#The Best Roles The Cast Of Lost Has Landed Since The Show Ended

Ben Linus infiltrated the survivors’ group as smoothly as he stole our hearts. Michael Emerson made Ben into something special. He’s a smooth-talking, seemingly unflappable terror, too calculating to be easily tricked, and too emotional to be written off as a psychopath. Deep down, he’s just a scared kid. One who abuses his own ideas of control, sure, and one who kills, but also one who isn’t, after all, irredeemable. But it’s Emerson’s often genteel performance that made him the show’s unlikely villainous star.

“Person of Interest” gave Emerson a five-season chance to put a twist on the formula that made him a legend. Harold Finch seems like Ben at first. He’s cunning, urbane, and keeps himself at an emotional distance. But, like before, it’s a façade. Harold cares deeply; in fact, he cares so much that he’s willing to challenge his own morals when the situation calls for it. It’s another performance that uplifts the whole show, transforming another nice piece of genre TV into something worth remembering. That’s a specialty of Emerson’s, who is now starring as the villain on “Evil.” Good or bad, he remains a treat to watch.