[Cable TV] FX Presents Guillermo Del Toro's 'The Strain'

I don't think they would have given him so many lines if he wasn't a major-ish character.

Now his brother. THAT'S a throwaway character.

 

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The Ringing in the ears - I think is them getting ready to receive info from 'The Master'.

Rocket River

 

They have made him a bit of a Anti-Hero
good heart . .. loves mom . .. etc

Rocket River

 

Minor complaint about the main character is he's the same kind of hero we get on almost every show nowadays. Guy brilliant at his job who has a ****ty personal life. So on one hand we're forced to cheer for him because of his competence, and are sympathetic to him because of his screwed up family life that most people can relate with to some extent. The actor just barely manages to make it work, but it's still grating.

Now contrast that with Frank Underwood from House of Cards who is a genius at what he does, and is devoted to his family life.

 

You'd think that, but

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the guy that was brutally murdered didn't really receive any info. Plus, he was never turned by, nor had any contact with, any of the vampires / vampire worms. iirc. I think this will be something that will be explained further.

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Um, Underwood's wife slept with another man while still in their marriage. And I don't think you can exactly compare the jobs of a politician and an epidemiologist. Especially since the strain just HAD to break out at the exact worse time, in Eph's life.

Eph's character is based off the in-book character. I haven't read a single page of the book, but I'm sure the book fleshes out his character more than the TV show has done so far. Also, it's the beginning of the series about something supernatural - I'm sure the showrunners wanted to show enough to get people hooked. If Eph's character was the main focus of the previous two episodes, ratings would suck (no pun intended lol).

 

And he also

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slept with the journalist with his wife's consent and knowledge

. what's your point? Their relationship is actually healthy and functional in a liberal way. They even had a

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threesome together with the body guard.

The point I'm making is that Frank Underwood doesn't have to be ****ty in his personal or family life to be compelling, and that it's become an easy and cheap way to gain an audience's sympathy when protagonists are written that way.

 

Yeah you could be right. As far as the show goes, I'm entertained and sold by the premise.

 

LOL healthy? No idea about your personal life, but let me know how open you'd be to your gf or wife sleeping with another dude, even though you can sleep around, yourself.

Again, you can't really compared the jobs of an epidemiologist vs a politician, much less the ideologies of Underwood (wants to elevate to the top as fast as he can) vs Eph (just wants his family to stay together for the sake of his son). Plus, Underwood in HoC doesn't have kids. I'm sure kids would change the dynamic of the show.

 

For Frank and his wife, and seen in the context of the show, the way they are open in their marriage is good for them considering what they have to do for their careers. I have no idea why you want to know my personal sexual habits or why that'd have a bearing on this conversation. I'm saying in the show, their marriage works.

You are once again not getting my point. I'm saying that it's too easy in television nowadays to make a main character by 1. Making them supercompetent at their job and 2. Giving them horrible personal problems and family issues.

 

If he weren't supercompetent, then there would be no show. If he didn't have any personal problems, people wouldn't be invested in the character!

You're asking for a show, to feature as its main character, a joe schmoe who is average at what he does and who has no other discernible qualities because everything in his life is hunky dory.

Lemme know how long viewers would stay invested in that character. Because I guarantee you, they won't. I'm not sure why you're so hung up on the main character, though. the vampires in the show should be the main focus. The mood is great. The atmosphere is great. The "scariness" seems just right for a cable show. Just watch it for what it is, instead of focusing on what seems to be the only negative in the show, so far.

 

As for Eph's idealogy, I'm not sure it's so much as wanting to keep his family together for the sake of his son as it is him being too hard-wired in his job that it makes everything else in his life expendable. It's too late for his family, he and his wife are separated and they're having a custody battle for the kid. This is Eph in a nutshell: Duty-bound to the higher calling of his job while having to watch his family fall apart, and knowing that he can't change himself to stop it.

 

No, I would like more characters to be super-competent at their jobs without having the obvious flaw of being super assholes or bad husbands or fathers, etc. Because it's been done to death.

I do like this show alot. In my original post I said I had a "minor complaint" about the main character. But the actor is likeable enough for me to be sold on his character and keep watching the show. It's a good show, I'm in for the long haul.

The real argument between us is about how you and I think protagonists should be.

 

Why do we have to be arguing?

If people were supercompetent at their job without an obvious character flaw, I personally think that would be great for a couple of episodes, but then it would get boring quick.

That'd be Sheldon on Big Bang Theory, without the snark. That'd be Dr. Gregory House, without the alienating people. That'd be Superman without the weakness to Kryptonite.

People don't want perfection. They want someone they can relate to.

I will agree though, that the "great competency in job but crappy family life" character design for Eph isn't necessary, since this show is more on the supernatural than the characters. Though that may change.

I might buy the books now (at least, maybe the first one). Has anyone here read the books?

 

We don't have to be arguing at all. I want them to have flaws, I'm just tired of them being bad husbands and fathers or assholes. Because those traits in particular seem to be rampant right now in tv.

 

Like I said before, the main character is basically a walking cliche. I literally did a face palm when the AA meeting scene began. I like the premise so I'll tolerate it.

 

Where can I catch the first episode? Looks like they aren't re-playing it anymore.

 

Yep.

He also has possibly the worst non-Trump hairpiece I've seen on TV.

 

Frank Underwood -

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has no children and a morally bankrupt wife and an open marriage . . . and he is at least bisexual

Not the most 'prototype american'

Rocket River

 

A Flawless character can easily be a boring one. . . or worse. . . unbelievable one

i.e. Superman *grin*


Rocket River

 

They can have flaws aside from being a bad husband, father, *******. But it seems like those are the main ones that are in use.