Welcome to round 1 of the 2016 Character Cup. Woo hoo! I hope this is a fun, surprising, and not too serious contest for all, regardless of the winner. First off, thanks to everyone who helped find pictures for the Cup. I really appreciate it. It allowed me to create the polls early so we could start as soon as the prediction contest deadline ended. You guys rock! Thanks! The Character Cup goes by very quickly so don't forget to check SpoilerTV every day so you can vote, check the prediction standings, and most importantly, participate in the daily discussion. We have a new TV Talk Topic every day and all are encouraged to participate.
Because the episode contest ran into July and because I had classes that prevented me from getting started on nominations for a couple of days, this year's contest will be a little shorter than before so that we can be finished by the end of July. That means that we will be completing round 1 in less than 2 days. The first 2 brackets will go up today within 5 minutes of each other. The next 2 brackets will go up roughly 13 hours later. Regardless of when polls are posted, they are always about 24 hours long. If you have any questions about the contest itself, how characters were placed on the brackets, or the timing of rounds, please put them in the comments below. Remember that there are 2 byes in the first round and that any characters that are portrayed by the same actor go against each other in round 1.
To ensure that every has a good time, please read the rules below. They will be posted throughout round 1 and then a link will be provided to them. There are also links below to the list of character rankings and official bracket. Once round 1 is over, the official bracket will be placed on each post so you know how the characters are doing. The daily TV Talk Topic will also be found above the polls each time.
Rankings / Bracket
2016 Character Cup Rules:
1. This is a Silly Internet Contest, Not the Fate of the Nations - This contest is meaningless. The results are meaningless. No one involved in TV cares about who wins. It will NOT change the fate of any TV show anywhere. Don't take it seriously. Have fun. Discuss a lot.
2. Focus on Characters, Not People - Anyone can vote however they want for whatever reason they want and anyone can give their opinion on a character, favorable or not. Talking negatively about a character is NOT the same as attacking their fans. Keep the conversation to the characters. If you don't like what someone says about your character, comment on what you love about them. You might get new people to try your show. It's simple but worth repeating. Characters are NOT real. People are.
3. The Aliens Haven't Landed. There's No Conspiracy Here - I have no hidden agenda. Everything except people playing two characters is placed in brackets based on the number of nominations and polls. If your character goes against a giant, it's not personal. Mine will too. If I spell your character's name wrong, again it's not personal. It's just that I'm a sucky typist or sleep-deprived. Tell me; I'll fix it.
4. Leave Sour Grapes on the Vine - Yeah, it sucks when your favorite didn't make it or gets kicked off by a character you hate. Yep, the winning character will come from the most organized fandom that gets the word out the fastest. Them's the facts of life and internet polls. It doesn't mean we can't still have fun. Don't dwell on past polls or vetch about life's unfairness and it will be more enjoyable for everyone.
5. It's Not 2048 and My Name's Not Dorian - I will do my very best to keep the contest running smoothly and let you know the approximate time each poll ends. However, I am human and occasionally do silly things like get the time zone changes wrong. Again see #3. Let me know and I'll fix it. I apologize in advance for any technical difficulties.
6. Comments are the Wellspring of Hiatus Life - Most of us anxiously await the return of our favorite shows. Why not distract yourself with a little TV Talk? Each day we have a new topic. Come join us because even if you have no one to vote for in the polls, you can still discuss. While this contest is just a silly piece of internet fluff, the conversation here goes deep so jump on in.
Nuts and Bolts:
1. All polls, even the final one, will be about 24 hours long. A new poll goes up every day unless something unforeseen happens so you always know when your favorites compete. Due to our time crunch, the first round polls will be a little different and overlap each other. Please see the note in the first paragraph for details.
2. Everything is head-to-head competition unless there's a tie and then both go to the next round.
3. One vote per person per poll. Please do not try to cheat the polls. Please do not encourage other people to try to cheat the polls. It's annoying, stupid, and wastes everyone's time. It makes you look bad. It makes your fandom look bad. It makes your character look bad. It makes your show look bad. It makes all internet polls look bad. Just don't.
Today's TV Talk Topic:
There are a lot of awesome characters but unfortunately not all of them could get in. Below are the characters who just missed getting into the contest so it seems fair to begin our TV Talk by honoring them. Also, are there any shows you love that don't have a character representing them? This is a great time to talk about those shows that are not a part of the Cup. Who knows? Maybe you will get others to try your show so they can get in next year.
Characters whose shows are being represented by another character: Leo Fitz (Agents of SHIELD), Felicity Smoak/Oliver Queen (Arrow), Derek Morgan (Criminal Minds), Nick Clark (Fear the Walking Dead), Walter Bishop (Fringe), Tyrion Lannister/Sansa Stark/Daenerys Targaryan (Game of Thrones), Arizona Robbins (Grey's Anatomy), Connor (H2GAwM), Ravi Chakrabarti (iZombie), Leonard Snart (Legends of Tomorrow), Juliet Burke (LOST), Killian Jones (Once Upon a Time), Helena/Delphine Cormier/Sarah Manning (Orphan Black), Claire Fraser (Outlander), John Reese/Harold Finch (Person of Interest), Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin (The 100), Daryl Dixon (The Walking Dead), and Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught (Wynonna Earp).
Characters who just missed the cut-off: James Cole (12 Monkeys), Pope Cody (Animal Kingdom), Sheldon Cooper (TBBT), Jane Doe (Blindspot), Sherlock Holmes (Elementary), Tim Riggins (Friday Night Lights), Phoebe Buffay/Rachel Green (Friends), Santana Lopez (Glee), Carrie Mathison (Homeland), Gregory House (House), Raylan Givens (Justified), Dutch (Killjoys), Phil Miller (Last Man on Earth), Elizabeth McCord (Madam Secretary), Athos (The Musketeers), Ziva Davis (NCIS), Marty Deeks (NCIS:LA), Nikita/Alex Udinov (Nikita), Emily Thorne (Revenge), Maura Isles (Rizzoli & Isles), Harvey Specter (Suits), Quinn King (UnREAL), Damon Salvatore (The Vampire Diaries), Selina Meyer (Veep), Bea Smith (Wentworth), and Xena (Xena).
