I’m sure I’m not the only person who can picture themselves becoming friends— or even foes— with TV show characters they watch. Whether it’s because I think we’d be compatible in real life, or they just drive me crazy, here are five characters I’d get along with and five I would make sure to keep my distance from.
Friends
1. Marshall Eriksen (How I Met Your Mother)
I may be biased, but if you know anything about me, How I Met Your Mother is my favourite show to ever exist. One of those reasons being that it introduced me to one of the purest, most wholesome individuals in TV history: Marshall Eriksen. I have such a soft spot for this human-form teddy bear and love everything about him. From his passions and strong morals to his sensitivity and loyalty, there’s nothing more you’d want in a friend. I can only fantasize about having someone love me as much as Marshall loves Lily, and in a perfect world, I’d get to be friends with the entire clan.
2. Lorelai Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)
Much like myself, Lorelai is a loquacious, witty, pop-culture enthusiast, who cares deeply about the people around her. Not only would we be inseparable, I think Lorelai would be a great role model to be around, passing along the abundance of life lessons she’s picked up from her difficult upbringing. I can already imagine us meeting up for a coffee date at Luke’s diner that somehow lasts for hours. Sorry, Rory, you didn’t make the cut.
3. Mitchell Pritchett (Modern Family)
Quite the opposite of his husband on the show (Cameron Tucker), I appreciate how mellow yet entertaining Mitch is. He isn’t overdramatic— he’s considerate, dependable, funny and still manages to steal the show. I’d love nothing more than to have a fun day out together, gossiping about anything and everything.
4. Eloise Bridgerton (Bridgerton)
When I recently watched Bridgerton, I was immediately drawn to the independent and feminist nature of Eloise. As two creatives who love reading, writing and a good mystery, I would’ve joined her pursuit of demystifying the identity of Lady Whistledown in a heartbeat. But if there’s one thing I relate with her the most about, it’s the attempt to delay the idea of marriage for as long as possible (sorry mom).
5. Chandler Bing (Friends)
For this last spot, I had a tough time deciding between Jim Halpert from The Office and good ol’ Chandler. It was a close one, but I think my inevitable crush on Jim would just get in the way. So with respect to Pam Beesly Halpert, I digress. On the other hand, Chandler’s the type of lad you can only perceive within platonic measures, which makes him so much easier to get along with. Coupled with our identical sense of humour, I think we’d bounce off of each other well.
Foes
1. Tokyo (Money Heist)
Money Heist is a fantastic show with a perfect balance in characters. While you have unequivocally likable characters, you also have characters like Tokyo, who just drive you crazy. Simply put, she’s way too impulsive and reckless, incessantly compelled by selfishness. She has this impressive talent of ignorance that leads her to overlook the ways in which her actions affect others and tends to take action before thinking. Bottom line, I’d never want to be stuck on a mission with her. She’d probably be the reason I end up dying anyway.
2. Andy Bernard (The Office)
When Andy was first introduced to The Office, I genuinely liked him. Even though his singing and forced humour were a little annoying at times, it was tolerable. But when they relentlessly dragged his character arc through the mud and made him this despicable character, I had a complete change of heart. He was a terrible boyfriend to Erin Hannon and he was an even worse manager. It also doesn’t help that he creeps the hell out of me.
3. Blair Waldorf (Gossip Girl)
Let me preface this by saying that ‘Queen B’ is hands down one of the most amusing aspects of Gossip Girl. It sounds counterintuitive, but I genuinely like her on the show. She’s great content to watch with a bag of popcorn in hand, but I just know she’d be a tyrannical menace to deal with. It sounds harsh put into words, but she’s an intrinsically toxic person who would make sure to ruin your life if you ever crossed her. I’m now starting to think that the B stands for something else.
4. Pierce Hawthorne (Community)
Community’s another one of my favourite programs and a completely underrated one at that. It incorporates a lot of diversity and creativity on screen in a way I’ve never seen before. It also presents characters, such as Pierce Hawthorne, who is basically synonymous with old, white and racist. Chances are, most people have encountered their fair share of Pierce’s, and I for one, do not get along with them. Although he could be quite funny at times, the underlying tones of racism and homophobia in his jokes ruined his character. I’m sure he’d be nothing more than a punchline in his eyes.
5. Rachel Berry (Glee)
To put it in simple terms, Rachel Berry is basically Blair Waldorf in a different font. She’s extremely rude, entitled and egotistical — qualities in people that I cannot stand. Certain moments had me rooting for her or even sympathizing with her, but she would unquestionably jump at the opportunity to sabotage me if I got in her way. Much like Puck in the pilot episode of the show, I wouldn’t hesitate to throw a slushie in her face.