My All-Time Favorite Characters

We all have our favorite characters we love to root for whether in fiction or on TV or film. So, I thought I would share my short list of my favorites and see if you agree. P.S., there is no particular order here. I couldn't say if I had a no. #1 or not. And for all of you writers out there, pay attention. Your favorite characters are so, because they are well-developed and given so much "life" that you suspend your disbelief and root for imaginary friends. The "imaginary" part is what makes the story telling process so unbelievably powerful -- that we would cry, laugh, scream and cheer them on (and they're not real people).

Sookie Stackhouse (Charlaine Harris' version not Alan Ball's version on True Blood) -- in the books Sookie is real, fierce, brave, outspoken, funny and independent. While the book Sookie would never give herself over to the idea that one should ask forgiveness after really doing nothing wrong (like Sookie did in the season 4 finale when she forgives Bill and asks for his forgiveness too ... um for what?), the TV version suffers from inconsistent writing (hint, hint). The book Sookie has no interest in being kept by Eric or sitting around "his house" and doing nothing. She wants to keep working and be independent. She's none too impressed when Eric covertly gets her to "marry" him, and she's brave and real. The TV Sookie possesses these traits too, but seriously, her relationship with Bill drives me ape shit (can we say Daddy complex?). The fact that they would push the "love" thing with Bill into her love affair with Eric -- totally ape shit! In the books, the love affair with Eric is the central relationship, and with the series soon to end, my best guess is she will definitely end up with Eric. Let's see if I'm right.

Carrie Bradshaw or Samantha Jones -- I love Sex in the City. While Carrie Bradshaw as portrayed by Sarah Jessica Parker surprisingly turns off men I know, she was always interesting to watch. I adored her with Mr. Big the entire time. I liked Aidan all right (he was sweet), but Mr. Big was always Carrie's foil and right there to as she says in the second to the last episode "shit all over everything" whether he intended to or not. Samantha Jones is like the uber version of the sexpot in a very self-empowered way. I love that she shows no shame. After a brief dalliance with celibacy (remember the Yoga guy Sadartha), she gets frustrated and blatantly asks two guys, "Do you want to fuck?" which the second guy takes her up. Between classic lines like "funky spunk" and "bozo the bush," she had the best stuff to play. You have to love Samantha.

Margaret Schroeder, Boardwalk Empire -- a new character to add to my list. Complicated, mysterious and passive aggressive, Margaret was if nothing else a wee bit of an enigma. She was intense and interesting to watch. Was she good or bad? Was she moral or amoral? I can't say one way or the other. She tries to be good and has some kind of moral compass, but then she does sneaky things like sign away Nucky's land deal in the season finale. She seeks religious guidance and clearly feels guilty (as she should at times); she steals from Nucky; and she has an affair. But then again Nucky is no saint either. Does she love him? Who knows. She marries him though in the end. And for all those unanswered questions, she's a fascinating character.

Sergeant Brad Colbert (the book and series) -- I completely love the "Iceman" both in the book and series Generation Kill. This guy (who is real) says the best lines! And for the fact that he really said them makes him fun and interesting. Actually, almost every line that came out of Colbert's mouth was witty, clever and interesting. Here is a line up of some of them:

  • Back at Mathilda, he said he could hook me up with a free satellite TV.
  • Gentlemen, we just seized an airfield. That was pretty fucking ninja.
  • Point, Ray. I was one of those unfortunates adopted by upper middle-class professionals and nurtured in an environment of learning, art and a socio-religious culture steeped in more than 2000 years of Talmudic tradition. Not everyone is lucky enough to have been raised in a whiskey tango trailer park by a bow-legged female whose sole qualification for motherhood is a womb that happened to catch a sperm of a passing truck driver.
  • Stay Frosty.

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