Michael B. Jordan: 10 Best Television Roles (According To Rotten Tomatoes)

Michael B. Jordan is best known for his acting in many a blockbuster, from playing supervillain Killmonger in the billion-dollar Marvel hit Black Panther to taking on the role of skilled boxer Adonis Creed in the Rocky franchise.

However, he’s also appeared in quite a few hit television shows – the best of which we’ll look at today, as we use the critical consensus scores provided by review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes to select his ten best television roles of all time. Spoiler warning! We will be revealing some crucial plot details from

10 The Boondocks (2005-) – 54%

Based on the hit comic strip of the same name, The Boondocks offered a sharp, satirical take on American politics and black culture; like many other adult animated sitcoms, it was often the source of controversy – which, for the most part, is the reason for its somewhat low Rotten Tomatoes score. Jordan stars in the season four premiere “Pretty Boy Flizzy” as the titular R&B superstar, a parody of singer/songwriter Chris Brown.

Given that the show has roots in series like Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, it’s not surprising that Jordan, a massive anime fan, made a guest appearance; he’s definitely a welcome addition to the cast.

9 Lie To Me (2009-2011) – 78%

The crime drama series Lie To Me follows a private organization of psychology professionals who advertise themselves as a group capable of cracking seemingly impossible-to-solve cases; they do this through such learned abilities as decoding body language and detecting microexpressions, which they believe monumental to discovering a person’s true nature.

Jordan appears as Key, a camera thief, in the season three episode “Smoked”, and reprises his role in the series finale “Killer App”, in which the series’ main protagonist, Dr. Cal Lightman, hires him to tail a suspect.

8 Raising Dion (2019-) – 82%

The superhero drama series Raising Dion follows Dion, a young boy who discovers he has supernatural abilities resembling those out of a comic book, as his protective single mother finds it necessary to keep as close an eye on him as possible until she can learn more about what’s happening to him; meanwhile, it becomes obvious that a mysterious force has pitted itself against the two.

Jordan executive-produced the series, which he also has a recurring role in as Dion’s deceased father, a climate scientist named Mark Warren. The character’s hidden past and mysterious death are both important to discovering the source of Dion’s superpowers.

7 Gen:Lock (2019-) – 86%

Michael B. Jordan executive-produced the animated web series Gen:Lock, which he also stars in as Julian Chase. The character is an experienced and dynamic fighter who lost much of his body in battle and was thus recruited to lead a battalion of mecha fighters controlled by exceptional human minds.

The series has its roots in anime, particularly mecha and others featuring cybernetic crimefighters, such as Ghost in the Shell and Gundam, but it combines that trait with the military-science themes present in the works of Tom Clancy.

6 Burn Notice (2007-2013) – 88%

USA Network’s hit series Burn Notice follows a spy who’s been abandoned by the CIA with the only explanation being a “burn notice” he’s received that identifies him as dangerous to the agency, with the implication that a high-profile criminal wants him dead. All contacts between him and the government have been severed, but he’s desperate for answers, so he takes up work as a street-smart private investigator, teaming up with his best friend Sam Axe and ex-girlfriend Fiona Glenanne; his ultimate goal is to be able to fund his own research into why his contract was terminated.

Jordan appears in the season two episode “Hot Spot”, in which he plays a young athlete who’s hiding out in his coach’s home; pursued by a reckless Miami gangster he was trying to protect his sister from.

5 Parenthood (2010-2015) – 88%

A loose, modern adaptation of the popular 1989 film of the same name, NBC’s Parenthood follows the three generations of the Braverman clan as they navigate everyday struggles and domestic situations in Berkeley, California, with their familial bond serving as the only thing able to keep them together during the most stressful of days.

Jordan had a recurring role in the series, appearing for sixteen episodes during seasons two and three as Alex, a nineteen-year-old lone wolf; as Haddie’s boyfriend, he quickly became a favorite character amongst fans of the series.

4 Bones (2005-2017) – 90%

The long-running Fox crime drama series Bones follows Seeley Booth, an FBI agent who teams up with Temperance Brennan, a skilled, renowned forensic anthropologist to solve mysteries – particularly those involving murder – through studying the remains of victims. While Booth often falls behind while trying to keep up with Brennan’s scientific jargon, he’s still a skilled cop able to force the truth out of many a suspect.

Jordan appears in the 2009 episode “The Plain in the Prodigy” as Perry Wilson, the boyfriend of forensic pathologist Dr. Camille Saroyan’s adopted daughter Michelle Welton.

3 House (2004-2012) – 91%

The medical drama House follows Dr. Gregory House, an introverted diagnostician whose bizarre, controversial methods perplex and occasionally anger his fellow staff at the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. As one of the most critically-acclaimed television series of the past twenty years, it’s won five Emmys, two Golden Globes, and nine People’s Choice Awards.

Jordan appears in the season eight episode “Love is Blind” as the born-blind patient Will Westwood, who has begun experiencing strange symptoms, including necrosis, headaches, and coughing up blood; House must find a way to save him before it’s too late.

2 The Wire (2002-2018) – 94%

HBO’s successful crime drama The Wire takes place in Baltimore, Maryland, and goes against the traditional formula of broadcast television by focusing on a different subject matter every season (usually related to the city’s culture and politics),  while also boasting an ensemble cast of character actors that avoids big-name stars.

Jordan has a recurring role during season one as teenaged drug dealer Wallace, who is killed in the season’s penultimate episode for telling on members of the drug empire he was once a key part of. His death was described by MSNBC as the series’ “most memorable [scene], and [the] one that illustrates The Wire in microcosm.”

1 Friday Night Lights (2006-2011) – 97%

While it hasn’t become nearly as famous as this list’s other entries, NBC’s teen sports drama Friday Night Lights received several accolades and was a major critical success. The series takes a look at common cultural issues set against a rural Texas backdrop, viewed through the eyes of a high school football team.

Jordan became a recurring cast member starting with the show’s fourth season; he plays Vince Howard, a student who’s had law troubles but hopes to turn over a new leaf by becoming the team’s quarterback, a venture he finds unexpected success in.

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