Thursday, October 07, 2010

Why Tim Riggins is the greatest TV romantic hero...

Molly is a huge fan of lists so I thought I would do one for one of her favorite shows.

Tim is:

1. Handsome – this isn’t a must. In fact I’m a huge lover of the “beast” archetype. But Riggin’s looks to me are poetic. His face is beautiful. His expression is usually tortured. The combination is powerful.

2. Flawed – where oh where do I start counting the flaws. Having started watching him in season 6 and now able to go back and watch him from season 1, I don’t know that there has ever been a boy/man more lost in his own life. How he does this and remains sympathetic to the audience… amazing.

3. Heroic - for every negative action this character displays, there is an equal action that showcases his heroism. He doesn’t see his friend when he’s in the hospital, when he finally shows up he does more to lift the spirits then anyone. He sleeps with his friend’s girlfriend, he comes to her rescue when she’s being verbally abused. He hates the running back, but still comes to his defense when he’s threatened. He follows his brother into trouble, then takes the fall for everything when it goes wrong.

4. Unassuming - One of the reasons I have a hard time watching this show is because of Tim. When I saw him in season 6 as a has-been high school football star – I assumed he was a defensive player. A linebacker. Something flashy. When I realized he was a full back, I immediately saw all kinds of new facets to his character. The creators picked this position for him very carefully. For those who don’t know, the full back is one of the hardest working least appreciated members on a team. He takes the punishment, shoulders all the burdens and leads the way for the more talented and faster half back. He is not showy. He often gets no glory. But every once and a while when given the ball - he can take it all the way and score. My dad was a full back. When I watch the scenes of Tim playing and putting his body in front so that others can follow behind I always think of dad and I usually end up in tears. Being heroic is only cool if the person doesn’t show case his heroism. The full back is the definition of modest and humble. A quiet hero.

5. Sexual – the bedroom eyes, the slow drawl, the body. These are the easy reasons why Tim is a guy any girl would want to sleep with. Add on the bad boy quality – and there you go. But what I think makes him more sexual than anything else… his vulnerability. Everything about this character says, save me, help me, love me without any element of wining or pleading on his part.

6. Loving – finally, this character loves. He loves and commits deeply… if not always wisely. But what good is a romantic hero who will never love the heroine back.

Thank you DWT for giving me this show and making me realize how wonderful it was. In a year where I seem to be suffering TV malaise - FNL repeats offer me a little slice of something perfect.

8 comments:

Adele said...

Totally agree...

But still upset the Riggins/Julie hookup never eventuated. lol

Molly O'Keefe said...

I want to write books about Tim Riggins. I want all my heroes to be as flawed and loveable as that sexy sexy sexy man boy. Honestly, You talk about fan fiction - I could get into that for Tim. His arc was perfect - when the shit hit the fan in this last season it took a week of reminding myself that Tim Riggins wasn't real, that I didn't ahve to be this upset because it was just a fricking tv show. That's how good it is.

Anonymous said...

Stephanie, so thrilled you are loving this show. Great post, Tim Riggins is one of the most wonderfully written characters on a show with nothing but wonderfully written characters.
He's heartbreaking and beautiful and so well acted, and really, he's a gift to romance writers, a how to manual on how to write a bad boy romance hero.

I need to re-watch season 1 soon.

Maureen McGowan said...

Just so you know, in the imaginary boyfriend department? I called dibs on Tim Riggins years ago. Hands off, Steph. You've already got your vampire. ;)

Stephanie Doyle said...

Maureen - I am NOT that kind of girl! One imaginary boyfriend at a time for me.

And in truth... if I look at Tim - he's so not the type I would date. I would end up trying to fix him which wouldn't work for either of us.

Eric is ruthless, hard and completely unchangeable. That's who I need.

Maureen McGowan said...

When we were talking about comfort reads and I claimed my comfort reads were actually comfort movies... I should have said comfort TV.

There are several TV shows and I can watch over and over and over and love them every time.

Some are reality competition shows like Top Chef and Project Runway, but another is FNL. Gets better every time.

Maureen McGowan said...

PS. The other character on that show who I thought was written so well and broke my heart a few times was Tara. Trying so hard to improve herself with so many strikes against her and a well meaning mother putting road blocks in her way and poking all the buttons to make her think she wasn't worth anything beyond her looks.

Becky in the latest season broke my heart a little, too. and loved the thing between her and Tim.

Cecilia Grant said...

Dissenting voice here - I get impatient with Riggins. I find myself constantly wanting him to get off his butt and do something. When Lyla asked him what he wanted out of life and all he could come up with was "You," I thought, "That may sound sweet but you can't build a life on it."

I really liked Vince this season. Something about the teenage boy having to be the man of the house way too soon (see Saracen season 1) just wrings my heart all inside out.

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