So I was thinking...
Nov. 21st, 2003 06:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenak...which can lead to odd results. Perhaps it's because ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
wychwood made me feel slightly guilty about my Marcus Cole annoyance turned indifference turned mild nostalgic fondness. But here's the deal: each of us can name dozens of great scenes for our favourite characters. We swoon about them, rewatch or reread them again and again. Each of us can also complain about scenes or moments we hate, or characters who annoy or just leave us cold. However, I present to you a true challenge: try to think of a memorable scene which showcases a character you're just indifferent about, or are usually irritated by, or even actively dislike, at her/his best, a scene is well written/well-acted/both. Also, an assortment of death scenes is an easy way out. For example, while I did never feel so warmly towards the above mentioned Marcus as when he died, and his death scene was quite memorable, I'll try to come up with something different. So, let's see:
Harry Potter: am utterly indifferent towards Hagrid, who gets my nomination for character-to-be-killed-off-next any time, but: when he tries to court his Olympe and blunders by mentioning she's half-giant. I felt really sorry for him then, and was reminded of South Africa under apartheid or the segragated US, and people trying to "pass for white". It brought home the everyday racism of wizard society in a more "real" way than the anvilly "Mudlblood!" shouts of Draco&Co.
AtS: Gunn is another character who got the above mentioned nomination almost as soon as he appeared. I just never got interested in him (which I suppose spared me much anxiety in season 3). But: killing his sister. That one is a powerful, tragic moment to me despite my usual lack of involvment in Gunn. Oh, and his meeting with the cat in the White Room in Home. Creepy, fascinating, and a great twist making me curious for the first time ever about a Gunn storyline.
BTVS: This gets difficult, since I like pretty much all of them, albeit not in the same degree. I have no Kennedy hatred, or Riley hatred, or even indifference towards these two. Will have to ponder this further.
Farscape: Was pretty much indifferent towards Jool, and thought they overdid the screaming at the beginning, so she's my nominee. Her scenes with Crais in Fractures were funny, sharp, and made me wish they could have had more interaction, being the outsiders at that point yet far from sympathizing with each other. It was Jool being arrogant and rueful at the same time. (Jool's dance with Chiana in Scratch 'n Sniff also rocked, but that would have been too easy.)
Babylon 5: So, Marcus. When he confessed to being a virgin to Ivanova. I still won't read any M/I fanfic to save my life, but I thought that was just the right balance, heartfelt sentiment disguised by wit. Instead of being irritated or indifferent, I felt charmed. RIP, Rescue Ranger. Otherwise: if I had to rank the B5 regulars by love or fondness, Sheridan would be pretty far down on the list, not because of any huge anti-Sheridan feelings on my part but because I like so many other characters more. Still, I don't actively dislike him, and I am interested in him in seasons 2 and 3 at least, so I'm not sure whether I can nominate him. Just in case: his interrogation with Morden with him losing it and knowing he acts against his own moral standards but at the same time unable to do otherwise. That was when I knew the character worked for me. Also: looking at Anna for the last time in Z'ha'dum. The horror and the tragedy.
DS9: The Buffy problem. I like 'em all.
In other news: the RotK soundtrack is out already? Will have to check this tomorrow.
wychwood made me feel slightly guilty about my Marcus Cole annoyance turned indifference turned mild nostalgic fondness. But here's the deal: each of us can name dozens of great scenes for our favourite characters. We swoon about them, rewatch or reread them again and again. Each of us can also complain about scenes or moments we hate, or characters who annoy or just leave us cold. However, I present to you a true challenge: try to think of a memorable scene which showcases a character you're just indifferent about, or are usually irritated by, or even actively dislike, at her/his best, a scene is well written/well-acted/both. Also, an assortment of death scenes is an easy way out. For example, while I did never feel so warmly towards the above mentioned Marcus as when he died, and his death scene was quite memorable, I'll try to come up with something different. So, let's see: Harry Potter: am utterly indifferent towards Hagrid, who gets my nomination for character-to-be-killed-off-next any time, but: when he tries to court his Olympe and blunders by mentioning she's half-giant. I felt really sorry for him then, and was reminded of South Africa under apartheid or the segragated US, and people trying to "pass for white". It brought home the everyday racism of wizard society in a more "real" way than the anvilly "Mudlblood!" shouts of Draco&Co.
AtS: Gunn is another character who got the above mentioned nomination almost as soon as he appeared. I just never got interested in him (which I suppose spared me much anxiety in season 3). But: killing his sister. That one is a powerful, tragic moment to me despite my usual lack of involvment in Gunn. Oh, and his meeting with the cat in the White Room in Home. Creepy, fascinating, and a great twist making me curious for the first time ever about a Gunn storyline.
BTVS: This gets difficult, since I like pretty much all of them, albeit not in the same degree. I have no Kennedy hatred, or Riley hatred, or even indifference towards these two. Will have to ponder this further.
Farscape: Was pretty much indifferent towards Jool, and thought they overdid the screaming at the beginning, so she's my nominee. Her scenes with Crais in Fractures were funny, sharp, and made me wish they could have had more interaction, being the outsiders at that point yet far from sympathizing with each other. It was Jool being arrogant and rueful at the same time. (Jool's dance with Chiana in Scratch 'n Sniff also rocked, but that would have been too easy.)
Babylon 5: So, Marcus. When he confessed to being a virgin to Ivanova. I still won't read any M/I fanfic to save my life, but I thought that was just the right balance, heartfelt sentiment disguised by wit. Instead of being irritated or indifferent, I felt charmed. RIP, Rescue Ranger. Otherwise: if I had to rank the B5 regulars by love or fondness, Sheridan would be pretty far down on the list, not because of any huge anti-Sheridan feelings on my part but because I like so many other characters more. Still, I don't actively dislike him, and I am interested in him in seasons 2 and 3 at least, so I'm not sure whether I can nominate him. Just in case: his interrogation with Morden with him losing it and knowing he acts against his own moral standards but at the same time unable to do otherwise. That was when I knew the character worked for me. Also: looking at Anna for the last time in Z'ha'dum. The horror and the tragedy.
DS9: The Buffy problem. I like 'em all.
In other news: the RotK soundtrack is out already? Will have to check this tomorrow.
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Date: 2003-11-22 05:58 am (UTC)Challange...
Date: 2003-11-22 12:48 pm (UTC)B5 I truly _hated_ Byron, but the scene in "A View from the Gallery" in which he catches the head of a dead soldier and quotes Hamlet, this is a really good one.
[...] (insert about 10 minutes of pondering here). This is quite a different realm, but still... ;-)
I am thinking if "Catherine" in Truffaut's Jules and Jim. would be a good example. During the years, my feelings towards her have changed from not-understanding (when I was, say, 16) to anger to not understanding again... But I was always fascinated by that creation of Truffaut's. Much more than by the two men in the movie, both of whom I like better. In fact it was (and is) the the character of Catherine (besides the wonderful style of Truffaut's) that made me come back to the movie over and over again.
Or think about of Anthony Quinn in La Strada: It is not possible to like him, I think, but it is a great role and I can feel for the character quite strongly.
Maybe the characters you don't like are at times the more interesting. That goes imho only for characters, however, that one dislikes because the way their character is presented, and not for those that are simply badly written (oh, long list to fill there ...) .
F.