Comments | falafel_musings: Nathan Young: My New Anti-Superhero

falafel_musings

Nathan Young: My New Anti-Superhero

Jan 19, 2011 00:45

I've been noticing a pattern in my fandoms. I often have a favourite guilty pleasure character. You know, the sort of character that you shouldn't like, but absolutely do. For me it's usually a character who is established as the most annoying, amoral or despicable character on the show, yet I find them irresistable and brilliant. This is the part ( Read more... )

misfits, bsg, glee, mad men, meta

Comments 54

janie_tangerine January 19 2011, 01:16:38 UTC

Are flat-out villains included? XD Because in the case, my forever number one is Randall Flagg. (That, until Dark Tower VII, but let's not just remember that one.) Mostly in The Stand, but damn if I didn't have a serious thing for him also in the DT stuff that doesn't count that lousy bit I mentioned earlier. If we're talking about less OMG BAD people, then probably my favorite would be Rorschach in Watchmen. Or well, he's an utter psycho with not many opinions that I could share (especially considering what kind of newspapers he reads), but I think that I like that while you might think he's amoral he actually is the most moral one in that entire comic. Psycho or not. Also he's most definitely the most interesting, which I guess is why I have a serious thing for him character-wise. (Tbh I think that pretty much every character in Watchmen qualifies to be a guilty pleasure since they're supposed to be superheroes and they're all flawed in some way, from slightly to utterly fucked. Heck, the Comedian was my second-favorite and he's as ( ... )

falafel_musings January 19 2011, 08:53:30 UTC

Gah! I loved Rorschach too. Excellent choice, he's a great anti-hero. Flat-out villians are included too especially if we are talking about Stephen King characters. Annie Wilkes has always been one of my favourites. Personally I had a guilty liking for Harold in 'The Stand' not to mention Percy in 'The Green Mile'. What is it about nasty weaselly characters that I love? As you say it often comes down to which character is the most interesting.

Oh and if you like flawed fucked up superheroes I really have to recommend 'Misfits' to you. That's what the whole show is about. I think you'd like it.

(The comment has been removed)

falafel_musings January 19 2011, 09:08:30 UTC

The Nathan/Ruth story was so good! I can't stop rewatching that episode.

I'm not really meaning to bash Simon/Alisha, just show how the Nathan/Kelly relationship is often used to contrast it on the show. I mostly disliked SuperHoodie/Alisha, because UGH...I hated SuperHoodie and everything he brought to the story. However now that the story has shifted to real!Simon/Alisha, it's much more interesting and flawed too. I liked in the Christmas episode how Simon gets an inferiority complex over SuperHoodie and called Alisha out saying "You'll always love him more than me." It does seem like Simon's being used as a substitute. My main issue has always been that I don't want Simon to change because I love his character as a flawed little weirdo. It'd be the same if a heroic future Nathan character came along. I just like the Misfits characters being anti-social delinquents. It really appeals to me!

elliotsmelliot January 19 2011, 01:20:12 UTC

Really? I thought your guilty pleasure were the underestimated atypical, sometimes earnest, doomed heroes! Gaeta...Charlie ( ... )

falafel_musings January 19 2011, 09:41:43 UTC

I do have a thing for doomed characters though it's not much of a 'pleasure' because those characters put me through a lot of grief. Nathan actually fits my doomed type too. He's died four times on Misfits. Luckily he's immortal so his doom is easier to take ( ... )

elliotsmelliot January 19 2011, 13:28:29 UTC

I know way too many Kinseys. I also know too many people who can't see through the Kinseys of the world and hang on their every word.

Alpert would fit the Krycek bill until S6 when they show removed his edge.

Your Misfits guy also looks like he could be Gaeta's brother!

falafel_musings January 19 2011, 13:37:58 UTC

Ahh, there's another one of my guilty pleasures...any character with dark unruly curls!

daybreak777 January 19 2011, 02:48:38 UTC

I think my favorite guilty pleasure characters were two: Faith on Buffy and Ares on Xena: Warrior Princess. They were both supposed to be bad and evil. But I loved them. :-) Faith, I liked because her story was supposed to be a redemption storyline, like Angel. Except for one thing: she didn't want to be redeemed. She thought the power she had as a slayer and killing people was fun. She didn't care. "Want, take, have" was her motto. But she did it with style and attitude. I admit a tiny bit of me wanted her to be redeemed and sensed a struggle in there, but I kind of loved that while on Buffy she didn't get redeemed. Why does everyone have to have a heart of gold? Or a heart at all?

I liked some of your moments about Nathan here. I love to hear him say the word, "cardigan". :-) Hee. I liked the Nathan/Kelly sex attempt too. Because, well, they tried and they were still them. And I love when he says, "So you're saying after all these weeks build-up we're not even going to shag?" Hee! Great question about TV relationships across the ( ... )

falafel_musings January 19 2011, 10:03:55 UTC

I've not watched Buffy (I'm considering it) but I have seen bits of the Faith character and she does look pretty awesome.

I love how Nathan says "cardigan" too. And the way he says "bar" and "heart" anything with a strong "ar" sound is great in an Irish accent.

He needs his own criminal code: Being Nathan. Under that code there is Driving While Nathan, Kidnapping with a Water Pistol, Disturbing the Peace with the Nathan Mouth, etc.

Lol. I was posting at Misfits fic last week and there are loads of stories labelled with 'Warnings: Nathan being Nathan' along with the usual warnings for sex, violence, death, etc. It's just funny that this character can be seen a possible offensive trigger just by being himself.

Oh and sorry for locking that post. I forgot to reopen it. I think I locked it at the time because I was getting too many responses to answer on another topic so I was just trying to slow things down.

ever_neutral January 19 2011, 06:05:25 UTC

Okay. Clearly I need to watch Misfits right now. I already love Robert Sheehan, and Nathan pretty much looks like he will be my new favourite person. Also since all the other characters you listed above are MY FAVOURITE CHARACTERS TOO, I am expecting to have the same opinion here as well.

falafel_musings January 19 2011, 10:09:47 UTC

Misfits is a great show and not a huge commitment (only 13 episodes so far) so I do think you should check it out. Aside from Nathan being a great character (I love Kelly and Simon too!) Robert Sheenan is the most exciting young actor I've seen since watching Joseph Gordon Levitt in 'Mysterious Skin'. Give it 2 or 3 more years and I think he's going to be a huge star.