5 female side characters who need their own series.
Obviously, I’m a girls’ girl (I work for WFF, after all). I love TV and film about girls, by girls, for girls, etcetera. As both a TV writer and all around enthusiast, I’m constantly adding new shows to my watch list, and when I watch these shows, I’m often left wondering why the female side characters don’t get more recognition - from both fans and writing teams. And yeah, I’m sure we can boil it all down to the patriarchy, but that’s a whole other blog post. Or dissertation. And that’s not why you’re here… or is it?
Anyway, here’s a short list of the female side characters I’d love to see in their own starring role. Surely there are a ton more to add to this roster - so feel free to chime in with who you’d love to see lead a series.
Keeley Jones (Ted Lasso)
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Keeley was instantly my favourite character in Ted Lasso. Of course, Ted is lovable and the main cast are absolutely endearing, but Keeley immediately stood out. She was loud and fun and above all else, unapologetically girly. In a world of macho men and sports executives, Keeley was so unafraid to be herself. Unlike so many women on TV before her, she never tried to shrink herself for the men around her. She chased her dreams, she communicated like an absolute champ (I’m sure we can all take notes) and she did what was right for her. Not only did Keeley have love and respect for herself, but for the people around her. She was a fantastic friend, and I would love to see a camera crew follow her in her influencer, pre-Richmond days.
2. Vanessa Keefer (Atlanta)
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If I could change one thing about Atlanta, it would be the fact that I simply need to see Van play a larger role than Earn’s wife. Or Earn’s ex. Or Earn’s baby mama.
Van is her own person, and I’d be quick to call Atlanta a perfect show IF they made more of an effort to showcase that. Personally, I want to know who Van is outside of Earn. Or outside of Drake’s house. It saddens me that nearly every story or scene about Van is in relation to the men in her life, and I was hoping in season 3 that would change, but I’m not quite sure that it is.
I find Van captivating and cool and charming from the small doses I’ve gotten, and I’d be thrilled to watch her lead a show about her own coming of age, before she met Earn, or even during… or even after. All I know is, I’m interested. And I really hope that the writers give us a crumb soon.
3. Cece Parekh (New Girl)
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It really is a shame that Cece’s main purpose in New Girl was to be the pretty best friend, because she had so much more to offer. Not only was Cece hilarious, but she had great chemistry with the roommates, and I would have loved to have seen those friendships be explored more than the brief glimpses we got.
I also think that Cece’s story is one that we rarely see on TV. I would have loved to see more about her strained relationship with her parents. I would have loved more insight on her life and career as a brown woman (a group of women who are still so underrepresented in the beauty world) trying to break into the modelling scene. The mental health aspect of her career - from diet culture to trying to break into such a white industry. There are so many layers to Cece and her life that we never got to see, and that’s a shame. Because that story deserves representation on TV.
4. Carmen Wade (GLOW)
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Two words: Machu. Picchu.
Some might argue that Carmen was one of the man characters in GLOW, but I have to disagree. I really do think that Carmen got side character treatment, and that made me sad. While I do believe that if GLOW had gotten another season, Carmen would have gotten more prominent, I also believe that she should have been more prominent from the get go.
Aside from being jealous that her skinny friend got the guy, Carmen was only ever really acknowledged as the girl who already knew a thing or two about wrestling, which is great, don’t get me wrong, but I would have loved to see Carmen more personally outside of the ring. We got an inside look at all of the other girls’ relationships - be it family, friends, or significant others, but rarely did we get to see Carmen make any personal strides. Mostly, I thought that she was just there as a tool for everybody else.
I love how diverse the cast of GLOW is. It’s one of my top 5 shows of all time. And Carmen represents a huge community of women who don’t often see themselves on the big screen. I only wish that with that representation, we could have seen more.
5. Skyler White (Breaking Bad)
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Now, the woman you’ve all been waiting for. You know I had to save the best for last. This might be an unpopular opinion, but I really love Skyler White. I think she deserved better. A lot better. And I think Marie did too. But that's beside the point.
I’ve heard a lot of people discredit Skyler for nagging Walt. For being annoying. For being a complainer. And those criticisms don’t surprise me. Women are often invalidated and ridiculed for having emotions and reacting to their circumstances. It’s something we’re no stranger to.
I’ll admit, at the beginning of the series I wasn’t head over heels for Skyler. I might have even said those same things about her. But as the series progressed, I truly did believe that Walt was the problem. Walt was the root of all evil. And he constantly made it look like it was Skyler’s fault. Like she was being crazy for worrying about her sketchy cancerous husband when he would disappear for hours or days. When she feared a future as a single mother. When she feared his profession. Skyler was never crazy, though. She was a woman who was put in a horrible situation by a man she loved. And she made bad choices, too. But I don’t blame her for making those choices, for doing what was best for her children, and for making mistakes while living in absolutely terrifying circumstances.
I know I’ve made my fair share of bad choices in significantly less distress.
Written by Becca Hopper.