Top 10 Tuesday - Sidekicks

Since I love alliteration, I thought I'd start a new theme for Tuesday - a top 10 list of my favorite characters, story lines, books, etc. This week I'll kick it off with sidekicks or secondary characters that I love. These are in no particular order, just 10 of my favorites.

WARNING: There are lots of spoilers below because it's hard to explain why someone is a good sidekick and avoid telling their story a little bit. If you haven't read a book or seen a movie/TV show, you may want to skip that sidekick.

1. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger
   Sidekicks to: Harry Potter
   
   Why they're good sidekicks: Ron and Hermione bring to the table what Harry lacks. Hermione is there to help Harry figure out mysteries, while Ron gives him the friendship and stability that he needs to forge on. Both Ron and Hermione treat Harry as their leader, but know when to put him in his place. They keep him grounded and give him confidence.
   
   Favorite Line - Hermione:
   "Harry--you're a great wizard, you know."
   "I'm not as good as you," said Harry, very embarrassed, as she let him go.
   "Me!" said Hermione. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things--friendship and bravery and--oh Harry--be careful!"
   
   Favorite Line - Ron:
   “Yes…” said Ron softly, “it’s the only way…I’ve got to be taken.” “NO!” Harry and Hermione shouted. “That’s chess!,” snapped Ron. “You’ve got to make some sacrifices! I take one step forward and she’ll take me…that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!”
   
   
2. Samwise Gamgee
   Sidekick to: Frodo Baggins
   
   Why he's a good sidekick: Even when it seemed like the task at hand would lead to his imminent death, Sam stuck by Frodo. Up until the last second, Sam was Frodo's biggest fan. He signed up for the journey and was bound to his friend to see it through. Try to imagine the story without a loyal character like Sam. Frodo may not have even made it to the end.
   
   Favorite Line: There's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo... and it's worth fighting for.
   
   
3. Dr. John Watson
   Sidekick to: Sherlock Holmes
   
   Why he's a good sidekick: As the narrator of most of Holmes' journeys, Watson gives us, the reader, a chance to experience the story first hand as if we were a colleague of Holmes. Watson is an excellent example of how the story teller can hold on to certain information. Since Watson is telling the story, the reader wouldn't know about events that Watson was not present at. This also allows the writer to stage a "big reveal" where the main character explains how he solved the mystery.
   
   Favorite Line: In publishing these short sketches [of Holmes’ cases]...it is only natural that I should dwell rather upon his successes than upon his failures.
   
   
4. Rose Tyler
   Sidekick to: The Doctor
   
   Why she's a good sidekick: While Rose doesn't know what going on, or where she is, she is always able to aid the Doctor in some way. Rose also tends to get herself into trouble. This is an excellent opportunity for the Doctor to showcase his skills and explain what's happening. With a new planet/point in time every week, having a sidekick is a great way to infodump.
   
   Favorite Line:
   Rose Tyler: [On the Cybermen] They're people?
   The Doctor: They were. Now they've had all their humanity taken away. That's a living brain jammed inside a cybernetic body, with a heart of steel. All emotions removed.
   Rose Tyler: Why no emotion?
   The Doctor: Because it hurts.
   
   
5. Tinkerbell
   Sidekick to: Peter Pan
   
   Why he's a good sidekick: Well this one is kind of obvious, isn't it? She has fairy dust that helps you fly. Besides that, her sassy attitude puts Peter in his place when he needs it. It's great to see a range of emotions in a side kick, displayed in Tinkerbell when she's jealous of Wendy.
   
   There isn't a whole lot of speech with Tink, so we'll just move on.
   
   
6. Robin
   Sidekick to: Batman
   
   Why he's a good sidekick:He is always there to back Batman up and inflate his ego a bit. When you're talking about a superhero, that is the only thing you really need in your sidekick.
   
   Favorite Line:I bet Batman is the only one in the world with a hand steady enough to paint false fingerprints.
   
   
7. Cameron Frye
   Sidekick to: Ferris Bueller
   
   Why he's a good sidekick: He's funny and the voice of reason. When Ferris wants to do crazy things, he tries to talk him out of it. Tries is the key word here, folks.
   
   Favorite Line: He'll keep calling me, he'll keep calling me until I come over. He'll make me feel guilty. This is uh... This is ridiculous, ok I'll go, I'll go, I'll go, I'll go, I'll go. What - I'LL GO.
   
   
8. Willow Rosenberg
   Sidekick to:Buffy Summers
   
   Why she's a good sidekick: Willow is a lot like Hermione. She's smart and dabbles in witchcraft. Willow is extremely faithful to Buffy and knows what to say to get her confidence up. She can also research demons like no ones business. And if you need to hack into the high school's records, she's your girl. Willow brings some talents to the table that Buffy lacks.
   
   Favorite Line: We can come by between classes. Usually I use that time to copy over my class notes with a system of different colored pens. But it's been pointed out to me that that's, you know, insane.
   
   
9. Peeta Mellark
   Sidekick to: Katniss Everdeen
   
   Why he's a good sidekick: Other than being the boy with the bread, Peeta is a relatable character, an underdog, if you will. We know they're partners, but Peeta's limited experience with the outdoors really gives Katniss a chance to shine. His blunders showcase her skills.
   
   Favorite Line:
   Katniss: What about you? I’ve seen you in the market. You can lift hundred pound bags of flour,” I snap at him. “Tell him that. That’s not nothing.”
   
   Peeta: Yes, and I’m sure the arena will be full of bags of flour for me to chuck at people.
   
   
10. Tin Man, Scarecrow and the Lion
    Sidekick to: Dorothy Gale
    Why they're good sidekicks: All three of these characters lack something. Something that Dorothy can help them retrieve. They give Dorothy a reason to carry on when she's scared.
    Favorite Line: Lion: All right, I'll go in there for Dorothy – Wicked Witch or no Wicked Witch – guards or no guards – I'll tear 'em apart – Woof! I may not come out alive, but I'm goin' in there!
    

So who did I miss? Who's your favorite sidekick?

Character Study - Spike

So last week, I took a look at one of the few villains that I hate with all my heart. This week, I’ll do the opposite: talk about a villain I can’t get enough of.

For those of you who don’t know anything about Spike, here’s some quick background information. Spike first shows up in Sunnydale with his weakened one and only, Drusilla, in hopes that all of the energy surrounding the Hellmouth will restore her vampire strength. Buffy and Spike have it out, but in a weird turn of events, they team up to take down Angelus (Angel’s mean alter-ego who took Dru from Spike). Drusilla regains her strength, just like Spike hoped, but the alliance he formed with Buffy backfires and Drusilla leaves him for a better demon. He tries to win Drusilla back but to no avail. As a form of revenge, he wreaks havoc in Sunnydale, though he probably would have done that anyway, to be fair.


Spike as a big bad vamp

During Buffy’s first year of college, Spike is captured by a group called The Initiative and is implanted with a chip that makes him physically unable to harm others or himself. Once again, he finds himself teaming up with Buffy to get revenge on those who effectively “neutered” him. Eventually he becomes a full pledged member of the “Scooby Gang” and falls in love with Buffy. When she doesn’t return the affection, Spike gets violent and tries to assault her. Then he goes to Africa to get his soul back, and Buffy sees the error of her ways when she is raised from the dead by Willow. And it’s right about here where the show jumps the shark, so I’ll stop with the summary.


Spike and Drusilla

Spike is a very interesting character. He is supposed to be this mean, awful vampire, but you really can’t help but love him. In the first season that he appears, every evil act he commits is in attempt to get Drusilla back to her normal strength. Just like any human who feels jealous, so does Spike. So much so, that he was willing to team up with the girl whose job it is to kill him, just to get revenge. This also shows the lengths he’d go to just to get Drusilla back.


Buffy takes extra precautions with Spike

Later in the series, Spike evolves. When he gets the chip implanted, he learns there’s more to life than ruthless killing. In fact, I daresay he enjoyed hanging out with the Scooby Gang. Eventually we see that even a soulless creature like Spike can transform into someone good that is capable of loving.

Spike is arguably one of my favorite villains and looking back on it, it's because he wasn't really a villain at all. He's a bunch of things rolled into one: antagonist, comic relief, love interest and bully.

Spike Quotes:

From his first appearance on the show:
You've got Slayer problems. That's a bad piece of luck. Do you know what I find works real good with Slayers? Killing them.

On revenge and his feelings for Drusilla:
Buffy: Okay, fine, you're not down with Angel. Why would you ever come to me?
Spike: I want Dru back, I want it like it was before he came back. The way she acts around him.....
Buffy: You're pathetic, I lost a friend tonight!
Spike: I wasn't in on that raiding party.
Buffy: And I may lose more. The whole earth may be sucked into Hell and you want my help because your girlfriend's a big ho? Well, let me take this opportunity to not care!
Spike: I can't fight them both alone and neither can you.
Buffy: [seething] I hate you.
Spike: And I'm all you've got.

On love:
You're not friends. You'll never be friends. You'll be in love 'til it kills you both. You'll fight, and you'll shag, and you'll hate each other 'til it makes you quiver, but you'll never be friends. Love isn't brains, children, it's blood -- blood screaming inside you to work its will. I may be love's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it.

On battle:
You won. All right? You came in and you killed them and you took their land. That's what conquering nations do. That's what Caesar did, and he's not going around saying, "I came, I conquered, I felt really bad about it." The history of the world is not people making friends. You had better weapons, and you massacred them. End of story.

Character Study: Dan Scott

When I write, I can never bring myself to make a character truly evil. I don’t know whether I just don’t know how to write an evil character, or I just don’t have the heart to inflict pain on my other characters. The writers of One Tree Hill, however, have no problems with this. Dan Scott is a one-man show when it comes to wreaking havoc on everyone in Tree Hill. He’s not only evil, but downright mean.


buddytv.com

Backstory: When Dan was in high school, he dated Karen Roe. He was a basketball star on the high school team, and soon left Karen in the dust for college. While Karen was at home, pregnant with Dan’s child, he dumped her. He got involved with Deb, and got her pregnant too. Dan and Deb moved back to One Tree Hill, and Dan has been rubbing his “real” family in Karen’s face ever since. Now Dan owns Dan Scott Motors, the local car dealership. His smiling face is plastered all over town, but all is not well in the Scott household.



Dan tries to relive his high school years through his legitimate son, Nathan. He pushes Nathan harder and harder until Nathan comes to his senses and moves out. With no one else to push around, Dan moves on to Deb. Deb files for divorce. The stress of his family falling apart causes him to have a heart attack. This wouldn’t be Dan Scott unless he used the heart attack to his advantage, though. The doctor tells Dan that he is fully recovered, but he never tells Deb, who stays with him because of his fragile state.

At this point, Dan was probably bored with no one to terrorize, so he sets his sights on Lucas, his child with Karen. He terrorizes him, and when he sees Nathan and Lucas become friends, he uses Lucas against Nathan. Lucas has a heart condition that requires him to take very expensive medicine. He doesn’t want his mom to know about this because she’ll make his quit basketball. Dan sees this as an opportunity to turn the knife deeper in both Karen and Nathan’s already gaping wounds. He tells Lucas he’ll pay for the medicine if Lucas will move in with him.

Analysis:These are just a few examples of how Dan is able to break down the spirit of every person he comes in contact with. I admire the way the writers are able to make a character so undeniably bad. Just when I start thinking – “why doesn’t anyone ever retaliate against him?” “why is he still allowed to live in this town?” – the writers introduce a character that takes him on. In Season 2, there was Andy, Karen’s oh-so-hot boyfriend/college professor. Dan threatened him with deportation and I haven’t seen him since. Then there was the finale of season two where someone tries to burn Dan alive. That was unsuccessful, too. In Season Three, things start to heat up when Dan decides to run for mayor. He forces Deb to play the “adoring, faithful wife” while Whitey (the schools beloved basketball coach) and Karen take him on. I know there are some dastardly deeds in Dan’s future, for sure.

Even with how terrible Dan acts, I think he drives the plot. Almost every character in the show has had some sort of altercation with him, and they carry it with them. It shapes the story, and gets the characters to realize things about themselves.

Classic Dan Scott quotes:

Dan Scott: How much are you lifting?
Lucas Scott: 160
Dan Scott: Wow, I didn't know I had a daughter

Priest: May the grace of god be with you.
Dan: Yeah, OK. I gotta tell you, padre, this isn't exactly my home court, you know. I never had much use for religion. I guess what you call kindness, I call weakness. But .. no man is bullet-proof. I know that. After all, they crucified your boy, didn't they?
Priest: What troubles you, my son?
Dan: What troubles me -- is how I've made mistakes. How I lie awake at night, keeping company with regret, fallibility. I've not been the man I intended to be. That troubles me.
Priest: And you've come seeking absolution?
Dan: Yeah, I suppose I have. Let me ask you something; is it possible to grant forgiveness for sinful acts yet to be committed?

Deb: You know, there is a chance that Lucas and Nathan could get along if their father encouraged it.
Dan: True. But there's also a chance that hell could freeze over.

Dan: Nathan. Remember, 20 shots, no less.
Nathan: Got it, Dad.