30 Days of Female Characters Meme in one
Mar. 6th, 2011 12:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakDay One: Favorite lead female character: Argggh. Sarah Connor or Patty Hewes come to mind, as do some other ladies I adore, a lot of whom were/are companions of the Doctor on Doctor Who, but if I'm honest, going by emotion only: Buffy Summers. It was not love at first sight or first (or second, or third) season, but she grew on me, and back when the show was broadcast, Buffy was probably the character I was most defensive about.
Day Two: Favorite supporting female character: Guinevere aka Gwen from Merlin. She'll come up again on this meme in another category. Among many either things I love her because she's a great example that kind does not equal dull, strength does have to equal swordfighting, and it's entirely possible to be in love and see the big picture at the same time.
Day Three: A female character you hated but grew to love. Maybe I'm blocking out things but I don't recall hating a female character. There are some I started out indifferent towards or sometimes irritated by whom I grew to love passionately: the best example of this is another Gwen, Gwen Cooper.
Day Four: A female character you relate to: you know, there's a reason later season Buffy and her increasing issues went from "like" to "love" with me...
Day Five: Favorite female character on a male-driven show: if Angel counts (and well, given who was still standing at the end, why shouldn' t it), Darla, if it doesn't, Amanda on Highlander.
Day Six: Favorite female-driven show: Damages goes toe to toe with The Sarah Connor Chronicles and they cancel each other out, thus leaving Buffy the Vampire Slayer to win by default of being the third party.
Day Seven: A female character that needs more screen time: Astrid Farnsworth on Fringe.
Day Eight: Favorite female character in a comedy show: I only saw the first season of 30 Rock due to lack of time, but I loved Liz.
Day Nine: Favorite female character in a drama show: C.J. Cregg in The West Wing.
Day Ten: Favorite female character in a scifi/supernatural show Laura Roslin from Battlestar Galactica until Certain Events from the second half of season 4; so: Donna Noble on Doctor Who. Always and forever. Oh, Donna.
Day Eleven: Favorite female character in a children’s show: if Merlin counts, then Gwen again. If it doesn't, Rani Chandra from The Sarah Jane Adventures..
Day Twelve: Favorite female character in a movie: Ellen Ripley from the first three Alien films as well as Ripley 8 from the fourth one (I'm differentiating here for plot reasons), for verily, she is that awesome. Without being
Day Thirteen: Favorite female character in a book: the very first female character in a book I ever fell in love with as a girl and who thus always will be special to me was Angelique in the novels by Anne Golon (the first six anyway). I wrote a post about why last year, I think.
Day Fourteen: Favorite older female character: Livia Drusilla in I, Claudius winning over Laura Roslin and Patty Hewes again.
Day Fifteen: Favorite female character growth arc: Ellen Parsons on Damages. More on this below.
Day Sixteen: Favorite mother character: Sarah Connor. Who is a great example of how being a mother can be a quintessential character trait without this being regarded as a character weakness and without the character in question being exemplary at it. Sarah can accomplish not so minor miracles for John (and humanity), but the day to day interaction can be really tricky. I love her.
Day Seventeen: Favorite warrior female character: "In a time of ancient gods, warlords and kings, a land in turnmoil cried out for a hero. She was Xena..." You know the rest. If in doubt, go with the Warrior Princess herself. (Though Abigail Brand is a close second.)
Day Eighteen: Favorite non-warrior female character: despite Certain Events, Laura Roslin. Scarier than any other character on her show as an enemy, and she holds a weapon in her hands maybe twice in four years. Always balancing the edge between ruthlessness and still keeping in mind what she's being ruthless for, soft spoken, and looking great in a suit.
Day Nineteen: Favorite non-human female character: not an easy thing to ask a sci fi fan, since a great many of the ladies I love are non-human - Chiana, Jadzia Dax, Timov of Algul - and some are even robots (hello, Cameron! hello, Catherine Weaver!). However, all of these are played by human actresses and look very human, and thus I hesitate, because the very human shape seems to indicate to me I'd be emotionally cheating if I picked one of them.
...which is why I go with Moya instead. Best living ship ever (though I love the Liberator, too), and most definitely a character on her show (Farscape), but in no way human shaped in order to reach our sympathies.
Day Twenty: Favorite female antagonist: Supreme Commander Servalan (Blake's 7) still rules among the evil overladies of my heart. There are none like her. (Though some may try. Looking at you, Grayza. And some may steal her lines for their characters. Looking at you, G.R.R. Martin.)
Day Twenty-One: Favorite female character screwed over by canon: Laura. Roslin.
Day Twenty-Two: Favorite female character you love but everyone else hates: to repeat my newest catchphrase, there is no "everyone" in fandom. But I loved Ellen Tigh long before much of fandom gave her a break on account of What Happens In Season 3, Exodus, and I continued to love her when much of fandom stopped giving her a break because of What Happens In Season 4. Oh Ellen, you are and always will be my favourite sci fi version of an Edward Albee heroine.
Day Twenty-Three: Favorite female platonic relationship: Currently? Patty and Ellen from Damages, who have the type of intense, complex relationship with emotional undercurrents from hate via identification/competition to love I adore that you can't put in any category. Asjesuswasbatman once said, if they were two male protagonists they'd be everyone's favourite slash couple. (My own interpretation of them isn't necessarily slashy, but they are hands down the most important people in each other's lives by now, and the way Ellen has gone from naive protegé to being Patty's equal (minus age and accordingly lesser experience, but she's getting there, and she really stands eye to eye by now) is awesome.
Day Twenty-Four: Favorite female romantic relationship: Foxglove and Hazel from Sandman. Neil Gaiman once said Foxglove's reaction to Hazel's pregnancy is probably the most romantic moment in the saga, and he's right.
Day Twenty-Five: Favorite mother/daughter and/or sister relationship: I remain fascinated by Catherine and Savannah Weaver. The very premise is so immensely screwed up (Terminator!Catherine is impersonating Savannah's real, biological mother, after all) and yet T-Weaver, who starts out regarding Savannah as a necessary cover, becomes oddly interested in her.
Day Twenty-Six: Favorite classical female character (from pre-20th century literature or mythology or the like): My favourite female character in Greek mythology is Medea, which is probably telling.
Day Twenty-Seven: A female character you have extensive personal canon for: Darla. Not only because of my fondness but because I played her at![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
theatrical_muse, which meant weekly ponderings on her backstory, likes and dislikes were ncessary.
Day Twenty-Eight: Favorite female writer (television, books, movies, etc.): Sharon Penman who wrote some of my favourite historical novels.
Day Twenty-Nine: A female-centric fic rec: One more syllable. In which M (the female one from the later Bond movies) creates herself through the years. Terse, fantastic character exploration.
Day Thirty: Whatever you’d like!: favourite female version of canon male character: trust Farscape to come up with that one in canon. Alt!Stark, played by Raelee Hill (who usually plays Sikozu) in two episodes of season 4 of Farscape, immediately endeared herself to me in the way the onscreen regular male version never did. I qualify by "onscreen" because I've read some fantastic fanfiction centered on Stark, but I just couldn't really warm up to him while watching the show - except when he was female and palyed by Ms. Hill!
Day Two: Favorite supporting female character: Guinevere aka Gwen from Merlin. She'll come up again on this meme in another category. Among many either things I love her because she's a great example that kind does not equal dull, strength does have to equal swordfighting, and it's entirely possible to be in love and see the big picture at the same time.
Day Three: A female character you hated but grew to love. Maybe I'm blocking out things but I don't recall hating a female character. There are some I started out indifferent towards or sometimes irritated by whom I grew to love passionately: the best example of this is another Gwen, Gwen Cooper.
Day Four: A female character you relate to: you know, there's a reason later season Buffy and her increasing issues went from "like" to "love" with me...
Day Five: Favorite female character on a male-driven show: if Angel counts (and well, given who was still standing at the end, why shouldn' t it), Darla, if it doesn't, Amanda on Highlander.
Day Six: Favorite female-driven show: Damages goes toe to toe with The Sarah Connor Chronicles and they cancel each other out, thus leaving Buffy the Vampire Slayer to win by default of being the third party.
Day Seven: A female character that needs more screen time: Astrid Farnsworth on Fringe.
Day Eight: Favorite female character in a comedy show: I only saw the first season of 30 Rock due to lack of time, but I loved Liz.
Day Nine: Favorite female character in a drama show: C.J. Cregg in The West Wing.
Day Ten: Favorite female character in a scifi/supernatural show Laura Roslin from Battlestar Galactica until Certain Events from the second half of season 4; so: Donna Noble on Doctor Who. Always and forever. Oh, Donna.
Day Eleven: Favorite female character in a children’s show: if Merlin counts, then Gwen again. If it doesn't, Rani Chandra from The Sarah Jane Adventures..
Day Twelve: Favorite female character in a movie: Ellen Ripley from the first three Alien films as well as Ripley 8 from the fourth one (I'm differentiating here for plot reasons), for verily, she is that awesome. Without being
Day Thirteen: Favorite female character in a book: the very first female character in a book I ever fell in love with as a girl and who thus always will be special to me was Angelique in the novels by Anne Golon (the first six anyway). I wrote a post about why last year, I think.
Day Fourteen: Favorite older female character: Livia Drusilla in I, Claudius winning over Laura Roslin and Patty Hewes again.
Day Fifteen: Favorite female character growth arc: Ellen Parsons on Damages. More on this below.
Day Sixteen: Favorite mother character: Sarah Connor. Who is a great example of how being a mother can be a quintessential character trait without this being regarded as a character weakness and without the character in question being exemplary at it. Sarah can accomplish not so minor miracles for John (and humanity), but the day to day interaction can be really tricky. I love her.
Day Seventeen: Favorite warrior female character: "In a time of ancient gods, warlords and kings, a land in turnmoil cried out for a hero. She was Xena..." You know the rest. If in doubt, go with the Warrior Princess herself. (Though Abigail Brand is a close second.)
Day Eighteen: Favorite non-warrior female character: despite Certain Events, Laura Roslin. Scarier than any other character on her show as an enemy, and she holds a weapon in her hands maybe twice in four years. Always balancing the edge between ruthlessness and still keeping in mind what she's being ruthless for, soft spoken, and looking great in a suit.
Day Nineteen: Favorite non-human female character: not an easy thing to ask a sci fi fan, since a great many of the ladies I love are non-human - Chiana, Jadzia Dax, Timov of Algul - and some are even robots (hello, Cameron! hello, Catherine Weaver!). However, all of these are played by human actresses and look very human, and thus I hesitate, because the very human shape seems to indicate to me I'd be emotionally cheating if I picked one of them.
...which is why I go with Moya instead. Best living ship ever (though I love the Liberator, too), and most definitely a character on her show (Farscape), but in no way human shaped in order to reach our sympathies.
Day Twenty: Favorite female antagonist: Supreme Commander Servalan (Blake's 7) still rules among the evil overladies of my heart. There are none like her. (Though some may try. Looking at you, Grayza. And some may steal her lines for their characters. Looking at you, G.R.R. Martin.)
Day Twenty-One: Favorite female character screwed over by canon: Laura. Roslin.
Day Twenty-Two: Favorite female character you love but everyone else hates: to repeat my newest catchphrase, there is no "everyone" in fandom. But I loved Ellen Tigh long before much of fandom gave her a break on account of What Happens In Season 3, Exodus, and I continued to love her when much of fandom stopped giving her a break because of What Happens In Season 4. Oh Ellen, you are and always will be my favourite sci fi version of an Edward Albee heroine.
Day Twenty-Three: Favorite female platonic relationship: Currently? Patty and Ellen from Damages, who have the type of intense, complex relationship with emotional undercurrents from hate via identification/competition to love I adore that you can't put in any category. As
jesuswasbatman once said, if they were two male protagonists they'd be everyone's favourite slash couple. (My own interpretation of them isn't necessarily slashy, but they are hands down the most important people in each other's lives by now, and the way Ellen has gone from naive protegé to being Patty's equal (minus age and accordingly lesser experience, but she's getting there, and she really stands eye to eye by now) is awesome. Day Twenty-Four: Favorite female romantic relationship: Foxglove and Hazel from Sandman. Neil Gaiman once said Foxglove's reaction to Hazel's pregnancy is probably the most romantic moment in the saga, and he's right.
Day Twenty-Five: Favorite mother/daughter and/or sister relationship: I remain fascinated by Catherine and Savannah Weaver. The very premise is so immensely screwed up (Terminator!Catherine is impersonating Savannah's real, biological mother, after all) and yet T-Weaver, who starts out regarding Savannah as a necessary cover, becomes oddly interested in her.
Day Twenty-Six: Favorite classical female character (from pre-20th century literature or mythology or the like): My favourite female character in Greek mythology is Medea, which is probably telling.
Day Twenty-Seven: A female character you have extensive personal canon for: Darla. Not only because of my fondness but because I played her at
theatrical_muse, which meant weekly ponderings on her backstory, likes and dislikes were ncessary.Day Twenty-Eight: Favorite female writer (television, books, movies, etc.): Sharon Penman who wrote some of my favourite historical novels.
Day Twenty-Nine: A female-centric fic rec: One more syllable. In which M (the female one from the later Bond movies) creates herself through the years. Terse, fantastic character exploration.
Day Thirty: Whatever you’d like!: favourite female version of canon male character: trust Farscape to come up with that one in canon. Alt!Stark, played by Raelee Hill (who usually plays Sikozu) in two episodes of season 4 of Farscape, immediately endeared herself to me in the way the onscreen regular male version never did. I qualify by "onscreen" because I've read some fantastic fanfiction centered on Stark, but I just couldn't really warm up to him while watching the show - except when he was female and palyed by Ms. Hill!
