25 Of TV's Best 'Express Lane' Characters: Who Made The Biggest Impact In 10 Episodes Or Less?

Television gives us a chance to get to know characters over several years and hundreds of episodes... but some characters only need a few episodes to make a big impression.

Just about every one of our favorite TV shows has a memorable character who only shows up in a handful of episodes — someone who we simply can't picture the show without, no matter how brief their stint on the show was. From classic comedies like Friends and Seinfeld to groundbreaking dramas like Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones, we love a character who steals our hearts (and our laughs) with just a mere wisp of screen time.

We're calling them "express lane" characters, meaning that they appeared in 10 episodes or less, and for the purposes of this list, we're setting a minimum number of 50 total episodes for each TV series, to ensure that the character's stay was meaningfully short. (For many of these selections, they are so engrained in the show's legacy, we couldn't believe they were only in a few episodes.) Read on to see which 25 unforgettable (but rarely seen) characters made our list — and then hit the comments to let us know your personal favorites.

Played by the incomparable Elaine Stritch, Jack's mom Colleen was a hilarious portrait of parental disapproval, constantly sniping at how her very accomplished son fell short in her eyes. (Just about everyone fell short in her eyes, actually.) Jack hated seeing her coming, but we always loved when Colleen paid a visit. — Dave Nemetz

The juxtaposition of a freaky-looking demon being polite and pleasant always tickled us throughout the Buffy spinoff's later seasons. And the fact that he commuted to work and loved The Matrix? So relatable! Skip's re-emergence was always welcomed, despite him hiding his true villainy, convincing Cordy to turn half-demon and being complicit in that whole Jasmine debacle. But hey, we love a demon with layers! — Nick Caruso

Geeeene! We were as excited as Lucille Bluth was every time we saw this private investigator (played by the late, great Martin Mull) pop up unexpectedly in disguise. No, he wasn't the best P.I., but his disguises were always a hoot, as were Lucille's delighted screeches upon recognizing him. — D.N.

At 84 years young, sitcom legend Bob Newhart finally won an Emmy in 2013 for his initial guest stint. But it was after Arthur passed away the following year that Newhart's role grew in size. He would resurface four more times as Sheldon's very own Obi-Wan Kenobi, who appeared to the theoretical physicist in dreams whenever he needed him most. — Ryan Schwartz

Ding! He couldn't speak and was confined to a wheelchair, but Mark Margolis still made Tio one of the most terrifying TV villains in recent memory. A ruthless drug lord infamous for his brutality, Tio could now only communicate by ringing a bell, but his mind was still sharp as a tack, and he used his wiles to exact vengeance on his hated rivals. Right, Gus Fring? — D.N.

Buffy's cuddliest demon was no threat to anyone — except maybe the kittens he won at poker — and he proved a reliable babysitter when Dawn needed watching. Doofy, big-hearted and incredibly loose-skinned, Clem (played by James C. Leary) was the gentle giant on whom Spike and the Scooby Gang repeatedly relied. — Kimberly Roots

Carla's sleazy ex-husband (played to perfection by Dan Hedaya) was such a slimeball, he practically left a trail every time he entered the bar, and his vicious verbal spats with Carla were just a joy to behold. When NBC tried to give him his own spinoff with The Tortellis, though, it flopped, which just proves a man like Nick is best taken in small doses. (If at all.) — D.N.

Larry David needs someone to keep him in check, and Wanda was more than happy to do that, popping into his HBO comedy occasionally to call him out for his latest social faux pas or pour cold water on his new scheme. In fact, considering how ridiculous Larry got at times, he could've used more Wanda in his life. We could've, too. — D.N.

Petronella Osgood, we're big fans. UNIT's science-y MVP and Companion-Who-Never-Was didn't just hilariously fangirl over her time lord hero and cheat death, she also heroically devoted her life to defending the earth... with her duplicate Zygon sister! Even if we never see those epically cool bow tie and question mark accessories again, all that matters is that Osgood lives! And nothing's going to stop them. — Jason Averett

Phoebe's degenerate half-brother was even more of a space cadet than she was, and Giovanni Ribisi's fantastically dim performance made him a welcome addition to the Central Perk gang anytime he visited. Frank Jr. was a romantic, too: He eventually married his former home ec teacher because, as he put it, "being with her is so much better than, like... not being with her." — D.N.

Bella Ramsey just edged out her The Last of Us co-star Pedro Pascal for this spot on our list, instantly grabbing our attention as the pint-sized ruler of House Mormont when she debuted in Season 6. (Ramsey was just 12 years old when her first episode aired, by the way.) Despite her age and size, Lyanna was a born leader and a fierce warrior, and we cheered her on until she drew her last breath on the battlefield. — D.N.

Simone Griffith's grandmother, played by the estimable Marla Gibbs, didn't get a big episode count before Alzheimer's disease landed her in assisted living. But she nonetheless made a big impact, not only driving home the gradual loss that the surgical intern was experiencing but bonding her with Meredith Grey and encouraging her to follow her heart, even if it didn't lead to her fiancé. — Charlie Mason

Every great comedy could use a little "dramaaaaaa!" and Derrick was more than happy to provide it as the gang's obnoxiously over-the-top gay bestie. Sure, Max was gay, too, but Derrick was capital-G gay with bright flashing rainbow lights, and Stephen Guarino's hilariously manic performance is just one of the many things we so dearly miss about this gone-but-never-forgotten sitcom. — D.N.

This creepy pair of brothers played by Jimmi Simpson and Nate Mooney have been a thorn in the side of the Paddy's Pub gang for so long, it's stunning to realize they've only been in eight episodes. (They debuted way back in Season 1, a full 20 years ago now!) We wouldn't say we enjoy seeing the McPoyles show up — they're horribly inbred and have a weird taste for milk — but we do enjoy how hilariously uncomfortable they make everyone else feel. — D.N.

The geriatric secretary was introduced in Season 4 as a gag at first — a cure for Don Draper's tendency to bed his assistants — and she did add some comic relief to an often somber show. But she became a poignant symbol of the passage of time later that season when she died at her desk, with Bert Cooper eloquently marveling, "She was born in 1898 in a barn. She died on the 37th floor of a skyscraper. She's an astronaut." — D.N.

Here, we tip our hat to Sebastian Stan, who — coming off the underappreciated Kings (as well as Gossip Girl) — popped up on ABC's hit fantasy series as not just an iconic Alice in Wonderland figure, but one whose gradually revealed backstory, and separation from daughter Grace in present-day Storybrooke, broke our hearts. — Matt Webb Mitovich

Money, please! As obnoxious as Jean-Ralphio was, his sister Mona-Lisa was somehow exponentially more obnoxious, happily living in her own immature bubble and begging for cash handouts from her hapless father. We didn't have to give her money, though, so we were happy to see Jenny Slate every time she visited Pawnee. — D.N.

We know, we can't believe it either: The squinty, square-jawed lug played by Patrick Warburton only appeared in a mere 10 of Seinfeld's 172 episodes, but we'll never forget his so-dumb-they're-wise observations and animalistic chemistry with Elaine. Sure, he's a face painter... but he was raw-dogging flights decades before it became a trend on TikTok. — D.N.

After playing Cliff Clavin's loving ma on Cheers, Frances Sternhagen added a little venom to her kindly-old-lady screen persona as Bunny, the domineering mother of Charlotte's husband Trey. Able to sway her son's opinion with just a squeeze of his arm, Bunny was hilariously over-involved in Trey and Charlotte's marriage — she even sat chatting with her son while he took a bath! — and we loved watching her make Charlotte squirm. — D.N.

This volatile mobster played by David Proval instantly became one of Tony Soprano's most formidable adversaries when he debuted in Season 2. The older brother of Tony's pal and boss Jackie, Richie resented Tony outranking him and undermined him at every turn — and to make matters worse, he also dated Tony's sister Janice. Of all the enemies Tony tangled with, Richie might just take the cannoli. — D.N.

It's a credit to both actor John de Lancie and the TNG writers that we could've sworn Q appeared in more episodes than this; even in just eight episodes, he ranks as an all-time great Star Trek villain. An omnipotent trickster god who delighted in toying with Jean-Luc Picard and other puny humans, Q popped up from time to time with another mind-bending test for Jean-Luc to pass, and the mischievous twinkle in de Lancie's eye made sure we could never hate the guy. Er, god. — D.N.

Salad chef Felipe's constant jealousy of Jack Tripper delivered big laughs — a wowing feat, considering the ensemble Gino Conforti was surrounded by. Felipe's attempts to undermine Jack (along with his general apathy toward him) only added to the unique chemistry between the actors, but even when the two characters became friends, Felipe's mere presence was enough to bring a smile to our faces. — N.C.

We wouldn't go out of our way to condone Uncle Jeff's verbal abuse... but let's just say if anyone deserved it, it was Jonah Ryan! Peter MacNicol was the funniest of the HBO satire's recurring players, chewing scenery like it was no one's business — a practice best showcased in this NSFW scene opposite Timothy Simons. — R.S.

The science-minded Special Agent played by Brandon Beiser had two jobs on Fox's sci-fi series: spout impressive-sounding exposition and gaze adoringly at Special Agent Dana Scully. Unfortunately, he was doing the latter when he took a stray bullet and died. Even worse? Scully later admitted she'd never even known his first name. — K.R.

In Season 3 of the Paramount Network hit, Karen Pittman's Market Equities' CEO was so fierce, so formidable, so damn unflappable that we actually thought for a second that the powerhouse might be able to best Beth Dutton. We were wrong, of course. But it was still hella fun watching Willa try. — C.M.