The Rise of the Dark Side

[thefourthvine]

Okay, so a few months ago I made a playlist for Best Beloved (based around the theme of heroes and saving the world, additions still gratefully accepted) featuring the song Michael (Jump in), which is actually written (Jumpin) in the version I bought, but I refuse to believe that. Anyway, what I didn't realize when I put the song on the mix is that it is, at least according to BB, a song written by a car to David Hasselhoff.

Best Beloved spent some time explaining this concept to me - apparently, the car was an artificial intelligence, and together he and Michael (played by David Hasselhoff) fought crime. And then I asked her about the line in the song that goes:

"It's not like you/To turn your back and let the dark side win"

Obviously, this gave me a mental image of the show as a kind of Star Wars crossover, where Michael was a Jedi and the car was his - trusty, um, whatever. Racer-thing, maybe. Basically, I was sort of envisioning David Hasselhoff as Anakin Skywalker, which made my brain hurt.

BB explained to me that, no, it wasn't about Michael's dark side. "Because I don't think he really had one," she said.

"But without angst, what do you write about in the third season?" I asked her.

She didn't know. Apparently her television knowledge is not that encyclopedic.

Thinking about it, though, I'm not sure I can imagine this concept. He's a lone wolf white guy out to save the world with just his car (and, I'm guessing, his fists or maybe a gun, although BB did not go into that part)! Surely he must have:

1. Angst, including a tragic back story.
   
2. A dead wife or girlfriend or kid something, or maybe just one who left him with prejudice after she found the photos of him with a puppy on his dick. (Warning for a dude with a puppy on his dick. NSFW, is what I'm saying. Also possibly not all that safe for your brain.)
   
3. A constant struggle with the dark side, whether it be his alcoholism or his desire to eat people or his evil twin or his general dickishness or whatever.

You can't have TV without those things, is my understanding. Even in Sports Night, a half-hour comedy show, Danny had a dead brother, a bad relationship with his parents, and some kind of major emotional breakdown including acting out on air. He had plenty of angst! He had a dark side! He was a news anchor on a half-hour comedy show. So I really don't see how a crimefighter with an intelligent car could get out of this. (BB does recall that the car apparently had some angst. And an evil twin.)

Except, as previously documented extensively in this space, my understanding of TV is limited and narrow. So - can you have TV without those things? I mean, are these the actual requirements, or am I just confused? And if those are the requirements, was it always that way? Can you pinpoint an era as the Rise of Main Character Angst? What about Main Character Dark Sides?

Tell me about angst and dark sides on TV, is what I'm saying!

Comments

[greyminerva]

Ok, I was going to be all sensible and wiki the show (because my memories from the 80ies are as blurred and uncertain as the rest of the posters here ;) ) but lo and behold - someone (who has seen your puppypic?) has spoofed the entry!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knight_Rider_(1982_TV_series)

As far as I remember (but no guarantees), the hero was shot in the head/face, therefore requiring extensive plastic surgery. I don't really remember all the stuff from the rest of the series, except the decided (b)romance going on between KITT and Michael. :)

However - you mentioned "season three angst", and now I can't get the concept out of my head; I'm thinking through all my tv-shows and trying to remember if they all turn angsty in the third season! :D

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

First, I just need to state that it is totally not my puppypic. I think it was brooklinegirl who originally linked to it. HER FAULT, in other words. I am as much a victim as you are.

That said, yeah, I think whoever did the Wiki vandalizing had totally seen that picture. And was possibly scarred by it. As one is.

However - you mentioned "season three angst", and now I can't get the concept out of my head; I'm thinking through all my tv-shows and trying to remember if they all turn angsty in the third season! :D

See, I wouldn't know enough about TV to be sure that it happens in a certain season. I just know that in the first season, they're establishing. And in the second season, they tweak, unless it's a runaway hit (I have no idea what they do then). But by the third season - what is there to write about, if there isn't a mopey white guy hanging around with a tragic past?

[ashkitty.livejournal.com]

Dude, you've never heard of Knight Rider?

(Maybe it is because my name is Kit, which is very like KITT the talking intelligent car, because TO THIS DAY when I introduce myself people say 'you mean like the car in Knight Rider?' I am not sure how you escaped this knowledge.)

He had a tragic backstory; he and his partner were shot, and they saved his life but he had to go totally undercover so everyone thinks he's dead. And his son became a bad guy.

[hannahrorlove.livejournal.com]

Eureka didn't start out with any particular angst for the major characters. Even the main character's relationship with his wife, which ended in divorce, was treated fairly realistically and lightly: they'd grown apart for different reasons, and he was working on becoming a better person, and neither of them hated the other and were happy to move on with their lives. As the show went on, there was some angst and dark side struggling, but it was mostly because of what happened on the show, not what came beforehand.

Journeyman didn't have an unrealistically or outlandishly sad backstory, but rather something more in tune with what would go on in reality. The main character did have some conflicts over what he was supposed to do with his time-traveling abilities, but grew to accept them. Also, he opened up to his wife about what was going on instead of going through lots of elaborate lying, so she knew what was happening if her husband disappeared during a dinner party. It's only thirteen episodes long, and it's all on Hulu.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has no angst to speak of. There are conflicts and problems to solve, and the occasional episode where someone worries about how to act in certain situations, but they're all resolved by the end of the episode. It's very charming. The whole first season's on Youtube.

[an-sceal.livejournal.com]

I think the simple explanation is- Knight Rider was a show that made an entire generation question whether or not it was okay to have a crush on a sentient car. I always found Michael less interesting than KITT.

Though, in fairness, KITT was BITCHY, and I tend to be amused by snippy, bitchy male (um... some arguable factor of male) characters.

[starfishchick]

Knight Rider was a show that made an entire generation question whether or not it was okay to have a crush on a sentient car.

It's totally OK!! At least, it is to me!

And KITT was a bitchy car voiced by WILLIAM DANIELS, who is AWESOME.

[an-sceal.livejournal.com]

The car was always hotter. :)

[boogieshoes.livejournal.com]

the car was a better actor. ;)

-bs

[an-sceal.livejournal.com]

No arguments there. The car from Magnum, P.I. was a better actor.

[jeanniewal.livejournal.com]

I LOVED Magnum PI!

[an-sceal.livejournal.com]

Me too. And I grew up in Hawaii, so it was particularly fun for me.

[travels-in-time.livejournal.com]

AKA Mr. Feeny. FEE-HEE-HEE-HEENY!

[starfishchick]

LOVE THAT SHOW.

[sdwolfpup.livejournal.com]

You know, I'm asking for Knight Rider as one of my Festivids requests; clearly I'm going to have to suggest this song in particular. Thank you!

[rheasilvia.livejournal.com]

Actually, in this story - the *car* has an evil twin (or at least an evil older brother).

I am not joking. That's canon right there.

[corvis-corvax.livejournal.com]

SERIOUSLY!!! They -ALL- had evil twins! the car, the guy, the chick, and the old guy!

[rheasilvia.livejournal.com]

Really? I only knew about CARR! I didn't know the others had evil twins too - and I used to watch this show religiously. (Hey, I was a kid.)

[boogieshoes.livejournal.com]

in addition to Micheal having angst via Viet Nam, most of the angst for the A-Team, Magnum PI, Simon and Simon, Hunter (cop-buddy show) came from Viet Nam backgrounds for many of the characters.

the main character for Equalizer was a bit too old for Viet Nam, but did the Cold War Agent thing. Spenser and Hawk from Spenser for Hire almost certainly did Viet Nam. and even Macguyver(have duct tape and swiss army knife, and you too can save the world!) has Viet Nam in his background.

specifically regarding Knight Rider - i didn't know Micheal had all that angst sitting there - i always thought the car was the main character, hah!

-bs

[spiffikins]

Forever Knight was pretty much my first introduction to a tv series with angst and darkness. While I grew up with Knight Rider, I was too young to really notice anything but the WAY AWESOME CAR :D

Forever Knight had Nick Knight, an 800 year old vampire, who was living in 1990's Toronto and working as a cop - trying to a) help people to atone for his centuries of being a horrible blood-sucking fiend and b) find a way to become human again

Points of angst:

1) he keeps using his dark nature to solve crimes! Mesmerizing people to tell him the truth! Flying through the air to capture crooks!

2) He *wants* to have a relationship with the human female coroner - but his dark nature comes out whenever he gets near her, romantically, so he has to keep it platonic

3) His ex-wife, a gorgeous vampire, is in town, and keeps trying to remind him of how wonderful it is to be true to your vampire nature.

4) He tried to kill his vampire sire, Lacroix, but failed. Lacroix shows up in town, and tries to alternately kill him, and lure him back into the fold.

So much angst! Denial of his dark nature! Flashbacks with really terrible hairpieces! Oodles of brooding and tortured looks! Intimations of a *deeper* relationship between sire and son (soo much slashy fiction!)

I really need to dig out my dvd's and rewatch this series!

[ide-cyan.livejournal.com]

And the show had these awesome angsty/cheesy original rock songs on its soundtrack with vocals by Lori Yates (mostly).

[unusualdemoness.livejournal.com]

Wow, this is a real show? Until I got to the comments I thought you were kidding. :/

And I've even heard of Knight Rider. Apparently I can't brain today.

Shows with zero angst

[silentstep.livejournal.com]

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, bitches!

Also: Azumanga Daioh is a seriously awesome slice-of-life anime series about a group of girls who are in high school and also are awesome friends, and their two teachers who are also lifelong friends, and are occassionally friends of theirs too. The one male character is... as squicky as physically possible, but he's barely in it. The only romance is a crush one girl has on another (the object of which is oblivious), and there is no plot, and it basically proves that you can make an entire series predicated entirely on charm. Lots and lots of charm.

Also I should tell you, Pinkie Pie from MLP:FiM is everything I aspire to be in life. Osaka from Azumanga Daioh comes in a close second.