likeably unlikeable.

so after reading the description of what we're Actually Supposed to Be Doing, things make a lot more sense. and i also was somewhat on the right track.

i know it will help me to describe some likeably unlikeable characters for my inspiration, most of them from psych. the main character, shawn spencer, is likeably unlikeable. he never takes things seriously, snarks sometimes, but when those things all boil away, he's human. he cares about what happens to people. even though he doesn't treat his dad too well all the time, he's shown soft spots, especially in "an evening with mr. yang." season 3 actually treated shawn very well--he became more likeable as a character to me. season 3 revealed all of shawn's human points. in "gus walks into a bank," we see how concerned he is about his best friend. in "lassie did a bad bad thing," we see exactly how much shawn and lassiter rely on each other. and in "an evening with mr. yang," we see shawn's character reach a sort of maturity--as much as we'll see, pretty much because once psych hits season 4, things start to go downhill... shawn Takes a Level in Jerkass and in Dumbass as well. which makes me sad, because he's such an awesome, loveable character.

the other likeably unlikeable character from psych is carlton lassiter (he's the tall guy in the background... furthest right, if you wanted to know. shawn is in the room "falling over"). carlton is blunt, a jerk, and to be honest, an ass. i hated him the first time i watched the psych pilot--he was always getting in the way, and he just had the most aggressive personality that made me hugely dislike him. but after the first episode of the first season, you get to see more of him. in "from the earth to starbucks," we learn more about carlton's Tragic Past (which is the staple for all characters, really. not everyone has that) and it made me hurt for him a little. (or maybe because i was just seeing otp moments everywhere. maybe.) the episode that really made me like carlton was "lassie did a bad bad thing." watch it for yourself--you'll see why shawn chooses to flirt with him all the time. ;]

yet another likeably unlikeable character comes from bones. the main character, temperance brennan, is a forensic anthropologist. she grew up in a broken home, and her foster parents did not treat her well. she found it useful to abandon her emotions and focus on dealing solely with the facts. this leads her to sometimes make some very coldhearted, blunt statements sometimes. however, in "the doctor in the photo," we learn about a new side of her--the one that aches for acknowledgement and love. we actually see that side in the entire current season (season five, if i'm not mistaken). bones does do things sometimes that make me dislike her (like rag on some of her coworkers, unusually high standards for newbies, etc.) but with all the whumpage that she's been on the receiving end of, i love her dorky, nerdy character.