Prohibition is one of the coolest periods of history. The music was jumping. The fashion was hot. And every drink someone downed was another instance of sticking it to the G-Man.
For all of those reasons and more, TV loves depicting Prohibition in one form or another. Some shows are lucky enough to be set that era or can use time travel to transport its characters back to the 20s.
Other shows have to get more creative about how they can justify alcohol bans and characters talking like wiseguys while wearing feathers, fringe, or pinstripes. When it’s pulled off, it makes for a great episode of television.
To make it during Prohibition though takes more than good looks and speaking the password. Who can run a smuggling enterprise, brew and distill intoxicating substances, operate a speakeasy, and possess the grit to take out the competition before they take you down first? Read on to find out.
Meredith Grey – Grey’s Anatomy
Meredith loves tequila, dance parties and has no qualms about helping friends who run into trouble with the law. She would fight as hard to keep a speakeasy alive as she would for any patient.
Lucifer & Maze – Lucifer
What happens when The Devil and his trusted bodyguard leave Hell? They open the hottest bar in Los Angeles, and kind of got bored with it pretty quickly. Good thing they waited for the 21st century because running a bar during Prohibition would have been far too easy for them.
Homer & Bart Simpson – The Simpsons
Homer has the determination. Bart has the deviousness. Together they keep Springfield liquored up while Rex Banner is left wondering how the Beer Baron got the better of him.
Teresa Mendoza – Queen of the South
Running a smuggling operation takes brains, cunning, daring and you have to be ready to deal with betrayal at the drop of a hat. Teresa Mendoza has all of these traits, which is how she was able to go from being a money changer who barely earned enough to scrape by to the head of a drug empire. All hail the Queenpin!
Hawkeye Pierce – M*A*S*H
Keeping a distillery in your tent is definitely against army regulations, but Hawkeye Pierce is never afraid to thumb his nose at authority. Break his still, take it away, it won’t do any good because Hawkeye will always find a way to make sure he has a never-ending supply of martinis.
Walter White – Breaking Bad
Cooking meth or distilling spirits — it’s all just a matter of chemistry to Heisenberg. If Breaking Bad was set in the 20s, you could bet Walter White would still be the one who knocks.
Poison Ivy – Gotham
Banning goods many people crave means it will be difficult for supply to keep up with demand. It’s not a problem for Poison Ivy though. Thanks to her plant powers, she’ll always be flush with the raw materials needed to make beer, wine, and liquor.
Rick Castle – Castle
Rick Castle made a very shrewd business move when he bought The Old Haunt tavern. He knows how to keep the good times going and has plenty of friends on the force willing to look the other way while they partake in the festivities. Not to mention the fact a secret passageway always comes in handy.
Pierce Hawthorne – Community
Pierce Hawthorne is always open to new business ventures. For good or ill, he always goes with his gut. So while everyone else warred over prize money, Pierce was already raking in the dough thanks to his decision open up Fort Hawthorne — complete with a saloon where dance majors can dance and Leonard plays the piano.
Piper – Charmed
Is Piper Halliwell qualified to run a speakeasy? Let’s see, she’s a gourmet chef, knows how to run a nightclub, can freeze time, and ran a speakeasy in her past life. She’s overqualified.
Veronica Lodge – Riverdale
Veronica has style and entrepreneurial spirit. Running a speakeasy fits her to a tee. Warning to all Ghoulies, corrupt cops, and villainous fathers looking to take advantage: don’t even bother because Veronica will show you the door.
Phineas & Ferb – Phineas and Ferb
Phineas and Ferb can do anything; it’s a proven fact. Their speakeasy would be more successful in one day than all the other speakeasies running the entire length of Prohibition combined. Don’t expect them to be busted anytime soon.
Tom – Cougar Town
Tom may be creepy, but he is always ready to lend a helping hand. If you’re in need of a secret place to drink, he has a barstool waiting for you at his appropriately 20s themed basement bar. Plus his superpower is the ability to get people to disperse, so you’ll never have to worry about the authorities catching you in the act.
Arya Stark – Game of Thrones
When gangsters are your competition, it’s useful to have someone possessing the muscle and stealth ability to take them down, and Arya Stark is just such a person. She also has a friend named Hot Pie who can bake direwolf shaped bread. Enlisting her services is a profitable win on multiple fronts.
Barney & Ted – How I Met Your Mother
Would Ted and Barney let the government get in the way of their dream of owning a bar? The answer is a resounding no. All the profits they make will have to go towards repairs and paying the bouncer, but as they long as keep saying, “No last call,” the money will definitely keep flowing in.
Britta, Jeff, Abed & Annie – Community
Telling Jeff Winger he can’t drink means one thing is certain, Jeff, Britta, Annie and Abed will open a 20s style speakeasy at Greendale in less time than it would take for the Dean to change into his flapper ensemble.
Stars Hollow – Gilmore Girls
Stars Hollow is the perfect location for a speakeasy. After all, who would ever suspect this sweet, belongs in a snowglobe town is a haven for illicit activity? If it’s quirky denizens can keep Taylor “no detail about Stars Hollow is beneath his notice” Dosey from finding out about The Secret Bar, the federal government doesn’t stand a chance.
The post 17 TV Characters Who Would Have Made A Killing During Prohibition appeared first on TV Fanatic.