When it comes to character development, television and film writers take various avenues in order to make lead characters compelling, easy to relate to, interesting and strong. While all roads may lead to a different destination, there are some similar paths that have been taken over the years.
One particular aspect of character development was brought to my attention a few years ago in an introductory film class. The professor claimed that women characters tend to have "Daddy Issues." At first, in my immaturity, I balked at the idea. It didn't make sense, I thought. How could all - or even most - female characters in television and film have these so-called "Daddy Issues?"
Then, when I got to thinking about it, truly analyzing the female characters over the past twenty years, it made perfect sense. For the most part, characters are greatly defined by their relationship (or lack thereof) with their parents. This is most obviously noted in women, but there are cases where men are defined by their parents as well. I'll get to that later.
Women With 'Daddy Issues'
As it stands, the vast majority of lead female characters who succeed in male-dominated fields, such as law enforcement, the military, and even the medical field, are initially defined by the relationships with their fathers.
Dana Scully (played by Gillian Anderson) of The X-Files joined the FBI in an attempt to prove to her father that she could make independent life choices that resulted in success. Her desire to prove herself to her father is what drove her in her career, and ultimately what created a wedge between them.
Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie (Catherine Bell) of JAG followed in her father's footsteps, both by joining the Marine Corps. and by becoming an alcoholic at a young age. Abandoned by her mother when she was small, she was left to endure her father's emotional and psychological abuse. Like many of the other female characters listed, she was developed as a no-nonsense military attorney who never suffered fools. Still, again like many of the other female characters here, she was known as compassionate, ethical and strong.
Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis joined the military to follow in her father's footsteps after an emotionally detached childhood that resulted from her mother's death when she was a young teenager. Her successful career in the male-dominated Air Force was solely independent of her father's, but the desire to prove herself to her workaholic dad was one explanation for her driven nature and independence.
Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit was introduced as a child of rape, so she never knew her father. Nevertheless, the driving force behind her character is the fact that she does not want to be anything like her father. For nearly a decade she has run away from biology, focused on helping people, and has questioned her capacity for violence.
Catherine Willows (played by Marg Helgenberger) of CSI lived a life of chaos in Las Vegas before turning to a career in forensics. Her enstrangement from her wealthy father led to stripping, poverty and a lack of self-worth. For approximately seven years, she has thrived independently in a fulfilling career, but the affects of her father's poor treatment live on, and continue to be touched upon as further explanations of her emotional detachment.
Lilly Rush (Kathryn Morris) of Cold Case lived a rough life of poverty and abuse. Her mother was a drug addict and her father was rarely - if ever - in the picture. As one of few female characters on television today who are truly the lead character in a procedural drama, Morris' Lilly is a strong, compassionate and independent woman whose hardships in life (as well as the lack of a strong male role model as a child) compel her to protect the lives of others.
Some Men Have 'Daddy Issues,' Too
As I said earlier, there are also some male characters who have been defined by their intense paternal conflicts. Some of them even belong to the series that were already listed.
Most notably, Fox Mulder (played by David Duchovny) of The X-Files had serious issues with his father, blaming him for the abduction of his sister, the subversion of the truth, putting his family in danger, and lying to him on a regular basis. Still, as has been the case with many female characters, there was an underlying layer of trust, a desire to please and protect his father at all costs.
Harmon Rabb, Jr. (David James Elliott) of JAG grew up never knowing his father. He was haunted by his father's disappearance during the Vietnam War, and desperately went to great lengths to find the truth as an adult. As with Mulder, there was never true closure with his father, and it continued to define his character throughout.
Women Seem To Lead, However
Essentially, from a traditional character development method over the past 20 years, when a lead female character is not being defined by her relationship with the male lead (i.e. Scully to Fox Mulder, Benson to Eliott Stabler, Carter to Jack O'Neill, or Willows to Gil Grissom), she is being defined by her relationship with her father.
While that trend isn't as prevalent as it once was, it is an interesting aspect of television and film history to note, as I believe it is quite indicative of society's expectations. Is it possible that, as a society, the audience expects there to be a very good reason to explain why a female is able to thrive in a man's world, why she's able to succeed and kick butt just as well as her male partner?
Perhaps it is on a subconscious level that audience members demanded such reasoning, or maybe it was equally subconscious on the part of the writers who needed to properly develop a character. Anything's possible.
Personally, I can take the cliche problems lead female "X" supposedly had with her dad, if it means we're still getting a capable, competent female character in the process.
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