Oh! and--especially since I doubt anyone else will put this one in, or even remember her, but I've always liked Marissa Clark from Early Edition. She's smart, compassionate, loyal, clear-headed, and very much her own person, and she's also the friend Gary needs as he tries out to sort out the chaos the Paper brings into his life. She manages the bar, runs interference with cops and reporters, and thwaps Gary when he's being dumb about stuff. Which is at least every other day.