Why do TV Show Characters End Up Becoming Parodies of Themselves?
Sometimes Giving Fans Exactly What They Want can be a Double-Edged Sword.
Felix Quiñonez Jr.
Everyone has different ideas on what makes a show work, but we can all agree that the characters are essential. We see things through their eyes and experience the story through them and their perspectives. That’s why it’s crucial that as the audience, we find the characters relatable or at least understand their points of view.
When a show treats its characters with respect and care, then we also care about them. Well-developed characters can remind us of people we know. We’ve all seen shows and thought, “I know someone just like that.”
The thing is that we usually grow and develop as people. When we watch a well-done show, it feels like the characters are growing along with us. Unfortunately, with some shows, the exact opposite is true.
At the start of the show, characters are often more rounded and closer to real people. They feel like someone you might run into on the street. They have more than one side to them. Sure, they are often there to fill particular roles. Whether that’s the ladies’ man of the show, the cool older brother, etc., but they are more than just their function. However, as the show goes on, it’s like they get swallowed entirely by one defining characteristic, and that’s all we see of them. That one facet of them becomes so overwhelming that they become one dimensional.
From Boy Meets World, Eric (Will Friedle) is the perfect example of a character becoming increasingly one-dimensional throughout a series. Even watching the show as a kid, I noticed this and wondered what happened to him. The change was even more glaring when I revisited the show recently. By the end, he’s barely recognizable as the same character.
Boy Meets World was a staple in the lives of a lot of 90’s kids. It was one of the shows that we felt was distinctly ours and not something our parents made us watch. We grew up beside the characters and could relate to their experiences. We felt like we knew them and that we were invested in their lives. At times, watching an episode felt like inviting friends over and catching up. It was also something we’d use as a way to relate to one…
