The true villains are the people behind the scenes responsible for this atrocity, be it individual writers, a director, the network. Who knows. The cast is highly talented, but the only way the show moves forward is if nearly every character has an unbroken streak of bad decisions. The best way to watch this show is to do shots every time someone says 1)"why didn't you say anything?" 2)"why didn't you tell anyone?" 3)Goes somewhere alone without telling anyone where he or she is going 4) is escaping from someone and passes bystanders who could help without saying anything.
With this cast there may be hope for this show yet, but for now, make sure your "stupid decision shots" consist of root beer
(Descriptions as of September 2, 2013)
http://m.ranker.com/list/tv-dumbest-and-worst-characters-on-under-the-dome/admiralcrunch, fictional characters, tv, television, characters, other,
Carolyn Hill
Life partner of Alice Calvert, a couple driving through Chester's Mill to send their daughter to a behavioral camp.
Mistake: Planned to steal insulin to save Alice from possible death. Alice won't let her, and Carolyn understands. However, it's established that Alice, a psychiatrist, is the only physician in Chester's Mill. Carolyn and a minor character, Nurse Adams, more than anyone else should point out that getting Alice her insulin will be vital to the whole town, not just one person.
Saving grace: Overall appears to be a decent person and loving partner, not much development yet.
James "Big Jim" Rennie
50s (?) Smarmy used car dealer, corrupt (and only remaining) town councilman, apparent meth drug lord
Mistakes include: A ten-mile wide continual crime spree that he figures no one will solve; believes he's completely wiped out evidence of his crimes when it's later revealed he overlooked insanely obvious possiblities, Making zero leadership decisions such as fuel rationing, buddy system transit, predicting any possibility looting of pharmacies and food stores, using the radio station on a regular basis to keep the peace, or to keep in mind that his ability to remain the town crime lord depends on a semblance of order; alienating virtually everyone including Dale Barbie, the former military operative who appeared to be the last person who trusted him; and worst, letting his son see his hatred for him though he knows his son to be mentally unstable and violent, but, at the same time, letting that son be deputized and go around town armed with a rifle.
Saving graces: Not really any, but very minor points for telling people to stop driving after the dome came down so as not to smash into it.
As a villain, he could be consumed with a me-first, only-me mentality, but viewers have no idea where that would have come from.
Junior Rennie
College-aged son (20-21?) of slimy Big Jim, shows signs of psychosis/paranoia, established that mental illness may run in his family line on his mother's side.
Mistakes: Difficult to know, especially if his erratic, violent, and generally illogical behavior can be explained with illness and, likely, the psyche of a victim of child abuse.
Saving graces: Perhaps not really any, but his monstrous exterior has been peeled back some to show the roots of his pain.
Rose Twitchell
Manager of the town diner (45?)
Mistakes: Throws her hands up, shakes her head, and complains that she "had help, but she has no idea what happened to Angie" as she "hasn't shown up for work in two days". First, there is another waitress in the background. More importantly, and again, a dozen people dead, no idea what went wrong or what could go wrong, hasn't asked if anyone knows of Angie's whereabouts, and it's later established Angie is someone Rose cares about.
Tsk, tsk. Kids these days. What can you do?
Saving graces: Nice person, but really, none.
Maxine Seagrave
A bad girl who appears out of nowhere and strikes fear in the hearts of other wicked people. No clear mistakes except to give too much information away to her possible enemies.
In general her character was a bad decision. Her plot line is unbelievable and what she manages to do quickly and with no attempt at discretion produces the most damage to a viewer's suspension of disbelief that locals could possibly feel this is a nice, normal town.
Saving graces: None, nothing, zero.
Ben Drake
Stereotyped as the teen-village-idiot skater dude and friend to Joe McAllister. No clear mistakes, but his character is focused on "Dude, no trig test tomorrow!" and "The Simpsons movie totally called it!" a few hours after a dozen people in this small town were killed by an unexplained phenomenon. Though he screws up by telling all the kids in town where they can get juice for their gadgets (which means the bullies come take over), the writers designed him to need smacking. (Though if this is accurate, this is too stupid: When Joe suffered the first dome-related seizure, If I remember, Ben did nothing sensible like get medical help. Just the next day, "Dude, you had a seizure. You were saying something about `pink stars are falling.'")
Saving graces: Major points for bravery when making sure Angie isn't left alone at the diner with Junior Rennie.
Alice Calvert
Alice Calvert, mother of Norrie Calvert and partner to Carolyn Hill. The three of them are unfortunate enough to be traveling through Chester's Mill when the dome appears. Alice is a psychiatrist and the closest thing to a "medical doctor" available in town.
Mistakes: None really, but the character is given awful dialogue. One minute she's protesting "I'm not qualified to treat people" and thirty minutes later she's in scrubs (I think), barking out orders and using Emergency Department language such as "we're getting slammed!" which makes her appear ridiculous.
There may be more. It's unclear why she wants Norrie to go to this "reform camp".
Saving graces: Uses all her energy to help the sick, loving to Carolyn and, it appears, Norrie.
Norrie Calvert-Hill
Teenage daughter (age 15-16?) of Alice and Carolyn brought to Chester's Mill against her will and perhaps the best-written character so far. As an outsider, she provides a source of questions the viewer needs answers to. In the very beginning, she's angry, rebellious, and she's established to be at least a minor shoplifter. However, later, other than trying to steal insulin for her mother, which probably wouldn't appear deviant to viewers, she seems to be one of the more level-headed and consistent characters.
Angie McAlister
Late teens (19? 20?) Waitress. Goal, leave Chester's Mill for any better life.
Mistakes include: Running past numerous people without asking for help; only telling one person about being kidnapped, trusting her kidnapper's father after seeing his brutality, deciding its safe for her to run the town diner on her own after looting and murder and the repeated reappearance of her kidnapper, risks her own life and that of her friends by needing to "show them something" belonging to that violent kidnapper instead of explaining what she needed to show them. Considering how often that kidnapper crosses paths with her, she also could have told him first that she needed to bring her gang over to his house instead of illegal trespass and entry.
Saving grace: Young, first mistakes could be blamed on small town innocence/good heart.
Joe McAlister
High school "nerd", younger brother of Angie McAlister
Mistakes: Only person to realize the dome is semi-permeable, but tells no one, even after one deputy goes mad with panic about oxygen deprivation and then later after the town has a panic about water; it's established that 12 people are dead by the dome right away, but he makes no effort to find out if his sister is okay and there's no reason to be certain that more deaths aren't imminent; is taunted by a bully, Carter, who says he's going to "go up to his sister's bedroom" basically meaning he's going to rape Angie, but then A) doesn't ever check to see if she's really up there and B) never says anything when the would-be rapist bully is made a deputy and given a gun.
Saving graces: Definitely young, clearly book smart but w/o the experience to possess common sense