(no subject)

[michals]

IS there a...cliche, or a trope or a syndrome that states all essentially smart secondary characters must be made to look like complete idiots so the jackass main character can come in and show off how smart he is? I'm talking specifically about Lassiter and Wilson. Both are in their 30's, yet one's the head of the entire oncology department in a major teaching hospital, one's the head detective of a police precinct. That didn't happen by magic, they have to pretty pretty smart and capable right? Then why are they always made to look dumb at their very profession so House and Shawn can come in and save the day? I might be the only one who's annoyed by this >.>

Comments

[senor-coconut-1.livejournal.com]

No, but if you join the post I made yesterday and the EPIC clichebadfic we are writing there, you can add it to the story and make it official.

[authormichals.livejournal.com]

Oh my god, I just spent ten minutes reading that and I am rolling with laughter.

My favorite: "THE AIRWOLF JACKET RESCUING FAKE PSYCHIC"

Also, I may say this, "I'M BUTTCRAZY IN LOVE WITH LASSIE." about someone, regardless of the looks I will no doubt get.

I can't keep up with the 200 comments though!

The things, the incompetent Lassie is more of a cliche for the actual show, the ficcers treat him better for goodness sake!

[senor-coconut-1.livejournal.com]

OH, LADY, WE'RE MERGING IT ALL INTO ONE POST.

[authormichals.livejournal.com]

I think you're going to need to, I have a widescreen computer and the comments are going off my screen, haha!

[senor-coconut-1.livejournal.com]

YES. WIN.

[mrowrr.livejournal.com]

maybe it's just me, but i don't feel that Wilson's character comes off as incompetent in any way. examples?

[authormichals.livejournal.com]

Well, it's not that Wilson is actually incompetant, and certainly not all the time, but there are quite a few things that have happened that he should have been able to handle. For instance, the two brothers where one was donating blood marrow and Wilson put the one through radiation thus killing his immune system before he knew that neither of them were sick. The girl that wasn't a girl (the supermodel chick) whose cancer he should have seen regardless of whether or not the testes were in the body. Even in the episode "Wilson", he jumped to conclusions even though it turned out to be cancer, which is supposed to be his specialty. In each situation House rushed in and saved the day. I think it's just a lazy way of giving House cases, even if it makes Wilson look stupid.

[rayslady.livejournal.com]

I think Wilson's main tropeage largely comes from here: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheWatson

and I do see what you mean about what the writers do to him at times.
(Oh and ps. Just in case you haven't seen that site before, watch out. It is a RUTHLESS timewasting machine...)
xoxoxoxoxox

[authormichals.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I'm not sure I want to click, I have heard tell of that site and the many hours that can be wasted, and it is almost midnight...XD

I get Wilson is supposed to be The Watson and kind of the foil to House, but then why make him so important, i.e. his position in the hospital? That's what I don't get. I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees it.

[entwashian.livejournal.com]

Man, if you think Psych is bad... I really, really want to like Castle, but the writers screw Beckett over every single episode, practically.

[authormichals.livejournal.com]

Oh really? Damn, I was thinking about checking that show out. Is it worth it?

[entwashian.livejournal.com]

Well, I am totally in love with minor characters Esposito & Ryan (they get to be actual detectives b/c they don't work as closely with Castle), & it does get better with Beckett a little bit.

It's one of those "your mileage may vary" things, I think. Plus, even though I'm not a huge fan of them, a lot of fandom loves Castle's family (his mom & his daughter).

[authormichals.livejournal.com]

I think I may check it out eventually. If I do I'll keep an eye out for Esposito and Ryan though!

[biting-moopie.livejournal.com]

Definitely not the only one. I don't know about House but Lassiter definitely gets this treatment. He'd head detective for a reason and while Shawn is meant to be the star, Lassiter definitely isn't the sidekick so why treat him that way?

[soophelia.livejournal.com]

No, you're NOT the only one annoyed by this. I am too.

I saw a review (video review) of Sherlock Holmes (the new movie) and the reviewer said that it had the best portrayal of Watson because for once they didn't make Watson look like a dumbass in order to prove or show how smart Holmes was.

Besides if Wilson and Lassiter are considered "dumb", then House and Shawn can't be that smart. :)

If they devalue the secondary characters, they're also devaluing the main character in the process.

I hope I made sense.

[authormichals.livejournal.com]

Now, so far I'm the only who's had this opinion so it may just be me, but the new Sherlock Holmses is lousy with the dumb!Watson. It's not that Holmes is supposed to be so smart, Watson just comes off as a bumbling idiot. Again, this may just be me because I haven't heard anyone else say this. Have you seen it?

Ha, that's true. I just wish we'd see why Lassie and Wilson are supposed to be the wunderkinds they're made out to be. You made sense, definitely. I don't know why the writers think this is a valid way to the main characters look better.

[soophelia.livejournal.com]

Have you seen it?

I haven't seen the new Sherlock Holmes movie or any of the tv/movie incarnations of Sherlock Holmes. I've only read or listened to reviews that have said this is the best portrayal of Watson that they've seen.

I've only read all the SH books written by Doyle.