Creating a memorable television character is something that escapes the hands of any screenwriter, no matter how brilliant. First of all, because no one with half a brain thinks in those terms. From the folio to what the viewers remember there are so many unpredictable stretches that sitting down to create characters with aspirations for posterity is the heritage of those who are thinking more about themselves than about the quality of their work. Or put another way: worrying about creating a good character, giving it character, nuances, conflict and life is one thing. Let him then stay to live in the imagination of…
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Creating a memorable television character is something that escapes the hands of any screenwriter, no matter how brilliant. First of all, because no one with half a brain thinks in those terms. From the folio to what the viewers remember there are so many unpredictable stretches that sitting down to create characters with aspirations for posterity is the heritage of those who are thinking more about themselves than about the quality of their work. Or put another way: worrying about creating a good character, giving it character, nuances, conflict and life is one thing. That later it remains to live in the public imagination, a very different one and foreign to the powers of the one who illuminates it.
I’m sure that when Michelle and Robert King—genuflected and bowed—created Elsbeth Tascioni 14 years ago, they didn’t think about bringing a memorable character to life. His presumed objective could have been to give life to a unique, intuitive and very intelligent character – something that many mediocre screenwriters do not realize when they try to create characters with a high IQ is that the limit of their characters’ intelligence is that of yours-. To a lawyer who, in addition, ended up exposing all those who despised her.
They wouldn’t have intended it, but they achieved it. Elsbeth Tascioni appeared in 14 episodes of 156 of The Good Wife and in five of the 60 of The Good Fight. Let’s see how many characters, with a presence in less than 10% of the episodes of the series that host them, earn ownership in a spin off. Of course, they haven’t done it alone: Carrie Preston has done an extraordinary job—her voice, her gestures, her cadences. Without any of the three this imprint would have been impossible.
Today, Tuesday, Movistar Plus+ broadcasts the last episode of the first season of Elsbethwhich is already renewed for a second season of 20 episodes, to the delight of those of us who enjoy lateledetodalavida. And today, without doing much spoilerviewers will be faced with the first episode in which Elsbeth goes from Columbo to Jessica Fletcher.
One can be Tony Soprano, Don Draper, Walter White (I am one too), to pull the commonplaces of certain viewers, but being Jessica Fletcher or Elsbeth Tascioni is a declaration of intentions. Many will underestimate them, as Elsbeth always does, but be careful, because in the end they end up getting their way.
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