Conspiracy theorists in TV shows come in all shapes and sizes, and there is certainly no shortage of them. From alien conspiracies to dark philosophical musings, a good conspiracy character is always fascinating and, more importantly, interesting. Whether the characters are lovable or not, audiences are drawn to them.
If you need further evidence, the real world will happily accommodate it. Horizon theory, the moon landing cover-up, Area 51, the Kennedy assassination, QAnon, the Illuminati, the government cover-up of Antarctica underground passages, and more have attracted millions of followers.
Suspicion and paranoia are nothing new. In fact, many scientists believe it’s completely natural, a trait passed down as an ancient survival mechanism.
No matter where it comes from, creative minds know how to exploit the paranoid edges of human consciousness to create characters that are both charming and suspicious of everything.
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Some of television’s biggest conspiracy fans are truly some of the greatest fictional characters in the history of the small screen.
Rust Kohler – True Detective S01
True Detective Season 1 is one of those shows that people will be chasing and watching fifty years from now, assuming we consume entertainment in the same way by then. It turns out that Cole’s conspiracy reflections were basically correct.
Louisiana’s Deep South, already steeped in mysticism and ancient secrets, serves as the backdrop for Cole’s investigation. There is an ancient sense of dark wonder that pervades the entire series. If you don’t believe in the shadowy conspiracies deeply intertwined with the seedy underbrush of American crime, you’re flirting with a dose of aphasia.
Sherlock Holmes – Sherlock
There is no real list of Sherlock Holmes TV conspiracy lovers. If he’s not there, it’s a bust.
Sherlock Holmes’ fictional life took place in England at the end of the 19th century, that is, the Victorian era. It’s difficult to connect Holmes to Jack the Ripper, the real-life serial killer in the underbelly of London in 1888.
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The nature of Holmes’s private investigative career conjures theories, investigations and, of course, intrigue.
The eccentric, radiant Sherlock Holmes, who made his living solving conspiracies, may be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, fictional detective of all time.
Fox Mulder and Dana Scully – “The X-Files”
Why list two? Well, in many ways, it’s a necessary combination.
If you could divide the consciousness of the entire X-Files series into two parts, Scully would be one and Mulder would be the other. They’re oil and water, but they somehow combine and condense into the ultimate conspiracy investigator.
At its core, The X-Files is about alien colonization, or attempts at colonization. This frivolous effort was overshadowed and enabled by a dark government conspiracy with many tentacles. These tentacles are subsets – other key players in the conspiracy are centered around the center.
In short, Mulder and Scully’s unique intellectual opposition come together to solve a multi-faceted, world-shaking nightmare conspiracy.
Olivia Dunham – Fringe
Olivia Dunham is the perfect successor to Dana Scully and Fox Mulder. When “Fringe” came out, everyone thought it would be a remake of “The X-Files” starring J.J. Abrams. To be fair, the two shows have a lot in common.
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However, the overarching theme of The X-Files is an alien invasion coordinated with the shadow government, while Fringe’s antagonist is the multi-billion dollar corporate/pseudo-government entity Massive Dynamic.
Like The X-Files, Fringe is essentially a series of paranormal investigations that serve as filler between the main plots, covering both the Massive Dynamics and the alternative universes intertwined with the Corporation.
Mark Scott – Severance Package
TV’s funniest conspiracy lovers don’t have to work for the FBI or some unelected secretive bureaucracy. Severance turns a boring, traditional office setting into a mind-bending hellscape of insidious content moderation, social experimentation, and literal split personalities.
In “Severance,” nothing is as it seems.
Lumen Industries employees undergo a voluntary process known as “severance,” which separates their “work” consciousness from their “non-work” consciousness. The result is a spiral of discovery and madness.
It’s a sinister plot that’s kept strictly within the dynamic confines of Homework.
Bernard Lowe – Westworld
Bernard Lowe has to be one of the most tortured conspiracy enthusiasts on the list. Westworld is a story that goes down the rabbit hole, and a lot happened in the first season.
Westworld is an “entertainment” for the rich and famous, a fantasy version of the real-life Wild West populated by biomechanical robots.
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Unfortunately, the robot no longer behaves as expected, and Delos program director Bernard Lowe works to find out why. It’s a journey of self-discovery, although not in the way most people imagine.
There is a big difference between discovering a hidden or repressed aspect of your personality and discovering that you are someone you are not. The labyrinthine storyline gets even more psychedelic from there.
Jack Shepard – Lost
Lost is probably one of the most complex and controversial series on this list. The ending pleased some and caused complaints from others.
One thing everyone agrees on is that Lost is a complex story. It often expands too far and becomes dangerously self-destructive. There’s so much going on here that it’s hard to sum it up in a few paragraphs.
Suffice it to say, elements of purgatory, flashbacks, flashforwards, electromagnetism, time loops, immortality, flashes of side worlds (that may or may not be defined as purgatory), and metaphysical questions that can never be answered.
Jack hosted more episodes than any other character, earning him the nickname “Conspiracy Lover” for one of the most divisive and insane TV shows of all time.
Valery Legasov – Chernobyl
Of all the conspiracy lovers on this list, Valery Legasov is the only true one whose journey ultimately led to his suicide.
Soviet-era Russia was a walking, talking conspiracy theory, the result of an oppressive, tightly controlled regime.
Valery Legasov was one of the Soviet chemists sent to the site of the most famous nuclear power plant meltdown in history to determine the damage and assist with cleanup efforts.
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Throughout his time in Pripyat, the Ukrainian SSR, Legasov faced the ruthless nature of a government bent on maintaining secrecy, controlling information, and spying on its own citizens.
To say that the word “conspiracy” applies here is an understatement. The most important thing during that period was that the Soviet Union never allowed a moment of weakness for its archrival, the United States.
The massive loss of life and massive destruction caused by the disaster was a direct result of the Soviet public relations campaign.
Rorschach-Watchmen
Rorschach is one of those conspiracy aficionados who gets a bad rap, but a well-deserved one. Exposing a conspiracy is one thing, and arguably a positive thing.
Yet it is tragic in many ways that the legacy of your labor has been tainted by a self-written diary designed to expose the fruits of that labor. This is especially true in Watchmen.
Rorschach inkblot test published diaries were twisted into a fundamental mechanism of white supremacist groups. While Rorschach is certainly no angel, his intolerance is gender and sexual in nature.
The aftershocks of Rorschach’s diaries and the general disdain with which people are often confronted with conspiracy theories have brought about the seventh Calvary. No matter what audiences think of his character, his legacy was not his original intention.
Detective John Monk – Homicide
As a character obsessed with conspiracy, there’s no one quite like Detective John Monk, whose presence has graced multiple series, starting with Homicide: Life on the Street.
Interestingly, the late Richard Belzer co-authored “The Hit List,” a book covering the mysterious deaths related to the JFK assassination.
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Detective Monk is the embodiment of intrigue, often haranguing his fellow detectives with an incendiary connivance.
Ironically, the character of Detective Monk once crossed over with The X-Files, teasing the Lone Ranger with a mocking tone and hints of tinfoil hat conspiracy.
Dale Gribble – King of the Hill
Like “The Simpsons,” “King of the Hill”‘s comic power comes from the relationships between its characters, whether they’re family or neighborhood friends.
This allows creators to develop various characters and see who sticks. Dale Gribble is the slightly eccentric neighbor you hate meeting at the grocery store because the milk in your cart reaches room temperature before you can break away from the conversation.
He’s the conspiracy lover of all conspiracy lovers, and the internet is filled with some of Gribble’s best and most delusional quotes.
Dale covers everything from United Nations weather shaping to cloning and psychological warfare campaigns coordinated by the U.S. Postal Service. He also questions the existence of Hawaii, and he may include Wyoming as both could be government conspiracies.
what do you think? Are there any other conspiracy fans you think should be on the list? Hit us up in the comments and let us know!
