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| Daryl Dixon- as portrayed by Norman Reedus |
Many episodic action/adventure television series has a "Daryl." Here are just a few examples of a "Daryl" stock character from series both past and present:
- Lost- James "Sawyer" Ford
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer- Spike
- Game of Thrones- Tyrion Lannister
- The Walking Dead- Shane Walsh (before he became an antagonist to the protagonist)
Unlike the "beautiful warrior" stock character (of which I will write about in the future) the "Daryl" is somewhat of a new phenomenon- and therefore there is enough difference between characters so as to not be so overtly burdensome. However, here are some points of similarity:
"Daryl" characters are typically:
- Male
- Morally ambiguous (at times) (tends to be the "bad boy")
- Forgiven for any moral shortcomings of which other characters would not (ex. Spike attempting to sexually assault Buffy; Daryl aligning himself with Joe; Shane killing Otis and attempting to sexually assault Lori.)
- Either part of an ensemble in which there is no sole protagonist (as is the case with Game of Thrones" - or is a supporting character in the second or third (deuteragonist or tritagonist) role.
- Rabid fan base (Dixon's vixens)
Of course, not every character mentioned is required to fit every bullet on this list. For example, for all the moral shortcomings in Game of Thrones- Tyrion seems to be the most moral of the Lannister clan. However, he still holds some scruples some may find reminiscent of someone of low moral character; his love of prostitutes and public drunkenness.
There is one quality that trumps all others-
They are never in any real "danger." At least so long as ratings don't fall. However, all bets are off on series' finales!
By now you are asking- "What about Shane?" Yes, Shane did die- however, at the time of his death he became a villain. Before his villainous turn he was a full on "Daryl". His murdering of Otis and Randall were viewed as pragmatic by his supporters, and his attempted rape of Lori was either quickly forgiven or crudely justified as he was inebriated at the time and both characters had previously been intimate. Yes, such beliefs still exist.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Spike was also forgiven for his attempted sexual assault on Buffy and his countless murders which span over hundreds of years. The character sacrificed himself at the end of the series only to resurrected on the spinoff, Angel.
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| Spike- as portrayed by James Marsters |
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| Tyreese, before being decapitated by the Governor. The Walking Dead issue 46 |
So, keep on teasing me, Walking Dead writer's. Put Daryl in "danger." I know he will be safe. He will do something ridiculous like use a rotting corpse as a shield for bullets. You too, Game of Thrones. I seriously doubt Tyrion will lose his "trial by combat." (Now I haven't read the books so I may be eating my words tomorrow morning.)
It is not impossible to have an ensemble cast with one main protagonist in which the supporting cast is balanced. Just check out Starz series, Spartacus. Spartacus's three generals, Crixus, Agron, and Gannicus were each strong on their own and had loyal fan following. However, in the end, it was Spartacus's show. Perhaps that is what is missing from the Walking Dead television series- It's not Rick's show. I don't think it will be with Daryl around. With Daryl there will always be a safety net. This flies in the face of the source material. To hell with the safety net. To hell with Dixon's vixens. No riot can last forever.
4 comments:
I don't think Tyrion belongs in this group at all. He is the hero of The Game of Thrones, in my opinion. Martin isn't going to let the pretty people win this game, not in his world. The Hound would be a better fit.
Don't think Shane should make the list either. His arc was from a good guy to a bad guy. He was a mirror to Rick, the dark to Rick's light. Characters like Spike, Daryl and Sawyer are introduced as bad guys. I'll also throw Pope from Falling Skies into this mix.
The characteristic I think you are missing is that these characters all experience some kind of trauma that knocks them off the path of "good". When this trauma is revealed, we see the character in a new light, we become a bit more sympathetic toward them. As you say, we want to forgive them, and we want them to redeem themselves.
For Spike, the ultimate mama's boy, it was the moment when his mother-turned-vampire turned on him. And in his defense, Spike immediately recognized his attempted rape of Buffy was wrong. Shane didn't, and Spike didn't even have a soul. Spike spent the rest of the show trying to atone for that act, regaining his soul and ultimately sacrificing himself for Buffy.
For Sawyer, it was witnessing his family's murder as a child. For Daryl, The Hound and Pope, it was childhood abuse.
We also usually find that the heinous crimes attributed to the character were not as heinous as we first thought, or were justified in some way. I admit, it is a harder to find examples of this. Spike was a cold blooded killer and he enjoyed it, but again, soulless. The Hound is also a killer. But poor Daryl, come on! Seriously, what is the worst thing he has done?
The plain fact is that these characters are just fun. :)
I don't think Tyrion belongs in this group at all. He is the hero of The Game of Thrones, in my opinion. Martin isn't going to let the pretty people win this game, not in his world. The Hound would be a better fit.
Don't think Shane should make the list either. His arc was from a good guy to a bad guy. He represented what Rick could have become had he made different choice, the dark to Rick's light. Characters like Spike, Daryl and Sawyer are introduced as bad guys. I'll also throw Pope from Falling Skies into this mix.
The characteristic I think you are missing is that these characters all experience some kind of trauma that knocked them off the path of "good". When this trauma is revealed, we see the character in a new light, we become a bit more sympathetic toward them. As you say, we want to forgive them, we want them to redeem themselves.
For Spike, the ultimate mama's boy, it was the moment when his mother-turned-vampire turned on him. And in his defense, Spike immediately recognized his attempted rape of Buffy was wrong. Shane didn't, and Spike didn't even have a soul. Spike spent the rest of the show trying to atone for that act, regaining his soul and ultimately sacrificing himself for Buffy.
For Sawyer, it was witnessing his family's murder as a child. For Daryl, The Hound and Pope, it was childhood abuse.
We also find that the heinous crimes attributed to the character were not as heinous as we first thought, or were justifiable in some way. This is a harder point to find examples of. Spike was a cold blooded killer and he enjoyed it, but again, soulless. The Hound is also a killer. But poor Daryl, come on! Seriously, what is the worst thing he has done? Daryl is a puppy compared to the others.
Plus, these characters are just plain fun. :)
Oops sorry for double post. Got error message and didn't think it went through.
Kelly- Thank you so much for your comment. You make some really great points!
I'm pretty new to the Game of Thrones, and I haven't read any of the books. I know I am in the minority- but I don't much care for Tyrion. You are right, though, the more I watch the more I realize that he is the hero of the show and at it's center.
I'm so glad you mentioned Falling Skies!! I'll be honest, this season has me confused, but I am liking that it is keeping me guessing.
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