[New post] Dear TV Producers, Why Can’t You Write Female Characters?
keelyreeves posted: " If there is one thing that annoys me. . .okay, so there's plenty that annoys me. But this is one of my biggest pet peeves. Let's restart. If there is one thing that annoys me, it's when characters are inconsistent. Look, characters change and evolve. Tha" The Inner Workings
If there is one thing that annoys me. . .okay, so there's plenty that annoys me. But this is one of my biggest pet peeves. Let's restart. If there is one thing that annoys me, it's when characters are inconsistent. Look, characters change and evolve. That's what makes them interesting. Makes them more real. I don't know about you, but I'm certainly not the same as I was ten years ago in high school (thank the Goddess for that). We connect to characters when they are real. When they have real problems and flaws and such. Now the problem is when those characters aren't consistent. That is the main issue in a lot of TV shows. Inconsistent characters. What does that mean? It means that the characters are all over the place. They are up and down, sideways, zig-zag, and topsy-turvy with their decisions, personalities, traits, flaws, etc. It's the moment when you're watching a show, and a character does something, and you're like, "Wait, no. They wouldn't do that." It's when the character is so out of character, but also when you don't even know who the character is because there are no consistencies. That's what we're going to talk about today. But our focus is on female characters because, for some reason, it is rare when female characters in TV shows are done well. And even then, they aren't always consistent when they are done well.
It's a problem, and I hate it.
So today, we will talk about some female characters in specific shows that bother me. These shows include Arrow and Charmed. We will also discuss a female character from Criminal Minds. We'll also talk briefly about Khaleesi from Game of Thrones because, honestly, that deserves an entire blog post. These four shows are some of my favorites, but I'll admit that the female characters are sometimes less than ideal. So we've got a nice range of female characters here.
Let's get started with some female characters from Arrow.
We will start with a character that used to be one of my favorite characters in Arrow. Until she was ruined. That character would be. . .
Felicity Smoak
Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity Smoak in Arrow
Felicity Smoak, aka the cute IT girl that Oliver tells crazy stories to so she'll help him. Seriously, check out the scene below with the "energy drinks" in a syringe. It's the greatest thing ever.
Felicity was only supposed to be a one-off character (much like Penelope Garcia from Criminal Minds). Still, viewers liked her so much, and the actress, Emily Bett Rickards, had some crazy chemistry with Stephen Amell, aka Oliver Queen, aka The Arrow; the producers/writers/whatever were like, yes, she stays.
I was down with that. She was a refreshing voice to the Oliver and Diggle duo.
While Oliver was down to kill and Diggle wasn't down for the killing, he couldn't necessarily stop Oliver. Felicity was the one who was like, 'Yeah, I don't think that is what your father meant by the save the city.' She helped him. She brought back the humanity Oliver had lost in the five years since he went missing. He needed that.
Felicity wanted to help people. She came into the team to try and find Walter Steele. She helped Oliver to remember that it wasn't just about a little notebook with names. It's about saving the people of Starling City.
For the longest time, in the first two seasons, there was this constant will they or won't they with Felicity and Oliver. It was clear from the beginning that there was love there. Between the actors' chemistry and the writing, it was there. I was a die-hard Olicity shipper (their ship name). Die hard. Whenever Oliver got with another girl, I wanted to yell at him: "The girl you want is RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF YOU." Felicity and Oliver made sense. That's not to say it wouldn't have its ups and downs, but I was here for this ship. Others weren't happy with Olicity because of Black Canary and Green Arrow.
Even if you don't read comics, you probably know that Black Canary and Green Arrow are an iconic DC couple. They are up there with Lois Lane and Superman, Batman and Catwoman. They're not just a couple; I think even married, they are partners in every sense of the word. They fight crime together but also do solo stuff. Black Canary was a badass long before Green Arrow became her partner. She doesn't need him. She can stand on her own. I can appreciate that.
Unfortunately, Arrow fucked up that duo before it could even begin, but we'll get to that later.
Now, like I said, I really liked the idea of Felicity and Oliver together. . .until they did get together in season three-ish. But let's be real, season three was a doozy. (But we won't get into the seasons right now because that'll just turn this blog post into an Arrow post. That's another blog post that will happen at some point. I will say that I believe the first two seasons of Arrow are the best, and leave it at that.)
(For now.)
Anyway, Felicity and Oliver get together. Sort of. It's rocky, But they're together. Due to this, the writers DESTROY Felicity's character. Suddenly because Oliver and Felicity are dating, she is sidelined as the love interest.
No.
No.
NO.
How dare they do my girl dirty like this? She was never simply a love interest! Not even in the beginning! She was one of the main characters! A part of Team Arrow. She gave her opinions. She was an essential part of why Oliver could do his job! But no, the second she became his girlfriend, she was downgraded? Hell no. After they started dating, they ruined her character and kept doing so! (I haven't watched after season four-ish, so maybe she gets better, but I am unsure.)
Yes, I am big mad.
Felicity was my favorite character. I liked that she was a strong female character, but that didn't mean she was up in your face about it. It didn't mean she was kicking ass. She was using her smarts. A strong female character doesn't have to kick ass. I mean, think about Penelope Garcia or Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (sure, Willow eventually becomes a badass witch and totally kicks ass but still). Felicity wasn't afraid to give her opinions. She had morals. She didn't like that Oliver killed people. She had problems with that. But it's like, they forgot everything about her after she became Oliver Queen's girlfriend.
Fuck that.
Their relationship caused issues in the dynamic because they were fighting. It could've been great. It could've made the team stronger. Instead, it didn't. Add in the bullshit that was season three, just yeah. Then when he wants to retire into a cute suburban neighborhood with her and have some happiness, she's going behind his back and helping the team. Then when Diggle is being an ass (don't even get me started on Diggle's character assassination) and Laurel is being high and mighty, Felicity doesn't defend Oliver. She doesn't when the new team members question everything he does in season five. She doesn't even support him in season four when he decides to be mayor and help the city differently. What even was that bullshit? Oh, oh! Not to mention, she joins some hacker terrorist group behind his back. She also throws a fit because he didn't tell her he had a son. Even though Oliver respected the choice his baby mama made. His baby mama didn't want her son (their son) to be in the spotlight because of who Oliver is, and I totally get that. Oliver respected her decision.
Oliver is not perfect. He's not. I mean, he's perfect to look at, but hey, let's not objectify the man. Okay, maybe let's do it. A little. I mean, look at him.
He's too pretty for words, and it's stupid. I can't even.
The point is.
Oliver is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. He has flaws. He's secretive. He's, on occasion, manipulative. He's got a temper. He doesn't trust easily. He's definitely got PTSD and who knows what else. He's been through hell. That's not an excuse. It is a reason, however. Yet this man is still good. He is good. He's still got a good heart. He wants to protect and save people.
And I feel like after Felicity and Oliver started dating, all she saw were his flaws. She knew he didn't always tell the truth. That he had a lot of secrets. But it wasn't a problem until they were dating. Sure, it was a problem before, but she respected him and knew he'd tell her if he wanted to. Eventually. I didn't see that after they started dating. Now mind you, I stopped watching toward the beginning of season five (I could not STAND the new team at all). She could've gotten better. If she did, please tell me.
The point is that Felicity turns into an emo drama queen, and she's not the Felicity that we know in seasons one and two. Complete character assassination. Why? Because she was reduced to being just another blonde on Oliver's arm. Instead of the strong, independent woman that we know her to be.
That's a common problem. The girl gets the guy, and the girl suddenly can't do anything. It's bullshit, and I hate it.
On the other hand, since they botched up Black Canary SO MUCH and backed themselves into a corner if they wanted to give Oliver a love interest, all they had was Felicity. This brings us to our next female characters, also from Arrow.
The Canary Sisters
Sara Lance
Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance and Caity Lotz as Sara Lance
I'm gonna be blunt with you.
I don't like either Lance sister. At all. If I were to teach a class on creative writing with a focus on writing characters for TV, I would use them both as examples of what NOT to do. Felicity was at least good in the first two seasons. Whereas with Laurel and Sara, I think they have rare moments where they are decent. Not good. Just decent. Like barely. And they are never consistent.
Let's start with Sara. Hers will be shorter than Laurel's.
Look, Sara is a bitch. I mean, she slept with her sister's boyfriend. Of course, that makes Oliver a class-A cheating dickbag as well. They both are. I'm not excusing either of them for that.
Either way, Sara is a bitch. I can't even name anything I like about her. She comes back, upends Team Arrow by being a show-off, and makes poor Felicity question her decisions.
OH. And she sleeps with Oliver because he's the only one who understands what she's been through.
What the fuck was that?
If they had made her his friend, that would've been interesting. Oliver badly needs a female friend he hasn't slept with (mind you, he did sleep with Sara before, but still). That would have been a great turn. Sara and Oliver becoming BFFs. I could get on board with that. They went through familiar traumas. They'd have someone to understand. Part of me wonders if the reason why they started dating again was simply because of that familiarity and not because there were any romantic feelings between them.
Sara and Oliver becoming friends, moving past and forward together, would've been a more interesting dynamic than the one we have.
But they didn't do that.
Instead, we get the cringiest couple ever. Not only is there NO chemistry between the actors, but Sara and Oliver being together romantically doesn't make sense. She got on the boat with him, and her life changed forever. Shouldn't she hate him? Shouldn't she have grown up some? She has some, I believe. She couldn't not since she was with the League of Assassins but still dating Oliver? No. That made no iota of sense. She should've been a friend. Like I would've liked her and Oliver to become best friends. Just because she is a female doesn't mean she has to be another notch on Oliver's belt.
Then because Sara and Oliver date, Laurel is a bitch. Like an extra bitch. Seriously. Check out the scene below.
This brings us to Laurel.
Laurel Lance
Oh, Laurel.
I almost hate you the same amount as I hate Clary Fray from The Mortal Instruments. Maybe not as much as I hate Clary. At least with Laurel, there are a few tiny, tiny moments where I like her. Tiny.
(Off-topic, but Katie Cassidy is gorgeous. Seriously. She's gorgeous. Also, loved her as Ruby in Supernatural.)
First of all, Laurel tells Oliver that she wishes he stayed dead.
Like.
What.
The.
fuck?!
She is supposed to be the love of his life. And that's what she tells him? You can't come back from that! She is intentionally cruel. Cruel for no other reason other than she is angry. No.
If I was Oliver, I would want nothing to do with her. Not romantically, not even friends. She told him, a man who had gone through hell for five years, that five years wasn't enough and that she wished it was longer, and that he was at the bottom of the sea.
NO.
Just no.
Fuck her. Fuck that scene. Just, ugh. No.
Laurel also has this attitude that rubs me the wrong way.
Look, I am here for some strong, independent woman. Give me Buffy, Xena, Wonder Woman, Batgirl, etc. But what those women have are the receipts. Yes, they are strong and badass and can back it up. They worked hard to get where they are. They worked their asses off to be fierce as fuck. Do they need a man? Hell no.
(My favorite part in Wonder Woman is Steve Trevor after he realizes what Diana can do and accepts her. He doesn't feel emasculated or threatened. He supports her. I love that dynamic. That's what we needed for Felicity and Oliver.)
The point is. Is Buffy a badass? Yes. But she doesn't always win. She sometimes loses. Sometimes she gives up. She has doubts. Then she gets right back up again. It's the same with Xena. I mean, Xena was trying to make up for all the horrible things she did. Wonder Woman doesn't always win, either. Yet all these females continue on, and for me, that's a real strength.
I digress.
The problem with Laurel is that she can't back it up. She acts all mighty and tough. Also, when there is a real problem, like when the cartel is after her, she throws a fit when her father says she and her clients need protection. Like no. Do you really think you can defend yourself against the cartel? Come on now! There's a point where it's not about being tough anymore. She's acting like if any man tries to help her, then that means they believe she can't do anything and that they are being unreasonable.
Laurel, sweetie, it's the cartel. What are you going to do? Her father wasn't being unreasonable. Yet Laurel acted like a child when he said he wanted her and her clients to be in protective custody.
There's also the scene in season one where she kicks some douchebags' asses. It starts off sort of badass, but then she ruins it by opening her mouth.
It doesn't come off right. It comes off as arrogant and rude. It's got the same feel as Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel. That cocky arrogance, like, look at me, I'm such a badass. It rubs me the entirely wrong way. Because I am a feminist. Strong female characters! YES. But if they aren't written well and instead written in a way that leans into the tropes on females that we want to get rid of, it can harm us. That's my point.
Not to mention the way she treats Oliver and Tommy is not okay. Tommy is a genuinely good guy. Like he is. He's flawed, but he's good. And she treats him like utter shit. Laurel doesn't deserve Tommy and hasn't made an effort to even prove to us that she deserves him.
Oh, and her hooking up with Oliver after Tommy and she break up? Nope. Again, after she told Oliver those cruel things, I don't know why or how he saw anything good in her. He holds her on this pedestal for so long, and it's annoying as fuck. Not that Oliver made the best decision sleeping with her either after knowing how Tommy feels about her. That was a bad thing too, Oliver. Like no. Both of you are wrong about that. This is not me slut shaming Laurel. They're both wrong. Nope. Nope.Why Oliver?UGH.
After Tommy dies, Laurel spirals. She's overcome with grief. I understand that. But then, it gets worse and worse. She refuses help from everyone. She becomes a pill-popping alcoholic, and everyone tries to help her. Her dad, Oliver, Thea, and her mother. She wants to blame everything on Oliver and Sara. She refuses to take responsibility for her own mistakes and flaws. She loses her job? Oliver's fault. She gets a DUI? Oliver's fault. She attacks Sara at dinner for no reason other than being angry. Oliver's fault.
She wants to be cruel and mean and make everyone miserable because she's miserable.
I'm not defending Oliver and Sara dating. I'm not. As I said, I disagree with that decision, which is weird. But also, Laurel, your sister is alive! And instead of being happy. Instead of putting the past where it belongs, you attack her. After you were so angry at Oliver in the first season because he was alive and Sara wasn't.
Like, what the fuck, Laurel?
One of my favorite scenes in season two (below) is when Oliver finally tells off Laurel. She'd treated him like shit this entire time, only being nice when she wanted something. Here he finally says something about it. Honestly, he could've been a bit harsher, but still. This was good.
In season three, Laurel is such a drag, and it gets worse before it ever gets better.
So Sara dies. Again, right? (Only not really,but we'll get to that.) She dies at the end of season two, a big mystery in season three. (Malcolm Merlyn drugged his own daughter Thea and had her kill Sara. Sara was a member of the League of Assassins, and Merlyn knew this would make Ra's al Ghul mad. It was a weak ass storyline, basically.) Laurel decides to be Black Canary to honor her sister's memory. Alright, that makes sense. I can understand that.
If it weren't for the fact she doesn't listen to Oliver at all, gets dosed with Vertigo, and nearly gets herself and everyone else killed several times. She thinks she's better than Oliver, who has been doing this far longer. She refuses to train with him or even listen to him. Of course, Oliver refuses to train her, too (I think? I can't recall. Correct me if I'm wrong.) But either way, she's being reckless and stupid.
Speaking of stupid. Laurel decides to take her sister's corpse, which's been, you know, rotting in the ground for months, and drop it in a Lazarus Pit. She gets all righteous with Oliver, like, "You did the same thing to Thea."
First of all, Thea wasn't dead. She was badly hurt and probably going to die, but she was not dead. Sara was dead. The Lazarus Pit has consequences, even for just healing a hand. It's clear in the lore that the Pit has consequences. Ra's al Ghul didn't escape those. Nor did the countless others who have used it. (Major example: Jason Todd.)
Now I don't know if Oliver knew what the Lazarus Pit would do to Thea. I can't remember if it's mentioned or not. If it is, and he did it anyway, bad Oliver, but I understand it. That's his baby sister. If he didn't know, then okay.
Here's the thing.
Laurel did.
Nyssa al Ghul warned her. I'm pretty sure she said something like, "It won't be Sara." Nyssa knew what the Pit could do. She saw what it did to her father. Laurel knew that, and she still did it.
Why? Because of her own guilt over how she treated Sara before she died. It was a selfish reason. Then she tries to justify it. Oliver has to clean up her mess.
The point is Laurel brings back her sister. Then proceeds to lie not only to Oliver but also to her father about her sister being alive. I mean, sure, she's crazy. No more than a wild animal. But hey, she's alive? I guess. Then, once the big secret is out, and after Sara tries to kill Thea, who killed her, Laurel again tries to blame Oliver.
Just. . .sigh.
In season four, they start to get her character right. You can see that they've figured out who she is and what kind of Black Canary she will be. The scene between her and Cisco (below) is adorable. I was here for this Laurel Lance.
But then. . they kill her.
That's right. When you are starting to like her character, when you can see that they're going in the right direction, they fucking kill her.
Season four could've been her big break if they hadn't killed her. It could be where she shined and stood next to Oliver as Black Canary. Maybe not lovers, but partners who want to do good. She could've helped with Darkh and Oliver becoming mayor. She would've supported him in that. We could have our Black Canary and Green Arrow duo. A different iteration, but still them. Instead, they chose to kill her and flush the character development we'd needed for three damn seasons down the drain.
What a damn disappointment.
(Notice, we only focused on Laurel Lance 1.0. I know nothing about the other Earths.)
So here's to Laurel Lance. You could've been great if the writers knew what the fuck they were doing.
We're switching gears from superheroes to witches. We are going to discuss the Charmed Ones.
If you know me, then you know that I love Charmed. It's one of my favorite shows. I have watched seasons 1 to 6 repeatedly. It's one of my comfort shows. That being said, there is a reason why I only watch the first six seasons. The reasons why I don't watch the seventh and eighth seasons are because of the character assassination. It's awful.
So, let's talk about the Charmed Ones.
Prue Halliwell
Of all the sisters, Prue is actually the most consistent, in my opinion.
When I was growing up watching Charmed, I didn't like Prue. She was my least favorite sister.
It wasn't until I was older that I appreciated Prue.
She's the oldest. The responsible one. The one who is the strongest and has to save her sisters, protect the innocents, and kick demon ass. That never changes. Sure, she loosens up, she learns how to relax, and I love that for her. When she quits her job and becomes a photographer, doing something she loves goddess, I love that. She's consistent because she stays true to who she is, but she also grows and realizes that being a big sister is not her entire being. She grew up caring for her siblings and getting into trouble if she didn't do right by them.
And I think I didn't like her when I was younger because she was the older sister, and I related to her. I saw myself in her, and I didn't like it.
Now that I am older and wiser (hopefully), I like Prue as a character. I have a new appreciation for her.
The times that I thought she was being unreasonable, I now realize that she really wasn't. The times she came off as cocky and arrogant and rubbed me the wrong way, she was completely right. Most of the time. And sure, she didn't always own up to being wrong. Prue is extremely prideful. She gets that sin and doesn't realize it because it's such a major part of her personality.
Prue didn't trust Cole from the beginning, and she was right about that. Her instincts were always on point. She saved her sisters' asses a lot, frankly. Prue (before Piper got her blowing-up power) had the most defensive power. As a witch with telekinesis and, eventually, astral projection, she can do a lot. Piper and Phoebe relied on her because of her powers.
So yeah, Prue is the most consistent sister, I'd say. Now I will say they did Prue dirty. In part, this was due to drama with Shannon Doherty as well as some shitty writing.
Prue dies at the end of season three, right? But it's unclear? She gets blasted by Shax. Then the next episode, she's dead. But it's never explained how she died? How exactly did they explain the fact Prue died and a prominent doctor died? Also, how the hell does Phoebe get out of the Underworld? Basically, it sucks.
Prue deserved a lot better than that. Also, because of the drama with Shannon Doherty, Prue never comes back. Piper and Phoebe try to summon her spirit, but they are blocked by the Elders for being 'not ready.' It's such a lame ass reason. It builds drama and tension with the Elders when there is already a lot of tension.
Sometimes I wonder what all would've changed if Prue had never died. I do wonder if Piper would still have great character development. Could Prue handle not being the badass witch? I think it'd be a bit tense at first, but then eventually, she'd let Piper take the lead. I do know that Phoebe never would've married Cole. Like at all. But without Prue, we may not have had Paige.
Either way, Prue is consistent. She's grown to become one of my favorites. I appreciate her more now.
Onward to my actual favorite sister, Piper!
Piper Halliwell
Piper has a great character arc, going from this sweet mousy thing and then developing into, honestly, being stronger than Prue ever was.
Piper grew into her own powers, but she still had that sweetness. She still cared. (Mostly.) She was still good and wanted to help. But she also struggled with having a life and being a witch. That is a consistent thing. As much as Piper cares and wants to help the innocents, being a witch also gets in the way of her having a life.
Piper grew into this incredible character. She really got to shine after Prue died. As bad as it sounds, Prue dying was the best thing for Piper. If Prue stayed there, I don't know if Piper could ever truly shine. Perhaps she could've. Maybe Prue would've stepped back and let Piper be the badass witch. I'd like to think so.
Also, Piper and Leo are, like, the best couple ever. Which is why I get so pissed in the later seasons. like, yes, obviously, couples have issues, and I get that. It was totally okay that Leo and Piper were having issues after Wyatt was born. But then Leo becoming an Elder? Like, no. He wouldn't have left his son. That was out of character for him. It got a bit tiring.
Piper grew so much, and I loved it. I do. She's my favorite sister. But then, after season six, it all went downhill. For all of them. Suddenly she just didn't seem to care about saving the innocents. It was always about having a normal life. There's an entire episode in season six where the sisters are so focused on their own lives and issues that it causes them to not be in sync and work together. Poor Chris has to like to bribe them to hunt demons--when that's their job.
Also, the way they all treat Chris from the beginning is not okay. Yes, he does some shady shit. He's a shady (hot) guy. However, he did save Paige, and he does have good intentions. Like I get their suspicions, but also, it's a bit much.
Also, can I just say, how did they not figure out he was a Halliwell sooner? Seriously, go back and rewatch it, and you'll see many hints. Someone should've put it together.
But Piper. They ruined her. It was no longer about saving an innocent. She didn't care about that. She cared about a normal life. That's it.
I think the Elders fucked up, too, with the sisters. Instead of supporting them after Gideon's betrayals, they didn't. They didn't say they agreed or disagreed with his actions. They got mad at Leo for killing Gideon when Gideon came after Wyatt and killed Chris. No. The Halliwells already didn't like the Elders. The Elders basically shoved Leo at the Avatars.
The entire seventh season was trash. Then the eighth season? Ugh. Don't even get me started on Billy and Christy. Seriously. No.
On to our next sister, who honestly is the one who frustrates me the most.
Phoebe Halliwell
Piper was always my favorite sister, but Phoebe was a close second. She went from being a selfish, immature young woman to really growing as a character. Kind of like how becoming a vampire was the best thing for Caroline Forbes in The Vampire Diaries, becoming a witch was the best for Phoebe.
She was the one out of all the sisters who wanted to be a witch. She wanted to be the special. While Prue and Piper were initially leery about being witches, Phoebe embraced being a witch fully. Or at least at the beginning.
Phoebe may have gotten the passive of premonition, but that didn't stop her. Between Prue, Piper, and Phoebe, the latter really learned the craft. She's the one who figured out how to write spells and make potions. Sure, Piper became the better at potions, but even Prue always asked Phoebe to write spells if they had to. Prue had faith in Phoebe's ability to do so.
Phoebe learned self-defense since, unlike Prue and Piper, she didn't have a power that could be used to defend herself. Prue could throw people around like ragdolls while Piper could freeze them and, eventually, blow them up. This self-defense training came in handy when Phoebe finally got the power of levitation. And in fact, it actually made me a bit mad when Prue became better at self-defense than Phoebe. I wanted Phoebe to be able to have something.
A lot of the time, even the villains would write Phoebe off because of her power. But we forget that without her premonitions, most of the time, the sisters wouldn't know that something is wrong. Phoebe's power is very important.
I liked Phoebe for a bit, but then, towards the end of her and Cole, I did not like her. Then she got better then she didn't again.
First, the way she treats Paige? Yeah, no. She is rude and hateful towards her sister. it's such a major shift since at the beginning, Piper was leery and guarded while Phoebe was definitely overcompensating.
But no, Phoebe is such a bitch to Paige. Paige isn't wrong about Cole at all. (More on that later.) Phoebe is hateful.Completely. I don't know if she ever apologized to Paige for how she (Phoebe) treated her. I don't recall it, at least.
Phoebe chose evil, Cole, over her sisters and being a Charmed One. That was her choice. And I get it, she loved Cole. I get that. But she didn't have any sort of consequences for her actions at all. That bothered me.
Also, then when Cole came back (Which, btw, he was POSSESSED BY THE SOURCE, and how was that never brought up?? He was possessed. The Seer tricked him. Cole fought the Source like hell. How was this never brought up? Ever?) she was a complete bitch to him. She didn't try to listen to him. I know that it was an up-and-down battle loving him, I get that, but it was her choice to become Queen of the Underworld. If she loved him so much, then how was she so easily willing to just ignore him.
Phoebe basically drives Cole insane. Also, can we just acknowledge how he was letting her go? She became a mermaid, admitted she still loved Cole, but she couldn't be with him. Cole let her go. Then he comes back and does a 180? It's like the writers didn't know what to do with him at all.
Or what to do with Phoebe since after Cole was introduced, Phoebe's entire self and plot was based on this guy she loved. After Cole, she had a few loves. I honestly really liked Jason Dean. I think that if he would've had more time to get grips on the witch thing, they could've worked. Maybe. I think he was really concerned about protecting her and protecting what she and her sisters do. I think that if she had been honest with him from the beginning, then it could've worked. Maybe. Jason wasn't a bad guy. He was good. I think she needed someone like him after Cole.
I digress. So, they dated, right? And Phoebe, she moves to fucking China! That's right. She moves there. She likes okay, bye! And like, yes, Piper said, do it. But, like, Phoebe ditched her sisters when her nephew was in danger.
It just gets worse from there.
She gets this vision from Magic School, right? About having a daughter and how the sisters don't have to hunt demons. And sure, I totally get why Piper and Phoebe are done with being witches. It's been one ordeal after another, so I can't blame them. But Phoebe is so focused on finding her husband so she can have that daughter and future she puts Daryl Morris, Daryl, who has had the sisters' backs since Andy died, at risk. She nearly gets Daryl executed. Why? Because she's in a rush and doesn't check to make sure no one saw them vanquish a demon. So then the Cleaners clean up and put it all on Daryl.
Phoebe gets her powers taken away, and honestly, I can't blame anyone but her for that. She abused her powers for her own personal gain and nearly got a good friend killed. Also, because she gets her powers taken away, she doesn't get premonitions or vibes from Gideon, and then, Chris is killed.
Speaking of Chris, another rant. She finds out that Chris Perry, the boy from the future, is her nephew. What does she do? She treats him like shit. Now, don't get me wrong. They were all treating him like shit for a while. I think Paige was the one who warmed up to him first. But yeah, Phoebe acts like he's a fucking inconvenience. She fights helping to ensure he's conceived. She's such a bitch to him. Like she's just done with him. It's some bullshit.
Paige finds out who he is and instantly is like, "okay, how can I?" Like no. Why Phoebe? She used to be so empathetic. Then she got to be selfish and didn't care about anything but her own happiness.
Not to mention, Billy killed her own sister to save the Charmed Ones, and what did the sisters do? NOTHING. No one consoled her. I would've thought out of all the sisters, at least Phoebe would've consoled her, but no. Piper, Phoebe, and Paige all stood there as Billy broke down crying over killing her own sister.
I think that Phoebe is the one who suffered the most from poor writing. It's like they didn't know what to do with her after Cole was dead (or not, lol). Her identity was so tied together with being with Cole, and I hate that. I hate that this character who truly shined as a witch was reduced to that role.
OH. And while I'm here, what the hell was that? Giving Phoebe a Cupid to be with? The Elders were like oh, we've approved this guy because of all the shit you've been through. You're welcome. We barely got to know Coop the bloody Cupid. There was no build-up. Nothing. They gave us this beautiful long tortured, incredible romance between Cole and Phoebe, and that's how Phoebe's story ends? With a Cupid? No. She deserved better than that. You know what would've been cool? If the Elders had brought Cole back as human. We know he's a ghost or a spirit leading others. They should've brought him back. That would've been impactful. Not a cheap ending of a Cupid that we never get to know. No. Just ugh.
Paige Matthews
I think next to Prue, Paige is probably the most consistent, even if she does have some character changes that I don't like.
I always felt bad for Paige. Honestly, the way Phoebe and Piper treated her initially was not okay. I have major issues with that.
For a long time, it felt like Paige was the third sister who made them Charmed, and that's it. Piper was not considerate of the fact this was all new to Paige. Piper's whole thing was that being a witch cut into that normal life, she wanted with Leo and eventually their children. But she didn't seem to care that it cut into Paige's life. Meanwhile, I think Phoebe was overcompensating. Especially at the beginning, then she did like a 180.
Paige was trying to fill shoes that she couldn't possibly fill, and for a long time, the ghost of Prue haunted her. I get that Piper didn't want Paige to jump headfirst into being a witch. Piper wanted Paige to know more than they (Prue, Piper, and Phoebe) ever did. I understand that. They had to learn everything on the go, which cost them innocents a few times because they didn't know. But I also feel like Piper was so detached from Paige for so long. We never get to see them really become sisters.
Meanwhile, Phoebe, like I said, overcompensated. Then Cole. I felt so bad for Paige. She never trusted Cole, and sure she eventually did for a moment, but then, he becomes the Source. Paige is all alone. Her sisters don't believe her. Neither does Leo. She is completely right about Cole. She's not wrong. Cole makes her seem like the crazy one. It throws a major wrench in Paige and Phoebe's relationship. Phoebe is a bitch, and sure, it's also the demon parasite, but also, it's her. Piper gets on the Cole is evil train, but it takes her a while. Poor Paige. She was isolated from her sisters even though she was right. She didn't have anyone. Also, I don't think Phoebe or Piper or Leo ever apologized to her. She definitely deserved an apology. Completely.
Paige tried so hard to have a normal life. She did a pretty decent job too. I liked that she had hobbies. She had a job she enjoyed. I miss when she was a social worker because it showed just that she'd always been the person to help others. Becoming a witch may not have been her plan, but she did it to save others.
I like Paige as a character because she's trying to figure out how to be a witch but also how to be a sister. She's an only child. She's never had siblings. She's always relied on herself. So it's an adjustment for Paige to suddenly have sisters who are all up in her business.
And yes, the ghost of Prue haunts her. Prue was the ultimate witch. Piper and Phoebe bring Prue up all the time, and it doesn't help Paige. So of course, she gets a complex. Eventually, she grows on her own. She becomes an independent witch. She's a badass. She handles a lot of things by herself that her sisters never did. She immerses herself in the craft and dedicates herself to that. I can't blame her for that, But I wish she had still kept up with her hobbies or maintained a job.
In the later seasons, Paige is so focused on becoming the best witch that she really loses what I like about her: the fact she is a social worker. This comes back in the latter seasons, thankfully. But it takes a while.
I really liked her with Kyle. God, they were so cute. He knew about magic and such. he wasn't scared of her. I think they could've made a great team together. They did a few times. Then he is killed by the Avatars. What makes me really mad is the fact that he comes by as a Whitelighter. And he doesn't stick around? He could've stuck around! If anything, this makes them even more compatible. I think Kyle needed Paige, her empathy and heart and just her sheer determination. She needed his steadiness after a string of guys who well, weren't.
That being said, while I'm still peeved at who Phoebe ended up, I'm not mad at Paige ending up with Henry. We get to know Henry better than Coop. Henry is a cop and he's jaded and bitter. He only sees the bad. The black and white. Paige helps him to see that these kids deserve to be saved. I think they're really cute. They balance each other so well, much like Leo and Piper do.
I think that was a main problem with Charmed. The writers had this great love story between Leo and Piper, and it's hard to like, one up that. Either way, Paige and Prue are the most consistent sisters, but they still have issues. As I said, I don't watch seasons seven and eight because the characterizations of the sisters bother me so much.
Now, we are totally going to switch gears with this next one. Let's talk about Elle Greenaway from Criminal Minds.
I used to think that I didn't like her because I started Criminal Minds with Emily Prentiss. I had some prejudgement like "Nope, you're not Prentiss." Prentiss is one of my favorite characters (besides one Dr. Spencer Reid). So I thought I'd give Elle another chance. I started Criminal Minds from the beginning and realized that I didn't like Elle because, well, I didn't like her.
And I thought that maybe it was the fact that season one of Criminal Minds isn't, like, the best first season. The dialogue is wonky and awkward at times. It's like that with all the characters too. It's a rough first season. But even then, I felt like the other characters were better written than Elle.
I felt like Elle was a shoo-in.
They wanted her to be the new team member so she could be our (the audience's) guide to the Behavioral Analysis Unit. She felt very kind of Mary Sue-ish but in a bad way. Elle wanted to be on the team, but she didn't have a reason for wanting to join. She thought she deserved the position but then never really proved it. It felt like she didn't belong, honestly.
Elle was not written well. She came off as arrogant. And not in a good way. Again, like with Laurel, she couldn't back it up.
Also, I don't appreciate her attitude with Hotch after she got shot. Hotch couldn't have known the unsub would go to her house and shoot her. Not to mention it was Gideon's actions that led to that.
I wasn't surprised when she turned around and killed someone in cold blood. She had those signs from the get-go. She didn't belong in the BAU. She couldn't handle it. I do think that if Hotch had the proof, he would've charged her. She crossed a line. She can deny it all she wants, but she crossed a line.
I also think they didn't know what to do with her character. I feel like what happens--and this has been a theme with a few of these--is that when there's more than one female character, the writers panic. Criminal Minds already had Garcia and JJ, who are both great in their own way. They both have clear-cut personalities. Then the writers brought in Elle, and they're like "shit. What do we do?" And thus, we get the disaster. (They did this in Arrow too.)
Now, later in the seasons, we get different female characters like Alex Blake, Kate Callahan and Tara Lewis, all of whom are amazing. Seriously. I love them all. (Tara Lewis is my favorite but it's a close tie.) They stand on their own. You know who they are from the first episode they are in. They mesh well with the rest of the team. Introducing new characters is always a hit or miss. Arrow season five, with the new superheroes, does not do a good job of introducing new characters. Criminal Minds does a decent job. Law & Order: SVU does a great job of introducing new detectives and ADAs (they go through A LOT of ADAs, frankly).
Elle could've been an interesting character. A newbie in the elite BAU. However, instead, she wasn't. She was arrogant and unlikeable. I wasn't even sad when she left the show because I knew we were getting Emily Prentiss, and I was like, YES.
So to here's to Elle Greenaway the BAU agent who wasn't.
Okay, now we are really switching gears. This one will be short because honestly, Game of Thrones needs it's own blog post.
On to our last leading lady. . . Daenerys Targaryen, The First of Her Name, the Unburnt, Queen of Meereen, Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons.
Listen, I used to really like Daenerys. I did. I don't know when I started to not like her. Wait, yes, I do. It was when she killed the Tarlys. That's when. It was completely unnecessary since they had surrendered.
I could get behind her killing the masters in Meereen. They were awful. They killed children. So yeah, she killed them. I was okay with that. I liked her being a break of chains and saying fuck the wheel. However, she didn't consider that some of those men? They might be innocent. She was merciless. She didn't ask questions. To see if they deserved that fate.
She grew from this meek little thing to being a Khaleesi. I think what we forget though that half of the time, her enemies she creates. She is the one who causes Khal Drogo's death. Did she save that woman's life? Yes, but that woman had been sexually assaulted before that. She was angry. Of course, she wanted revenge.
The problem with Daenerys is a few things. She's stubborn, for one. She doesn't listen to those who are wiser than she. If they tell her something she doesn't like, she threatens them or throws a fit. She's arrogant. She believes she has the right to the Iron Throne because she is a Targaryen. She slowly gets the same attitude that her brother had. That because she was a Targaryen, she deserves the throne. It was stolen from her family. But like, also, the Targaryens stole it?
I could've been down for a Mad Queen Daenerys if it had been done right. now, sure, we had a few hints that she had that inside her. But to just squish it into a few episodes? No. We needed it to be more drawn out. Hell, the battle with the White Walkers should've been the entire season eight, hell season nine. Then they could have shown her progression to madness.
Daenerys used to be a loveable character, but she has issues. Definitely. Below are some interesting articles I found.
I think what she only wanted was to be loved. Then she gets to the North. She is greeted as a savior, but rather as an outsider. The North loves Jon Snow, which is funny to me because Jon never asked for this. He never did. He only was ever trying to do the right thing. Jon is an honorable man, like Ned Stark, and like Ned, it gets him killed (and brought back), but Jon holds onto that. That is why the Nightswatch followed him, why the Wildings who trust no one followed him, why the North did. Because he is good and honorable. That is why they follow Sansa Stark as well. She might be a bit sharper than Jon, but she ultimately wants what is best for her people. Then Daenerys gets to Winterfell, and she's not treated as a hero or the rightful queen.
Now, Missendei being killed by Cersei? Missendei (may have spelled that wrong) is the one person that Daenerys has been able to count on. Yes, that pushed her over the edge. I can see that. However, then to just burn King's Landing? That seemed extreme even for her. Then she finds out that Jon is her nephew, and he being a reasonable person, is freaked out about the fact she is his AUNT. She? Not so much. Now she's already seen the fact the North loves Jon, not her. So yeah, she loses her shit. Jon has to kill her and that's just devastating.
But it felt so fucking rushed. So rushed.
The entire season was rushed though. Not to mention how they destroyed so many character arcs.
Jaime goes back to Cersei? NO. They destroyed all of his character growth within an episode! WHY.
Bran becomes King? NO. How the fuck does that make sense? So what if he's the Three-Eyed Raven? Is he exactly all there to rule? Like why? That made NO SENSE>
About the only people I was happy with was Sansa and Arya. Sansa becoming the queen of Winterfell. Hell. Yes. She deserves that. Oh yeah. That fits her. She will be a great queen. Arya leaving to go explore? Also makes sense. She's never been a person who stays in one place. She's going to see what's west of Westeros and then visit her family every now and again. I can kind of see Jon leaving to be with the Wildings, but like, they made such a big deal over who his parents were. . .and it went nowhere. It was pointless.
The last few episodes were such a disservice to not only Daenerys, but also to other characters. But again, that's an entire blog post (or an episode for Caroline and I's podcast Disturbed Nerds).
So, here's to Daenerys, the sort of Mad Queen.
What do all these female characters have in common? Poor writing. Writing female characters is hard. Sure, some of them started out good, but then they became inconsistent. So how does this get fixed? Honestly, I don't know.
What are some other female characters that are vastly inconsistent? Let me know in the comments!
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