The more I think about this, the more I think I should probably do like five parts. I mean, everyone I cover in this one and the previous one are characters of my most favorite shows, but there are certainly shows that have been left out. That’s not because I don’t really like them, but because I maybe haven’t seen them in awhile and been able to gain that connection. For instance Freaks & Geeks is one of my favorite shows of all time, but I can’t tell you right now who I most related too. It could have been Lindsay or it could have been easily been Daniel or even Nick. I don’t know. You could probably also make a case for me relating to the female leads in Veronica Mars and Buffy the Vampire Slayer and that shit right there would blow your mind. So, yeah, we’ll have to see how that works out. One day we could see part three of this series because I really enjoy writing it. Whatever, we’ll figure that out later on with the show!
SHOW: Firefly
CHARACTER: Captain Malcom Reynolds
WHY I WATCHED: Joss Whedon created Buffy and therefore created Angel, then he created this show. The first two were, at the time, my favorite shows of all time. How could I not watch? Besides it was described as a “space western”, umm, yes please.
FUN FACT: When I was living in Alabama I got my friend Matt into the show/movie and he would occasionally call me Mal. Nerdy? Oh yeah! Lame? You betcha! Still make me feel totally awesome? Like no other!
WHO IS HE: Malcolm Reynolds is a soldier who lost the war, but never submitted to the enemy. He lost a lot in that war including his faith, his family and many friends. The only thing that matters to him is keeping his ship and his crew — his family — safe and alive. When they feel threatened he has no problem making the tough decision and standing up for his family, he’ll literally do whatever it takes to keep the ship running and his family alive even if it puts him at odds with the Alliance. Often thought of as sort of a simple person, he often displays an intellectual side that nobody realized was there. He wears his heart on his sleeve at all times and despite how far he’ll go to protect his family he always keeps them at arm’s length, never letting them get to close.
WHO AM I: This is a case of a character not necessarily representing me, but representing an idealized version of myself. For instance I do go to great lengths to stick up for my friends, but that never really goes further than “hey don’t say that about them.” I don’t have to shoot or kill anyone. Occasionally I can surprise my friends with my smarts, but I am pretty sure the cats out of the bag on that one. (You are reading a two part, 3000+ word comparison of myself and my favorite TV characters after all.) That being said, if I was ever in his situation (an outlaw on a space ship committing crimes to get by) I like to think I would act the same way.
DID I SUGGEST USING HIS NAME FOR MY SON? Now that I think about it I didn’t and that kind of bothers me.
VERDICT: Nope.
SHOW: Friday Night Lights
CHARACTER: Tim Riggins
WHY I WATCH: Friday Night Lights is one of the best shows ever created because it’s incredibly real. Forget the football, this could be a real high school and Eric and Tami Taylor are the best TV parents ever. That’s no exaggeration either. When people make mistakes they are real mistakes and the fixes aren’t always easy.
FUN FACT: The actor who plays Tim, Taylor Kitsch, is actually Canadian. This floors me for some reason.
WHO IS HE: Totally the bad boy. Tim makes a lot of bad decisions, most of them without thinking. He skips school constantly, doesn’t think much about is future and solves most of his problems with getting drunk and getting laid. He’s loyal to his friends and teammates, but he doesn’t do as much for himself as he does for everyone else.
WHO AM I: Well, I got the getting drunk to solve my problems part down pretty good. Other than that my similarities to Tim Riggins are pretty weak. There’s a few things here and there, but really I just want to be the coolest character on a TV show.
DID I SUGGEST USING HIS NAME FOR MY SON? No. I didn’t watch the show at the time, but I wouldn’t have anyways because Tim is also my dad’s name. That would have been….. weird.
PERSON: Oh, you’re naming him after your dad? That’s nice.
ME: Actually, it’s after Tim Riggins from Friday Night Lights.
PERSON: Oh, okay. (pause) Wait, what?
MY DAD: *smashes TV*
VERDICT: Nope. I’m not really him and in this case, I wouldn’t be even if I was in his situation. You know it’s bad when I’m saying you make too many bad decisions.
SHOW: Veronica Mars
CHARACTER: Logan Echolls
WHY I WATCHED: Veronica Mars is quite possibly the greatest show I have ever seen. I mentioned in part one that Buffy and Angel made me yell at the TV “NO!” when something emotional happened and this show may have done that to me more times than any other show. It also consistently kept me guessing and when I watched the last episode of the show I cried. Not because of what happened on the screen, but because I would miss it that much.
FUN FACT: Logan’s sister is played by Alyson Hannigan. Alyson Hannigan played Buffy’s best friend (and lesbo witch) Willow as well as Marshall’s wife Lily on How I Met Your Mother (either my second or third favorite character on that show). What does it all mean? If Alyson Hannigan appears on your show it has a very good chance to become one of my favorite shows. In fact, it’s almost guaranteed.
WHO IS HE: The resident bad boy, who else. He’s like the best parts of Pacey Witter and Dylan McKay with a sprinkling of the rest of my favorites mixed together. Rich, family issues, uses a lot of humor, kind of a dick, huge heart and he will literally do anything for the people close to him. Highly flawed, but the kind of person most people only dream of being. He doesn’t always have the best reaction to a situation, but he always has the right intention and that is huge.
WHO AM I: I am starting to think I have a bad boy fetish, but really who am I supposed to be? It’s not like I am the good one, I got flaws man. Lots of them and the only thing that gets me to overcome these flaws is my intense loyalty, my sense of humor and my desire to help those close to me. I don’t get the opportunity to do the sort of life changing noble things that Logan or any of these characters do, but I like to think that I would react similarly in there situations. Like Logan I don’t always do the right thing when presented with a situation, but I always do what I believe is right. Even if it turns out to be wrong.
DID I SUGGEST USING HIS NAME FOR MY SON? Suggest? I almost got it! Logan was the front runner for the name for the longest time, but my son’s mother watched the show with me, knew what I was thinking and just couldn’t picture naming her son after a TV show character. Add that to the list of 1001 reasons things didn’t work out between us. Sure it’s a character on a TV show, but it’s also a character on a TV show that means a lot to me, that I relate to which therefore represents something that’s important to me. You have to take that sort of thing into account right? (Since his middle name is her dad’s name, I’m going to go with yes.) I love my son’s name and all, but I have absolutely no connection to his name besides the fact that we named him it. Nolan Ryan? He was a dick.
VERDICT: Let’s go with yes. If only because I want it to be yes. Badly.
Alright, that seems like a good place to stop. Maybe one day I’ll pick this up and do a few more. Until then, here’s a few you can think about.
The Office: Jim
Family Ties: Alex P. Keaton
Friends: Chandler Bing
My So-Called Life: Jordan Catalano
Party of Five: Bailey
Fringe: Pacey Peter
Martin: Martin
(Save the comment. I know there’s something wrong with me.)
