This is more of a spinoff of yesterday's post about the return of the show Sons of Anarchy. All of the characters are really pretty grey or good/bad guys. Essentially there is no difference between the two lead characters other than one has had some plans go wrong.
They both commit murder in the name of either self protection or biker justice. They both are people you wouldn't mind hanging out with and would feel safe around. Why were people more prone to like Vic Mackey over Shane Vandrell? They both were essentially the same character other than one wasn't as likable.
Wolverine is a madman. Batman is a sociopath. Cyclops is a punchline though, he is a good/good guy. Are there any characters left on TV that don't have any kind of super power that separates them from everyone else and are genuinely good/good guys? Is the antihero the real common denominator in a successful show in today's viewing world?
Is there one strong willed character who always makes the right decision in crunch time left? I'd say Jack O'Neil from SG-1 was pretty close but unfortunately that show has ended. I need another Captain Kirk in my TV viewing time. No super powers, always does the good thing for the noble reasons. Peace through strength and a willingness to project that strength to the enemy who hates you no matter what.
Yeah in TV you always have to have a bad/bad guy. Even though in the good/bad guy shows there really is no difference in them at all. In The Shield it was Forrest Whitaker's character Jon Kavanaugh who was brought in to take down the strike team. He was a good/good guy but we didn't like him because he was going to take down our good/bad guy. He stood for the law and for the officer that Vic shot in the very first episode but we didn't like him.
He just wasn't a likable character even though he wanted truth, justice, and the American Way. He wanted to take down the good/bad guy in Mackey. Eventually he had a flaw and that was pride so does that make him a good/bad guy too instead of a good/good guy?
See what happens when you blur the lines of the good white hat and the bad black hat?
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I'd say Jack Bauer is a good/good guy. He ONLY does things for the right reasons. It drives him. "Right" might not mean by the rules, but it's always to help others.
Post a Comment