Talk:Bade/@comment-5131323-20120524012556/@comment-5129552-20120524023039

@secretkp: I'm starting to think Dan's an accidental genius. He makes these supposedly very loveable and perfect girls (Carly and Tori) and their foils (Sam and Jade) who aren't meant to be appealing. But the latter characters actually get fleshed out much better since they're given flaws and weaknesses and hang-ups and quirks.

I may not be a big-time TV producer, but at least I know the basics of writing likeable characters--Number 1 tip is don't write them as likeable! They need to be realistic, with flaws and complexities. Look at some of the most popular characters on TV--Barney Stinson, Sheldon Cooper... they're far from perfect, and they're actually downright irritating at times. But viewers love them anyway.

Otherwise, they turn out to be almost Sue-like. Look at Tori. All the characters seem to fall hopelessly at her feet, wanting to love her and take care of her (even more than their own girlfriend--looking at you, Beck), and the world seems to revolve simply to make good things happen to her. Yet she isn't actually that remarkable, she comes across as rather flat. I don't even know why she's supposed to be so well-liked.

You can't force viewers to love a character by practically hanging a sign around their neck that says: "This character, she's great and likeable!" Otherwise, crappy things happen. Like how this show destroyed a perfectly great couple dynamic (Bade) simply to promote Tori as its golden girl.