Annoying Characters.... Necessary???!

[locutus101]

How much is too much sand in the Vaseline? It's a subjective matter.

As most things are.

 

[Owain Taggart]

Life contains socially awkward characters, so why not fiction? A character being annoying does not necessarily imply poor writing, especially if that were the intent.

Yes, that's true. But I often feel that isn't the case with the writing. As I've mentioned, I feel good writing should be able to balance that out.

A good example of an annoying character that works? Joffrey on GoT. A character we love to hate because the actor did such a great job with him, and with purpose.

 

[DeepSpaceYorks]

I think Arnold Rimmer from Red Dwarf is an excellent example of an annoying but sympathetic character.

 

[VulcanMindBlown]

Characters can be annoying and still be likeable and yes I agree that having a character like that can be very rewarding and enriching for a show, as long as they don't descend into downright obnoxiousness. Of all the characters you listed in my opinion Barclay is the only one who works for me. However, in the interest of full disclosure I have never found Barclay annoying, on the contrary, I actually think he's one of the most sucessful characters in Next Gen.

No one has ever said that. The complaints about the characters that you listed have to do with them being poorly written. Data and Picard are both socially awkward and they're the two most popular characters in TNG. Barclay gets quite a bit of love from the fans too.

I guess that they can find a balance, but it might be hard. I never really considered Picard to be annoying, but I liked Data, but he's an emotionless robot.

No not required at all - the first two films that come to mind -' Letter from an unknown woman' or 'the red shoes' don't continue such characters.

What are you referencing?

Life contains socially awkward characters, so why not fiction? A character being annoying does not necessarily imply poor writing, especially if that were the intent.

What is less however is when that character is intended as comic relief but ends up having the opposite effect, where the effect is less on the other characters and more on the viewer.

That is true.

 

[locutus101]

I don't know that we need annoying characters for a good story. For example who's really annoying in TOS. Sure there are people like Mudd or Trelane, but they are the exception rather than the rule. In most stories, IE almost all of them, there's no characters truly annoying.

 

[Spot261]

Data and Picard are both socially awkward and they're the two most popular characters in TNG.

As in Captain Picard, the urbane, gentlemanly diplomat with a commanding presence in danger? Not some other Picard, maybe his autistic cousin?

 

[locutus101]

As in Captain Picard, the urbane, gentlemanly diplomat with a commanding presence in danger? Not some other Picard, maybe his autistic cousin?

It's the first time that I heard it said that Picard is socially awkward.

 

[Kor]

What are you referencing?

The OP implies that all fiction has annoying characters. But that is not accurate.
He gave a couple examples of films that do not have any.

It's the first time that I heard it said that Picard is socially awkward.

Just a couple examples... Picard is awkward with children. And remember in "Tapestry," when he said to Penny, "I think you're a very handsome woman." That's pretty awkward.

Kor

 

[locutus101]

....



Just a couple examples... Picard is awkward with children. And remember in "Tapestry," when he said to Penny, "I think you're a very handsome woman." That's pretty awkward.

Kor

Yes, it is. But he was an old guy in a young man's body. From a man older than her it wouldn't have seemed as insulting.

 

[Kelthaz]

As in Captain Picard, the urbane, gentlemanly diplomat with a commanding presence in danger? Not some other Picard, maybe his autistic cousin?

Picard's in his element when talking down an enemy captain or issuing orders during a battle, but put him in a room full of children or on a date and his unwavering confidence fails him a bit. He's nowhere near as bad as Barclay of course. but go watch "Lessons" or "Disaster" and tell me that Picard isn't socially awkward. Even in "All Good Things" when he finally joined the Poker game he did so a little awkwardly.

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[Kor]

Yes, nobody is good at everything. Except maybe Chuck Norris.

Kor

 

[locutus101]

Yes, nobody is good at everything. Except maybe Chuck Norris.

Kor

Bruce Lee beats the crap out of him in that karate movie of his.

 

[JWPlatt]

Chuck let him win.

 

[retroenzo]

My big problem is when there's a lack of balance. I've always felt that a good show could have its annoying characters as long as they've also had characters to counteract that.

With Farscape, those characters, at least for me, were Zahn and Aeryn. Zahn left at the end of season 2, and Aeryn receives a reduced role in Season 3, which threw things off-kilter a bit for me. When Chiana first came onboard I was annoyed with her, but they toned her down some, thankfully. But then there's still Jool, and Stark to a lesser extent. So for me, season 1 is still the best due to that balance.

Two paragraphs of annoying characters in Farscape and you didn't mention Rigel?

 

[locutus101]

Two paragraphs of annoying characters in Farscape and you didn't mention Rigel?

Do you find that... annoying?

 

[Owain Taggart]

Two paragraphs of annoying characters in Farscape and you didn't mention Rigel?

No, because I find him rather endearing rather than annoying. A matter of taste, I guess.