30 days of female characters
I posted this on Tumblr a couple of weeks ago and meant to post here, but never got around to it. So, here it is!
Disclaimer: I’ve had to limit myself to using each character only once, though, because otherwise this would pretty much be Laura Roslin-Laura Roslin-Laura Roslin-Nina Myers-Hermione Granger-Laura Roslin-Patty Hewes.
Favorite lead female character
Laura Roslin (Battlestar Galactica)
Like I said, she’s the reason I had to initiate the “each character can only be used once” rule, because she would be my first choice for about half of these. I’ve started my long-awaited BSG rewatch, but before that I marathoned some of my favorite Laura scenes - the obvious ones, but also the less obvious ones that I haven’t watched in awhile. It’s funny how after so long, it still takes me aback how fucking amazing this character is. It’s been nearly two years since the show ended and the fandom has changed in that time; with the book being closed on Laura, my own focus has shifted to Mary McDonnell and her career as a whole. That makes it all the more powerful to go back to where it all started and once again immerse myself in the nuances of this woman and to watch her adapt to the many, many roles that she never asked for but nonetheless finds herself being asked to play. The fact that not all of the mantles fit properly, and that she wears some of them perhaps a little too well, is part of what makes her such an incredible character. I could keep going, but suffice to say that Laura Roslin is the best character - male or female, lead or supporting - to have graced my TV screen, and I miss her more than I’d care to admit!
Favorite supporting female character
Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter)
My brother has been rereading OotP, and we spent about an hour the other day discussing the book, because he hasn’t read it for several years and had forgotten a lot of it. One of the things he said to me was that Luna was more annoying than he remembered, at least at the beginning - he had remembered her as being wise beyond her years, if a bit ditzy, but instead he saw her as being spacey and even immature until the battle at the Ministry. It’s not often that I really think too deeply about the characters these days, because enough time has passed that I feel like I know them inside and out and have come to terms with the choices they’ve made, the actions they’ve taken, and the reasons behind them, so I was surprised to hear him say that. I spent some time thinking about it, wondering if I would think the same thing if I was reading the books for the first time/first time in a long time, but what I came back to was what Xeno Lovegood said in Deathly Hallows in response to Hermione asking how the Hallows could possibly be real: “Prove that it is not.” Luna is one of the rare souls who believes anything is possible unless proven otherwise, and I think most people can aspire to be more like her.
A female character you hated but grew to love
Juliet Burke (Lost)
To be clear, I never hated Juliet, but it did take me longer to warm up to her than I would have expected. I’m all for morally ambiguous characters, God knows, but I felt like they were playing her as a bit too slippery and cold. Needless to say, I came around, and then some; she was one of my favorite characters by the end, and cried more over her than I did over any other character on that show (I see what you did there, TPTB - two death scenes? NOT NICE. One was bad enough.) Rewatching her earlier episodes I do see why I wasn’t crazy about her at first, because the depth and humanity that become so evident later on aren’t very apparent, but that’s what makes it interesting to rewatch them in the first place - knowing just how much more there is to the character, and to know just what it’s costing her.
A female character you relate to
Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)
I relate less to Hermione now than I did when I was growing up, but that’s okay, because that’s when I needed a character like her to relate to! I was a ridiculous bookworm and something of a teacher’s pet, and I was a bit awkward socially, tending to cling to the friends I had. Hogwarts is the place that kids dream of escaping to, the Wizarding world was is the magical world where a kid who spent ten years trapped in a cupboard is suddenly The Boy Who Lived, and Hermione is the girl who is a hero not in spite of being a know-it-all, an outsider, and not particularly attractive - she’s a hero because of those things. I know I wasn’t the only girl who was comforted by that idea.
Favorite female character on a male-driven show
Debra Morgan (Dexter)
Dexter does have some great female characters - Rita, LaGuerta, etc. - but I do think of it as being fairly male-driven, mostly because we’re in Dexter’s head so much of the time. Let’s not lie, the first thing that I loved about Deb was her mouth - I’ve never heard such creative cursing, and it’s truly inspiring. Beyond that, though, we’ve got a girl who’s been dealt more shit over the course of a few years than most people experience in a lifetime, and though it’s broken her in more ways than one, she’s managed to put the pieces back together each time. She’s more fragile in some ways, but she’s also sharper, and her role as the emotional stronghold has led to some of the best scenes of the show - the aftermath of the Ice Truck Killer, her breakdown in the parking lot, letting Number 13 go. I can’t wait until the season where she puts all the pieces together, because while I think I could have guessed her reaction two seasons ago, I’m not nearly so sure now.
Favorite female-driven show
Damages
I love Dexter, I do, but Damages is hands down the best show still on the air, and I literally had a mini dance party when I found out that it had been saved from cancellation. Glenn Close is great in anything she does - I’ve watched both Jagged Edge and Fatal Attraction within the past few weeks, and damn, the woman can act - but Patty Hewes takes the cake. The driving force of the show is the relationship between Ellen and Patty, and that relationship has taken so many twists and turns that I can’t even begin to imagine how season four is going to go. I only know that I can’t wait to find out.
A female character that needs more screen time
Karen Hayes (24)
Karen Hayes is the only reason I stuck through season six of 24. (Well, her and Bill Buchanan, but they work best as a couple anyway!) That’s saying a lot, because season six was one hot mess and it took a hell of a character to convince me to stick with it. Considering that, she didn’t get nearly enough screen time - I remember my friends and I getting more and more frustrated as episodes went by with no word from her and consoling ourselves with the fact that at least she’d be in LA with Bill soon, only to find out that she’d been sitting at the airport the whole time instead. Talk about a waste. I’m still pissed that we didn’t get even a mention of her in season seven, not even when Bill died - I would have loved to see her and Taylor interact in some way. She owned the show when she was onscreen, and it’s a shame that wasn’t as often as it should have been.
Favorite female character in a comedy show
Phoebe Buffay (Friends)
Any of the Friends could have sufficed here, really, but Phoebe gets the slight edge just because she’s Phoebe. She’s floopy, flaky, free, and sings about smelly cats and pervert parades - what’s not to love? She’s a wonderful friend and came out of a horrible childhood with an open heart, a sense of humor, and an appreciation for the good things in life. Mostly, she just makes me laugh.
Favorite female character in a drama show
CJ Cregg
I’m a latecomer to The West Wing, but long before I started watching I knew that CJ would be my favorite, just from the things I’d heard and the few clips I’d seen. I wasn’t disappointed. Snarky and sharp, but deeply passionate about the work they’re doing and the responsibilities they hold, the woman defines “fierce” - I’d be quite comfortable living in a world where she influences the major decisions.
Favorite female character in a scifi/supernatural show
Sam Carter (Stargate SG-1)
An average day in the life of Sam Carter might involve traveling to another planet, riding an asteroid through Earth, chatting with her father and the snake living inside of him, blowing up a sun, making her CO’s head spin with her science talk (among other things), and/or eating blue Jell-o. It’s kind of hard not to appreciate that.
Favorite female character in a children’s show book
Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables)
I couldn’t really think of a character from a children’s show that I really loved, so instead I thought about children’s books, which was a much more interesting dilemma - too many to choose from! Characters like Maisy, Matilda and Miss Honey, and Madeline were all considered, but in the end I really had to go with Anne Shirley. I read the entire series in a week when I was nine years old, and I remember being so disappointed when I finally finished it. Anne was a rambunctious, overexcited, imaginative child and I really related to her, although I generally tended to immerse myself in her adventures (and those of other characters) than to go out and have my own. She’s a classic!
Favorite female character in a movie
Rose Darko (Donnie Darko)
This one was tricky because I really don’t watch a lot of movies, and those I do watch tend to feature a celeb that I already love so I’m biased. Considering that, my options were pretty much limited to characters that Mary McDonnell has played. Stands With A Fist, Laura Brown, and Rose Smithsonian were all contenders, but in the end I think Rose Darko takes the prize. This is the role that Ron Moore had in mind when writing Laura Roslin, and I see why - she could have been the token Mom, but wound up being a lot more than that. She was a woman who was trying her best to hold her family together in light of the crazy things that were happening, and she did it with a quiet grace and strength that couldn’t help but make me love her.
Favorite female character in a book
Ginny Weasley (Harry Potter)
My view of Ginny was shaped largely by fic, actually, because I spent a good two years before book 5 came out reading all of the Harry/Ginny fic I could find. It meshed quite nicely with the canon version of Ginny as she became more fleshed out in the later books, and by the end of it, she was a smart, mischievous, hardheaded, and fiercely loyal girl that I could hardly blame Harry for falling in love with (even if there was never any canonical evidence that she stole socks). I love her relationships with her brothers, the fact that she stole her brother’s brooms from the age of six, her Bat-Bogey hex, and the fact that she helped lead the rebellion at Hogwarts. She’s not perfect - she tends to be a bit violent, has her naïve moments, and can be childish at times - but considering that she IS a child, and one who has found herself on the front lines of a war, I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. I’m glad she got her happy ending.
Favorite older female character
Minerva McGonagall (Harry Potter)
What’s Minerva McGonagall up to at this very moment? Answer: being awesome. Doesn’t matter what she’s doing, doesn’t matter that she’s a fictional character - her mere existence is enough. Whether she’s turning into a cat for her first years, screaming at the Minister of Magic, bragging about her Gryffindor Quidditch team, leading a herd of rampaging desks, or battling Lord Voldemort himself, everything move she makes cements her title of Best Teacher Ever. Her interactions with the other characters are some of the best bits of the series - the obvious ones like Harry, Dumbledore, and Snape, but also the less obvious ones like Neville, Sirius, and the Weasley twins. Forget Betty White - Minerva McGonagall is my Kickass Old Lady!-spiration.
Favorite female character growth arc
Ellen Tigh (Battlestar Galactica)
My original answer to this was Deb Morgan, but then I rewatched Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down a couple of days ago, and had to switch a few things around. Even before the whole Mama Cylon revelation Ellen had undergone some pretty remarkable transformations, from the boozy, jealous, flamboyant, ambitious-to-a-fault nuisance to a woman willing to give up everything, including her own life, to protect her husband - without losing the other qualities. By the time 4.5 rolls around, we’re introduced to a woman who’s made some terrible mistakes, died a few times, and loves her many, many children deeply; instead of replacing what we already know of the character, it’s layered on and gives her still more depth and complexity.
Favorite mother character
Molly Weasley (Harry Potter)
Molly Weasley and Lily Potter both apply here, I think, but I’m giving Molly the edge because she’s not just the mother of her own children, she takes on the role of mother figure to Harry, Hermione, and virtually everyone in the Order. As amazing as Molly is, I don’t think she could have killed Bellatrix under normal circumstances; it’s the fact that the woman had just killed her son, and almost killed her daughter, that imbued her with those almost superhuman powers. Molly’s greatest strengths are her love for her family and her determination to keep them safe, and she demonstrates them over and over again throughout the series.
Favorite warrior female character
Renee Walker (24)
I was taken aback by how quickly I fell for Renee Walker. I was never crazy about Jack’s love interests (obviously not counting Nina) - I liked Audrey much better when she was on her own, I had mixed feelings about Teri, and God knows I never warmed to Kate or Diane. Renee could so easily have become a Mary Sue type character, and I really think it’s to Annie Wersching’s credit that she not only avoided that but became one of my favorite 24 characters ever. By season seven Jack had become so hardened and we had become so used to him doing anything to get the job done that it was almost too easy to remember how despicable some of the actions he took were. Renee was a great reminder of just what the cost of those actions could be. I was disappointed enough that she didn’t get a happier ending, but I was even more outraged that Jack used her death as an excuse to virtually wage a war in her name; she was such a great warrior because she never forgot the consequences of what she was doing, and I felt like Jack dishonored her memory just as much as Tony dishonored Michelle’s by doing what he did.
Favorite non-warrior female character
Patty Hewes (Damages)
It was hard to figure out which category to put Patty Hewes in. I chose non-warrior because one of the most interesting things about Patty is how she doesn’t actually get her hands dirty - she passes off the hard jobs to Uncle Pete or other characters. She certainly fights dirty, but it’s very hard to catch her in the act. Patty is such a mysterious, complicated character and even after three seasons I have trouble figuring out exactly what her motivations are. She does despicable things, sometimes for the greater good and sometimes selfishly, and even when they eat away at her I don’t think she’d do anything differently. She’s fascinating.
Favorite non-human female character
Six (Battlestar Galactica)
I was going to choose a specific Six, but in the end I couldn’t bring myself to. How do I choose between Caprica Six and Natalie, or Gina and Shelley Godfrey (with her sexy glasses)? And that’s not even counting Head!Six. Each are incredible in their own way, and those are only the ones we know - who knows how many amazing, kickass, unnamed/unseen Sixes there are roaming around the universe? For being so-called robots that were instrumental in the destruction of the human race, the Sixes actually tend to be some of the most flawed, conflicted, “human” characters on the show, and while each of them is unique, they all have the same desire to learn and become better people. In the end the biggest difference between them and most of the humans is the fact that they’re ridiculously, inhumanly good looking.
Favorite female antagonist
Sue Sylvester (Glee)
Instead of me rambling, I’ll let these gems speak for themselves:
I will go to the animal shelter and get you a kitty cat. I will let you fall in love with that kitty cat. And then, on some dark, cold night I will steal away into your home - and punch you in the face.
So you like show tunes. It doesn’t mean you’re gay. It just means you’re awful.
I don’t trust a man with curly hair. I can’t help picturing small birds laying sulfurous eggs in there, and I find it disgusting.
I can’t stand the sight of kids getting emotional, unless it’s from physical exhaustion.
Favorite female character screwed over by canon (tie)
Allison Taylor (24)
Oh, 24. This show had so many amazing female characters, and all of them were screwed over to some degree by canon. These two, however, got it the worst, and considering that they’re two of my absolute favorites, I’ll never forgive TPTB for that. How did President Taylor go from being the woman so intent on doing the right thing that she would send her own daughter to prison to being willing to cover up acts of terrorism (not to mention the murder of her friend and partner in peace) at the expense of the people fighting to expose them? It doesn’t make any sense, and it pissed me off beyond anything else in season 8.
Favorite female character screwed over by canon (tie)
Martha Logan (24)
As bad as Taylor’s OOC behavior was, don’t get me started on Martha - I could understand that her mental health may have deteriorated after season 5, that would be understandable even in someone who wasn’t already hanging on by a thread, but she came back for a single episode in season six only to go batshit insane, stab her ex-husband, and wind up presumably either dead, imprisoned, or locked in a padded room, given only a fleeting mention in season seven that in no way served to reassure me. This doesn’t even cover the awkwardness of her relationship with Aaron in 6x13 - her flipping out on him, him excusing her behavior to Logan - and the lack of any resolution for the character who made season five what it was. My personal canon disregards 6x13 and the last third of season 8, because of all the characters on the show, these two had sacrificed enough and done enough good to deserve, if not a happy ending, at least an ending that made sense.
Favorite female character you love but everyone else hates
Quinn Fabray (Glee)
I don’t think many people actually hate Quinn, lol, but there aren’t many characters I love that are generally hated. Kim Bauer may have applied, but I think most people have come around to her. Quinn can definitely be a bitch, though, so I guess she works well enough for this category. She’s pretty far from the sort of character I usually like, but she’s had a pretty great growth arc (well, she did in season one) and Dianna Agron does such a good job with her. I really hope that the show remembers the character that just had a baby, had a complicated relationship with Puck, and was bff with Mercedes and Kurt, because I liked her a lot better than I like the character we see for five seconds every few weeks in season two.
Favorite female platonic relationship -
Dott Emerson and Ellie Walker (High Society)
FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER. I have seen these episodes more times than I can count on both hands (and feet!) and they never get old. These two get into such bizarre situations that they’re in no way equipped for (like cooking!), are pretty much constantly drunk or drinking, and rule over New York with a gloved and bejeweled fist. I remember hearing that someone told Mary McDonnell that they want to be just like Dott when they grow up and she was amused and appalled, but I totally understand the sentiment - those two have such a fantastically codependent relationship but it works for them! Like Ellie said, most people are afraid of living, and these two most definitely aren’t. Plus, I would kill to be able to come up with the fabulous one-liners that they do.
Favorite female romantic relationship (tie)
Miranda Priestly and Andy Sachs (The Devil Wears Prada)
It always amazes me how active the DWP fandom is, considering that it was a single book and a movie, both which came out several years ago. There’s so much room to play, though! Obviously there’s a great deal of tension between Miranda and Andy, and that translates not so subtly to UST (I mean, come on - “you’re very fetching, so go fetch”. Anvil, that.) I much prefer movie canon - I hardly remember the book - because Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway had such great chemistry and they played it up beautifully. Plus, there’s a lot more room for interpretation, especially at the end. I’ve read some amazing fics that have me more or less convinced that after some time went by, they found more productive ways to channel Miranda’s crazy and Andy’s passion!
Favorite female romantic relationship (tie)
Patty Hewes and Ellen Parsons (Damages)
This relationship is so bizarre. I didn’t know whether to put it under platonic or romantic, because it’s neither, and I like it in the middle like that - they definitely flirt with a more sexual undertone, like the bathroom scene in the s3 premiere, but the friction is so delicious because the relationship is so nebulous. There’s a mentor relationship, a slight mother/daughter component, a sense that Patty sees herself in Ellen, and a tenuous friendship - not to mention, you know, Patty tried to kill Ellen and Ellen knows it. I don’t want to see any of these individual elements of their relationship take precedence, because that would take away the brilliance of never knowing what will come next for them!
Favorite mother/daughter and/or sister relationship
Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)
Sisters-in-law, technically, but it counts. A lot of this relationship was written between the lines - we see them interact, sure, but it’s mostly secondhand that we know how close they are. Hermione is the one who gave Ginny advice about Harry, who knew that she was dating Michael Corner, and who informed Fred about Ginny stealing their broomsticks from the age of six; Ginny was the only one who knew when Viktor invited Hermione to the ball, stuck with her when Ron and Harry were being idiots in book 3, and commiserated with her over Phlegm. Both were used to being the only girl (Ginny in her family and Hermione with Ron and Harry) and bonded over that, and it turned into a pretty amazing sisterhood even before it became official!
A recently discovered female character
Gillian Foster (Lie To Me)
I knew nothing about Gillian Foster before starting Lie To Me, only that half my flist was going nuts over the Cal/Gillian relationship. While that’s obviously fantastic, Gillian kicks all sorts of ass on her own merit. She’s the only person who can keep Cal in line besides his daughter, regularly destroys criminals by just looking at them, and doesn’t put up with bullshit. She’s also a bit of a lightweight and eats pudding at ten in the morning, which is endearing in and of itself.
A female character you have extensive personal canon for
Nina Myers (24)
Nina was another one I had trouble finding the appropriate category for - she could have fit under favorite supporting character, favorite growth arc, favorite in a drama, favorite antagonist, and a couple of others. She’s probably the character I have the most personal canon for, though, so this one is appropriate. I have so much backstory for her (several versions, actually), both pre-and post-CTU, and it’s all incredibly detailed - somewhere I have a piece of paper with my floor plan of her apartment. There’s a reason she’s the character I’ve explored most in fic!
Favorite female writer (television, books, movies, etc.)
J. K. Rowling
By about a million miles. She might not be the most talented writer in the world, at least in terms of craft, but she’s undoubtedly one of the best storytellers ever to walk the planet. She shaped my childhood in so many ways. Beyond Harry Potter, she just seems like a really great person - graceful, charitable, brilliant, and incredibly grateful for both her fans and the entire HP experience. I met her a few years ago and was absolutely terrified, mostly because she’s a freaking living legend, but also because I’d heard horror stories of people meeting their idols and being disillusioned. That was so not an issue; she was so lovely and genuine, and I can’t gush enough about her.
A female-centric fic rec
Five Women Who Hate Fleur Delacour by snegurochka_lee; Fleur, Gabrielle, Narcissa, Molly, Tonks, Minerva, Luna (Harry Potter)
The Quality of Mercy by Selena; Laura, Caprica, Baltar, Ellen, Tory (BSG)
Interrogation Series by LuKEN; Nina (24)
Whatever you’d like!
Disclaimer: I’ve had to limit myself to using each character only once, though, because otherwise this would pretty much be Laura Roslin-Laura Roslin-Laura Roslin-Nina Myers-Hermione Granger-Laura Roslin-Patty Hewes.
Favorite lead female character
Laura Roslin (Battlestar Galactica)
Like I said, she’s the reason I had to initiate the “each character can only be used once” rule, because she would be my first choice for about half of these. I’ve started my long-awaited BSG rewatch, but before that I marathoned some of my favorite Laura scenes - the obvious ones, but also the less obvious ones that I haven’t watched in awhile. It’s funny how after so long, it still takes me aback how fucking amazing this character is. It’s been nearly two years since the show ended and the fandom has changed in that time; with the book being closed on Laura, my own focus has shifted to Mary McDonnell and her career as a whole. That makes it all the more powerful to go back to where it all started and once again immerse myself in the nuances of this woman and to watch her adapt to the many, many roles that she never asked for but nonetheless finds herself being asked to play. The fact that not all of the mantles fit properly, and that she wears some of them perhaps a little too well, is part of what makes her such an incredible character. I could keep going, but suffice to say that Laura Roslin is the best character - male or female, lead or supporting - to have graced my TV screen, and I miss her more than I’d care to admit!
Favorite supporting female character
Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter)
My brother has been rereading OotP, and we spent about an hour the other day discussing the book, because he hasn’t read it for several years and had forgotten a lot of it. One of the things he said to me was that Luna was more annoying than he remembered, at least at the beginning - he had remembered her as being wise beyond her years, if a bit ditzy, but instead he saw her as being spacey and even immature until the battle at the Ministry. It’s not often that I really think too deeply about the characters these days, because enough time has passed that I feel like I know them inside and out and have come to terms with the choices they’ve made, the actions they’ve taken, and the reasons behind them, so I was surprised to hear him say that. I spent some time thinking about it, wondering if I would think the same thing if I was reading the books for the first time/first time in a long time, but what I came back to was what Xeno Lovegood said in Deathly Hallows in response to Hermione asking how the Hallows could possibly be real: “Prove that it is not.” Luna is one of the rare souls who believes anything is possible unless proven otherwise, and I think most people can aspire to be more like her.
A female character you hated but grew to love
Juliet Burke (Lost)
To be clear, I never hated Juliet, but it did take me longer to warm up to her than I would have expected. I’m all for morally ambiguous characters, God knows, but I felt like they were playing her as a bit too slippery and cold. Needless to say, I came around, and then some; she was one of my favorite characters by the end, and cried more over her than I did over any other character on that show (I see what you did there, TPTB - two death scenes? NOT NICE. One was bad enough.) Rewatching her earlier episodes I do see why I wasn’t crazy about her at first, because the depth and humanity that become so evident later on aren’t very apparent, but that’s what makes it interesting to rewatch them in the first place - knowing just how much more there is to the character, and to know just what it’s costing her.
A female character you relate to
Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)
I relate less to Hermione now than I did when I was growing up, but that’s okay, because that’s when I needed a character like her to relate to! I was a ridiculous bookworm and something of a teacher’s pet, and I was a bit awkward socially, tending to cling to the friends I had. Hogwarts is the place that kids dream of escaping to, the Wizarding world was is the magical world where a kid who spent ten years trapped in a cupboard is suddenly The Boy Who Lived, and Hermione is the girl who is a hero not in spite of being a know-it-all, an outsider, and not particularly attractive - she’s a hero because of those things. I know I wasn’t the only girl who was comforted by that idea.
Favorite female character on a male-driven show
Debra Morgan (Dexter)
Dexter does have some great female characters - Rita, LaGuerta, etc. - but I do think of it as being fairly male-driven, mostly because we’re in Dexter’s head so much of the time. Let’s not lie, the first thing that I loved about Deb was her mouth - I’ve never heard such creative cursing, and it’s truly inspiring. Beyond that, though, we’ve got a girl who’s been dealt more shit over the course of a few years than most people experience in a lifetime, and though it’s broken her in more ways than one, she’s managed to put the pieces back together each time. She’s more fragile in some ways, but she’s also sharper, and her role as the emotional stronghold has led to some of the best scenes of the show - the aftermath of the Ice Truck Killer, her breakdown in the parking lot, letting Number 13 go. I can’t wait until the season where she puts all the pieces together, because while I think I could have guessed her reaction two seasons ago, I’m not nearly so sure now.
Favorite female-driven show
Damages
I love Dexter, I do, but Damages is hands down the best show still on the air, and I literally had a mini dance party when I found out that it had been saved from cancellation. Glenn Close is great in anything she does - I’ve watched both Jagged Edge and Fatal Attraction within the past few weeks, and damn, the woman can act - but Patty Hewes takes the cake. The driving force of the show is the relationship between Ellen and Patty, and that relationship has taken so many twists and turns that I can’t even begin to imagine how season four is going to go. I only know that I can’t wait to find out.
A female character that needs more screen time
Karen Hayes (24)
Karen Hayes is the only reason I stuck through season six of 24. (Well, her and Bill Buchanan, but they work best as a couple anyway!) That’s saying a lot, because season six was one hot mess and it took a hell of a character to convince me to stick with it. Considering that, she didn’t get nearly enough screen time - I remember my friends and I getting more and more frustrated as episodes went by with no word from her and consoling ourselves with the fact that at least she’d be in LA with Bill soon, only to find out that she’d been sitting at the airport the whole time instead. Talk about a waste. I’m still pissed that we didn’t get even a mention of her in season seven, not even when Bill died - I would have loved to see her and Taylor interact in some way. She owned the show when she was onscreen, and it’s a shame that wasn’t as often as it should have been.
Favorite female character in a comedy show
Phoebe Buffay (Friends)
Any of the Friends could have sufficed here, really, but Phoebe gets the slight edge just because she’s Phoebe. She’s floopy, flaky, free, and sings about smelly cats and pervert parades - what’s not to love? She’s a wonderful friend and came out of a horrible childhood with an open heart, a sense of humor, and an appreciation for the good things in life. Mostly, she just makes me laugh.
Favorite female character in a drama show
CJ Cregg
I’m a latecomer to The West Wing, but long before I started watching I knew that CJ would be my favorite, just from the things I’d heard and the few clips I’d seen. I wasn’t disappointed. Snarky and sharp, but deeply passionate about the work they’re doing and the responsibilities they hold, the woman defines “fierce” - I’d be quite comfortable living in a world where she influences the major decisions.
Favorite female character in a scifi/supernatural show
Sam Carter (Stargate SG-1)
An average day in the life of Sam Carter might involve traveling to another planet, riding an asteroid through Earth, chatting with her father and the snake living inside of him, blowing up a sun, making her CO’s head spin with her science talk (among other things), and/or eating blue Jell-o. It’s kind of hard not to appreciate that.
Favorite female character in a children’s show book
Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables)
I couldn’t really think of a character from a children’s show that I really loved, so instead I thought about children’s books, which was a much more interesting dilemma - too many to choose from! Characters like Maisy, Matilda and Miss Honey, and Madeline were all considered, but in the end I really had to go with Anne Shirley. I read the entire series in a week when I was nine years old, and I remember being so disappointed when I finally finished it. Anne was a rambunctious, overexcited, imaginative child and I really related to her, although I generally tended to immerse myself in her adventures (and those of other characters) than to go out and have my own. She’s a classic!
Favorite female character in a movie
Rose Darko (Donnie Darko)
This one was tricky because I really don’t watch a lot of movies, and those I do watch tend to feature a celeb that I already love so I’m biased. Considering that, my options were pretty much limited to characters that Mary McDonnell has played. Stands With A Fist, Laura Brown, and Rose Smithsonian were all contenders, but in the end I think Rose Darko takes the prize. This is the role that Ron Moore had in mind when writing Laura Roslin, and I see why - she could have been the token Mom, but wound up being a lot more than that. She was a woman who was trying her best to hold her family together in light of the crazy things that were happening, and she did it with a quiet grace and strength that couldn’t help but make me love her.
Favorite female character in a book
Ginny Weasley (Harry Potter)
My view of Ginny was shaped largely by fic, actually, because I spent a good two years before book 5 came out reading all of the Harry/Ginny fic I could find. It meshed quite nicely with the canon version of Ginny as she became more fleshed out in the later books, and by the end of it, she was a smart, mischievous, hardheaded, and fiercely loyal girl that I could hardly blame Harry for falling in love with (even if there was never any canonical evidence that she stole socks). I love her relationships with her brothers, the fact that she stole her brother’s brooms from the age of six, her Bat-Bogey hex, and the fact that she helped lead the rebellion at Hogwarts. She’s not perfect - she tends to be a bit violent, has her naïve moments, and can be childish at times - but considering that she IS a child, and one who has found herself on the front lines of a war, I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. I’m glad she got her happy ending.
Favorite older female character
Minerva McGonagall (Harry Potter)
What’s Minerva McGonagall up to at this very moment? Answer: being awesome. Doesn’t matter what she’s doing, doesn’t matter that she’s a fictional character - her mere existence is enough. Whether she’s turning into a cat for her first years, screaming at the Minister of Magic, bragging about her Gryffindor Quidditch team, leading a herd of rampaging desks, or battling Lord Voldemort himself, everything move she makes cements her title of Best Teacher Ever. Her interactions with the other characters are some of the best bits of the series - the obvious ones like Harry, Dumbledore, and Snape, but also the less obvious ones like Neville, Sirius, and the Weasley twins. Forget Betty White - Minerva McGonagall is my Kickass Old Lady!-spiration.
Favorite female character growth arc
Ellen Tigh (Battlestar Galactica)
My original answer to this was Deb Morgan, but then I rewatched Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down a couple of days ago, and had to switch a few things around. Even before the whole Mama Cylon revelation Ellen had undergone some pretty remarkable transformations, from the boozy, jealous, flamboyant, ambitious-to-a-fault nuisance to a woman willing to give up everything, including her own life, to protect her husband - without losing the other qualities. By the time 4.5 rolls around, we’re introduced to a woman who’s made some terrible mistakes, died a few times, and loves her many, many children deeply; instead of replacing what we already know of the character, it’s layered on and gives her still more depth and complexity.
Favorite mother character
Molly Weasley (Harry Potter)
Molly Weasley and Lily Potter both apply here, I think, but I’m giving Molly the edge because she’s not just the mother of her own children, she takes on the role of mother figure to Harry, Hermione, and virtually everyone in the Order. As amazing as Molly is, I don’t think she could have killed Bellatrix under normal circumstances; it’s the fact that the woman had just killed her son, and almost killed her daughter, that imbued her with those almost superhuman powers. Molly’s greatest strengths are her love for her family and her determination to keep them safe, and she demonstrates them over and over again throughout the series.
Favorite warrior female character
Renee Walker (24)
I was taken aback by how quickly I fell for Renee Walker. I was never crazy about Jack’s love interests (obviously not counting Nina) - I liked Audrey much better when she was on her own, I had mixed feelings about Teri, and God knows I never warmed to Kate or Diane. Renee could so easily have become a Mary Sue type character, and I really think it’s to Annie Wersching’s credit that she not only avoided that but became one of my favorite 24 characters ever. By season seven Jack had become so hardened and we had become so used to him doing anything to get the job done that it was almost too easy to remember how despicable some of the actions he took were. Renee was a great reminder of just what the cost of those actions could be. I was disappointed enough that she didn’t get a happier ending, but I was even more outraged that Jack used her death as an excuse to virtually wage a war in her name; she was such a great warrior because she never forgot the consequences of what she was doing, and I felt like Jack dishonored her memory just as much as Tony dishonored Michelle’s by doing what he did.
Favorite non-warrior female character
Patty Hewes (Damages)
It was hard to figure out which category to put Patty Hewes in. I chose non-warrior because one of the most interesting things about Patty is how she doesn’t actually get her hands dirty - she passes off the hard jobs to Uncle Pete or other characters. She certainly fights dirty, but it’s very hard to catch her in the act. Patty is such a mysterious, complicated character and even after three seasons I have trouble figuring out exactly what her motivations are. She does despicable things, sometimes for the greater good and sometimes selfishly, and even when they eat away at her I don’t think she’d do anything differently. She’s fascinating.
Favorite non-human female character
Six (Battlestar Galactica)
I was going to choose a specific Six, but in the end I couldn’t bring myself to. How do I choose between Caprica Six and Natalie, or Gina and Shelley Godfrey (with her sexy glasses)? And that’s not even counting Head!Six. Each are incredible in their own way, and those are only the ones we know - who knows how many amazing, kickass, unnamed/unseen Sixes there are roaming around the universe? For being so-called robots that were instrumental in the destruction of the human race, the Sixes actually tend to be some of the most flawed, conflicted, “human” characters on the show, and while each of them is unique, they all have the same desire to learn and become better people. In the end the biggest difference between them and most of the humans is the fact that they’re ridiculously, inhumanly good looking.
Favorite female antagonist
Sue Sylvester (Glee)
Instead of me rambling, I’ll let these gems speak for themselves:
I will go to the animal shelter and get you a kitty cat. I will let you fall in love with that kitty cat. And then, on some dark, cold night I will steal away into your home - and punch you in the face.
So you like show tunes. It doesn’t mean you’re gay. It just means you’re awful.
I don’t trust a man with curly hair. I can’t help picturing small birds laying sulfurous eggs in there, and I find it disgusting.
I can’t stand the sight of kids getting emotional, unless it’s from physical exhaustion.
Favorite female character screwed over by canon (tie)
Allison Taylor (24)
Oh, 24. This show had so many amazing female characters, and all of them were screwed over to some degree by canon. These two, however, got it the worst, and considering that they’re two of my absolute favorites, I’ll never forgive TPTB for that. How did President Taylor go from being the woman so intent on doing the right thing that she would send her own daughter to prison to being willing to cover up acts of terrorism (not to mention the murder of her friend and partner in peace) at the expense of the people fighting to expose them? It doesn’t make any sense, and it pissed me off beyond anything else in season 8.
Favorite female character screwed over by canon (tie)
Martha Logan (24)
As bad as Taylor’s OOC behavior was, don’t get me started on Martha - I could understand that her mental health may have deteriorated after season 5, that would be understandable even in someone who wasn’t already hanging on by a thread, but she came back for a single episode in season six only to go batshit insane, stab her ex-husband, and wind up presumably either dead, imprisoned, or locked in a padded room, given only a fleeting mention in season seven that in no way served to reassure me. This doesn’t even cover the awkwardness of her relationship with Aaron in 6x13 - her flipping out on him, him excusing her behavior to Logan - and the lack of any resolution for the character who made season five what it was. My personal canon disregards 6x13 and the last third of season 8, because of all the characters on the show, these two had sacrificed enough and done enough good to deserve, if not a happy ending, at least an ending that made sense.
Favorite female character you love but everyone else hates
Quinn Fabray (Glee)
I don’t think many people actually hate Quinn, lol, but there aren’t many characters I love that are generally hated. Kim Bauer may have applied, but I think most people have come around to her. Quinn can definitely be a bitch, though, so I guess she works well enough for this category. She’s pretty far from the sort of character I usually like, but she’s had a pretty great growth arc (well, she did in season one) and Dianna Agron does such a good job with her. I really hope that the show remembers the character that just had a baby, had a complicated relationship with Puck, and was bff with Mercedes and Kurt, because I liked her a lot better than I like the character we see for five seconds every few weeks in season two.
Favorite female platonic relationship -
Dott Emerson and Ellie Walker (High Society)
FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER. I have seen these episodes more times than I can count on both hands (and feet!) and they never get old. These two get into such bizarre situations that they’re in no way equipped for (like cooking!), are pretty much constantly drunk or drinking, and rule over New York with a gloved and bejeweled fist. I remember hearing that someone told Mary McDonnell that they want to be just like Dott when they grow up and she was amused and appalled, but I totally understand the sentiment - those two have such a fantastically codependent relationship but it works for them! Like Ellie said, most people are afraid of living, and these two most definitely aren’t. Plus, I would kill to be able to come up with the fabulous one-liners that they do.
Favorite female romantic relationship (tie)
Miranda Priestly and Andy Sachs (The Devil Wears Prada)
It always amazes me how active the DWP fandom is, considering that it was a single book and a movie, both which came out several years ago. There’s so much room to play, though! Obviously there’s a great deal of tension between Miranda and Andy, and that translates not so subtly to UST (I mean, come on - “you’re very fetching, so go fetch”. Anvil, that.) I much prefer movie canon - I hardly remember the book - because Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway had such great chemistry and they played it up beautifully. Plus, there’s a lot more room for interpretation, especially at the end. I’ve read some amazing fics that have me more or less convinced that after some time went by, they found more productive ways to channel Miranda’s crazy and Andy’s passion!
Favorite female romantic relationship (tie)
Patty Hewes and Ellen Parsons (Damages)
This relationship is so bizarre. I didn’t know whether to put it under platonic or romantic, because it’s neither, and I like it in the middle like that - they definitely flirt with a more sexual undertone, like the bathroom scene in the s3 premiere, but the friction is so delicious because the relationship is so nebulous. There’s a mentor relationship, a slight mother/daughter component, a sense that Patty sees herself in Ellen, and a tenuous friendship - not to mention, you know, Patty tried to kill Ellen and Ellen knows it. I don’t want to see any of these individual elements of their relationship take precedence, because that would take away the brilliance of never knowing what will come next for them!
Favorite mother/daughter and/or sister relationship
Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)
Sisters-in-law, technically, but it counts. A lot of this relationship was written between the lines - we see them interact, sure, but it’s mostly secondhand that we know how close they are. Hermione is the one who gave Ginny advice about Harry, who knew that she was dating Michael Corner, and who informed Fred about Ginny stealing their broomsticks from the age of six; Ginny was the only one who knew when Viktor invited Hermione to the ball, stuck with her when Ron and Harry were being idiots in book 3, and commiserated with her over Phlegm. Both were used to being the only girl (Ginny in her family and Hermione with Ron and Harry) and bonded over that, and it turned into a pretty amazing sisterhood even before it became official!
A recently discovered female character
Gillian Foster (Lie To Me)
I knew nothing about Gillian Foster before starting Lie To Me, only that half my flist was going nuts over the Cal/Gillian relationship. While that’s obviously fantastic, Gillian kicks all sorts of ass on her own merit. She’s the only person who can keep Cal in line besides his daughter, regularly destroys criminals by just looking at them, and doesn’t put up with bullshit. She’s also a bit of a lightweight and eats pudding at ten in the morning, which is endearing in and of itself.
A female character you have extensive personal canon for
Nina Myers (24)
Nina was another one I had trouble finding the appropriate category for - she could have fit under favorite supporting character, favorite growth arc, favorite in a drama, favorite antagonist, and a couple of others. She’s probably the character I have the most personal canon for, though, so this one is appropriate. I have so much backstory for her (several versions, actually), both pre-and post-CTU, and it’s all incredibly detailed - somewhere I have a piece of paper with my floor plan of her apartment. There’s a reason she’s the character I’ve explored most in fic!
Favorite female writer (television, books, movies, etc.)
J. K. Rowling
By about a million miles. She might not be the most talented writer in the world, at least in terms of craft, but she’s undoubtedly one of the best storytellers ever to walk the planet. She shaped my childhood in so many ways. Beyond Harry Potter, she just seems like a really great person - graceful, charitable, brilliant, and incredibly grateful for both her fans and the entire HP experience. I met her a few years ago and was absolutely terrified, mostly because she’s a freaking living legend, but also because I’d heard horror stories of people meeting their idols and being disillusioned. That was so not an issue; she was so lovely and genuine, and I can’t gush enough about her.
A female-centric fic rec
Five Women Who Hate Fleur Delacour by snegurochka_lee; Fleur, Gabrielle, Narcissa, Molly, Tonks, Minerva, Luna (Harry Potter)
The Quality of Mercy by Selena; Laura, Caprica, Baltar, Ellen, Tory (BSG)
Interrogation Series by LuKEN; Nina (24)
Whatever you’d like!
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