With SBS 2’s The Feed spending their week looking at addiction, we at The Iris and the AU review will be spending a bit of time doing the same. We’re kicking things off here on The Iris by looking at 7 characters whose various addictions make them must-watch television in their own right. You might say we get addicted to them ourselves… here are the first three characters:
Dexter Morgan from Dexter
His Vice? Murder
While some may contend that the series lasted well beyond it’s expiry date, Dexter will always be remembered as the intense psychological case study of TV’s most likeable serial killer. At first it was hard to reconcile Dex’s irresistible charm with the fact that this was a man who murdered people – a lot of people. However, each season dealt with different aspects of Dexter’s character and self-discovery in such an endearing way that he will always be one of the greatest television personalities ever created; the one that actually challenged your ability to empathise with a fictional character. The delicacy of the first few seasons may have been terribly inconsistent in the more recent years, but putting this incredibly interesting killer – and his uncontrollable, filtered urge to kill – under the microscope for 8 years will never be a mistake. (Chris Singh)
Bubbles from The Wire
His Vice? Heroin
The Wire has many overarching sub-plots that tug at the heart strings and keep you guessing, but that of criminal informant and heroin addict Reginald “Bubbles” Cousins is surely one of the most essential. Bubbles life, be it as a junkie, an informant or an intelligent and compassionate man struggling with his demons, can be seen as everything The Wire does well on a micro scale. The deft touch and delicate views The Wire’s writing staff give to Bubbles’ struggles, the realities of his criminal problems, his devastating losses and little victories are exactly what make the show great. His story is as essential to the show as the flashier arcs from Omar and Stringer. (Andrew McDonald)
Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad
His Vice? (Blue) Meth
A large part of this highly acclaimed series was our heartfelt attachment to Jesse; we teetered between writing him off as a burden and rooting for him in every possible scenario. Aaron Paul did such a fantastic job as the on-again-off-again meth addict-slash-dealer that it may be impossible for him to shake Jesse’s catchphrases for the rest of his career. The actor’s defining role became a sympathetic good guy towards the end, making for some of the most memorable scenes and completely balancing out the show against the fantastic hero-villain that was Walter White. Jesse’s addiction kept us engaged at times when the show fell below the high standard it set for itself in the first season, it developed him into a sort of adopted son for Mr White, one which kept our Mr Heisenberg grounded at some of the most crucial times in this masterful show. Jesse did some pretty morally bankrupt things, but he will always be rememberd as Breaking Bad’s most lovable character. (Chris Singh)
The Feed screens Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on SBS2. Addiction Week runs from tonight, March 24th until this Thursday. For all the latest Feed action, head to http://www.sbs.com.au/thefeed/ – And stay tuned to The Iris for the final four…
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