The Unpopular Woman Love Post

[bofoddity.livejournal.com]

Friends, halfamoon is here again! For me, that means it's time for The Unpopular Woman Love Post.

Personally I'm the kind of fan who always roots for the underdog, and there are many female characters who fill that role, and even more of them fill that role in fandom. This post is for people who want to fan the hell out of their unappreciated women and do it as loud as they can. It works like this:

1. Start a thread and put the character's name and the canon they come from in the subject line.

2. Those who love the character comment on the thread with squee, thoughts, fic/art/vid recs, picspams, essays, links and everything they can think of. Make sure your character gets all the love and the attention she deserves.

3. If a character has a thread and you want to talk about her, comment to the thread in question. General comments and threads for new characters go to the main post.

4. Focus on the love. This is an all positivity, all time post. Embrace your happy!

5. Absolutely no bashing allowed. Please avoid making negative comparisons to other characters, other character types and "well this character sucks more!" kind of comments. Those characters and character types have their fans too and hey, it's a love post. Save negativity for other things.

ETA:
5b. No bashing actresses or the other versions of the character either. Keep in mind that mileages vary and what doesn't work for you may work for someone else.

Threads

Valentine Wiggin, Ender's Game
Sgt. Sally Donovan, Sherlock (BBC)
Anastasia Dualla , Battlestar Galactica (reboot)
Guinevere, Merlin
Lady Catelyn Stark, ASOIAF
Jules, The Vampire Diaries
Bonnie Bennet, The Vampire Diaries
Dawn Summers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Martha Jones, Doctor Who
Jaden, Nikita
River Song, Doctor Who
Karen Filippelli, The Office
Amy Gardner, West Wing
Briony Tallis, Atonement
Jennifer Keller, Stargate Atlantis
Gwen Cooper, Torchwood
Mai, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Ramona Flowers, Scott Pilgrim
Rebecca St. Clair, Warehouse 13
Rose, The Vampire Diaries
Sansa Stark, ASOIAF
Cally Henderson, Battlestar Galactica (reboot)
Dr. Remy "Thirteen" Hadley, House
Leena, Warehouse 13
Jesse Flores, Sarah Connor Chronicles
Kate Freelander, Sanctuary
Jo Harvelle, Supernatural
Michelle Richardson, Skins
Bela Talbot, Supernatural
Ruby, Supernatural
Kennedy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Vanille, Final Fantasy XIII
Dahlia, Legend of the Seeker
Betty Draper, Mad Men
Nicola Murray, The Thick of It
Ziva David, NCIS
Dr. Allison Cameron, House
Lauren Reed, Alias
Ana-Lucia Cortez, Lost
Tea Gardner/Anzu Mazaki, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Rose Tyler, Doctor Who
Suki, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Elizabeth Weir, Stargate Atlantis
Zoe Washburne, Firefly
Shannon Rutherford, Lost
Amy Pond, Doctor Who
Anna Milton, Supernatural
Vanessa Abrams, Gossip Girl
Amy March, Little Women
Tara Thorton, True Blood
Inara Serra, Firefly
Emily Gilmore, Gilmore Girls
Liz, Sneakers
Kelly Hernandez, Warehouse 13
Nina Pickering, Being Human (UK)
Lily Potter (Evans), Harry Potter
Susan Rodriguez, The Dresden Files novels
Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter
Jess Parker, Primeval
Brienne of Tarth, ASOIAF
Donna Hayward, Twin Peaks
Becky Sproles, Friday Night Lights
Nymphadora Tonks, Harry Potter
Elizabeth Swann, Pirates of the Caribbean
Kara Thrace, Battlestar Galactica (reboot)
Orihime Inoue, Bleach
Kaho Mizuki, Cardcaptor Sakura
Elle Greenaway, Criminal Minds
Kate Austen, Lost
Renee Walker, 24
Hannah Burley, Bones
Rinoa Heartilly, Final Fantasy VIII
Nell Jones, NCIS: LA
Renge, Ouran High School Host Club
Mai and Jin from Avatar: The Last Airbender, Yori and Lora from TRON
Ashley Williams, Mass Effect
Erzsébet/Elisaveta Hédérvary/Hungary, Axis Powers Hetalia
Arwen, Lord of the Rings
Momo Hinamori, Bleach
Kitty Pride, X-Men: Evolution
Rue, Princess Tutu
Dana Whitaker, Sports Night
Rue, Princess Tutu
Dana Whitaker, Sports Night
Veralidaine Sarrasri, Tamora Pierce's Tortall
Donna Noble, Doctor Who
Fanny Price, Mansfield Park (Jane Austen)
Relena Darlian/Peacecraft, Gundam Wing
Cersei Lannister, ASOIAF
Juliet O'Hara, Psych
Sara Sidle, CSI
Teyla Emmagan, Stargate Atlantis
Namine, Kingdom Hearts
Lucy Jaggat, Being Human (UK)
Willow Rosenberg, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Cho Chang, Harry Potter
Servilia, Rome
Women of Final Fantasy VII
Ariadne, Inception
Sakura, Naruto
Britta Perry, Community
Hinata Hyuuga, Naruto
Higurashi Kagome, Inuyasha
Anora, Dragon Age
Lynn Minmay and Ranka Lee, Macross and Macross Frontier
Yukari Takeba, Persona 3
Laurie, Watchmen
Lenalee Lee, D.Gray-Man
Ulala Serizawa, Persona 2
Miranda Lotto, D. Gray-Man
Terri Schuester, Glee
Seychelles, Axis Powers Hetalia
Priscilla, Fire Emblem: The Blazing Sword
Belgium and Liechtenstein, Axis Powers Hetalia
Caroline Forbes, The Vampire Diaries
Micaiah, Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Asuka Langley Soryu and Rei Ayanami, Neon Genesis Evangelion
Sharon Valerii/Agathon, Battlestar Galactica
Katara, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Kairi and Xion, Kingdom Hearts
Stephanie Brown, DC Comics
Adelle Dewitt, Dollhouse
Maria Thorpe, Assassin's Creed
Jaina Proudmoore, Warcraft
Mystearica "Tear" Grants, Tales of the Abyss
Anise Tatlin, Tales of the Abyss
Colette Brunel, Tales of Symphonia
Juri Katou, Digimon Tamers
Lois Lane, Smallville
Jean Grey-Summers, X-Men
Madeline Westen, Burn Notice
Sheila, Army of Darkness
Miyako Inoue, Digimon Adventure 02
Song, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Eponine and Cosette, Les Miserables
Garnet til Alexandros XVII, Final Fantasy IX
Eiko Carol, Final Fantasy IX
ChiChi, Dragon Ball Z
Atoli, .hack//G.U.
Ninian, Fire Emblem: The Blazing Sword
Princess Peach, the Mario series
Cordelia Chase, Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel
Meg Thatcher, Due South
Women from Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny
Sylvanas Windrunner, WCIII/Word of Warcraft
Mercedes Jones, Glee
Niobe, Rome
Carlotta Guidicelli, Phantom of the Opera (2004 movie)
Buffy Summers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Kate Brewster-Connor
Chibiusa Tsukino, Sailor Moon
Yuna, Final Fantasy X
Yuuki Miaka, Fushigi Yuugi
Anya Jenkins, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Kate Bishop aka Hawkeye, Marvel Young Avengers
Kendra Young, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Lana Lang, Smallville
Molly Prewett Weasley, Harry Potter
Susan Pevensie, Narnia
Tohru Honda, Fruits Basket
Tess Fontana, Eureka
Jack/Subject Zero, Mass Effect
Francie Calfo, Alias
Judge Magister Drace, Final Fantasy XII
Kay Faraday, Ace Attorney
Iris, Ace Attorney
Egeria, Stargate SG-1
Desiree DeLite, Ace Attorney
Hoshi Sato, ST: Enterprise
Molly Carpenter, The Dresden Files
?
Helen Cutter, Primeval
Morgause, Merlin
D'Anna Beirs, Battlestar Galactica (reboot)
Helena Cain, Battlestar Galactica (reboot)
Alti and Callisto, Xena: The Warrior Princess
Niki and Jessica Sanders, Heroes
Claire Bennet, Heroes
Monica, Heroes
Elle Bishop, Heroes
Angela Petrelli, Heroes
Maya Herrera, Heroes
Koriand'r/Kory Anders/Starfire, DC Comics
Tory Foster, Battlestar Galactica (reboot)
Kali, Supernatural
Sarah Sawyer, Sherlock

In other words, this post is all about celebrating and loving our favorite unloved women. Now, love away!

Note: So for some reason there seems to be spontaneous comment screening going on in this post. I'll be unscreening everything I see, but poke me if I miss something!

Comments

Valentine Wiggin: Ender's Game

[quinby.livejournal.com]

Valentine is mostly-ignored by her fandom, however, she is one of the strongest characters in the canon. Her emotional strength and determination is bar none.

And it's just awesome when you have a ten-year-old taking over the world with her brother.

Some people do love Val, but most people gravitate towards others, such as Petra or Virlomi.

Re: Valentine Wiggin: Ender's Game

[rose-griffes.livejournal.com]

Yay, Valentine! Teeny commentfic I wrote about her (http://ineffort.livejournal.com/199061.html?thread=3944597#t3944597).

I love her because she's the rock, the strength of her family. But she doesn't stop at being a supportive sister. She literally changes the universe with her words.

Sgt. Sally Donovan: Sherlock (BBC)

[sophiap.livejournal.com]

Alas, Sally is often disliked for daring to dislike the titular hero of the series. She doesn't have many appearances, but there's something intriguing about why she dislikes Sherlock so much, and why she would go out of her way to warn John about trying to be friends with him.

It's also nice when we get to see her being competent and professional.

Re: Sgt. Sally Donovan: Sherlock (BBC)

[evewithanapple.livejournal.com]

I love Sally! Though I don't think her dislike of Sherlock is all that mysterious- if you're a cop, and deal with dead bodies and grieving relatives all day, a guy who bounces gleefully around the crime scene and treats the whole thing as a game is bound to get on your nerves. Plus, Sherlock's kind of a dick.

BSG (reboot), Anastasia Dualla

[fallingtowers.livejournal.com]

Like last year, I'm throwing Dee into the mix. The poor woman gets so much flak in fandom for getting in the way of a popular pairing when she's simply a quiet, competent young officer who is thrown, like so many others, into the most horrible scenario ever and tries to be make the best out of that situation for herself -- and loses hope completely in the end. :( She deserves better than the fate the writers gave her and she certainly deserves better than the character-bashing I've seen directed at her.

Re: BSG (reboot), Anastasia Dualla

[fly-to-dawn.livejournal.com]

Dee, oh Dee ♥ I'm about halfway through BSG right now (but have been spoiled) and am frankly terrified of watching the rest ;____;

Guinevere (Merlin)

[fly-to-dawn.livejournal.com]

Pulling out an old ode-ish thing I wrote for a her a while back: Why do I love her? Because swans wish they were even half as graceful as her. Because suns aspire to shine like her. Because flowers wish they had even a quarter of her loveliness. Because she’s the once and future queen who’s brave, noble, loving, kind, and the only sensible person in Camelot; the one who believes in their dorky best friend like no other, the one who stays late at night to comfort their best friend and mistress when they have nightmares, the one who inspires people into becoming chivalrous knights, the one who chides arrogant princes for their ungratefulness and nurtures them into the kind of prince who’d have a round table, rather than a rectangular one. Because she’s the beating heart of Camelot, that’s why.

Also, every time someone hates on Gwen, a fairy dies. This is a fact.

Re: Guinevere (Merlin)

[bofoddity.livejournal.com]

I love Gwen so damn much. I love that her strength is quiet in nature and her badassery is subtle and that her warmth, compassion and humor are so obvious in contrast. Merlin-fandom needs to get their fairy murderers in line!

ASOIAF: Lady Catelyn Stark

[fallingtowers.livejournal.com]

One of the many important POV characters in a fantasy series, Lady Catelyn seems to be hated for being a female character acting within the constraints of traditional feminitiy in her world: as a noblewoman conscious of her family's position, a ruling lord's wife, and a mother of several children whom she tries to protect from utter ruin. She can be petty (esp. towards her stepson) or short-sighted (when it comes to choosing people to trust), but she is resourceful, has a great deal of common sense in other situations, never shirks from doing her duty, is mature and warm-hearted, and tries to give good and careful counsel. Gracious would be the very word to describe her, and I HATE it when people call her bland or mean or whiney or boring. So there.

Re: ASOIAF: Lady Catelyn Stark

[owlmoose.livejournal.com]

*yes* Cat is tough, she is fierce, and when she had every reason just to curl up in a ball and die, she stood up and did what she believes needs to be done for her family and her land. I so agree with you.

Relatedly, I think all the hate directed toward Sansa Stark is a bit much. Yes, she is spoiled and whiny for much of the first book, and she makes some poor choices that result in tragedy, for herself and others. But she pays for those choices tenfold, and I think the way she reacts shows her to be every bit as strong and resourceful as her mother.

Jules, The Vampire Diaries (TV)

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Hated long before she ever showed up by virtue of being advertised as a character who would hate Damon(now they hate her for killing people, while cooing over how tragic and sympathetic it is when Damon kills people) I loved her from the moment she showed up and called Damon on his bull.

Re: Jules, The Vampire Diaries (TV)

[summerstorm.livejournal.com]

I'm torn on Jules. On the one hand, she's not intimidated by Damon or in awe of him or attracted to him in any way, the calling him on his bullshit thing was good, and hey, a female werewolf, always nice. On the other hand, she hates vampires and wants to get rid of them all but she... has no trouble killing people herself, accidentally and not. (That police officer's death really crossed a line for me.) That's pretty hypocritical, and we don't really know a lot more than that about her.

I want to be positive, it's just hard? But you painted everyone who dislikes Jules as a huge Damon lover and that could not be further from the truth. I know a lot of the fandom is super hung up on Damon and likes and dislikes other characters depending on how they treat him, but that's seriously not everyone. I enjoy Damon well enough, but he doesn't make or break the show for me, and 80% of the time I think he's a psychopath in a really dislikable way. So. Sorry that this isn't a love comment, I just felt compelled to say this.

Bonnie Bennet, the Vampire Diaries

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Badass witch, awesome best friend, and someone who's thrown into a world she couldn't have anticipated. People hate her because she reacts as probably anyone would to the news that vampires are real--she doesn't trust them. Fandom hates that she threatens their poor woobie Damon, but she's perfectly right not to trust an unrepentant murderer. And while she struggles with coming to terms with her best friend being turned into a vampire, that, too, is completely realistic and understandable, and she's coming around to Caroline's side again. She'll do what she can to protect those she loves, even if she has to protect them from themselves.

The most sensible person on the show? Definitely.

Re: Bonnie Bennet, the Vampire Diaries

[summerstorm.livejournal.com]

Yes yes yes. My biggest problem with Bonnie over the entire course of the show was that we didn't quite get her point of view on her fight with Elena, so for a while I felt lukewarm towards Bonnie just because she was causing Elena pain (and causing me pain, watching their friendship be strained like that when Elena needed her, even though were 100% valid and I would have been disappointed in the show if they'd never addressed the eventual utter pointlessness of her grandma's death). But now she's come into her own and the way she's handled Caroline's turning has been realistic and heartbreaking and compelling and just really wonderful and interesting, and I'm so excited to see more of her magic, because we never got that arc for her the way we got Caroline's adapting to being a vampire and Tyler's werewolf storyline, and more of her friendship with Elena and Caroline, and more of her being levelheaded and awesome. And on a more shallow note, I'm also looking forward to everything Bonnie/Jeremy.

Dawn Summers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Unrepentant Dawn stan here. Is she annoying at times? Uh, yes. But she's a teenage little sister. I have a little sister, and let me tell you, she was often annoying during her teen years. That's kind of what teenage little sisters do.

But even though Dawn's been abandoned by every stabalizing figure in her life (first her dad, then her mom's death, then Buffy's death--for her--then Giles leaves, then Spike breaks her trust) she manages to grow up into a kick-ass young woman who'll threaten the vampire who hurt her sister, turn over the mantle of potential slayer with grace, teach herself ancient languages, and refuse to be protected. Dawn Summers is a badass, okay?

Re: Dawn Summers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

[muneca-brava.livejournal.com]

I LOVE DAWN. When I finished the show and read some opinions on it, I was shocked to find out how hated she is. Sure, she annoyed me at times, but frankly, less than some other main characters. I think she really grew throughout the show and, indeed, ended up totally badass.

Martha Jones, Doctor Who

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Was she served well by the writing of her character? No, she really wasn't. She could have been a whole lot more than the show let her be.

But.

She walked the post-apocolyptic earth, armed just with a story, and she saved the freakin' world. She's the one who had the self-possession and self-awareness to realize that she had to leave the Doctor, and she did it with grace. And then she kept using all she learned to fight the good fight.

Martha Jones is a legend.

Re: Martha Jones, Doctor Who

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

Yes, she is!

She saved the world while her family was under threat from serious evil.

Martha is Big Picture.

Jaden, Nikita

[be-themoon.livejournal.com]

I think most of fandom hates her, but I really think as a character she makes total sense. Her motivations are pretty reasonable when you look at it, Alex has done her some pretty heavy wrongs, and also almost got Jaden cancelled. <3333 Jadeeeen, I hope you get a good storyline soon, and I hope you realize how awful Division is and break out and work with Nikita.

Re: Jaden, Nikita

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

All my friends love her and want more of her! But I have not touched the fandom, and fully believe you that fandom hates her.

The focus on Jaden during Nikita's message makes me SO HOPEFUL.

River Song, Doctor Who

[zombie_boogie.livejournal.com]

River, I don't really care who you are exactly, I just know that you are one fierce, awesome lady.

Re: River Song, Doctor Who

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

RIVER SOOOOOOOONG!

It's funny--I hated her in her first episodes ("Silence in the Library"), and I had no real reason for it, since I didn't ship anyone on the show at that point.

But.

Then she showed up again in Series 5, and now I am a FANGIRL. I want her to be in ALL the episodes, and I can't wait to find out more about her ~mysterious past~. Woman is a badass and total hbic, and I adore her.

Karen Filippelli, The Office

[zombie_boogie.livejournal.com]

I wrote this meta for a picspam that I never ended up completing (some day?), so what the hell I might as well post it here:

“I am the regional manager of Dunder Mifflin Utica branch. Turns out it’s a pretty easy gig when your boss isn’t an idiot and your boyfriend’s not in love with someboy else.”

Lopsided love triangles, in which one side of the triangle is clearly designated as “meant to be”, always contain a character that is destined to be hated by fandom. In many instances the writers are "good" enough to make the odd man or woman out despicable so that the audience can feel secure in the knowledge that they are in the right for hating the obstacle in the way of their beloved OTP. On occasion, though, the third wheel happens to be a perfectly normal and often delightful human being, yet fandom hates them anyway just because they dare to exist.

Karen Filippelli from The Office suffered such a sad fate. Karen really did nothing wrong other than fall in love with Jim Halpert. I’ve yet to see one well-thought argument for hating Karen other than “she’s a stupid bitch who needs die because she got in the way of the Jim/Pam ship.” Yes, she got jealous when it became clear that Jim was in love with Pam. Yes, she called Pam a bitch that one time. Yes, she took several shots at Jim in talking heads and had a moment of satisfied glee at Jim’s expense when he embarrassed himself at her place of work. These were all completely natural reactions in my opinion given her situation. Were they petty in some cases? Sure, but they were very human reactions and let’s not forget that Karen was the wronged party. I love Jim and Pam, both separately and as a couple, but they did not do right by Karen in season 3. Karen had every right to be mad at them and I think she was remarkably mature given that her boyfriend left her for another woman who he was in love with the entire time they were together.

The whole triangle mess aside, I think Karen was pretty rad on her own merits. She was ambitious and funny and quite frankly adorable. I’m really, really glad that she’s well-established in her career and happy in her family life because I think she deserves it. I’m also really happy that she and Pam were able to resolve their differences like adults. They’re both awesome ladies and I wish the show had had more scenes of them being friends together, because if there is one thing The Office is lacking it is a strong female friendship (I love “A Benihana Christmas” precisely because Pam and Karen are so wonderful together).

Basically, you don’t have to love Karen or her personality, but the vitriol thrown her way is ridiculous considering she’s not a horrible person. Like, at all. She's actually pretty awesome if you take two seconds to think about it. Plus, Rashida Jones is really flipping adorable. The end.

Re: Karen Filippelli, The Office

[retsuko.livejournal.com]

*nods* It is too bad that she never got to be much more than "the obstacle to Jim and Pam". I loved that occasionally she got this moment of awesome when she called out the guys on their macho B.S. (or when she beat Jim at Call of Duty). I wish we'd seen her bonding with the other female characters more, too. (Her and Pam vs. Angela and the Party Planning Committee was a stroke of comedic genius.)

Amy Gardner

[sunclouds33.livejournal.com]

Amy Gardner is another female character who started right of the bat as unpopular because she got in the way of a hugely popular ship- Josh/Donna.

The ironic thing is that most of Amy's detractors are Josh fans. Ironic since Amy shares most of Josh's strengths and weaknesses. Both are dedicated, energetic, brilliant, cuttingly sarcastic, aggressive, will always put the job first and play the game of politics to win no matter what feathers are ruffled.

I love Amy because of her above qualities but I also adore how she refuses to compromise her vision. So many of the characters are committed to issues but their commitment to the leader (Bartlet, Leo, Santos, Vinick) can overpower their stance on issues. Many time Josh, CJ, Toby, etc. made compromises on their beliefs so their leader could continue to stay in power and effect positive change. It's a good rationale but you have to admire an Amy Gardner who always put her beliefs ahead of the political fortunes of even the best leaders. She's as necessary to the process as any of the main characters even if it does mean that she has six jobs in two years.

Also, Mary Louise Parker is so charming and gorgeous and talented who seemed as natural eating an ice cream cone in New Hampshire's winter as wisely coaching Santos on debate prep in the same damn episode.

Re: Amy Gardner

[such_heights]

Amyyyy! I loved her so much and thought her dedication and commitment to her beliefs was so, so awesome. Also seeing her wind Josh up never failed to delight.

Briony Tallis, Atonement

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

Teenage girls who get angry and frustrated with the world and try and make it fit the way it looks in their head are my absolute favourite things. Thus, I am a Briony Tallis stan for life.

I'm not going to try and argue that what she did to Robbie and Cee wasn't terrible, because it was, but she was a child. I find the way she goes about trying to atone for it so fascinating, the endless writing and re-writing, how she seems to become ever-so-slightly detached from reality. I don't think Romola Garai gets nearly enough credit for the work she does as the middle Briony in the film adaptation; there's this oddly rehearsed, almost stagey quality to the confrontation scene with Robbie and Cee that is heartbreakingly perfect for the character.

Basically, teenage girls with writerly ambitions and god complexes = BEST.

Re: Briony Tallis, Atonement

[muneca-brava.livejournal.com]

Briony is one of those characters I would totally put on a list of favourite literary characters (or movie characters because Romola Garai plays her to perfection). Sure, she makes a mistake, but she spends the rest of her life trying to atone for it (maybe not in the best way though). But I love how she sees the world through a writer's perspective. I actually wrote a paper on Atonement (the novel) last year and it made me appreciate her character so much more.

Jennifer Keller, Stargate Atlantis

[such_heights]

KELLER! She's a reluctant hero! She's a medical prodigy and a huge dork! She's super cute! Fandom hated on her to a ridiculous extent! I love her entirely.

Re: Jennifer Keller, Stargate Atlantis

[mfirefly10.livejournal.com]

JENNIFER! She's smart, capable, kind, funny, flirtatious, practical, and so dorky at times, it makes my heart sing! And sure, she was a bit in over her head in the beginning but who wouldn't be given the circumstances? She was willing to learn and she never gave up and she carved a much-deserved place for herself in that city.

Gwen Cooper, Torchwood

[such_heights]

She has entire LJ comms dedicated to hatred of her in spite of the fact that she is AMAZING. D:

Gwen Cooper will fuck your shit up. She will call out her colleagues and boss when they're being heartless jerks, she will plough on through even when she makes huge, heartbreaking mistakes, and do her best to fix them. She will take down aliens by shooting them from a gun concealed in her wedding bouquet. She's stubborn as hell and a massive hero and painfully, beautifully real. BEST.

Re: Gwen Cooper, Torchwood

[fallingtowers.livejournal.com]

Actually, Gwen was one of the few things I truly liked about the Torchwood episodes I've seen, and I will never ever understand any of the hate and abuse heaped on her. I knowof one or two of the communities you are referring to and I CAN'T EVEN.

[chicating.livejournal.com]

She and Pam had quite a few friendly moments before the shit hit the fan...I think Karen's cool...more serious than Jim, of course, but who isn't?

Mai, Avatar: the Last Airbender

[downjune.livejournal.com]

I think people have come around regarding Mai somewhat, but from what I see, there is still plenty of vitriol going around regarding this lady.

Mai is:

I have a hard time articulating how awesome she is. She is complicated. Raised in a controlling environment, friends with a monster, loyal to this monster, stoic, reserved, understated, BADASS, in love, very very very MUCH in love, torn between her feelings of loyalty to her childhood friend and her country and to her man, able to make a terrible choice between them, able to survive PRISON, and come out of it with that beautiful half-smile in tact.

I LOVE this woman.

Re: Mai, Avatar: the Last Airbender

[such_heights]

MAI! *covers in hearts* I love her deadpan approach to life, and her arc in the series is really fascinating.

Ramona Flowers, Scott Pilgrim

[militarypenguin.livejournal.com]

I'll just leave (http://i52.tinypic.com/28ulj10.jpg) these (http://i53.tinypic.com/2hpk5qt.jpg) here (http://i53.tinypic.com/2vdjzmh.jpg). (spoiler for Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour...and a warning for huge image resolution)

Re: Ramona Flowers, Scott Pilgrim

[bella-farfalla.livejournal.com]

I totally just had my hair cut like Ramona (movie version). It was accidental, but I love it anyway! :D

Rebecca St. Clair, Warehouse 13

[minkhollow]

I WANT TO BE REBECCA WHEN I GROW UP.

She knew her way around a case, and when Jack disappeared, yes, she looked for him, yes, she missed him, but her whole life did not become about how he was gone - she had a successful career in her own right. She could still keep her head in a crisis and make the tough decisions (see: where she was the one to hook up the generator), and she was still schooling Pete and Myka and even Artie on Artifact hunting at 80.
And, something Dad pointed out last week: When Claudia does the 'live long and prosper' thing at the end of "Burnout," Rebecca returns it.
In conclusion: Rebecca is the BEST EVER.

Re: Rebecca St. Clair, Warehouse 13

[bella-farfalla.livejournal.com]

I agree! She was pretty damn awesome.

Rose, The Vampire Diaries

[streussal.livejournal.com]

-She runs when confronted with the scary man who has reason to kill her! I know that people seems to dislike her for this, but it really cemented her as a character I can relate to. She has a self-preservation instinct! This is a good thing! (And good grief, she barely knew Elena and Damon.)

-The person she was loyal to for five centuries and lived a life on the run for? Her bff. Yeah, a guy, but it was platonic. Also she was friends with that adorable nerdy vampire with a bunch of grad degrees. She had an information source! Eta: And she was friends with Lexie too! ...now I want fic of this. Possibly with Bree too.

-She has enough self respect not to fall for guys who are in love with someone else. (But sex is cool).

Re: Rose, The Vampire Diaries

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

HER SELF-PRESERVATION INSTINCT! I WAS SO GIDDY THAT WE HAD A NON-VILLAIN WITH A SENSE OF SELF-PRESERVATION!!! (She barely knew them and it was a guy who, though totally courteous and respectful to her, had been hunting her for over 400 years and basically the first thing he did when he found them was literally rip off the head of her platonic life partner of at least those 400 years, maybe more. WHAT DID PEOPLE EXPECT HER TO DO???)

ETA: Oh yeah, and she made fun of Damon's obsession with Elena.

Sansa Stark, ASOIAF

[fallingtowers.livejournal.com]

Since it came up in another comment above, I might as well add Sansa Stark from the "A Song of Ice and Fire" novels. Yes, she does start out as a somewhat silly and shallow young teen, whose naiveté eventually has terrible consequences. But she goes through a psychological hell of manipulation and abuse, and adopts passivity and courtesy as a survival strategy while all her illusions are stripped down one by one. She's a poor kid who's used as a pawn by everyone and whose comparative helplessness is actually quite realistic.

Let's fact it -- how many twelve-year-olds who were raised to be polite and demure and who don't have superpowers or prophecies or destinies on their side would suddenly turn into ass-kicking heroines when everyone's out to use or abuse or discard them at well? I think her POV is interesting -- albeit depressing -- to follow, and I'll vocally disagree with everyone who calls her "dull" or "dumb".

Re: Sansa Stark, ASOIAF

[marketchippie.livejournal.com]

I loved this girl from the start. So much, even when she was naïve and idealistic and girly: I loved her fixation on stories, and her almost delusive parsing of the world through that narrative lens. I love that she decides who she wants to be and acts that part even when the world falls away around her. Just because the role she chooses isn't a subversion of gender roles doesn't make it a less powerful choice. She sticks to it. Aggressively. She's such a creature of the court, and there's something magnetic about her that draws in the most twisted, cynical people. Yes, there's a bit of a morality-pet (although ugh I hate that term) dynamic in some of those relationships, but the fact is, the girl has potential: queen potential. Even if she doesn't rule, she's growing into the ability to subvert ladyship; I see her as capable of achieving power in similar ways to Cersei, except where Cersei is constantly angry at her place in the world, Sansa embraces it. Not because she loves society for what it is, but because she believes in what it could be, believes in behaving in ways worthy of the myths she knows, and I think those patterns of behaviour will outlast the breakdown of her beliefs. Essentially, I think she could come out the perfect distillation of court power: her weapons are already deception and courtesy; she will, I think, learn to wield them as such.

It astonishes me to see that she's unpopular—but then, I'm very new to this fandom (and let me guess: ladies are only BAMFs when they hit people with swords? Sigh. Nothing against Arya or Brienne, but I am entirely more interested in the women built into the political system—which is what I think Sansa is going to become).

Cally Henderson, Battlestar Galactica 2003

[pocochina.livejournal.com]

Cally is totally an every-person in this extraordinary horrible situation, and she struggles to get through the day in an understandable, totally normal way. She remembers what she's fighting for even when she doesn't wanna anymore. And really, she got in that dude's face on the prison ship and ripped his ear off for messing with her. There's spunky and then there's spunky.

Re: Cally Henderson, Battlestar Galactica 2003

[rose-griffes.livejournal.com]

Cally biting that guy's ear is one of my favorite moments ever.

She had the misfortune of being cast as the voice of the people--one of the only voices willing to say that the cylons weren't sweet, misunderstood puppies that need to be trained to stop chewing up the shoes. And because she spoke out, she was vilified.

Dr. Remy "Thirteen" Hadley: House

[rhipowered.livejournal.com]

While I quit watching House after S5, I think Thirteen had some brilliant potential. She's clever and determined and she's unrepentant about her sexuality (even if the showrunners pushed her into heteronormative stuff), and she's got shades of grey morality/ethics. From a disability standpoint, her condition has been handled...well, not well, but in a way that's not simply lip service or drama.

I think the episode where Kutner dies illuminated what could be done with her so very well. I wish they'd gone further in that direction.

Re: Dr. Remy "Thirteen" Hadley: House

[pocochina.livejournal.com]

agreed! Thirteen is awesome.

Leena, Warehouse 13

[minkhollow]

Leena doesn't get enough love. She doesn't get hate, either - she's more sort of ignored, by both the fandom and the show. (...Though in light of the whole MacPherson situation, I don't at all mind the writers not writing in Genelle Williams' pregnancy.)
But I have S1 on DVD now, and rewatching the pilot reminded me how absolutely awesome she is. I've heard a rumor that the actress's contract will be bigger for S3, and I really hope that's the case.

Re: Leena, Warehouse 13

[bella-farfalla.livejournal.com]

I have had Leena/Claudia plot bunnies in my head forever, but never managed to write them. I should really do that. Leena was brilliant, I hope she does have a bigger part in S3. :)