RA Challenge ♡ #14: Villain

/ May 6, 2017

It’s hard to explain this, but I’ll try.

My Favourite Villain

#102 And cut him out in little stars

I guess, when it comes to favourite villains, I am openly Guy…

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65 thoughts on “RA Challenge ♡ #14: Villain”

  1. Ah, but he has another side. ❤

    He’s my favourite too. With all that complexity and dichotomy and what have you, he’s hardly the cardboard cutout baddie he was intended to be. Plus he certainly rocks those leathers!

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    • I completely agree, of course. I took the adage “villain” pretty literally here – as the bad guy (Guy) of the peace who is pitted against the protagonist. Even villains get to have feelings – and this villain’s feelings were particularly evocative. (The leathers a definite bonus!)

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    • Good question. I suppose, by definition he was meant to be a villain, but he became more of an anti-hero because RA made Guy a bigger role than possibly intended? He isn’t even clear-cut villainous (too many layers, especially his irrepressible loyalty to and love for Marian), but well, on the surface…

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      • The theory on what happened used to be, anyway, was that the scriptwriters, esp Dominic Minghella, who at some point was interviewed about writing the show and mentioned how impressed he was by Armitage, realized there was a lot more potential in the Guy story line and so they expanded it. Armitage supposedly went to see the writers a lot because he was bothered that Guy would do horrible things and there was never any explanation / motivation. And then he worried after series 2 that he had made the character too sympathetic, even if he felt Guy needed to get “his just deserts.”

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        • Sounds legit. All of it. The writers being surprised by the amount of attention that the baddie is getting, Armitage “meddling” with the character and suggesting stuff (btw, I wonder how that goes down with his directors *hehe*. He’s said that quite a few times at this point… Is he practicing for his own dream of being a director???), and then backpedaling when he’s made the audience fall in love with his character. Ooof. He doesn’t seem to want to reap what he has sown…

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          • a writer, anyway — one of the Spooks commented episodes, I think in series 7, had a sort of snide comment from a writer about it, anyway. I’ve never thought Armitage was a good systematic thinker (consequences).

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            • re. systematic thinker: Do you mean that that makes it harder for him to be a director or a writer? (genuine question, not sure which role you are referencing)

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              • No, just in general in terms of “he doesn’t want to reap what he has sown.” I think that insight might be helpful in explaining a lot of things that have happened career wise, at least in terms of dealing with his fans.

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                • He certainly doesn’t seem to think anticipatory or particularly “konsequent” (I always struggle to translate that word into English – suggestions?). Twitter a case in point.

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                  • the usual translation is “logically” (shrugs), but I usually have to have to see the sentence before I am comfortable with that translation.

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                    • I suppose I was implying something like “following through” with something that he has started. It’s something that I have noticed again and again – kicking off a discussion on SM, then withdrawing from it. Or courting publicity – and then rejecting the response. Moody actors, eh?

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            • I am sometimes surprised that so many actors after years of being ON the stage come out and want to change to directing/producing. On the one hand I understand that they may have developed an interest in directing, on the other I believe that those two things are so completely different that it really may not be a natural progression at all. It’s a bit like school – just because you are a pupil doesn’t mean you know how to teach. Very particular talents and skills are required for either job, and experience in one of them doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll excel in the other. However, I suppose you can only find out if you try… In RA’s case, I’d probably be sad if he hung up his actor’s garb – he is so very good at it. But if he tries, least he has a head-start. With a name in the business, he probably wouldn’t have to start from the ground up…

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              • So many actors have producing credits on films or shows they are acting in. Sometimes it has to do with how much they are being paid. If the main character in a tv series shows up in the credits as a producer too, usually by the 3rd season, that means they are getting paid more but not necessarily doing more. But then you hear how some of them actually are involved in producing the series. I’m thinking of Kiefer Sutherland (sp?) in the 24 series in particular, but he isn’t the only one. It is also a way for an actor to continue to work as much as they want to work by creating their own projects. It is me listening to film industry talk and repeating what I’ve heard. I’m in no way an expert in this.

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                • True, there have been quite a few actors trying their hand at an episode of a series they are in. Great way of trying out directing, I suppose – in an environment where everything is already set up and most of what is left for them to do, is make creative decisions.

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              • He had said enough negative things about acting in 2009-2010 that there was a bit of a sigh of relief from fans of longer duration in 2012 when he was asked about acting / directing and he said that there was still a lot he wanted to do as an actor. Maybe he could at some point direct an episode of a series he’s in (this is something that seems to be fairly common in the U.S., anyway). But I agree, acting and directing are really different skills (producing is a separate issue, as it is not always clear what it means — I donated to a crowdsourced indie production a few years ago and got a producer credit and I can pretty well tell you the money and a few supportive conversations in the context of my loos friendship with the writer were my entire contribution).

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  4. Der Typ ist unschlagbar. Auch wenn der Panda-Look vom Hochzeitstag ein WENIG dick aufgetragen was 😂
    Es ist so einfach, sich nur von Klischees und seinen Eierstöcken leiten zu lassen, wenn man weiß, dass einem so ein Typ im Leben nicht über den Weg laufen würde. Da kann frau alle Vorsicht fahren lassen und hemmungslos schmachten!

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    • Ja, beim ersten Sehen fiel mir das mit dem dicken Kohl-Rand auch noch auf. Und irgendwann ist das dann so normal, dass man gar nicht mehr hinguckt.
      Und ja, du hast Recht. Ich würde im RL wohl nicht zweimal auf so einen Typen gucken, sondern den von vornherein unter “Vollpfosten” ablegen. Aber wie gut, dass das nicht für Fantasien und Movie Boyfriends gilt…

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  5. Anti hero not villain, ambiguity I should write.
    I have written the English version of the review of Dominique Moïsi’s interview: “Game of Thrones”, “House of Cards” …: violence of the series, violence of the world?, about his book: “The geopolitics of the series”. Do you agree to receive it? How many words could be sent to you?

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      • Servetus or Guylty I don’t mind , I don’t know? Both of you or either,any, one of you ? Who is best suited to receive it? Discuss this together and then tell me.
        In any case, I still need to show my 5737 words to my English teacher and my son will have to send them correctly formated (he is still in recruitment by competitive examination) . So… I am in no HURRY!

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  6. I’ve never seen him as a villain. If Marian had not been so stupid, he would have made her very happy. Up until that show aired, I had been a fan of Robin Hood. Unfortunately, the writers made him a jerk. When the producers hired Richard, they inadvertently gave us the man we would root for because who the heck can compete with him? Not Jonas Armstrong, that’s for sure! Richard owned that show from the moment we first saw him on our TV screens. He created an unforgettable character who will live in our hearts forever. This, coming from someone who has zero attraction for bad boys in real life. Guy of Gisborne on this show was magnificent, and I miss him.

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    • There are definitely more clear-cut villains in RA’s oeuvre! Serv’s question (further up) whether we were talking anti-hero or villain was straight to the point, I think. Guy’s role was big enough to be considered an anti-hero, rather than a villain. But on the surface, I guess you could consider him a cardboard cut-out villain. Except Richard completely screwed up and made us fall in love with Guy. I really can’t believe that he honestly thought he had really tried to make Guy reprehensible. Or maybe he did – there is all that creepy, stalkerish stuff, that obsessive love for a woman who clearly disdains Guy, yet he persists… And maybe, maybe, we were all just blinded by the attractive outside. In that case, the showrunners badly miscast RA *haha*.
      In any case, yes, unforgettable. However corny and camp that show was, the character of Guy appealed. And was so well-acted, that he became bigger than maybe expected. I miss him, too.

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  8. I do love Guy. But I couldn’t choose him as my favourite villain when I was answering that question. He is so much the broken tortured soul looking for love and approval that I just can’t see him as pure villain.

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    • Agreed. He definitely isn’t. I think that is why he is my “favourite” villain. Take a clear-cut villain like William Chatford, for instance – I really can’t find anything good about that character. Guy OTOH – oh yes, so much there that I can forgive and forget…

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  11. Guy is the number one and I agree with SueBC. He is not a pure bad boy and it is his charisma why we are mesmerized.
    But for me there are two others, the guy of the series Moving On who was a drug dealer or Ricky Deeming of the series George Gently. It is hard for me to make a decision. Maybe I decide in favour of Ricky Deeming. Hm, ..same age, similar haircut, leatherjacket, scarf…hm.. Are there any similarities with someone?

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    • Ricky Deeming? Oh nonono – but he is really a good egg. He is non-conformist, of course, derisive of 1960s society, but he does nothing bad in the show *at all*.
      Mulligan OTOH – yeah, probably a villain. And again, a very attractive one, whom I would totally fall for – and forgive, at the drop of a hat.

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  13. Absolutely agree! Guy of Gisborne is by far RA’s greatest villain/antihero. Even after witnessing him doing all kinds of despicable deeds I couldn’t stop rooting for his redemption. And he had such powerful sex appeal that with simply a tilt of the head, a smirk, a swagger or even removing a glove with his teeth he set my heart aflutter….whatever “it” was that he had it was definitely more than just his tight fitting leather. (which I loved btw) 😍

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    • I think you have hit the nail – there was a lot of sex appeal in Guy, and with that, he overshadowed any of his less savoury parts. I think the “it” was the romanticism of the character – the knight as such, but also the man who is continuously courting his beloved. And then there was all that potential for redemption – who can resist that? *swoon*

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  15. Favorite Villain? Has RA actually played a villain? Normally when an actor plays a villain, everyone hates the villain. But everyone loves RA’s villains. Guy regularly tortured and killed poor villagers without any compassion yet we adored him, even after he killed Marian. John Mulligan turned out to be a drug dealer, but I’d buy drugs from him. I wouldn’t use them but I’d buy them if he delivered them himself to my home. Could Tom Steele qualify as a villain just for being a vain self-absorbed doctor? He should be but probably not. Paul Andrews turned out to not be such a nice guy, taking advantage of that young girl, but we still liked him. Dolarhyde was a serial killer but he was so mentally damaged we loved him. How about Heinz Kruger? He was a Hydra spy who killed Stanley Tucci. Boo! hiss!
    Okay, Kruger is my favorite villain for having no apparent redeeming qualities. He was a bad Hydra dude.
    And, Dolarhyde is my favorite villain that I want to comfort and cuddle and take home.

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  16. oh Guy… isn’t it wonderful to find all this unconditional and passionate love for him going so strong so many years after ? 🙂 I love him too in just the same way 🙂
    Make me wish they would put it back on telly just for the pleasure of looking forward to being drip fed episodes of Guy. I know i have the DVDs but it just ain’t the same 🙂

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    • Guy is a bit of a wonder and a mystery. His longevity is very interesting. I think there is also some fandom nostalgia mixed up in the general attitude towards him – whether one was there right from when RH aired or not. I certainly came to it much later than its original airing, yet the romanticism unexpectedly hit me… Full disclosure: I don’t even rewatch RH much. Guy totally lives in pictures, gifs, fan fics and my imagination.

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  18. Hey wow, I felt the same as Violet. When the show was first advertised I thought I’d like Robin best too. Maybe it is only the talent that changed that preconception, but yeah, didn’t like the Robin Hood character from the start. I’d never have wasted a second thought on him from Marian’s perspective. When Zeesmuse wrote Manna From Heaven, she created a sensible believable canon of the character for me, and probably for others too. Whew, thank you Zee!

    In fiction and real life, I have never been interested in the villain or liked the bad boy. There is no mystery to them in my mind. So that is the big question, why is Gisborne (if he is supposed to be bad) the better choice in the series? Is it the talent of the actor? Or is there some other inherent reason so many of us think he is better? I can’t believe I am so shallow as to think it is only physical attraction. I think others can and have articulated why Gisborne was the best choice, but in my opinion, he was the only choice. Consequently, Gisborne is my all time favorite Bad Man.

    Damn Guylty, 🌺 you have made my brain take a vacation from work with this and I’ve really enjoyed thinking about these deeply thought provoking questions.

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    • Robin as a character was somehow set up to be too much in that show – the personification of good, the saviour, the love interest for Marian, yet the virile sunnyboy who could get every woman, the fantastic friend to a large group of misfits, the loyal but fair master, the playful young man… endless list really. Some of those characteristic just didn’t mesh with each other – so in the end he was a weird mishmash of a character. Guy was much more clear-cut. Intended as the bad boy nemesis to Robin Hood, especially in competition for the love of Marian. If they had cast a slightly less attractive actor, and possibly someone with less nuanced acting, maybe that actor would not have overshadowed Robin so much… But in any case, in terms of character development, Guy was always far more interesting than Robin. Because he had the scope for change, for emotional turmoil, for character evolution. Robin was always the hero – what can you develop from that????
      As for villains – I am not always into the bad boys. Something has to grip me about a villain so that I can overlook the bad stuff and appreciate the good stuff. That applies to RL as much as to fiction. Guy had it in spades.
      Glad I have taken you on brain vacation. I actually think it’s good for you 🙂

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      • I love your summary of the characters flaws/strengths. Thank you for giving me a brain-break too with these questions. Even tho I’ve not taken the time to methodically go through them, I’ve enjoyed everyone’s comments. 👍🏻😊🦋

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        • The comments are the best bit about these questionnaires – because it leads to discussion. I mean, we’ve probably said it all before, but it’s nice to remind ourselves of it all again…

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