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SpoilerTV - TV Spoilers

2015 Character Cup - 1C

Jul 15, 2015

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Welcome to the next section of the Character Cup. We're halfway through round 1 with 8 more characters surviving to round 2 including Clarke Griffin, Daryl Dixon, Sam Winchester, Ben Linus, Stiles Stilinski, Leslie Knope, Patrick Jane, and Dana Scully. Yesterday saw the closest vote yet with Daryl Dixon vs. Vincent Keller. They were separated by only 55 votes. Thanks for everyone who participated in yesterday's TV Talk Topic. It was great hearing about tour favorite friendships on TV. Today we are going to talk about family on TV. Originally I had them together as one topic, and many touched on it yesterday, but there was so much to each of them that I split it. I hope you have fond memories of TV families from both yesteryear and today. Hope to hear your views in the comments and until then, happy voting!


Prediction Cup Update - Today saw a change in the top spot with DarkUFO, Emma, and Joy tying for first. Congratulations to you all. The race is still close though with 5 people 1 place behind them and 13 people 2 behind. The first 2 rounds are always difficult so expect the results to bounce around a lot.


Prediction Standings
CC Facts and Stats - this is updated at the end of each round, not typically each day
Ranking Process
Embedded Bracket




Today's TV Talk Topic:


TV Relationships (Family) - Who are your favorite TV families now and who were your favorite in your childhood? If you could be part of any TV family, which one would you be? Do you often relate to one type of character over others (oldest, only girl, twins, parent, teen, etc.) What is your favorite kind of family relationship? If you were giving out rewards, who would win for best TV dad, mom, brother, sister, cousin, wife, husband, etc.? Do you typically like kids and teens on TV? Who do you think are the most realistic kids on TV? How has the way TV portrays families changed from when you were a kid until now? What are your favorite created family relationships on TV (those that are not blood related but might as well be)?




Rules:


1. This is a Silly Internet Contest, Not the Fate of the Nations - This contest is meaningless. The results are meaningless. It will NOT change the fate of any TV show anywhere. Don't take it seriously. Have fun. Discuss a lot.

2. Focus on Characters, Not People - Anyone can vote however they want for whatever reason they want and anyone can give their opinion on a character, favorable or not. Talking negatively about a character is NOT the same as attacking their fans. Keep the conversation to the characters. If you don't like what someone says about your character, comment on what you love about them. You might get new people to try your show.

3. The Aliens Haven't Landed.  There's No Conspiracy Here - I have no hidden agenda. Everything is placed in brackets based on the number of nominations and polls. If your character goes against a giant, it's not personal. Mine will too. There's also no secret underground of people cheating polls. No one gets paid for that so no one has time for that, especially since this contest means absolute squat. It's just for fun.

4. Leave Sour Grapes on the Vine - Yeah, it sucks when your favorite gets kicked off by a show you hate. Yep, the winning character will come from the most organized fandom that gets the word out the fastest. Them's the facts of life and the internet. It doesn't mean we can't still have fun. Don't dwell on past polls or vetch about life's unfairness and it will be more enjoyable.

5. It's Not 2048 and My Name's Not Dorian - I will do my very best to keep the contest running smoothly and let you know the approximate time each poll ends. However, I am human and occasionally do silly things like get the time zone changes wrong. Again see #3. Let me know and I'll fix it. I apologize in advance for any technical difficulties.

6. Comments are the Wellspring of Hiatus Life - Most of us anxiously await the return of our favorite shows. Why not distract yourself with a little TV Talk? Each day we have a new topic. Come join us because even if you have no one to vote for in the polls, you can still discuss. While this contest is just a silly piece of internet fluff, the conversation here goes deep so jump on in.


Nuts and Bolts:


1. All polls, even the final one, will be about 24 hours long. A new poll goes up every day unless something unforeseen happens so you always know when your favorites compete.
2. Everything is head-to-head competition unless there's a tie and then both go to the next round.
3. One vote per IP per poll.










































About the Author - Dahne
One part teacher librarian - one part avid TV fan, Dahne is a contributing writer for SpoilerTV, where she recaps, reviews, and/or creates polls for Teen Wolf, The 100, Grimm, How to Get Away with Murder, The Librarians, and others. She also runs the annual Character Cup. She's addicted to Twitter, live tweets a multitude of shows each week, and co-hosts The 100 "Red-Shirted", Sleepy Hollow "Headless" and Teen Wolf "Welcome to Beacon Hills" podcasts for Southgate Media Group. Currently she writes a Last Week in TV column for her blog and SpoilerTV. ~ "I speak TV."
Recent Reviews (All Reviews)

151 comments:

  1. Polls will close around 2:00 pm CST on Wednesday.

    If you have not read the rules, please do so. They make for a happier contest.

    Thanks to everyone who participated yesterday. It was particularly great to hear everyone's thoughts on friendships. Happy voting today!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Skye and Emma for me.

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  3. My favorite families at the moment are The Hecks (The Middle) and The Goldbergs. I also enjoy The Jonhsons (blackish).

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  4. Hannibal, Vanessa, Kieren.

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  5. Goodbye Revenge, ∞x∞July 14, 2015 at 8:34 PM

    Emily is truly such a unique and beautiful character. She was a master of disguises, a badass ninja and a beautiful socialite. I have my fingers crossed for my Ems!

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  6. My votes:

    1. Jamie Fraser (Sorry Ichabod)

    2. N/A

    3. Emma Swan (I'm dreading the Dark Swan arc. I DO NOT want it. I hope that storyline is wrapped up by the 100th episode, and I still like Emma at the end of it. Lastly, sorry to Sherlock.)

    4. Vanessa Ives (Ethan is my favorite Penny Dreadful character. Vanessa is my second favorite though.)

    5. Olivia Benson

    6. Spencer Reid

    7. Barry Allen

    8. N/A

    TV Talk Topic:
    "What is your favorite kind of family relationship?"
    Answer: father/daughter. I was a Daddy's girl, and I still miss my father. He passed away several years ago.

    Best TV father/daughter relationships: IMO, they are Rick and Alexis (Castle) & Danny and Grace (Hawaii Five-0 - 2010).

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  7. Oh, I missed the last polls :( Skye, Emma, Ren, Emily, Mickey and Red for me today.

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  8. Today:
    1. I will abstain. I surprisingly love both characters and I think they are the best part about their respective shows, especially Ichabod. Jaime will win anyway so it does not mater

    2. Damn, such different characters to compare. I like Hannibal but Will really is the best part of Hannibal (the show) for me. I would have voted for him I think but not like tis. I love Skye, so I am voting for her

    3. Emma Swan by default

    4. NA

    5. NA

    . Emily all the way, she is one of my favorite characters of all time. I like to watch the occasional Criminal Minds episode and Reid is cool but there is just no way I wouldn't vote for Emily

    7. Barry Allen, one of the most relatable characters on television (And yes, he is a freaking super human)

    8. Hm... Red. I've never seen all of Veronica Mars but saw quite a few random episodes and I liked her but I don't think I've seen enough to vote for her against Red

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  9. Top Spot(For now)-YAY!!

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  10. My current favorite tv families are:

    The Reagans (Blue Bloods): They sometimes have different opinions on what is right and how to get justice (which they fight about at family dinners), but their bond is very strong. I love how they disagree, but still love each other.

    The Hecks (The Middle): One of the reasons I love this show is it’s realistic. Axel, Sue, and Brick fight like cats and dogs, but they do care for one another. The mom and dad are so great, too.

    Other families I have loved: The Matthews (Boy Meets World), The Bravermans (Parenthood), The Scott Brothers (One Tree Hill), The Dawson siblings (Chicago Fire and Chicago PD), and The Gilmore Girls!

    I know I completely forgot some, but these are all I could think of at the moment.


    For some reason I always love sibling relationships on tv which is ironic because I’m an only child.
    It’s always nice to know that while they may disagree, they will always care for each other. It’s refreshing sometimes to see family and friendships on tv instead of romance.

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  11. Barry,Emily,Reddington,Jamie,Emma & Skye for me today.These bunch of polls were really hard!

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  12. TV Talk Topic, Part 1:

    TV families have changed A LOT since I was a kid growing up in the late 70's and 80's. In fact, I think besides all the channels and the many ways to get your favorite shows, TV families have changed the most. When I was little I loved the Ingalls family (Little House on the Prairie) and the Bradys (Brady Bunch). I learned to appreciate shows in black and white like those from Leave It to Beaver, The Patty Duke Show, I Love Lucy, The Donna Reed Show, Bonanza, and more. As I grew I fell in love with the Cosbys (The Cosby Show), the Keatons (Family Ties), the Seavers (Growing Pains), the Strattons (Silver Spoons), and the blended family of the Drummond-Jacksons on Diff'rent Strokes. I also first learned about racism and urban poverty through the Evans family in Good Times. Coming from a primarily white suburban town, it was eye opening to see their struggles but also to confirm that despite them, they were like my family. They had their ups and downs. They got on each other's nerves but also supported each other and showed a lot of love. TV families opened up a lot of new worlds for me.

    I have a lot of great memories of my early childhood TV families and to be honest, I miss the days of simpler themes in family dramas. I don't need adultery and the Afterschool Special of the week to make for a good family show. Mostly that just drags things down for me. That's why if I were to choose a TV family to join, it would be something from the past instead of most today. I like the times when parents were wise and I wouldn't mind a few of life's questions being answered in 50 minutes these days. Somewhere around the 90's, Hollywood decided to dumb down dads when they were even present. I think that's one of the worst trends TV has taken (plus reality TV but that's another post). Now we often get bumbling, fumbling fathers especially in comedies, which I think has gone too far overboard in reacting against the perfect father image of 50's and 60's TV. Perhaps soon we will come to more of a balance because most of what I see in family shows are stereotypes galore. Teens are normally not obnoxious little snots like I see all over TV. Can they be? Of course. We all can, but TV misses all the wonderful things that comes from teen passion and commitment. Very few of the teens or dads on TV are like the ones that I know in real life and that's a huge shame. We don't need to go all the way back to the Cleavers, but I'd like to see a bit more reality in the family dramas on today and maybe a little less melodrama on the way.

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  13. I'm not a big fan of family drama's but I am a fan of family relationships on my drama's. I don't watch a lot of new sitcoms but I did watch a lot growing up.

    Favorite TV Families Most Present

    The Taylors, Friday Night Lights - They were the modern, middle class family who were written as realistic, fun, serious, and emotional. I can't count the number of times Coach Taylor made me cry with his simple speech and inspiration.

    The Winchesters, Supernatural - Hands down, my favorite relationship on TV, past or present. They are two brothers I would be proud to have in my own family. (Monsters Not Included) Their love for each other is special. Their bond is special. The ups, downs and WTF's all lead back to the love these two brothers have for each other. I could go on but in 10 years, I'm sure we've heard it all.

    Michael and Lincoln, Prison Break - What's not to love about a super intelligent brother who is willing to fight the government and throw away everything good in his life to save his brother? He knew Lincoln was innocent and he went to prison to save him. Talk about going the distance. Michael went above and beyond, all for the love of his brother.

    Seth and Ryan, The O.C. - Technically, some may not call them brothers but they were. Their completely different personalities balanced each other out and they loved and protected each other. Ryan brought Seth out of his shell and Seth accepted Ryan just as he was. A poor, abandoned street kid. They became brothers and best friends and I'll never hear "It never rains in Southern California" again without thinking of those two and laughing.

    -If I could be a part of any TV family, it would be The Taylors, Friday Night Lights. I'd love to have Eric Taylor as a dad.

    -I relate so much more to brothers than I do families as a whole or sisters. I just gravitate towards them more.

    -I relate to the oldest even though I'm the middle. It's why I relate so well with Dean.

    -The most realistic kids I've seen on TV were probably from Home Improvement. They didn't have the whacked out stories now. Those kids went through most of what normal kids go through. Rebellion, fights, bad grades, girlfriends etc...they were realistic.

    -I'm not a fan of kids or teens on my shows too much, if at all

    -Best awards go to The Taylors for Mom and Dad and the Winchesters for siblings.

    -I grew up with Happy Days, The Jeffersons, Sanford and Son, Little House on the Prairie, Good Times and The Waltons. TV today is like visiting Earth from Mars.

    -I grew up with the Brady Bunch too but I think I may be the only person to absolutely hate that show. Hated it.

    -Best "put together" family - Happy Days. Marion took Fonzie in as if he were own and the show became a classic.

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  14. Hannibal, Lorne, Barry and Red

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  15. And skye right? But yes Emily thorne!!!!!!

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  16. Skye is awesomeeee! I think she is generally my second favorite character on the show but I have such a hard time picking favorites on MAOS because everyone is so awesome. I love Ward, Bobbi and Hunter quite nearly as much and I like Simmons, May and Coulson too. Fitz is still my favorite though, I just adore him.

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  17. By the way, in case you haven't seen it, and because I think every MAOS fan has to see this:

    https://instagram.com/p/5Ba4scl30T/


    One of the most hilarious things I've seen ahah

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  18. Check this out: https://instagram.com/p/5Ba4scl30T/

    It's so fun ahaha, I can't stop watching, I laugh sooo much

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  19. Emily Thorne is legendary!

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  20. Coulson is dressed up as Agent Carter by the way (I know you don't watch it so I assume you wouldn't know). Ahah it is so hilarious, I love this cast.

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  21. Now I am getting worried about emily! People, vote!

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  22. Emma Swan, Olivia Benson, Spencer Reid.

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  23. Heh, yeah, we Reid fans can be very passionate, so I'll be quite interested to see how that battle turns out. They're almost neck and neck at this point.

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  24. Goodbye Revenge, ∞x∞July 14, 2015 at 9:47 PM

    I know! Revenges assemble and vote for our Ems! She deserves to advance!

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  25. I know :( but great competition :D

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  26. TV Talk Topic, Part 2:

    My two favorite TV families right now are the Goldbergs and the Huangs (Fresh Off the Boat). Murray is my favorite TV dad right now, even though he too fits the bumbling father mode. I love how he always comes through with the heart moments and how he tries so hard not to make the mistakes his dad made with him. I also love Jessica Huang, who may be the funniest character on TV these days. A lot like Beverly Goldberg, she comes off just as loving and tough but not quite as obnoxious. Still the most unique family relationship of the year has to go to Henry and Abe from Forever. I adored every single one of their interactions and they are what I will miss most from the show. The basic premise is that while Abe is a senior citizen and Henry looks to be middle aged, it is actually Henry who is the father. Being immortal, Henry watches Abe grow up but he cannot. It makes for a fun relationship because while the world thinks they are roommates, the evidence of their relationship is evident when they are alone together. Sometimes Henry talks to Abe like he would when he was still in his teen years and it's adorable to watch Abe call Henry, "Pops." Their rich history together, told often in flashbacks, was the heart of the show and I will never forget Abe's excitement in finding his birth parents but then immediately assuring Henry that he will always be his dad. It was one of the best heartwarming moments of the TV year for me.

    My favorite TV relationships tend to be brothers (real or created) and I think that's because there are so many great examples on TV. By far, my favorite TV brothers are Dean and Sam Winchester. While I might have fallen out of love with Supernatural during Carver's reign, I will never fall out of love with the Winchester bond. Especially in the first 3 seasons, the Winchesters were the end all and be all of TV for me. I loved getting to know them as they grew to know each other again after an estrangement. I cheered when they took down the monsters and I raged against their douchey father, who was the cause of the estrangement and most of their deep seated psychological issues. I felt their hurts and fell in love with the way they would do anything, absolutely anything, to protect each other. They went about it messily with secrets better shared and sacrifices that came at huge costs. There were far too many "I'm fine. I'm okay." lies and even a few too many heartfelt Impala chats, but there was also laughter and prank wars, hugs and last minute saves, battles won and heart aching losses. They shared death and hope and determination and faith. There were inner struggles masked by outer conflicts. Mostly though, there was family and in the end that's all that matters.

    I also love father-son relationships and one of my favorites was Walter and Peter from Fringe. I think for me it was all in the struggle. Walter was not a very good father. Sure he made a drastic decision about him that changed everything. But the Walter Peter knew was far too immersed in his work to be the father that Peter wanted and his mother's death didn't help anything. So at the beginning of the show, Peter and Walter had not seen each other in years. It starts with Peter openly hostile to Walter but as the story continues, Peter begins to bend and the slow steps to reconciliation are what the whole show is about for me. Sure there's alternate worlds and some of the freakiest science stuff since The X-Files, but the core of the show is about a father and son learning to trust and love each other through unimaginable secrets and constant threats. They sometimes broke my heart, but in the end, they are indelibly imprinted in my TV history as one of the best parent-child progressions I've ever seen.

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  27. I tweeted, did you?

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  28. Come on Revengers vote for Emily!

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  29. Charmed - show of my childhood, just an epic story from the start till the end
    Malcom in the middle - such comedies are hard to come by these days
    How I met your Mother - not blood related family but such friends family you wish to have in real life
    Chuck - Chuck and his sister, Ellie, amazing screen family bond
    Castle - Castle, Alexis and Martha relationship is so open and simple

    There many more relationships, not blood related that I can mention from NCIS, NCIS:LA, Bones, Elementary, The Mentalist that are so intriguing and awesome but for some other time.

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  30. They're showing reruns from the first season of "Criminal MInds" on TV right now. It's so funny to look back and see Reid at the beginning of the series, and compare what he was like then to how he is now. The change is remarkable (but in a good way :)). That naivety he showed early on in the job is definitely tested in a LOT of ways for him as time goes on, so I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on how his character changes with time.
    I'd love to see him make it through this round. It looks like he and Emily are fairly close right now...

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  31. Goodbye Revenge, ∞x∞July 14, 2015 at 9:50 PM

    Yes I did!

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  32. Great :) also send one to fil eisler. He will retweet, he always does and I also did to emily vancamp. Maybe if more than one person does it, she will recognise it

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  33. Indeed :). Best of luck.

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  34. I apologize in advance for not being on this thread and discussing with you guys as much as I normally do. I have a podcast shortly and a poll and recap to do but I thank you for all the great comments so far. I look forward to reading your thoughts and commenting later tonight.

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  35. I'll always enjoy Ichabod's rants on the modern world, no matter what else is happening on "Sleepy Hollow" :p. So long as they keep that a part of his character, I'll be happy.
    And the whole "dashing" thing-that one episode where he was apologizing to that reenactment friend of his about something, and he did that gentlemanly bow, I was like, "...yeah, if you don't run away with him right now, I'll happily do so."

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  36. That is completely Fine, no need to apologise ;) we are looking at that very close Emily vs Reid poll

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  37. Reid is ahead, but the day is still very very long ;)

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  38. I cannot believe but I must go to bed (european time). I hope Emily wins! The best of luck to everyone

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  39. She does, but while I don't at all dislike her, she's not nearly as close to my heart as the other two.

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  40. Kieren and Barry for me today, two easy choices as they are a couple of my very favourite characters ever.


    I'll be back to chat TV topic a bit later on, a bit busy at present :)

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  41. Well I guess Emily will lose :( but we do still have a long time left :D

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  42. The Connor family on "Roseanne" will always probably be one of my favorite TV families, and perhaps the most relatable family. Dan Connor basically was my dad in TV form. Big, burly-looking guy, but very goofy and had a fun sense of humor, and very smart and protective and knew how to take care of his family. My mom wasn't like Roseanne, in the sense that she wasn't brash or blunt the way Roseanne was. But she did have a huge role in running the household, if not running it altogether.
    And Darlene and Becky's relationship reminds me SO much of my own with my sister-I'd watch those sisters fight about this and that and be like, "Yep, that sounds awfully familiar". Heck, that happened a lot with the show in general-I remember one time actually looking at the TV in shock during an episode because Roseanne and Dan were having a conversation about some financial issues, and hand to God, my parents had had pretty much the exact same conversation just the week before. Word for word and everything. It was spooky. But proof of how good the show was at being honest and true to life. I knew way more families like the Connors growing up than I did a lot of the suburban ones that TV is so often littered with (not to say I don't enjoy those kinds of shows either, though-I loved "Boy Meets World" growing up, after all :D).
    I'm always interested in sisterly relationships, given I have a sister-alongside Darlene and Becky Connor, Abbie and Jenny Mills are another great example of a fascinating sister bond. That was one of the things that drew me to the show, the relationship between Abbie and Jenny.
    Oddly enough, though, I don't know that I've seen a lot of shows that focus heavily on bonds between sisters. I seem to watch a lot of shows where the characters have brothers, or are only children, or have a sister and a brother. I can't recall a lot of shows off the top of my head right now involving a big focus on just sisters (and there may be more than I realize and my brain just doesn't want to cooperate and help me out right now, too, so who knows :p?). I suppose one reason I'm interested in shows about brothers is because I don't have any, so it's interesting to get the other side of that sibling relationship, since interaction with a brother is different from interaction with a sister.
    I adore father/son relationships, too, that's always been a big thing in the shows I watch. On "Frasier", Martin's interactions with Frasier and Niles were always gold. And it's not a biological connection, but on "Criminal Minds", I absolutely adore the father/son bond Rossi and Reid seem to have formed over the years. I've yet to find a scene with those two together that wasn't enjoyable and sweet :). Hotch and Reid are also good in that regard. And then there's some shows I watch where some of the characters don't have good relationships with their biological fathers, so that's always an interesting dynamic to explore, too.
    Many of the characters I like do seem to have good relationships with their moms, though, so that's something. Reid's relationship with his mom is one I absolutely love, and many other characters, even if we don't see their moms, often seem to speak very highly of them. I do tend to like seeing the focus on good family relationships, to know that a character gets along with at least somebody in their family and has a close relationship with them. I've always been close with my family, so I like it when TV can reflect that. I'm interested in the families who are distant and have issues, but I can't relate to that as well.

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  43. Voting: Skye, Vanessa, Kieren, Reid, Barry, Reddington.
    Topic:
    My favorite family relationships:
    Sam and Dean (Supernatural) - my favorite relationship when it comes to siblings. I love theirs bond, how love between them is so big and strong, what they are willing to do for each other. They win i cheer for them, they lose i feel sad for them. I understand what motives them.
    Walter and Peter (Fringe) - love theirs father and son relationship. It was joy to watch them interact, become closer, later rediscover it. Their relationship was my favorite thing about show.
    Others that i like: The Simpsons (earlier seasons), Henry and Abe (Forever), Monica and Ross (Friends), Danny and Grace (H50), so far i like John abd D'Avin (Killjoys).

    I tend relate to oldest sibling when there is only few years gap. That because i'm older one and between me and my brother there is only 2 year difference. But there is not much older siblings that can relate, so i mostly relate to Dean Winchester.

    What is your favorite kind of family relationship? - If i tbh with myself it would be brothers.

    Do you typically like kids and teens on TV? - while i ok with kids and teens being in show, i don't like how they written and because of that i just want them out of my tv. They don't seem to be realistic. It's like writers never been/have/met actual kid and teen.

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  44. Olivia Benson, Barry Allen and Raymond Reddington.

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  45. It's so amazing that with such a big cast I don't dislike 1 single character on the show; not even the recurring and guest ones! That makes the show so much better tbh.

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  46. This poll has made me need to watch Criminal Minds for Spencer, The O.C. for Seth and Ryan, Friday Night Lights for a Taylor family moment and S1 of Supernatural. This is not good for my health.

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  47. Thanks for posting the Jamie and Vanessa videos!! : )

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  48. Jamie Fraser, Daisy/Skye Johnson, Emma Swan, Spencer Reid and Barry Allen

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  49. Dahne, Can you fix these so that the shows I do NOT watch always come first? Again I'm staring and absolutely confused as to who I will vote for in the first poll. I have to come back to that...

    Going up against Hannibal it's easily Skye (I don't watch Hannibal)
    Emma Swan
    Don't Watch
    Don't Watch (anymore)
    Emily - Not that I don't like Spencer. I love him. I just think that there are more layers to Emily.
    Barry - It's been interesting watch him discover that the real world is a lot more painful than, even given his childhood losses, led him to believe.
    Veronica Mars


    Oh. Right.
    Jamie He edges Ichabad out because he was less interesting and fun for me this past season.

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  50. One of the things I love most about Criminal Minds and Reid it the way his friends accept and love all of those elements of his personality that usually make people like him an outcast. The ep where Derek is trying to teach him to play baseball. The typical jock on TV uses ridicule and jokes to teach. Derek offered support and tried to use the way Reid sees the world to teach him.


    reOutlander. Brutal is definitely the word. A lot of readers of the books, as I am, knew what was coming and were still caught off guard by how brutal it was.

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  51. Veronica Mars!!! It is so cool that she is a part of this contest! I loved her so much and always thought, that it was kind of a disgrace, how things ended in season 3! (After we got the movie and the books I was a little bit less sore... ;-)... but still... wouldn't mind a revival!)

    And btw, because the topic today is family I think Veronica and her Dad made a very loving, FUNNY and caring little family. Those two against the rest of the corrupt and degenerate world of Neptun... I always admired how Veronica and Keith even confronted the worst of situations and circumstances with a clever joke or witty comeback and never bowed down to anybody! They stood by their own moral code... even when that meant the whole world will turn on them!

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  52. I agree with you about Henry and Abe on Forever. Those two characters had the most unique tv parent/child relationship that I have ever seen. Judd Hirsch and Ioan Gruffudd played their roles so convincingly. In lesser actors' hands, these characters could have seemed silly, but because of their wonderful portrayals the father/son bond between Henry and Abe was fun and funny as well as sweet, warm, and loving. Oh, how I miss Forever. : (

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  53. Guess who's up two spots to 63! I just gotta keep moving up two places each round and hope this thing has 32 more rounds. Haha

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  54. Since when do people not like Cookie Lyon and Olivia Pope?

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  55. Favorite TV family: Huh. Tough one. There are more than one. I'd say Swan-Mills family on OUAT. Lucas/his mom Karen on OTH. Scott/his mom & Stiles/his dad on Teen Wolf. The team Machine on POI, they're one big family. I'm probably forgetting lots of others though.

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  56. Very bad ... all the good character are going to get knocked out of the competition !.. :(((

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  57. Whooohooo! What a difference a day makes. Yesterday's brackets were very good to me. I'm sure today's will turn on me again but I'll enjoy being at the top of the list with Andy and Joy while I can :-)


    Voting was easier today...at least until that last one!


    1. Ichabod
    I haven't seen Outlander or read the books (the first one is on my Kindle though!). If Ichabod had been up against a character from a show I watch, he may not have fared so well after S2. Fingersr crossed for a return to former glory in S3.


    2. Hannibal
    I was 14/15 when Silence of the Lambs came out and I remember watching it when my dad wasn't home because I wasn't supposed to watch it. I slept with the light on for weeks - an impressive feat considering I grew up watching horror movies (this would be my mother's doing - my mom wouldn't have cared if I watched it but she didn't have the awesome cable package my dad did).


    3. Emma
    Kinda by default...don't watch Elementary and haven't seen OUAT since S1 so voted my bracket


    4. Vanessa
    I just got the Showtime add on to Hulu+ and have been watching Penny Dreadful. Vanessa is by far my favorite character so far.


    5. Olivia Benson
    I haven't watch SVU in years but Olivia was always my favorite of this Law & Order incarnation


    6. Reid

    Reid is another one of those all time favorite characters (and I'm pretty sure MGG is a genius too). Criminal Minds is one of the few long running shows that I have stayed with and plan to continue with to the end.


    7. Barry
    He's effing adorable.


    8. Veronica
    This one killed me. Both are smart and snarky but Veronica tries to uncover secrets, not maintain a strangle hold them like Reddington does (I bet Veronica would've been able to tell us if Red is Lizzie's father by the end of the second episode of S1).




    Again, great segue into the TV Talk Topic....


    I touched on some of my favorite family bonds yesterday but Henry and Abe (and Abigail when she was alive) is my favorite TV family in years. I love Judd Hirsch (have since his Taxi days) and I never thought I would see him play a more endearing father/son role than Papa Epps but I was wrong. The unique situation with Henry and Abe added so many layers to their relationship - Abe worried about Henry much the same way a father would even though he was the son - particularly the "what's going to happen when I die" scenes. Ugh...excuse me why I go cry again over the demise of this show.


    If I was giving out TV awards, they'd probably go something like this...
    Best TV Dad - Henry Morgan (Forever)
    Best TV Mom - Melissa McCall (Teen Wolf)
    Best TV Brother/Sister - **tie** Dean/Sam Winchester (SPN) & Bellamy/Octavia Blake (The 100)
    Best TV Married Couple - Peter and Elizabeth Berk (White Collar)
    Best TV Divorced Couple - Aaron/Haley Hotchner (well, before she was killed, Criminal Minds)


    Other family relationships (born and might as well be) that I have enjoyed over the years are:
    Sam/Dean Winchester (SPN), Scott/Stiles (Teen Wolf), The Tate & Campbell families (Soap), The Jefferson's, The Evans Family (Good Times), The Munsters, The Adams Family, The Keaton family (Family Ties), Peter/Walter Bishop (Fringe), Oliver/Thea Queen (Arrow), Clarke/Abby Griffin (The 100), Arthur/Merlin (BBC Merlin), Jane/Maura (R&I), Gibb's and his team (including Ducky/Abby - NCIS), Kenzi/Bo (Lost Girl) and even though they don't quite have that family vibe yet, I'm sure in S2 they will...The Librarians

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  58. sky johnson: by default, she's far from my favourite character in the show but I've never watched hannibal. and i don't not like skye, she's probably just the least interesting character to me.


    other votes for me today are spencer reid and barry allen. both my fave characters in their respective shows, i guess i just love adorable nerds


    family relationships:
    i will always love sam and dean and their brotherly love. if i just ignore everything past season, god i don't even know, 5? 7? 3?. seasons 1-3 were the best, back when the brothers were equal and they fought for each other and there wasn't so much sam hate.


    other siblings i love are bellamy and octavia. both are so strong and always looking out for each other. and i loved bellamy learning that octavia could take care of herself.


    father son would have to go to walter and peter from fringe. walter would do anything for peter and it was beautiful watching peter grow to love walter as a father. and that scene in season 4 where walter brings out all the presents he'd bought peter over the years gets me in tears every time.

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  59. Yeah, Reid's found a perfect place to fit in at the BAU. Sure his friends might tease him sometimes about his rambling or his ability to spout facts at any given moment or whatever, but it's a familial sort of teasing, and they always do acknowledge and credit him when his quirks and unusual abilities help on a case, too.
    I like that episode where Morgan teaches Reid to play ball :). The first time Reid tried to hit a ball during his practice with Morgan I was like, "...oh, my god, he's as bad at this as me." :p. There's some great Morgan and Reid moments in that episode.

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  60. I liked the way they handled things with Aaron and Haley after their split. Yeah, they had some tense moments, but it was nice to see a couple still remain civil and work together when needed for their child's sake. And it was clear it was tough for them to let go of their feelings for each other, too, that they still cared about each other to the bitter end. Divorce is always a tough, messy situation, of course, but it's kinda refreshing to see a show handling that in an honest way that was sympathetic to both people involved, instead of making one the complete bad guy and the other the saint or whatever.

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  61. I go for adorable nerds, too :D. I like characters who are geeky/dorky/nerdy and aren't afraid to be that way. I can relate to that :p.

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  62. Oh I am so sad, every single one I voted for yesterday got knocked out!!!! Bah, oh well.


    Today was another easy one, just a couple small decisions to make. And I KNOW that most will be going through to the next round.


    1. Jaime, of course (I like Ichabod very much and I have stuck with Sleepy Hollow throughout and can't wait for it to come back. But JAMMF is my book boyfriend and I have been in love with the character through 8+ books and about 15 years. I am absolutely in love with the TV Jaime as well, and it doesn't hurt that Sam is easy on the eyes and has completely nailed the role down to the little mannerisms and expressions.)
    2. Skye (I don't watch Hannibal, not even the movies. Skye is not my favorite on AOS and I am not caught up but she has my vote)
    3. Emma (She rocks, such a great character with many different sides and Jennifer Morrison shines in the role. Can't wait for Dark Swan! Sherlock had my vote in the first polls, and I just now realized that the character is represented by two shows in this Cup highlighting how awesome a character he is. But Emma knocks the Elementary version of Sherlock out in my opinion)
    4. N/A (don't watch either show)
    5. Olivia (I am not a big SVU watcher but I don't watch In the Flesh at all)
    6. Emily (This one was a little tough! But it's Emily Thorne, so sorry Reid)
    7. Barry (I don't watch Shameless, but regardless of that fact Barry Allen would get my vote. Little bit of a geek for Superheroes)
    8. Veronica (I don't watch Blacklist but it doesn't matter because Veronica Mars is one of my all time favorite female characters on TV, I highly recommend the show and the movie)

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  63. I used to really like the afterschool special sorts of shows and episodes when I was a kid for some reason :p. I dunno, I guess I just had an interest in serious issues from an early age. Looking back at them now, though, I acknowledge them for the cheesy, simplistic things they are...though, at the same time, I remember actors from those shows and episodes talking about how they got letters from viewers thanking them for addressing these issues, saying they felt less alone and may have even had the courage to ask for help. So if the shows managed to do that for some viewers, were a source of comfort and inspiration, I can't fault that outcome, really.
    You're quite right that the image of families has changed dramatically over the history of television. Hell, we all know about how the parents had to sleep in separate beds in TV shows from the 1950s, despite the fact that the kids running around their home would've kind of been a massive clue that the parents had sex at some point :p (unless they adopted, of course-but that was usually mentioned at some point in the show).
    I am glad that shows have stepped away from the squeaky clean, "perfect nuclear family" setup that we saw back in the early days of television, that they do show families that are struggling, or who have only one parent around, or blended families, or interracial parents and now, same-sex parents. No family is ever alike, there isn't a "one size fits all" setup for a "perfect" family, and I like that TV has been acknowledging that a lot more often in recent decades. Not only does that give viewers more types of families to identify with, but it also opens up new worlds of storytelling opportunities, too (and yet, as you noted with your comparison of your family to that of the ones in shows like "Good Times", it also allows viewers to see where two families that are different in so many ways can also have some things in common, and we can see that every family will deal with a lot of the same problems).
    I do agree the "bumbling dad" image is a tired one. My dad certainly wasn't like that, and I know other people whose fathers were on top of things and able to do their part to help take care of the family. It'd be nice to return to that-you're right that it seems TV has a hard time finding a balance between the "can do no wrong" parent and the "can't find their way around the house/it's a miracle they were able to make a child" parent. But there is one, and that should be noted a lot more on TV.
    As for the discussion of kids, I can be of two minds about them. I don't often tend to agree with people who gripe about shows adding children, because, first off, if actresses get pregnant and don't want to hide the pregnancy, the shows kind of have to address that somehow, and second, people have kids. That's part of life for a lot of people. I don't think the simple addition of children into a show is automatically a sign of its downfall, or at least, I don't think that should automatically signal a show's at its end. I think there can be some good stories to tell involving children.
    And yet, I also agree that so often shows tend to make kids too know-it-all, too bratty, they do have a noticeable effect on whatever it is the adult characters do day in and day out, and sometimes that can cause some issues in terms of storytelling, and what to do with certain characters. And I can understand that concern.
    And there are people who don't plan to have kids or can't have kids, and it'd be nice for shows to acknowledge that more often, too, especially once they put a beloved pairing together. Fans so often think, "Oh, they're together, now they can get married and have babies!" If the characters themselves want babies, obviously, that's fine, but what if they don't, or what if they want to wait? It'd be nice to see those options acknowledged more on TV, too.

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  64. Oh Red vs Veronica was hard. Veronica had so much better material though.

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  65. Just a thought. Do you think it would be useful to past the Talk Topic in a post that we could reply to? I was just thinking it might be a way to group all the talk posts together and (selfishly :-) I wouldn't have to scroll up and down to see all the parts of the topic. :-)

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  66. I was going to watch Criminal Minds after Teen Wolf tweeting last night but I was alone in the house and I can't do alone, in the dark, and Cirminal Minds alltogether. I'm too much of a wuss. I agree that he looked like he should have been in high school in the beginning. I love his bond with the others though.


    The Reid and Emily vote definitely has been surprising to me. Good luck.

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  67. I saw that episode and it made me like Derek for one of the first times. It was one of the first episodes I caught and I thought Derek was too smug at first. Then I saw this episode and the way he is with Garcia and I grew to like him too.


    I'm not sure I will continue with Outlander to be honest. From what I've heard, it isn't something I want to see.

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  68. The Chance family was hilarious but it wasn't at each other's expense like it can be on other shows. You know that no matter what, they adored each other. I especially loved Virginia and Burt's marriage. They had their troubles but they were there to lift each other up instead of tear each other down. I love that in a comedy.


    Walter and Peter's relationship is why I loved Fringe so much. I could take or leave the science but the deep personal connection I felt to their father-son relationship was the whoel draw for me. I loved how Olivia and Walter became family as well. In fact it was the only thing that got me through that phase when they didn't knwo Peter anymore.


    For me nothing will ever top Ichabod and Yolanda on sleepy Hollow. I completely agree about Sherlock. He's actually the only one I really root for of the Sherlock incarnations. Glad you were pleasantly surprised by Malvo.

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  69. I was so happy that they found a logical way to get him more clothing so he could stay distinguished.

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  70. I was so torn by that one - worse match up so far IMO. Came to same decision too.

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  71. "S2 absolutely sucked 250 year old cob webs"


    Bwaaahhh!!! That's about as accurate as it gets. This is my least favorite section of the brackets, plus it looks like it is going to break my prediction brackets as well. Urgh! Still there are a couple of characters I'm really rooting for.

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  72. I was hoping May would make a return appearance for SHIELD. She rocks my world! So glad you are experiencing Veronica Mars. She's an awesome character.

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  73. Talk Topic Thoughts....

    There are a few families that have been big draws for me. (I'll skip family oriented sitcoms) Off the top of my had, when I read the topic description three families came immediately to mind. They're all pretty recent and if there are some further back I have little hope that I'll remember them. :-)

    The first three to mind are from Castle, Teen Wolf and Jane the Virgin. I'm gonna add Kyle XY.

    Rick and Alexis are what drew me to the show. The bulk of the premise and it's Rom/Com aspects were a huge draw for me. But watching Rick and Alexis never failed to give me a warm fuzzy. When they played together Rick was always complete present in the game (usually because he's a giant little boy) but when Rick has to be a father he's pretty good at too. I like the fact that he doesn't just dictate to Alexis but he also doesn't do that ultra new age thing Californian hippies get blamed for. Much of the time she came across as older than Rick :-D but it was never in that 'I have to raise myself because you're useless at it' way that a lot of movies like to do. I have always been kind of bummed that I didn't get to see as much of them as I'd have liked.

    The Stilinskis and the McCalls - These families are a rare rare thing in teen led shows. They are families with parents who talk to their kids. Even before these parents discovered the world their kids were living in they were present in their kids lives. Now that they know, they are still there for their kids when they need them. They love their kids and their kids love them.

    The Villanueva Family - Hmm, I just realize that all of these families are single parent families. Hmm. They may not always be in perfect agreement about everything these three women (Grandmother, Mother, and Jane) support each other.


    I decided to add Kyle X/Y - This family took in a strange amnesiac kid, but it was more than that. This is the only traditional family that came to mind, largely because they felt real. These parents struggled to walk their kids through their growing pains. Again the parents knew their kids. They paid attention. Mom figured out her daughter had become sexually active because she knew here and paid attention. She had to wait until her daughter was willing to talk about it (something that felt real) This is also the only show that popped into my mind with siblings. Like real siblings, these kids may not have always gotten along perfectly at home but they have each other's backs.

    I hope all of my rambling includes what I think are the traits of my favorite families on TV. They respect each other, they pay attention...they don't just pass each other in the hallway, and they genuinely care about each other.

    Best Dad - tie between Stilinski and Rick Castle

    Best Mom - Mama McCall

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  74. The Goldbergs are my favorite too. I adore Murray but what I really love is that in every episode I know I am going to laugh but something is going to melt my heart too. Can't wait until I meet the Hecks.

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  75. I am delighted that you are so happy. Kieren was my biggest surprise in the nominations because not only did he get in but he was ranked 7th. I wish it was available on streaming somewhere in the States because I want to see where all this love is coming from too. I feel like I am missing out.

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  76. Can't wait to hear your thoughts. It seems like Emily vs Reid is going to be the surprise of the night.

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  77. Thanks for the awesome pictures.

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  78. My brother loved the Bundys. He could not get enough of that show. I look forward to catching up on Justified and The Americans sometime too.

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  79. I skipped sitcom families when I commented on the talk topic. I agree with you regarding the Chance family. I love a family that has your back. For all of the insanity that this family got into during the first couple of season, it was always about supporting each other. I loved that.


    And speaking of that, that unconditional support and love is one of the things that drew me to Neighbors.

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  80. I'm so sorry to hear about your father. I can't imagine losing mine. That must still be hard.


    I pretty much found Rick tolerable after I saw him spend some time with Alexis. He was so reassuring with her that it made my heart melt a little, I've only seen a little of Danny and Grace, but I look forward to delving into that relationship too. As for Penny Dreadful, Sir Malcolm and Ethan both got nominations but Vanessa definitely had the most.

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  81. So sorry to hear you weren't with us last time. I try to have the polls up within the hour of the last poll ending.

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  82. I completely understand about father/daughter relationships. I was also a Daddy's girl. I lost my 2 almost two years ago. I always knew that whatever I needed I just had to ask my Dad and he'd get it. And the two father/daughter pairs you list share that as well. I'm not a Danny fan, but he does get props for picking up his life and moving to a place he really didn't like just to be near his daughter.

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  83. Ha! I think Barry is immensely relatable as well, which really surprised me. As much as this poll being so close does. I am shocked. Once you have the time, and I know thatwon't be soon, I would highly recommend watching Veronica Mars straight through. I didn't think I would liek the show but I really did. I am one episode away from being caught up on The Blacklist and I really loved this second half. Lots of action and forward plot progression.

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  84. I've only seen the pilot of Blue Bloods but I was impressed by their strong family tie. It's a show I always mean to marathon but there's just not enough time. Same goes for The Middle although it is slowly creeping up to the top of my to-watch list. Facepalm - I can't believe I forgot the Mathews. They rocked as a couple and as parents. Sometimes I think we like best what we don't have because we are curious about it. For a long time I craved sister shows because I never had one.

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  85. So sorry they were difficult for you. I think most people have that one part of the bracket that they wish they could rearrange.

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  86. 7. Mickey Milkovich - to know him is the love him my friend!

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  87. 7. Mickey Milkovich - to know him is to love him, my friend.

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  88. So true.If it were up to me,i would never let my favorite character Matt Murdock face anyone till the grand finale.Hahahaha.

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  89. The latest polls were too tough.So these rankings will change everyday,i suspect.

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  90. Sherlock (!!!), plus Ichabod because I only watched Season 1 of SH and my memory of the show and the character remain untarnished by Season 2.


    TV Talk:


    Growing up, I watched the Brady Bunch (which I doubt I could sit through one episode of now), the Dick Van Dyke Show, Andy Griffith, Beverly Hillbillies, Leave It to Beaver, I Love Lucy, etc. I adored Jan Brady, even though as an only child I had little in common with her – but I've come to realize as an adult that siblings and large families fascinate me, so maybe that's why I was interested in her, the one girl whose perspective I couldn't at all relate to. Maybe that's why I loved that show in the first place.


    Now I prefer shows that are not focused on families, per se, but in which family relationships play an enriching role (with some exceptions, of course – Modern Family, Everybody Loves Raymond and The Goldbergs aren't my thing, but Gilmore Girls so is). My favorite family relationships tend to be between two siblings or between one parent and one child, rather than a whole gang of people. Some favorites include:


    Sam & Dean (and John, if I'm honest) – Supernatural


    The Gilmores (particularly the Lorelais and Lorelai & Emily) – Gilmore Girls


    Peter & Elizabeth – White Collar


    Sherlock & Mycroft – Sherlock


    Ollie & Thea & Moira – Arrow


    The Addams Family – OK, so this one's a whole gang, but their idea of familial love is so wacky, yet somehow kind of normal when you get down to the heart of things.


    As far as "family don't end with blood" goes, my clear favorites are the NCIS team and the extended Winchester family (Bobby and Jody being the two most notable for me).


    Hollywood has a tough time finding a happy medium for families. It's hard not to populate a show with stereotypes, but the stereotypes seem especially rampant when it comes to familial roles and situations. And those stereotypes are on a pendulum, from the perfect family with the perfect housewife mom and the strict but caring (and perfect) breadwinner dad to the dysfunctional, melodramatic family with the overburdened mom and the incapable dad (both parents slightly neurotic and everything overwrought). The best family relationships are more layered than that, or even role-reversed. Even melodrama is OK by me if the characters are emotionally and relationally complex.

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  91. I love soap operas which translates to loving melodrama...After School Specials and Very Special Episodes fall in that bailiwick.

    I don't like bratty kids. They speak to bad parenting which, for me, removes the family from the best TV family list.


    I have primarily excluded sitcoms from my thinking because they tend to work by exaggerating aspects for laughs. I grew up watching Bonanza, The Real McCoys (remember almost nothing), The Courtship of Eddie's Father (not in the standard mold), Family Affair (also not the standard mold), Leave it to Beaver, My Three Sons, Dick Van Dyke, Good Times, Cosby Show...etc. A lot of sitcoms in my past but these days almost none.

    What I remember about the families in shows of yesteryear is that they tended toward a very specific idea of what a family was. Dad was in charge (if Mom wanted to change the Dad's mind it was often accomplished via some type of manipulation). Mom worked in the home, and Dad's major contribution to the raising of the kids was offering fatherly advice. I think the backlash to bumbling Dad is still a reaction to that idea that Father Knows Best. I can't remember ever seeing a Dad change a diaper in those old shows. So, I don't think I'd lean toward joining one of those families.


    I think I'd lean more toward the families of today is because the ideal of yesteryear is far from my cultural definition of family. I identified quite a lot with the family on The Cosby Show.

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  92. It is a significant event for the character, but, it is not part of the plot of book two. The second season will start with more of a political intrigue in Paris. *If* you like the rest of the series enough to want to to watch season 2 you should be able to to so without watching the final two eps of season one. If it's not your cup of tea then you will probably be happier if you do not watch the final two eps of the first season.

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  93. He is so dashing, a real gentleman but one that has adapted to the modern world and attitudes very well.

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  94. Yeah the Chances really cared for one and other, one of the things that put me off Modern Family after a few seasons was how they were constantly fighting each other and often in a nasty way. I have no interest in that.

    That Ichabod/Yolanda scene was comedy gold.

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  95. Yeah i love unconditional support in families, it makes them characters you can love and root for.

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  96. Some of those results surprise me....for example, I thought that Barry Alan would win easily, considering how popular he and his show is at Spoiler TV. I also didn't expect Skye (who is not exactly the most popular character on AoS) would be ahead...but then Hannibal is a smaller show.

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  97. 1. Jamie - As much as I love Ichabod, Season 2 of Sleepy Hollow was such a mess, I can't bring myself to vote for him.
    2. Skye - Some people have taken issue with all the focus on Skye but I really like what they did with her in Season 2. As for Hannibal, it's a stellar show but AoS is more appealing to me hence why it got my vote.
    3. Sherlock - He's a much more interesting character than Emma, especially with the way Season 3 ended. I have no idea what to make of it and I don't think I've ever been this ecxited about Elementary coming back.
    4. Vanessa by default.
    6. Emily by default.
    7. Bary be default.
    8. Red by default.

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  98. It's such a great show! Murray is really great and I love Wendi McLendon-Covey!!
    The Goldbergs and The Middle are really my favorite shows at the moment!

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  99. Haha, aw, understandable. I've had the opposite happen-I'll watch scary shows in the dark and then afterward be like, "...why did I do that, now I don't want to move." :p. There are some episodes of that show that definitely creep me out, too, no question.
    I just can't get over how young he looks then :D. It's adorable. But yeah, even from the very start, he clicked so well with the others :). I like going back and watching the first season sometimes, it's fun to revisit their early days. Sometimes I feel a bit sad when I do, though, because all I can think is, "Oh, you poor people have absolutely NO clue what you're going to be going through over the coming years...".
    Yeah, it's been a pretty tense race, both in the poll itself and the comment section here. I'm rather pleased with the current results, though :).

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  100. I can see where you'd think that at first, yeah. He's very certain in his words and actions, and sometimes that comes off the wrong way depending on the situation.
    But yeah, the moments you note are a great way to show his softer, gentler side. He's a good guy. I'd want him by my side in any tough, risky situation.

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  101. Echoing the others' condolences and sympathies over your father's loss. Mine's been gone five years now and, yeah, it's not a loss one can really get over. Father/daughter relationships are very special ones, and I too love it when stories and shows feature those. I especially like it when we get to see dads believing that their daughters can do anything they want to with their lives, and that they should look for men who know how to treat them right. Those are messages every daughter deserves to hear from their dad.

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  102. Agreed on your last couple sentences. I remember reading the "Baby-Sitters Club" series as a kid and wishing I had a huge family of brothers and sisters like that of Mallory and Kristy. I have my younger sister, yes, but I still just really liked the idea of a big family.
    Now...not so much. Probably because I'm at the age where I'd be the one potentially creating that big family, and the idea of having THAT many kids kind of freaks me out, LOL.
    I'll second the love for the Matthews family. You really can't go wrong with "Boy Meets World" :).

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  103. Wow! That's amazing. The DVD is very very cheap on Amazon and the first episode is on YouTube - you can quite easily find it. :)

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  104. Someone else posted it in the open community thread, I am just spreading it ahah, can't take the credit. It's too good to remain hidden. This cast rocks

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  105. OH the only one I had pain over was RED & Veronica, finally went with Veronica.

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  106. Ichabod Crane, Skye Johnson, Sherlock Holmes, Vanessa Ives, Emily Thorne, Barry Allen, and Veronica Mars for me today.

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  107. Skye and Hannibal are closer than I thought they would be and I really need to check out this Mickey from Shameless. I've never seen the show.

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  108. Barry out will ruin everybody's predidictions, i suppose

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  109. Hmm, I might just skip the last two and keep going. Thanks.

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  110. I had never heard of him until last year's Character Cup when he represented CM. I actually though Hotchner was a bit ofa douche when I first met him too. I think it is all about the bond between them that draws me in and makes each character better.

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  111. I don't know him but he's already surprising me. He's beating a character I thought would go far in this competition.

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  112. Thanks for the heads up. I'll look when I have a bit of time.

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  113. I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your father too.

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  114. I am sorry for your loss as well. I adore father/daughter relationships with that message as well. There's something pivotal about a father's support.

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  115. This section alone is going to break my bracket.

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  116. My biggest issue with Very Special Episodes is that I tend to love action and hate emoangsting and VSE's are all about the emoangsting. I don't think TV could ever go back to the perfect family setup again but I do need parents to be more respectable, as in being respected by their kids and having answers that normal parents would have. Enough of the idiot parents whose kids and their friends have all teh answers.

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  117. Thank you for your condolences. It is still hard at times.

    Rick is a favorite character now, but in the first season of Castle, I thought Rick was an arrogant jerk until I saw him with Alexis and his mother. Then, I knew that a lot of the arrogance was part of a playboy author persona that he had created. The real man was a loving father to Alexis and a caring son to Martha, and Kate eventually saw that man too.

    Danny and Grace are lovely together. I think that their relationship will make your "heart melt" as well. : )

    Thanks for the Penny Dreadful nomination info. Ethan was my third male nomination choice, but I knew that he didn't stand a chance against Vanessa...lol.

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  118. The Cosby Show was my idea of the perfect family for a long time.

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  119. Yeah.... that will pretty much seal my bracket's fate. My NCAA tournament bracket sucked this year, too, so at least I'm consistent.

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  120. I can't say enough about the Winchester bond either and Eric Taylor does seem like he'd make an awesome dad. I never really thought about it but the Home Improvement kids did seem more realistic than most. For me sitcom kids are generally moe real than drama kids, mostly because of all the drama those kids have. My friends and I had problems but kids in a TV drama have every problem that has ever been mentioned in high school all wrapped into 22 episodes.

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  121. Glad you're excited. Thanks for participating.

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  122. Bwaaaahhh!!! That was fantastic.

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  123. I think there is a big lack of sister relationships on TV, especially ones where they are there for each other and are not, say sleeping with each other's boyfriends (Looking at you Arrow.) That's another area that I hope TV will improve on. Now that I think about it, most of the characters I watch had a good relationship with their mom (when she didn't die early) but a rocky one with their dad or a rocky relationship with both. I prefer the ones where family is strong though because I can relate to that better myself.

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  124. The fact that Henry and Abe were my favorite character interaction of the season is definitely due to the acting. It could have been too over the top and cheesy but it came off as sweet and charming. I miss Forever too.

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  125. Chuck and Ellie are a great example of a brother and sister bond. I remember like their scenes a lot.

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  126. well here at least we are in the same boat,and it's not over yet :)

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  127. I'm pretty sure if it had been any other character but Skye, I would have voted for SHIELD, but she's been badly pushed down my throat when they could have drawn back off the throttle a lot. They need to stop pushing so much.


    I think people use that "they're family" excuse too often but I find that if I like the characters enough that works for me, especially in the case of Dean and Sam because it's also about battling evil. I actually expected to hear a lot about the Charmed sisters on here since they tend to be pretty popular. The McCalls and the Stilinskis are right up there with my favorite TV families of all times. I intended to do a post about them too but I didn't have time but Mama McCall is my vote for Best Mom too. I wouldn't mind being a distant cousin that Skypes with them, but no way I'm living in Beacon Hills period. Way too many freaky stuff happening there. Walter and Cabe were anothre I was going to discuss in detail before I realized I had so much other stuff I had to get done. I actually cannot stand Walter as a character except when he's with Cabe (and occasionally with Sylvester) so their relationship is a high point in the show for me.

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  128. You like 'Elementary' better than "Sherlock"???

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  129. San and Dean are my pivotal brother characters too. I think part of that is how close the actors are as well, but that's another topic for another day. I also feel with them and that's somewhat unusual for me because generally I am jsut waiting for the actionto come back. Walter and Peter are the same way. When they were fighting, it broke my heart. When they were back together, I cheered. I too realte to older siblings better and I wish kids and teens on TV were more realistic instead of complete brats.

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  130. Sorry. The brackets are the brackets. I have nothing to do with them except internally kvetching when 2 of my favorites go against each other in the first round like will happen twice in the next set. Blame the numbers. :-P

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  131. Since they are going against a character that recently died and one of the biggest fandoms on SpoilerTV.

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  132. "Good" is a matter of opinion.

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  133. Congrats on your prediction lead. Today ends any hope I have of making it. So many tight races here.


    You'll have to let me know how Sleepy Hollow goes this season. I'm not touching that show for anything this time around. Silence of the Lambs terrified me too and I was in college when I saw it. Veronica and Red were hard for me too, especially since I am loving the last half of this season. I am all for Veronica coming on though and cracking Red's secrets once and for all.


    I'm a huge fan of Judd Hirsch too. In fact having David Krumholtz (Charlie Eppes) play a young Abe was a highlight of the season for me because I loved Numb3rs so much. Forever is my biggest TV loss of the season. Elizabeth Burke is hands-down the winner of best TV Wife for me and I think the Burke marriages is the best I've seen on TV in years. For me the best divorced couple would be Growing Up Fisher from last year. Love the others you mentioned too.

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  134. If you like adorable nerds, try Sylvester from Scorpion. He's my newest fave in that category. I 100% agree that the Winchesters were best in seasons 1-3. Their bond was strongest back then before demon blood and angels became a part of the story. Bellamy and Octavia are my current favorite brother and sister combination. I like that Octavia made Bellamy tolerable for me before he became tolerable as a character on his own. Plus Octavia is that exact kick butt female character I favor. I am having so many Fringe flashbacks right now. I think I actually like the show now more than I did when it was airing.

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  135. It really is, right? Ahah, I can't stop laughing everytime I see it.

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  136. I can do that but most people tend to respond to the TV Talk Topic in the same post as their vote so I'm not sure it will help much.

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  137. Some tight races for a 1 round for sure

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  138. I think Barry is about to shred all of our brackets. I watched a few YT clips for MIckey because I don't know the character at all but the actor is really good.
    Look at Hannibal coming from behind. I need to go on Challonge to see how far I had Barry and Hannibal going.

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  139. My favorite times in Castle were the Alexis and Castle moments. That's where he shined as a character for me. As for Teen Wolf, one of the things that first attracted me, besides the fast pacing, were that the characters weren't sterotypes. The mean girl was a genius. The school bully was extra smart too. Most importantly, the parents mattered. They weren't invisible and they weren't unrealistic. The show is definitely unrealistic. Werewolves and all, but the relationships on the show ring true. Once the parents got in the know, they became even more awesome. To be honest, I root for Team Parent as often as I root for the teens because they are all part of the pack and most of the time, the scenes with a parent and child are my favorite of the episode. That was definitely the case in the last one. KYle XY was a great show about family and commitment and being there for each other too. I agree that having parents who pay attention and who are actively involved in their lives without controlling their lives is an essential part for me too. There's something abut a family that supports each other that works so well for me.

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  140. Jamie Fraser & Hannibal Lector.


    I'm very surprised at some of the results here. I think I have predicted nearly all of this round winners wrong.

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  141. I honestly loved Seth and Ryan. Seth was so silly, but heartfelt and Ryan so grounded, they balanced each other. I just love brothers anyway.

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  142. Ha! You were smart to stop at season 1 with Sleepy Hollow. I envy you. The Gilmore Girls was a unique look at the mother-daughter bond and one of my very favorites. They had a bond like no other. Looking at it, I think I respond better to one-on-one family dynamics than big groups as well. I hated John on SPN but I loved Bobby so he's their father in my eyes. Peter and Elizabeth are the great married couple on modern TV in my opinion. They supported each other and helped give each other perspective when they most needed it. Mostly though, they talked through their issues instead of yelling and putting each other down. I love it. "Family don't end in blood" may be my favorite family quote of all.


    I agree that the pendulum often swings too far on either side in Hollywood. Layered is always better and I like when characters feel like realistic people to me. I'm hoping Hollywood takes a more balanced look at TV families in the future.

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  143. This whole part of the bracket is stunning me. I thought certain characters would run away with it but many things are far closer than I expected and fandoms are popping out like crazy that I didn't even think would know about the contest. It's going to be a lot more topsy turvy in this contest than it has been and I love the uncertainty of it all. Definitely makes it more fun to watch.

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  144. I'm excited to see John Noble as Sherlock's father.

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  145. Well, the only prediction I made is that Peggy will go further than all the other Comic book shows character...if they keep getting voted out in the first round, Peggy only has to survive one to make the prediction true....

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