*Warning: This post contains spoilers about the characters from the television series Timeless. Read at your own risk if you have not watched the first two seasons.
There is something to be said about a well written, human character. They leap off the page and speak to us as if they were right in front us, as flesh and blood human beings, instead of fictional creations.
In this series of weekly blog posts, I will examine character using the characters from Timeless to explore how writers can create fully dimensional, human characters that audiences and readers can relate to.
Commitment is defined as the following:
“The state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.”
If one were to look up the definition of commitment in the dictionary, they would see the face of Emma Whitmore (Annie Wersching). Emma was originally a double agent, working for Mason Industries while revealing the secrets of her job to Rittenhouse. When her secret was revealed, Emma joined Rittenhouse and never looked back.
The audience and the Time Team met Emma after she had faked her death and spent several years living in Missouri in the 19th century. Emma is a tireless foot soldier for Rittenhouse, willing to do anything and everything that is needed to ensure that her teams wins. Not above violence when needed, she is smart, strong and is more than able to take care of herself. But that does not mean that she is without weakness.
Angry and jealous that Lucy is higher in the hierarchy of Rittenhouse due to an accident of birth, Emma takes great pleasure in torturing Lucy whenever she can. However, she is not all bad. In certain instances, she has let history take its course instead of following her instructions to the letter.
To sum it up: A character who is committed to his or her cause is a great starting point for their story arc. But there has to be more than this commitment. Emma is a good example of this because though she usually follows the dictates of Rittenhouse, there are moments when she does not follow orders. Her jealousy of Lucy and the rare times when she does acquience to history creates a well-rounded character that the audience can relate to, even if they disagree with her actions.
P.S. It’s nice to see a badass redhead on screen, even if she is one of the baddies.
This will probably be my last Character Review post for 2018. I have not decided if I will start a new list of characters next week or wait until after the New Year. Either way, stay tuned and keep watching for new posts. You maybe surprised who I review.
Writergurlny 