Hmmm. I looked at the Five Man Band breakdown for Farscape (because that's my current obsession), and I really don't see Rygel in the Smart Guy position. He's closer to the Team Pet, though that doesn't fit entirely either. Thinking about it, Farscape doesn't really have a Smart Guy. If anything, John double-teams as the Hero and the Smart Guy. Sort of. When he's able to open the doors anyway.
Zhaan fits the Team Mom profile for the Chick, as well as having the requisite healing skills/mystical powers. She's also sometimes the Mentor - at least when not being incredibly hypocritical. Jool is definitely the ditzy deadweight version of the Chick (so far - I'm up to 3.07) and Chiana has been in that role also, but she became useful earlier.
And in what universe does Stark fill the Mentor role? Unless he has a personality transplant ... no.
John and Aeryn certainly fill the Hero/Lancer roles respectively, but they don't fit in the boxes very well.
The only one who really works in the trope is D'Argo.
And no one in Farscape has a lock on Damsel in Distress - they've all needed rescuing at one point or another.
You're farther along than I am (we hit "The Way We Weren't" the other day, which was the first time the greatness went off the charts, for me) and, from what I've seen, John is the closest thing to The Chick that they've got. And that's painting with a broad brush, at that.
I kind of love that the tropes don't fit. It's the same happy I get for SGA (even with the two characters who actually fit, they don't. Shep's The Hero by rank, not by choice, and Rodney's The Smart Guy, yes, but part of his brilliance is that he's an idiot who just happens to be a genius.) - just makes things more interesting. Cookie-cutter gets boring after awhile. No matter how awesome the contents of a box are, it's still a box.
It is indeed. Marked a turning point, from Show I Really Kind of Like, to Show I Could Absolutely Love. I wish my third season set would get here already, as we're mainlining S2 this week, and I don't want to experience withdrawal symptoms.
freneticfloetry and I put some debate into idea that D'Argo and Aeryn actually flip/flop as Lancer/Big Guy. And John is actually SmartGuy/Chick/Hero (but the Hero only because no one else is). Jool/Zhaan are SmartGuy/Chick. Rygel is SmartGuy only so far as being annoying. But, yeah, half Team Pet. Chiana doesn't fit the band at all, except occasionally as chick.
John as the protagonist is more or less the Hero. He's not the leader precisely, but he is usually the one with the (bad) plan. And I do find it interesting that the other characters usually talk in terms of "Crichton and the others," though that might have more to do with the writers than anything.
I can't see Rygel as SmartGuy at all. Mostly he's useless.
I do see Chiana as sort of the Chick. Actually, maybe she's the Tagalong Kid.
And yes, I can see that Aeryn and D'Argo trade off a bit on the Lancer/Big Guy roles. But I'd argue that Aeryn is mostly Lancer and D'Argo is mostly Big Guy. The ways in which they switch have mostly to do with their genders.
Zhaan fits the Team Mom profile for the Chick, as well as having the requisite healing skills/mystical powers. She's also sometimes the Mentor - at least when not being incredibly hypocritical. Jool is definitely the ditzy deadweight version of the Chick (so far - I'm up to 3.07) and Chiana has been in that role also, but she became useful earlier.
And in what universe does Stark fill the Mentor role? Unless he has a personality transplant ... no.
John and Aeryn certainly fill the Hero/Lancer roles respectively, but they don't fit in the boxes very well.
The only one who really works in the trope is D'Argo.
And no one in Farscape has a lock on Damsel in Distress - they've all needed rescuing at one point or another.
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I kind of love that the tropes don't fit. It's the same happy I get for SGA (even with the two characters who actually fit, they don't. Shep's The Hero by rank, not by choice, and Rodney's The Smart Guy, yes, but part of his brilliance is that he's an idiot who just happens to be a genius.) - just makes things more interesting. Cookie-cutter gets boring after awhile. No matter how awesome the contents of a box are, it's still a box.
I need Aeryn icons. *grumbles*
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But then, I'm a born 'shipper.
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I can't see Rygel as SmartGuy at all. Mostly he's useless.
I do see Chiana as sort of the Chick. Actually, maybe she's the Tagalong Kid.
And yes, I can see that Aeryn and D'Argo trade off a bit on the Lancer/Big Guy roles. But I'd argue that Aeryn is mostly Lancer and D'Argo is mostly Big Guy. The ways in which they switch have mostly to do with their genders.
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