Years ago, I remember Jeff and I began watching the television mini-series, 10 Days in the Valley, with actress Kyra Sedgwick. I wanted to like it. I love a good mystery, a tantalizing psychological thriller, a character I can root for to make it through to the end. It was this last storytelling quality that kept me from watching past the first few episodes. I wonder if other viewers felt like I did because the network pulled the series after four episodes due to low ratings.
It’s not that I want perfect characters. That would be boring and completely unrealistic. I love characters with flaws and quirks and weaknesses they need to overcome. I can relate to that! But they can’t be void of any redeeming qualities. It seems more on-screen stories these days have no real likable, relatable, or redemption-worthy main characters. That was the problem I had with 10 Days in the Valley.
“This show is getting on my nerves,” I said.
“Yeah, I know what you mean.”
“I’m not sure what is turning me off.”
“Hard to put a finger on it.”
“I’ve got it! I don’t like any of the characters! They are all really unlikable and, do you know what? I don’t care what happens to them.”
“Even the little girl?”
I thought for a moment. “Sorry, but, yeah. Even her daughter, the little girl. Let’s change the channel.”
And since then I’ve streamed other stories and found the same storytelling. But now, I recognize the problem sooner and I rarely hang in to the end.
I know this is not new. There is nothing new under the sun. One story that I remember thinking this about was Flannery O’Connor’s short story, A Good Man is Hard to Find. Yikes! Wasn’t the grandmother character the worst? I think the title said it all – in that story, it was hard to find a good man or woman. But no way am I going to knock Flannery O’Connor or her story. It’s a classic for a reason. It is also literary fiction, and I think we can agree, literary fiction is its own kind of storytelling. But even in most classics, it’s hard to find stories without some redeemable character you can hang your hat on.
Recently, Jeff and I started streaming How to Get Away with Murder. That’s what brought this type of storytelling back to mind. It’s not that I’m not enjoying the show – mostly, I am. Except, if you’ve been thinking about watching it, be warned. There is way, way too much focus on sex (in my opinion). Lots of fast-forwarding at our house. But I do like the way the writer wove in the backstory. There are plenty of hooks to keep you wondering and coming back. I love the story in a story, where there is one bigger, overarching story that involves the main characters, and then a sub-story with new characters in each episode. It is like getting two mysteries in one! Awesome! There is a bigger cast of characters, and all those personalities make for interesting viewing. And the acting from the mature actors, terrific. The younger ones… well, I’m not sure if it is acting or the writer’s character development. One thing I can tell you, though, is that I am getting that niggling feeling again…
As the story has developed, I am caring less for some characters. The list of unlikables is growing. But there are still a few that are redemption-worthy that I am rooting for. And the show, despite way too much gratuitous sex, has kept me hooked with good storytelling. I am hopeful that there will be a couple of characters who will go through their arc and grab my heart. Fingers crossed. Because, to me, no matter how good the mystery, or the action, or the psychological thrills, or the romantic chemistry – if there is not at least one character I can care about, it’s time to change the channel or close the book.
Of course, there are plenty of other viewers and readers who would disagree and for whom this is not an issue. And there have been very successful, long-running shows I enjoyed that had questionably likeable characters, like Seinfeld. But, overall, give me a story with a character I can root for, and I am a happy story consumer! How important are likeable characters in a story for you?
