Everyone loves a good protagonist, but what about the unsung side characters who faithfully serve their role without any thanks? What if they were the main character? How would that change the story, and would the story be better for it? We consider the changes to Star Wars if it had starred a certain princess, and how it would shake Hogwarts if the Boss Witch wore main character shoes. If you’ve ever enjoyed a story but been dissatisfied with the protagonist, this is the episode for you.
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Opening and closing theme: The Princess Who Saved Herself by Jonathan Coulton. Used with permission.
Show Notes:
Plus further evidence that Ivanova should be the protagonist.
What Babylon 5 did you watch Oren? Sheridan was never a Larry Stew in any shape or form, he objectively screws up more than once. Hell he gets called out on it more than once.
Although I agree that Leia could have been a great main protagonist, given the track record of George Lucas writing about politics in Star Wars, I think it’s best we didn’t get that movie.
Another advantage Kenzi would have as a protagonist is that she’s essentially an interloper in the Fae’s world – the only protection she has is that Trick likes her, and crossing him isn’t the done thing – but she also owes no loyalties or obediences (which she uses to spectacular effect in a couple of episodes). It’s a much finer line than Bo has to walk, not least because she *has* to walk it, whereas Bo is just being stubborn.
The reason Commander Sinclair left so abruptly is because Sinclair’s actor, Michael O’Hare, was suffering from an extreme mental health crisis. During the first season, he was plagued by paranoia and delusions that only worsened over time. J. Michael Straczynski offered to suspend the show while O’Hare received treatment, but O’Hare didn’t want to put others work at risk and so left.
Straczynski promised to keep O’Hare’s condition secret to his grave, but O’Hare told him to keep it only until O’Hares death