Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Blogging A to Z: Mary Jane Paul

Welcome to the A to Z blogging challenge! All month long we'll be creating posts for each letter of the alphabet according to a theme. Click here to see the list of participating blogs.

My theme is Memorable Characters featuring characters from books, movies, and TV.

Mary Jane Paul

From: Being Mary Jane (current TV series)

Known For: professional success, disasterous personal life

I'm highlighting BET's Being Mary Jane because it's a fantastic, underrated gem currently on TV. Gabrielle Union plays complicated Mary Jane, a TV news anchor who forged her own way, while her secret, that she's dating a married man, begins to consume her. Mary Jane is imperfect, and as an audience we hurt for her, at the same time we can understand where she's coming from. She struggles with the morality of dating a married man, with outside factors constantly weighing in on her affair. But a man who loves her when she's lonely, who promises her the world, is hard to give up. She's the Other Woman we're conditioned to hate, only the other side isn't so easy to define. When you see a character for who she is, with all of her hurts and strengths displayed side by side, it's beautifully complicated. This show has an excellent cast and knows how to amp up the drama without ever overstepping into hammy soap-operea territory. Give it a chance, and start with the TV movie available on Netflix now.

Who is your favorite complicated character?

15 comments:

  1. Nice! She sounds like Olivia Pope on Scandal. I love that show:)

    My most memorable character would have to be Ducky from Sweet Sixteen. That was the movie that started my love for the underdog:)

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  2. I have not seen Being Mary Jane, yet. I'm lucky to keep up with Being Teresa. :)

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  3. Um, in TV? Damon from Vampire Diaries. In books? That's just too large a question to ask. There are so many.

    True Heroes from A to Z

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  4. Sounds interesting. I'm having trouble coming up with my favorite complicated character, but because I just read Crystal Collier's book, Moonless, I'm gonna have to say Kiren. He is a very intriguing, complicated, and swoon-worthy character! :)

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  5. You've caught my interest. I'll have to check this out.

    Sarah Allen
    (From Sarah, With Joy)

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  6. Ooh I'll have to check out the Netflix TV movie. Always looking for good things to watch on there. My favorite complicated character? Hmm. How about complicated romance? The romance in Hart of Dixie is one of the most complicated and awesome ever! One triangle that I love! I agree with Crystal that Damon would be a good one!!

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    1. I really like Hart of Dixie, even if it's hammy. I hope Zoey and Wade get back together!

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  7. Great post. Love your theme. Will be checking back to read them. :)

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  8. I've always thought Gabrielle Union was a beautiful actress. The character sounds similar to Olivia on Scandal--a strong woman who has it all together but her personal life is complicated by an affair with a married man. (Although on Scandal it's the Prez of the US.)

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    1. Gabrielle Union was up for the Olivia role on Scandal. When she didn't get it, she took this instead.

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    2. Now THAT is funny! I had no idea. Kerry Washington is so elegant and poised...I can't picture anyone else in that role.

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  9. First character that's stumped me. I don;t know her, but it sounds like a great series.

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  10. This sounds interesting. I'll have to check it out! Most memorable complicated character for me? Lux from Life Unexpected. Poor kid had it rough. It was a short-lived series but I really enjoyed it. I've watched almost everything the actress has been in since (including Under the Dome, which I love!)

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