Should main characters always be single?

[Theunicornhunter 2]

It is generally a standard practice for drama that lead characters are always single - in fact I can't really think of any drama (particularly action dramas) where the main characters were married - unless of course they get married and the spouse dies the next episode. B) Marriage is considered boring in tv land

 

On the reality side I've read some things about planned space missions; one thing planners have studied is sending married couples on missions. Obviously that would resolve some of the hardships of isolation - it could make for some difficult times if the relationship soured but then you'd be away from many of the temptations that make marriages go south.

 

Do you think you would have liked Trek as well if Kirk had been a family man?

[LadyNarana 0]

Captain Kirk? A FAMILY man? What a concept. It definitely would have been a major revamping of the character as we know it. Would it have made me like him more? (A TOS fan, who loves Sisko) Ummm...maybe. But I can't see Bill Shatner in that role, for some reason.

 

I'm sure there are other good reasons main characters aren't connected - Playing to people's fantasies has got to figure into it, too. On shows where they do get together, the few times the spouse doesn't die, the show dies. Think Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Moonlighting, Remington Steele (although they already knew they were dead when they got together), etc. But why can't there be drama with married people? Movies do it. Heck, comedies feature married couples. Can't life be exciting and/or dramatic with a partner?

[Kor37 9]

Hart To Hart was a pretty good drama with a married couple.

 

But Kirk as a family man? I can't see it. I liked the fact that the only mistress in his life that really mattered was The Enterprise.

[youbroughtheryouRiker 2]

Trek-wise, I guess Miles O'Brien is the closest thing to a married main character (though I'm not thoroughly knowledgeable on Deep Space Nine. Was he considered a "main character?")

[Theunicornhunter 2]

Maybe I shouldn't have used Kirk as an example - obviously his infamous "babe on every planet" personna would have been radically different. But should space exploration relegated to the single as Star Trek presents it?

 

O'Brien was a main character on DS9 and how unfortunate that the only long term marriage portrayed by Trek should be such a miserable, whiny one. Worf & Jadzia married but her death cut that short and Tom/B'Elanna got married in the final season, Riker/Troi only married in the movie - saw we never saw a real working marriage among central characters

[Takara_Soong 4]

Sulu was married but we never saw his family until his daughter was on the Enterprise-B in Generations.

[Kor37 9]

I don't think Sulu was married. I think he had his daughter out of wedlock.

[Odie 0]

We really don't know if he was or wasn't married by seeing his daughter.

Edited June 11, 2006 by Odie

[Jack_Bauer 1]

Jack Bauer was married in the first season of 24 but his wife was killed in the dying (no pun intended) minutes of the season, and he has since had a series of love interests, who typically last for one season (with the exception of Audrey Raines). President Palmer was also married in the first season (when he was running for President as a Senator) but later divorced his wife. Tony Almeida and Michelle Dessler were married off-screen between seasons 2 and 3 but their relationship ended between seasons 3 and 4. They got back together in season 4 and were married again sometime before season 5. Of course, that's definitely over now. President Logan in season 5 was married in season 5, and his wife was a main character, but its not a strong and/or healthy marriage and it is over for all intents and purposes.

 

President Bartlet on the West Wing is a good example of a character who was married for the show's entire run (but his wife didn't actually appear until later in the first season).

 

Arrested Development (I am going to miss this show and its sheer brilliance) featured two married couples in the cast of nine. Although one marriage (Tobias and Lindsey) was extremely disfunctional (and was "open" during the second season) and the other (George Sr. and Lucille) wasn't much healthier (they were constantly cheating on each other and George Sr. was in prison/in hiding for most of the show's run). The rest of the adult characters (Michael, GOB, and Buster) were single and Michael was the main character and a widower.

 

TUH, what makes you classify the O'Brien's marriage as "whiny and miserable?"

[gul_nodrog 2]

Keiko O'Brien was a little whiny, but I think their relationship was depicted very realistically. Like any two-career family, there was a lot of adjusting and friction between the O'Briens just like there would be in real life. They were both strong-minded professionals, gifted in their fields and in demand ... naturally, there was going to be hard times for them after Miles took the assignment on DS9.

 

I do admit that I enjoy Miles O'Brien much more during the seasons when Keiko was working on Bajor and we only saw her periodically. When I want a dose of marital reality, I just look across the dining room table ... I'm really not looking for that when I tune in to Star Trek.

 

I don't know if I would have bought Kirk as a family man, but Sisko's responsibilities as a father to Jake were not distracting to me and they added a real richness to his character hitherto unseen in other Trek captains.

[Takara_Soong 4]

I don't think Sulu was married. I think he had his daughter out of wedlock.

We really don't know if he was or wasn't married by seeing his daughter.

I think it's implied Sulu was married and said that he had a family in Generations.

At this point, Chekov approaches with a young, (mid- twenties) attractive, Asian female Ensign named DEMORA.

 

CHEKOV (to Kirk): Excuse me, Captain. I'd like you to meet the Helmsman of the Enterprise-B. Ensign Demora Sulu -- Captain James Kirk.

DEMORA: It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. My father's told me some... interesting stories about you.

KIRK: Your father... Hikaru Sulu is your father?

DEMORA: Yes, sir.

CHEKOV: You met her once before, but she was...

Chekov holds out his hand and indicates a very short height.

KIRK: But that wasn't so long ago... it couldn't have been more than...

CHEKOV: Twelve years, sir.

KIRK: Yes... well... congratulations, Ensign. It wouldn't be the Enterprise without a Sulu at the helm.

DEMORA: Thank you, sir. (to Chekov) Let me show you the new inertial guidance system.

Demora and Chekov move off and Kirk looks after them for a long beat. The expression on his face changes from shock to sadness... Something is clearly bothering him. Scotty moves over to Kirk, with a smile on his face.

SCOTTY (to Kirk): Damn fine ship if you ask me...

But Kirk's mind is still on Demora. He watches her as she moves to the Helmsman's position.

KIRK: You know, Scotty... it amazes me.

SCOTTY: And what would that be, sir?

KIRK: Sulu. When did he find the time for a family?

SCOTTY: It's like you always said -- if something's important enough, you make the time.

Always beware a person who has scripts downloaded on their computer. LOL

 

Back to other series, right now the type of series that is predominate in hour long drama is what is called a procedural series which takes place almost totally at the workplace and doesn't really go into characters' personal lives too deeply (CSI franchise, L&O franchise, NCIS, Without A Trace, Cold Case, etc.). I haven't seen Grey's Anatomy, House (I know these two take place in hospitals for the most part but I'm not sure how much of the series is dealing with personal business compared to strictly medical procedures) or The Unit to know whether to include them or not. Desperate Housewives is the only top 20 series that focuses on personal lives.

Edited June 12, 2006 by Takara_Soong

[Theunicornhunter 2]

To respond to Takara's point - even before the Law & Order type shows appeared on the screen - main stars were almost always primarily single- starting with Ben Cartwright who was widowed - all those private eyes and cops. . Columbo is the only one I can think of that was married. And if these shows were only "procedural" then there wouldn't be a problem with having one of the characters married - even Close to Home - about the only show with a married main character - they killed off the spouse in the final ep.

 

I actually read some article about married characters and tv-dom just considers it a bad plot element.

 

btw, no married characters on House.

[Kor37 9]

I don't think Sulu was married. I think he had his daughter out of wedlock.

We really don't know if he was or wasn't married by seeing his daughter.

I think it's implied Sulu was married and said that he had a family in Generations.

At this point, Chekov approaches with a young, (mid- twenties) attractive, Asian female Ensign named DEMORA.

 

CHEKOV (to Kirk): Excuse me, Captain. I'd like you to meet the Helmsman of the Enterprise-B. Ensign Demora Sulu -- Captain James Kirk.

DEMORA: It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. My father's told me some... interesting stories about you.

KIRK: Your father... Hikaru Sulu is your father?

DEMORA: Yes, sir.

CHEKOV: You met her once before, but she was...

Chekov holds out his hand and indicates a very short height.

KIRK: But that wasn't so long ago... it couldn't have been more than...

CHEKOV: Twelve years, sir.

KIRK: Yes... well... congratulations, Ensign. It wouldn't be the Enterprise without a Sulu at the helm.

DEMORA: Thank you, sir. (to Chekov) Let me show you the new inertial guidance system.

Demora and Chekov move off and Kirk looks after them for a long beat. The expression on his face changes from shock to sadness... Something is clearly bothering him. Scotty moves over to Kirk, with a smile on his face.

SCOTTY (to Kirk): Damn fine ship if you ask me...

But Kirk's mind is still on Demora. He watches her as she moves to the Helmsman's position.

KIRK: You know, Scotty... it amazes me.

SCOTTY: And what would that be, sir?

KIRK: Sulu. When did he find the time for a family?

SCOTTY: It's like you always said -- if something's important enough, you make the time.

Always beware a person who has scripts downloaded on their computer. LOL

 

Back to other series, right now the type of series that is predominate in hour long drama is what is called a procedural series which takes place almost totally at the workplace and doesn't really go into characters' personal lives too deeply (CSI franchise, L&O franchise, NCIS, Without A Trace, Cold Case, etc.). I haven't seen Grey's Anatomy, House (I know these two take place in hospitals for the most part but I'm not sure how much of the series is dealing with personal business compared to strictly medical procedures) or The Unit to know whether to include them or not. Desperate Housewives is the only top 20 series that focuses on personal lives.

I don't think that scene implys anything other than Kirk's utter lack of knowledge about the lives of his crew. Kirk assumes Sulu has a family. No wife is mentioned or implied at all.

Edited June 19, 2006 by Takara_Soong

[ARMS 0]

I think they have the right balance of lonely singles and stable couples with challenges.