TV's New Love Affair With Bad Seed Characters
More Shows Have Embraced The Unclear Moral Codes Of Their Characters
Sep 20, 2009
In recent years, there have been many more television shows popping up whose main characters don't follow the age old model of what right and wrong are. The characters now are working by their own codes and sets of values that have been formed through their life experiences. The only way creators can make this new breed of show work, is by making the motives of the characters relatable and sympathetic so the viewers root for the bad inside these individuals.
Dirty Cops And The Viewers That Love Them
Look at a show like The Shield. Michael Chiklis plays Detective Vic Mackey, a rogue cop with his own take on what justice means. Mackey is a dirty cop that puts many lives in danger by implementing his brand of street law with his Strike Team. He takes bribes, steals drugs, kills people, and is always hitting someone, but for some reason, viewers of The Shield root for him every step of the way. Every time he is nearly caught or his job is threatened, fans wait with baited breath hoping that he gets himself out of another scrape. In the 90s this would've been unheard of, as Family Matters, Step By Step, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Full House took center stage. All of the cast members of these shows had the moral values that every parent tries to teach their children. Nowadays, even the good people do bad things.
The Serial Killer Role Model
Next, there is Dexter on Showtime. Michael C. Hall plays a serial killer named Dexter Morgan. Not much needs to be said about why a serial killer wouldn't typically be someone that a vast majority of people would grow to love and admire. However, Dexter Morgan does what most of us wish we could do. Not, of course, in the murdering arena, but more in the being able to find the truly evil people in this world and make them accountable way. Dexter has more baggage than most characters outside of soap operas, but the audience understands his motives through his experiences, and roots for him to satiate his need to serve deadly justice. In reality, Dexter might have a stronger moral code than most characters out there. It takes a very strong resolve to stick to "The Code Of Harry" and kill only those who truly deserve it. Don't forget, he's all the while maintaining a job at the police department helping to catch people like him. Now, that's interesting television.
The True Beginning
This subject can't be broached without talking about The Sopranos. The Sopranos, an HBO series, might have been one of the first shows to truly master this dichotomy. Tony Soprano, James Gandolfini, was a bad, bad guy. He was a mob boss, which of course means he tortured and killed lots of people. He cheated on his wife, he was abusive, and a pretty bad father, but we understood him. He was written in a way that made his actions, although not necessarily able to be condoned, easier to digest. His audience forgave him and his bad nature because there was something good somewhere inside him that shone through in the smallest way. His moments of vulnerability allowed us to see inside who he is and what his motives are, which gave him some leeway in the morality realm.
Comedy With No Restrictions
Lastly, in the comedy world, there's the FX series, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. The five main characters include Dennis, Glenn Howerton, is an egotist who is obsessed with his "hot body" and being the smartest person he knows. His sister Deandra, Kailtin Olsen, is self absorbed, a still aspiring actress, and irresponsible. Charlie, Charlie Day, is illiterate, very strange, and a little crazy. Mac, Rob McElhenney, is a cut off wearing, karate loving, and self-proclaimed ladies man.
Then there's Frank, Danny Devito, who loves toting his gun around and, since he was once rich, loves a sloppy lifestyle living with Charlie. They each have probably one redeeming characteristic that shows up sporadically throughout the season. They only touch hot button issues and the characters respond to things such as racism, abortion, etc. in the most extreme fashions. They are the response without a filter, the acting without thinking, and the crazy friends you love watching but are embarrassed for at the same time. You love these characters and root for them, but would probably never go to the extremes they do. That's probably one of the reasons why it's so brilliant. They go to a level that most people would never touch.
With shows like these, it's so easy to see why being bad and exploiting imperfection makes for good TV and is so entertaining to watch. However, the fact that these shows are primarily on cable right now, is probably a good place to start. These shows are great for more mature minds to enjoy, but the kiddies should probably stick to the TGIF variety. The science of turning bad into likable is still being perfected, but as it stands right now, it's already pure gold.
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