Characterization
I hope each of you had some time over the holiday break to relax and spend quality time with family and friends.
I took some time to catch up on past seasons of the television show “The Walking Dead.” For several years I have avoided the show while my husband has been an avid reader of the books and watcher of the series, all the while listening to him go on and on about the fantastic writing and depth of the characters. So, I finally caved in and started watching. Within 2 episodes I was completely hooked. Now anyone who knows me understands that I do not like violence, gore, horror, or anything remotely zombie…but these characters are compelling, driven, and as a viewer I want them to survive and succeed! (I just close my eyes every time a zombie comes on screen!)
I also took the time to read through my Creative Writing Students’ long fiction stories and started thinking about how they could improve their characters and enhance their stories. As well, my Writing Workshop students will soon finish their current unit on Argument and begin a unit on Movie Review, where they will need to take a close look at the characters in the movie and what makes them compelling to an audience.
For this blog, I’d like you to think carefully about a character(s) in a current television show or movie that you enjoy. Tell us why the character(s) are so compelling. What makes them so? Why do you keep watching?
Please post your comment but go back and comment on 2 others’ as well.
Ms. Z.
My favorite character is definitely Fez from That's 70's Show. I like him because he's very funny and also very naive. He's a foreign exchange student so he's obviously the one who's often confused and most definitely is the outlier of the group of characters in the TV show. Even though all of the characters on that show are hilarious, Fez is by far my favorite.
ReplyDeleteHe's my favorite, too!
DeleteI love Fez, too!
DeleteSometimes I watch Charlie Brown. I like Pigpen because he walks around with a blanket and hes dirty but he doesnt care and its cool
ReplyDelete#yolo
Deletelinus is the one who walks around with the blanket. good try though!
Deletehahahahahahah thats linus peter
Deleteshit whatever i dont watch charlie brown
DeleteMy favorite character of all time is Barney from How I Met Your Mother. He is characterized to be a player who has slept with every girl in NYC. He is absolutely hysterical and has catch phrases that I quote all the time. But the thing I like most about him is his big heart underneath his "player" facade. He loves family, loves his friends and would do anything for them. This season is all about his wedding! I love seeing him grow and laughing at him yay,
ReplyDeleteI was obsessed with that show, always makes me laugh!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Deletebarney is one of my favorites <3
DeleteOne Tree Hill will always be my favotire show. I watched it when it was on TV and I watched the entire series all over again on Netflix just becasue I love it. Lucas Scott is my favorite character partly becasue of his looks but also becasue of who he is. He is all about poetry and he pays attention to the small things, but he also plays basketball and has so many other sides to him. There is so much to his character that makes him such a likeable person OMG watch One Tree Hill if you haven't....great show.
ReplyDeleteOne tree hill for the win. Re-watching the entire series at home.
DeleteI love Lucas Scott. I wish he was a real life person. That show always makes me cry
Deleteevery boy should aspire to be lucas scott l o l
DeleteMy favorite character Joey from Friends (the best show ever). He always keeps a comic relief in any show and surprises you with different things he says and does. Sometimes he's so oblivious and dumb that he has no idea what's going on or what he says and he never fails to make me laugh and lighten the mood. I love that about him. I feel like I can be like that a lot, oblivious to what's going on, and I love to see a character like that!
ReplyDeleteOHMYGOD I LOVE THIS SHOW!!!! and I completely agree haha
DeleteFriends is the best show ever.
DeleteJOEY IS MY FAVORITE I WISH I COULD MARRY HIM
DeleteI love that he is so stupid and doesn't even know it! I love Friends and it never gets old!!!
DeleteHe is so funny!
DeleteOne of my favorite characters is Sheldon from Big Bang Theory. He is such a hilarious character and the nerdiest out of the bunch. He is a control freak and hates it when anyone gets in his way. I remember in one episode he was jealous of one of the other characters because they got a job promotion and when he tried to act happy for him he flashed a really creepy and awkward smile.
ReplyDeleteI love this show!
Deleteyou should become friends with mr welty... he loves sheldon..like actually
DeleteSheldon is so awkward and he makes the show really funny!
DeleteI agree with morgan, he is so awkward most times you cannot help but laugh
DeleteMy favorite character of all time is Thad Castle from the show Blue Mountain State. Thad is the perfect character because he is an excellent role model for any young football player. He also makes people get excited for college because of his great experiences at the Goat House. He makes his audiences keep watching because he guarantees a few laughs in every episode of the show.
ReplyDeletenever heard of it
Deletemy favorite character is Denise, she is a very complicated character and I find her very interesting ;)
DeleteI like Radon because he is funny.
Deletegreat show
DeleteMy favorite character is Leslie from the TV show, Parks and Recreation played by Amy Poehler. I started watching the show on Netflix over the break and I am completely hooked! Leslie is such a funny character and I keep watching the show because her sense of humor is so unique. She takes things way too seriously which makes the show really funny. She is the executive director woman for parks and recreation of her city and she takes much pride in it. She is trying to get the city to vote on building a new park in a filthy dirt pit. I highly recommend this show to everyone!!!!! She is by far my favorite character.
ReplyDeleteLESLIE NOPE IS DOPE
DeleteI love this show. Leslie is such a strange and hilarious person.
DeleteMy favorite character would be Vincenzo from the Boondock Saints, as his character just makes me laugh every time I watch this movie. Also, the character reminds me of one of my friends.
ReplyDeleteHaha he is very compelling and one of my favorites.
Deletenever heard of it
DeleteGreat and compelling character.
DeleteFor me, it's a tie between the Harry Potter characters (Harry, Ron, and Hermione) or the FRIENDS characters (Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe). I like the Harry Potter characters, they all have very different personalities. Harry is the brave one, Hermione has the brains and Ron provides the comedic laugh. Altogether, they make an unstoppable trio, and they have stuck together for the entire series. What I like the most about them is they each bring out the best in each other and the bond/relationship they've created over the years is phenomenal. Same can be said for the FRIENDS characters. They are all very different but are able to bring out the best in each other. The friendship they all share is amazing, and they are all very funny in their own ways. There is no way I could choose just one character because they all have that unique quality about them that makes them my favorite.
ReplyDeleteHarry Potter is for children.
DeleteI like the relationship between the three in Harry Potter too
DeleteYou may want to catch up on some more modern movies and shows
Deletesaw the insta on monday #mcm
Deleteharry potter gives me nightmares
DeleteI also agree, the trio in Harry Potter does definitely enhances the stories.
DeleteMy favorite tv show Friday Night Lights. My favorite character on that show is Coach Taylor. He is my favorite because he is a great person and always has the right thing to say to somebody, no matter what the situation. His speeches to the team before games are always awesome and motivational and makes me want to go play some football.
ReplyDeleteWow I've never seen that show maybe i'll start watching it!
DeleteMy favorite character is Charlie from Revolution. She is a beautiful young girl who never shies away from danger or is even close to a girly girl. People often underestimate her ability but time and time again she proves to be more than capable of defending herself and making smart decisions. She trusts only few people and would jump in front of a bullet for any of her closest friends or family. I admire her courage and unique wit. If I was in any situation close to hers I would want to be just like her.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a boy because of the name
DeleteMy favorite character is Tate from the show American Horror Story. I like him because he is a ghost haunting the house and there is a lot of mystery behind his character. I also like the romance going on between him and the main girl Violet who is not a ghost. There are a lot of plot twists through out the show and each character has their own story throughout the main plot of the show which makes it very interesting and the best show ever.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget that he's a mass murderer.
Deleteahh tried watching this and couldn't sleep for a week how do you watch it?!
DeleteMy mom watches that show. i dont get it at all.
DeleteI really enjoy the show Louie, mostly because the main character (comedian Louie CK) is such a compelling character for weird reasons. The entire show is just about him going about his normal, white, american, male life and basically how bland and pathetic he is. He's such a wretched character but at the same time you want him to succeed because you know he has all the best intentions and is actually a very smart, opinionated man who wants to see the world become a better place but has absolutely no motivation to do anything about it. The show is wrought with second hand embarrassment and is pretty explicit, but also totally hilarious and I highly recommend it.
ReplyDeletei love his video "Of course, but maybe"
DeleteEmily Thorne in Revenge. Her character is very deceiving as she continues to hide her true identity in order to plot her revenge on those who killed her father and innocent people. However as she becomes intertwined within the different characters, I am always eager to find out what her next move is.
ReplyDelete#team aiden
DeleteI LOVE REVENGE! And i love Emily Thorne's secretive actions and motives! She is a very compelling character!
DeleteBenedict Cumberbatch, a man of many talents, staring in the BBC series Sherlock. He's one of my favorite portrayed characters with phenomenal acting skills and his ability to capture an audience, no episode ever disappoints. I highly suggest you consider watching it if you haven't already.
ReplyDeletewe live in america watch american tv you communist
DeleteBenedict Cumberbatch is awesome
DeleteA compelling character on a current show that I am watching is Olivia Pope on the ABC show "Scandal". She is a "fixer" of problems for political figures in Washington D.C., including the President of the United States. She is a powerful and confident women who always gets the job done. She is fierce and manipulative, but always for the greater good of her client and usually the country. She has a unique relationship with each of her employees, which each reveal something different about her persona. They show her humorous, caring, firm, and worrisome sides. The president is by far Olivia's weakness and he makes her let her guard down. She has loved him ever since their campaign even though he is married, to the first lady of course. They have an ongoing affair, with ups and downs. This affair and the President definitely flucuate Olivia's mood and actions throughout various episodes. She tries to be strong, but with the president, she crumbles. He helps reveal her passsionate and loving side. And lastly, her father whom she is estranged from brings out the vengeful and hateful side due to events in their relationship in the past and becausde of his secret job. Overall, Olivia is one of the most complex and interesting characters that keeps me coming back each Thursday night at 10 to see what she will do next.
ReplyDeleteBEST SHOW ON TV YES MARLENA
DeleteMy favorite character is definitely Jesse Pinkman, played by Aaron Paul, from the series Breaking Bad. Jesse is Walter White's former chemistry student, and they pair up to create a perfect recipe for methamphetamine, so Walt can pay for his cancer treatments. Jesse is known for his trademark "bitc*", and his love for drugs.
ReplyDeleteJesse's a complicated character, and although I may sympathize with him because I think he's attractive, I think there is a lot more to Jesse Pinkman then others may find. Some would say Jesse is a villainous hero but I do not believe that is true, because, at his core he is not a villian. He's done horrible things, but with his pain, the agony of losing loved ones and watching innocent children suffer, comes the idea that Jesse does not want to be the person that he has become.
yeah not all drug addicts are bad people
ReplyDeleteTom from Parks and Recreation is a compelling character. He is not very motivated about his job and is also very entertaining. This makes him compelling in a different more comedic way. His lack of ambition and comical spin on his job makes you want him to succeed.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite characters is Dexter played by Michael C. Hall on Dexter. He is complex and has many internal conflicts, there is always a struggle between good and evil as well as satisfying the desires of his darker self. He attempts to fill the role of a proper father and normal everyday guy while hiding his "night time career." It is for these reasons and more that he is a favorite character of mine.
ReplyDeleteJust recently I watched Despicable Me 2 and it reminded me how much I liked minions. I first fell in love with the goofy unique characters in the first movie and continued to enjoy them (possibly even a bit more) in the second movie. They are extremely funny and unpredictable creatures and their slightly different individual personalities make them different enough from one another but still very much the same. Additionally, the minions are very recognizable characters; with their trademark yellow oval shape, blue overalls and goggles.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite show of all time is One Tree Hill and I love all the characters on the show. They all have different personalities and are amazing actors and actresses. Although I enjoy all the characters, Brooke Davis and Lucas Scott are my favorites. They are so unpredictable and have great personalities. Watching from the first to last season, the characters have changed tremendously and it is incredible to watch. If you havent seen OTH then I highly suggest you watch it because you get hooked very easily and always anticipate the following episode.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite character is Finn from Adventure time. He is an adventurer and a hero. hes just awesome!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite character is JD from Scrubs, granted the show isn't on anymore I could watch reruns of it forever. First of all I think the show is wicked funny but JD is the main character. He is goofy and funny but he also is doctor though. I like him because he transition from being a work and dealing with people and maybe even death to going back to his everyday. he is an interesting character
ReplyDeleteMy favorite character is Audrey for Little Shop of Horrors. Many people seem to dislike her because she stayed with an abusive man. While I cannot imagine staying with someone like that I also think the only reason she did it was so she didn't end up on the streets. No, she may not be the most admirable character but I do think she is realistic. She did what she could to survive.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite character is Sofia Vergara, who plays the role of Gloria Delgado-Pritchett in the show Modern Family. She can be really sassy at times while being funny. It makes for a good episode and you can always expect to laugh while watching this television show.
ReplyDeletei love her
DeleteLots of great comments and shows!!!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite character is Zack. From the Suit Life of Zack & Cody. I would watch that show when i was younger. It would always make me laugh.
ReplyDelete