Blindspotting: Every Main Character, Ranked By Likability

Not many people would’ve expected 2018’s Blindspotting to branch out and produce a television series set in the same universe. The film was a critical darling (94% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it does feature some of the stars of the hit Broadway show Hamilton but it didn’t exactly rack up the bucks at the box office, taking in $5 million.

However, Starz greenlit a series following one of the main characters and it was again met with critical praise while not being a commercial hit. The franchise works so well because of the impressive array of characters who, while heavily flawed, are seemingly inherently likable across both the show and movie.

10 Jacque

As noted, pretty much every character in this universe is someone you want to root for. Alas, someone has to rank at the bottom and that’s Jacque (April Absynth). The main reason for this is simply that she gets far less time on screen than the other key characters, only appearing in a few episodes.

Jacque is the best friend of Trish, so she’s constantly hanging out at the Turner home where most of the action takes place. She is loyal, supportive, and has big dreams. She never really has a moment where you dislike her but other characters stand out more.

9 Val

A character exclusive to the film, Val (Janina Gavankar) is the ex-girlfriend of the movie’s protagonist, Collin. She works as the secretary at the moving company Miles and Collin work for and she mostly spends her time in the movie being kind of judgmental.

Her feelings are understandable since she has clearly put up with Collin and Miles for years and grew tired of it. She did provide Collin with sage advice on his friendship with Miles and she had his best interests in mind but it was still hard for people to get totally behind her since she didn’t visit Collin a single time when he was locked up.

8 Rainey

The kind heart of Rainey (Helen Hunt) is evident from the start of the TV series. She immediately takes in Ashley and her grandson Sean with no questions asked once Miles goes to prison and makes sure that they feel like the home is truly theirs.

Rainey is a strange person at times, known for doing things like flashing police officers or coming up with her “rule of three” when disciplining her kids. She suffers a bit from not getting as much time to develop as more prominent characters but there doesn’t seem to be a bad bone in this woman’s body.

7 Janelle

Debuting in the TV show, Janelle (Candace Nicholas-Lippman) is the best friend of Ashley and has been since childhood. In a lot of ways, she fills the expected trope of the fun best friend who is often there to deliver comedic relief and give out advice.

That automatically makes her likable because that’s a TV trope designed for characters who become fan favorites. Janelle is a good friend, takes care of Sean pretty often, and her budding romance with Earl is one of the show’s most endearing subplots.

6 Trish

In some ways the opposite of Rainey, her daughter Trish (Jaylen Barron) is hostile towards Ashley when she moves in. The two women butted heads for most of the season but that was more of a case of them having opposing outlooks on life rather than because Trish is a bad person.

She was shown to be a caring aunt when it comes to Sean and she mostly mends fences with her sister-in-law to the point where she officiates her wedding. Trish also gets major likability points for being a strong, independent, and empowered woman. She wants more than her job as a stripper and makes that a reality by coming up with her own business within that industry.

5 Miles

In the film, Miles (Rafael Casal) is someone who frustrates the audience. His penchant for not thinking before acting rashly gets himself and Collin into trouble more than once and it puts a strain on his relationship with Ashley. It even leads to his son holding a gun at one point.

Despite his actions, there’s something likable about Miles. He makes obvious mistakes but he’s clearly a good person. He loves his family, is a father who truly cares for his son, and he’s fiercely loyal to those who are important to him. Miles also gets to deliver some of the funniest lines, which is a plus.

4 Sean

It’s almost a given that the viewers would fall in love with little Sean (Atticus Woodward). As Ashley and Miles’s son, he gets to play a major part in the main storyline. When Miles was arrested, Sean was unaware of what really happened and was simply missing his father.

Sean is a good kid who really doesn’t misbehave nearly as much as other kids seen on TV. The worst thing he did was kick Trish and his mother after watching John Wick but even then he quickly apologized and was better going forward. He’s simply just a good-hearted kid.

3 Earl

Earl (Benjamin Earl Turner) was the surprise of Blindspotting season 1. He lives next door to the main characters and is renting out a room at Janelle’s home while on house arrest. Earl came across as a weird dude at the start but he won over everyone around him in just a few episodes. He and Janelle flirt a ton, he is great with Sean, and even the likes of Trish come around on him.

Earl is funny, sweet, and the man can cook (even calling himself the Spice King). The biggest thing about Earl is that he’s sympathetic because his crime was so small but it has impacted his life so much. His emotional talk with Ashley about how jail will always be with him was a huge moment and he did everything to stay out of trouble only to get taken by the cops in the finale anyway.

2 Ashley

The protagonist of the TV series, Ashley (Jasmine Cephas-Jones) has to be a likable character. She’s the more grounded and level-headed half in her relationship with Miles and that’s important. She is someone who certainly struggles with what happens to Miles and spends most of the season trying to get things together.

Despite her problems, Ashley is someone who is always trying to do what’s right. She wants to make sure that Sean has the best possible life, regardless of the sacrifices she has to make to get there. She is a good friend, a great mother, and she is more than capable of standing up for herself.

1 Collin

At the center of the original movie was Collin (Daveed Diggs). The story centered on him in the final days of probation only for him to witness a white cop killing an unarmed Black man. He’s just a guy who is trying to get his life back on track but outside circumstances (including Miles’s antics) keep getting in his way.

For the most part, Collin is a laid back guy who isn’t out to start any trouble. He’s friendly, wants to better himself, and is always there for those who are close to him, even if it ends up causing problems for himself.

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