lesbianlynns

[lesbianlynns]

Something I think is important to note:

In dramas especially, but in general, I think it’s important that the supporters of the main character be good (or at least likable) characters.

We can’t get to know the protagonist directly, so it’s important we see through character interactions why they’re a good person, why they’re worth rooting for. That means they need to be surrounded by good or at least entertaining characters in turn, so we agree with their support.

Using SMASH as an example because it’s poor writing inadvertently turned this show into my first ever hatewatching experience:

Ivy’s most consistent support is Tom. He’s her best friend, he’s the one who got her involved in Bombshell, and he knows how great she is when she’s on. Plus, through Tom supporting her, he meets Sam, also a friend of Ivy’s and a nice guy. Sam and Tom get together and root for Ivy together — nice! Simple! It works.

Karen’s main supporters within the production are Julia and Derek. And…it doesn’t make sense in the former’s case — Julia doesn’t know Karen at all, while she does at least somewhat know Ivy through Tom. Supporting Karen puts Julia in conflict with Tom, if only gently at first, which makes it extra baffling — there’s nothing so amazing about Karen that should make Julia willing to lose her oldest friend.

(I can speculate or make up excuses that suit the character, like that Julia being in baby fever mode makes her inclined to support the whiny inexperienced crybaby Karen rather than the professional experienced adult Ivy, but there’s zero in-text support of that.)

And then…Karen’s other big-name supporter is Derek. Derek, who is dating Ivy for most of season one and treats her horribly all the while, Derek who can’t stop trying to climb into every actress’s pants, Derek who is elitist and entitled and verbally abusive to everyone but Eileen (because she signs his paychecks).

Derek doesn’t have any obvious reason to support Karen save that he’s already had Ivy and still wants in Karen’s pants. Otherwise he’s just inexplicably attached to her, and that’s also not a compelling reason.

It’s the same for most of the cast — in fact, the background singers and dancers are often explicitly established to be old friends of Ivy, yet repeatedly hang out and side with Karen. It doesn’t read as “Karen is just such a cool and magnetic person that all Ivy’s friends would inexplicably abandon her for this young brat” it reads as them being the kind of people who abandon a friend at the drop of a hat. Which makes the audience dislike them and Karen by association.

In fact, since Derek is such a horrible person, and since none of Karen’s other unnamed supporters are all that likable, we don’t want them to win. Which means we root against Karen by association. Derek is a scummy guy and wants Karen to succeed for presumably scummy reasons, and she only gets her final victory because of him, so it all leaves a bitter taste. And again, since we get no indication of why he roots for Karen aside from “she’s hot” there isn’t even potential to see it as him becoming better through his support of her.

Worse, SMASH seems to get that if you make a villain the main supporter of a character, the audience will root against them. Because that’s what they did with Ellis and Ivy. Ellis, who’s inexplicably and cartoonishly evil at random moments, is the one to poison Rebecca Duval so Ivy can retake the leading role, and he says as much. They clearly want us to therefore think it’s bad for Ivy to succeed…but then how isn’t it also a loss if Karen does?

TL:DR — despite my attempts not to let my opinions seep into this, they clearly did, but if you make an obviously evil character the main supporter of someone we won’t wanna root for whoever’s the recipient of that support.

[lesbianlynns]

Some of my favorite cborle pictures and characters sketched out!! (+ some zoomed in screenshots of my favorites 😛😛)

[lesbianlynns]

i will forever be mad i learned how deeply i love to cook AFTER realizing that every food on the face of the planet makes me sick

[lesbianlynns]

when someone talks about me being sick i hate it (because when someone says "what do you even eat" i hate it. when someone puts time out of their day to let me get food i hate it. when someone brings up my food around a table of completely different food i hate it. i am embarrassed. i am angry. ill smile and laugh and say thank you but leave me alone. let me be different quietly.)

[lesbianlynns]

over-psychoanalyzing blorbos is healthy and needed enrichment for the girlies in order to avoid over-psychoanalyzing themselves. like giving a dog a chew toy in order to redirect chewing on its hind legs

[lesbianlynns]

Ending is sad: ouch

Ending is happy: nice

Ending is bittersweet: I'm going to think about this every day for the rest of my life

[lesbianlynns]

crazy when you think about it a little.

[lesbianlynns]

i have reverted back to being obsessed with the same shows i did when i was like eleven and i have never felt more free

[lesbianlynns]

its never lupus

[lesbianlynns]

HOPE & LIZZIE LEGACIES | 4.11

[lesbianlynns]

My 10th Tumblr Anniversary Celebration: TV shows/ Movies I grew up with @usergif back to cool event: challenge 4 - typography

House M.D. (2004-2012) (insp.)

[lesbianlynns]

my swanqueen era is coming back

[lesbianlynns]

Hey don’t forget your daily tiny Hilson :3

[lesbianlynns]

things i love about house md so far

lisa cuddy

james wilson’s stupid little gay crush

[lesbianlynns]

the latest short

[lesbianlynns]

Just some witches ...

[lesbianlynns]

no! therapy will kill the patient! they need to vaguepost on tumblr.com to live