'You got a chance to express all your feelings?' 'Is he still breathing?'

[dolorosa_12]

Day Seven: A female character that needs more screen time

Melinda May from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

This is going to be a brief post today, as I need to go to work quite soon. I had to think for quite a while before I came up with an answer here, as I tend not to stick with shows in which female characters are given insufficient screen time. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a bit of a left-field choice for me, in that every show I've posted about so far has been one that I adored, whereas S.H.I.E.L.D. I merely find enjoyable and frustrating by turns.

A big part of it is simply that the show wears its characters lightly — it's plot-driven, rather than character-driven, and it's hampered by having to tie its plot in to the overarching plot of the various films in the Marvel cinematic universe. So it's not as if any characters are getting personality-developing screen time at the expense of Melinda May. My issues with S.H.I.E.L.D. thus stem mainly from personal preference rather than an inherent flaw of the show itself. My preference is always to spend time with well-developed, intriguing characters, rather than a page-turning or binge-watching-inducing plot.

Now that I've got all that out of the way, I would still like to see more of Melinda May. She was my favourite character from the first episode; I loved her stoicism, her apparent unflappability, her ability to challenge Coulson when necessary. I loved all the little hints of what was going on beneath her calm exterior, the moments when it became apparent she actually felt a wealth of emotions, but kept a very tight lid on them.

I would really like to see more moments like that. I want to know what motivates May, I want her complete backstory, and I want more opportunities to see what she's hiding just beneath the surface. That's what I want for her when I say I think she needs more screen time.


Day Eight: Favorite female character in a comedy show
Day Nine: Favorite female character in a drama show
Day Ten: Favorite female character in a scifi/supernatural show
Day Eleven: Favorite female character in a children’s show
Day Twelve: Favorite female character in a movie
Day Thirteen: Favorite female character in a book
Day Fourteen: Favorite older female character
Day Fifteen: Favorite female character growth arc
Day Sixteen: Favorite mother character
Day Seventeen: Favorite warrior female character
Day Eighteen: Favorite non-warrior female character
Day Nineteen: Favorite non-human female character
Day Twenty: Favorite female antagonist
Day Twenty-One: Favorite female character screwed over by canon
Day Twenty-Two: Favorite female character you love but everyone else hates
Day Twenty-Three: Favorite female platonic relationship
Day Twenty-Four: Favorite female romantic relationship
Day Twenty-Five: Favorite mother/daughter and/or sister relationship
Day Twenty-Six: Favorite classical female character (from pre-20th century literature or mythology or the like)
Day Twenty-Seven: A female character you have extensive personal canon for
Day Twenty-Eight: Favorite female writer (television, books, movies, etc.)
Day Twenty-Nine: A female-centric fic rec
Day Thirty: Whatever you’d like!