller was as dry as Don's martinis, and she wasn't shy in telling Don when he'd had six too many. And while we loved the sight gag of watching Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce's finest try to sneak Ida's dead body out of the office without clients seeing, we secretly longed for her and Roger to have another stolen moment. Guess we'll just have to read Sterling's Gold to get the scoop!