As a writer, I find the characters in the TV series Billions an amazing accomplishment -- especially the co-leads: Bobby Axelrod and Chuck Rhoades.
Created by Brian Koppelman (who once participated here on Done Deal), David Levien, and Andrew Sorkin -- what they've done with these characters has simultaneously intimidated me as a writer and inspired me to be more fearless in developing characters.
Do I like or relate to (or empathize with) Bobby Axelrod or Chuck Rhoades? Absolutely not. I wouldn't want to be besties with either of them. I don't even want to have a one-time-only drink with either of them. Both are utterly ruthless, power-hungry men. Yet, damn -- I find them endlessly intriguing -- especially the ego-driven choices they each make -- and they're never, ever boring.
Let me add, I mean intriguing in a voyeuristic way -- watching these two rams battle and lock horns with each other yet I'm not necessarily rooting for one over the other.
There seems to be this rule of thumb that protags, even anti-heroes, must be likable and relatable, or at least generate empathy, in some way.
When I think of the leads in Billions, I see it as an example that this rule of thumb is not necessarily true.
What say you?
Created by Brian Koppelman (who once participated here on Done Deal), David Levien, and Andrew Sorkin -- what they've done with these characters has simultaneously intimidated me as a writer and inspired me to be more fearless in developing characters.
Do I like or relate to (or empathize with) Bobby Axelrod or Chuck Rhoades? Absolutely not. I wouldn't want to be besties with either of them. I don't even want to have a one-time-only drink with either of them. Both are utterly ruthless, power-hungry men. Yet, damn -- I find them endlessly intriguing -- especially the ego-driven choices they each make -- and they're never, ever boring.
Let me add, I mean intriguing in a voyeuristic way -- watching these two rams battle and lock horns with each other yet I'm not necessarily rooting for one over the other.
There seems to be this rule of thumb that protags, even anti-heroes, must be likable and relatable, or at least generate empathy, in some way.
When I think of the leads in Billions, I see it as an example that this rule of thumb is not necessarily true.
What say you?
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