Rhea Seehorn questions why fans complain that Carol Sturka is unlikable: “Nobody asked that about Walter White, nobody asked that about Jimmy McGill: ‘What’s up with them being so unlikable?’ They were behaving in an honest way to the situation they were in.”
I don’t even think she’s “unlikeable,” she’s interesting and complex and real
Future_Arrival_5395 on
Lots of people said that about Walter white and that’s literally the point of Saul Goodman.
Sorry but this is a huge false premise.
nofixedroute on
I just realized I want to see her act the hell out of a scene with the actress who played Dedra Meera. The expressions!
that-dudes-shorts on
I think it has to do with coolness. Walter White was a terrible person but as Heisenberg he had a lot of confidence (arrogance) and did “cool” things like throw an explosive crystal on the floor and blow up a building. Jimmy was a slimy little turd but he was smart and cunning, that’s cool. There is nothing cool about Carol, yet.
Chance-Ask7675 on
Who cares annoying characters are annoying to watch. She’s annoying. Annoying vs unlikeable vs the “protagonist is likeable but an objective piece of shit” are all different things. I’m pretty sure I would have hated the character if it was a man too but I can’t know that (I am a woman btw). Also yeah, I too would probably be massively annoying in such a situation that doesn’t mean I will enjoy watching it on screen.
rutfilthygers on
I love the character, but she is clearly meant to be someone who is hard to get along with.
MuitnortsX on
Misogyny is undeniably a huge issue in fandoms and online discussion.
I don’t think it’s necessarily relevant here though. Walter White had so much forward momentum and caused all sorts of fun chaos by being a bad person.
Carol is a much, much, much better person than him. But it can feel more frustrating to watch a character you think is a good person be relentlessly mean and negative when it achieves so little plot wise.
I actually like Carol and never found her unlikeable tbh but she’s a much more real person (in an crazy situation) than WW’s cartoon villain ass so I can understand viewers reacting to her this way.
blarbiegorl on
Carol’s story is one about grief in the face of profound trauma and loneliness in unimaginable circumstances. Sometimes you’re not the most likable person when life hits you that hard, but it makes for a truly beautiful character.
hanu-music on
been saying this from day one. I was horrified by the response to her character. her character is FIRE. and normal?
Lost-Comfort-7904 on
I have never seen anyone hate on Rhea’s character, it’s always reserved for Skyler.
peatoast on
These are probably the same fans who “hate” Don Draper.
spicychickentendr on
I love how utterly real, flawed, inconsistent, and bleak Carol is. She’s one of the very few characters in any type of show revolving around intense crisis I’ve seen that is a most realistic portrayal of what a person would actually do in her given situation. I don’t like her as a person, sure, she was miserable before the virus, but fuck, I know her, I see her, I understand her both before and after the virus, and I desperately want the best for her. Jimmy and Walter werent nearly as frustrating to watch, but I never had strong feelings toward their good nor bad actions, Carol I do. (Actually, huge credit to Rhea, I cared far more about about Kim than Jimmy at all times)
Dark_Knight-276 on
But people didn’t complain about Kim either (except in the final episode when she remarried).
jaguarsp0tted on
she’s acting pretty reasonably as one of the only people in the entire world who wants to save *billions* of human lives and countless animals dependent on us from colonizing imperialist rape spores that are wiping out entire civilizations and destroying planets. oh no, she got mad? she got upset? she gave a truth serum to a rape spore? oh nooooooo she’s worse than hitler :'(
Carol is great. she’s a blast. she’s kind of an asshole naturally and more than a bit of a hardass and she’s acerbic as fuck. and she’s also very smart and has been very, very traumatized and is trying to navigate that. while also fighting rape spores who need to be eradicated from the universe.
garbitch_bag on
Her and Skyler get so much shit, but I love both of those characters. I think it’s definitely a gender issue.
humblehills on
1000%. We’re so conditioned to hate female characters when they are flawed, versus male characters we give them wayyyy more leeway. Except maybe Rory and Lorelai Gilmore. Those girlies are really awful lol.
18 Comments
That’s exactly why I like her lol.
I don’t even think she’s “unlikeable,” she’s interesting and complex and real
Lots of people said that about Walter white and that’s literally the point of Saul Goodman.
Sorry but this is a huge false premise.
I just realized I want to see her act the hell out of a scene with the actress who played Dedra Meera. The expressions!
I think it has to do with coolness. Walter White was a terrible person but as Heisenberg he had a lot of confidence (arrogance) and did “cool” things like throw an explosive crystal on the floor and blow up a building. Jimmy was a slimy little turd but he was smart and cunning, that’s cool. There is nothing cool about Carol, yet.
Who cares annoying characters are annoying to watch. She’s annoying. Annoying vs unlikeable vs the “protagonist is likeable but an objective piece of shit” are all different things. I’m pretty sure I would have hated the character if it was a man too but I can’t know that (I am a woman btw). Also yeah, I too would probably be massively annoying in such a situation that doesn’t mean I will enjoy watching it on screen.
I love the character, but she is clearly meant to be someone who is hard to get along with.
Misogyny is undeniably a huge issue in fandoms and online discussion.
I don’t think it’s necessarily relevant here though. Walter White had so much forward momentum and caused all sorts of fun chaos by being a bad person.
Carol is a much, much, much better person than him. But it can feel more frustrating to watch a character you think is a good person be relentlessly mean and negative when it achieves so little plot wise.
I actually like Carol and never found her unlikeable tbh but she’s a much more real person (in an crazy situation) than WW’s cartoon villain ass so I can understand viewers reacting to her this way.
Carol’s story is one about grief in the face of profound trauma and loneliness in unimaginable circumstances. Sometimes you’re not the most likable person when life hits you that hard, but it makes for a truly beautiful character.
been saying this from day one. I was horrified by the response to her character. her character is FIRE. and normal?
I have never seen anyone hate on Rhea’s character, it’s always reserved for Skyler.
These are probably the same fans who “hate” Don Draper.
I love how utterly real, flawed, inconsistent, and bleak Carol is. She’s one of the very few characters in any type of show revolving around intense crisis I’ve seen that is a most realistic portrayal of what a person would actually do in her given situation. I don’t like her as a person, sure, she was miserable before the virus, but fuck, I know her, I see her, I understand her both before and after the virus, and I desperately want the best for her. Jimmy and Walter werent nearly as frustrating to watch, but I never had strong feelings toward their good nor bad actions, Carol I do. (Actually, huge credit to Rhea, I cared far more about about Kim than Jimmy at all times)
But people didn’t complain about Kim either (except in the final episode when she remarried).
she’s acting pretty reasonably as one of the only people in the entire world who wants to save *billions* of human lives and countless animals dependent on us from colonizing imperialist rape spores that are wiping out entire civilizations and destroying planets. oh no, she got mad? she got upset? she gave a truth serum to a rape spore? oh nooooooo she’s worse than hitler :'(
Carol is great. she’s a blast. she’s kind of an asshole naturally and more than a bit of a hardass and she’s acerbic as fuck. and she’s also very smart and has been very, very traumatized and is trying to navigate that. while also fighting rape spores who need to be eradicated from the universe.
Her and Skyler get so much shit, but I love both of those characters. I think it’s definitely a gender issue.
1000%. We’re so conditioned to hate female characters when they are flawed, versus male characters we give them wayyyy more leeway. Except maybe Rory and Lorelai Gilmore. Those girlies are really awful lol.
I thought her being unlikable was the point…