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This week's fannish5 wants to know about five characters who are too good for their canon, who are the only thing to make an otherwise dreadful canon (book, film, tv) palpable. And that is one of my anti-concepts, anti-kinks, whatever you want to call it. It's not that I don't have canons where I love one character more than any other. Or shows, or book series, where I fell out of love and stopped watching/reading - but one of the steps towards realising "I don't like/love this anymore" was the realisation that I only liked one character, or one aspect, and disliked everything else. To me, watching or reading for one character alone while actively resenting everything else - the other characters, the fictional universe itself - is a guaranteed recipe for misery, and not the inspiring kind (being disturbed or grieved by fiction can be a powerful experience if the fiction is good). It's the kind of thing that causes people to go on and on and on how much they loathe canon x, everything in canon x, except character y, how unworthy canon x of character y. Considering there are usually people around who are fond of canon y, and not just because it contains x, this means they're making other people miserable in addition to themselves, and come off as condescending to boot.
If I like only one character in a fictional universe, I stop watching/reading. For me to really experience fiction, I need to be able to love more than one character. So, instead I decided to list five canons where I don't have a clear favourite but love too many characters/stories/whatevers about it it to single out just one. I find this far more fun.
1.) Farscape. I sometimes joke Rygel is my favourite and not entirely joke about being the only John/Rygel 'shipper and prefering this to John/Aeryn, but all jokes aside: I like the entire ensemble. And the recurring characters (hello, Braca!). And the ships (Moya! Talyn! Poor half eaten Leviathan in season 3!!!!!). There might be some characters who work less for me than others (and there are definitely disliked episodes and storylines), but that doesn't change the overall fondness. Farscape was wild. And I really couldn't tell you whom I love best.
2.) Merlin. Aw, newest fannish love, let me hug you. I adore three of the six main characters and like the other three (well, some of them in a "wouldn't want to meet" fashion but that's true for many a fictional character I'm fond of), there are some great guest stars, and with all the flaws and cheesiness and whatnot, I'm just ridiculously fond of the show and its charming mixture of fun and melodrama. I even hum the theme tune when the credits roll.
3.) Firefly. I was never a Browncoat in the sense that I campaigned or burst into tears when it was cancelled, though I certainly quoted Wash on the subject ("curse your sudden and inevitable betrayal, Fox"), but again, flaws and all, I really liked the show, and its characters. As opposed to other Whedonian ouevres where I definitely have characters I love far more than others, I never had a Firefly favourite. (Though I can hum the theme tune there as well.)
4.) Doctor Who, overall canon (i.e. Old and New Who together). Sure, I have some companions and regenerations I like better than others. But in the vast, vast DW canon, there are so many of them that I really can't say about a single companion "THIS ONE CHARACTER IS MY FAVOURITE". Ditto about one single regeneration. Or even one single guest character. Thankfully, in 31 seasons and counting, there were too many of those. The universe is. just. that. rich.
5.) The Sarah Connor Chronicles. See above, re: Wash quote, re: Fox. But for the two splendid seasons it lasted, I never had a favourite character. Even the one I felt least warmly towards (Derek), I wouldn't have wanted to miss for anything. I liked the ensemble, I liked the way the show never downtalked to its audience but went for complicated narration and character exploration, I loved the stunning use of imagery and music. I loved that universe.
If I like only one character in a fictional universe, I stop watching/reading. For me to really experience fiction, I need to be able to love more than one character. So, instead I decided to list five canons where I don't have a clear favourite but love too many characters/stories/whatevers about it it to single out just one. I find this far more fun.
1.) Farscape. I sometimes joke Rygel is my favourite and not entirely joke about being the only John/Rygel 'shipper and prefering this to John/Aeryn, but all jokes aside: I like the entire ensemble. And the recurring characters (hello, Braca!). And the ships (Moya! Talyn! Poor half eaten Leviathan in season 3!!!!!). There might be some characters who work less for me than others (and there are definitely disliked episodes and storylines), but that doesn't change the overall fondness. Farscape was wild. And I really couldn't tell you whom I love best.
2.) Merlin. Aw, newest fannish love, let me hug you. I adore three of the six main characters and like the other three (well, some of them in a "wouldn't want to meet" fashion but that's true for many a fictional character I'm fond of), there are some great guest stars, and with all the flaws and cheesiness and whatnot, I'm just ridiculously fond of the show and its charming mixture of fun and melodrama. I even hum the theme tune when the credits roll.
3.) Firefly. I was never a Browncoat in the sense that I campaigned or burst into tears when it was cancelled, though I certainly quoted Wash on the subject ("curse your sudden and inevitable betrayal, Fox"), but again, flaws and all, I really liked the show, and its characters. As opposed to other Whedonian ouevres where I definitely have characters I love far more than others, I never had a Firefly favourite. (Though I can hum the theme tune there as well.)
4.) Doctor Who, overall canon (i.e. Old and New Who together). Sure, I have some companions and regenerations I like better than others. But in the vast, vast DW canon, there are so many of them that I really can't say about a single companion "THIS ONE CHARACTER IS MY FAVOURITE". Ditto about one single regeneration. Or even one single guest character. Thankfully, in 31 seasons and counting, there were too many of those. The universe is. just. that. rich.
5.) The Sarah Connor Chronicles. See above, re: Wash quote, re: Fox. But for the two splendid seasons it lasted, I never had a favourite character. Even the one I felt least warmly towards (Derek), I wouldn't have wanted to miss for anything. I liked the ensemble, I liked the way the show never downtalked to its audience but went for complicated narration and character exploration, I loved the stunning use of imagery and music. I loved that universe.
