Relatability is a key element that many TV shows and movies try to achieve. There is a good reason why this is important. Every time a person watches a character to whom they can relate, they are able to connect to these characters and understand them. In fact, one might even go to the extent of justifying the bad decisions taken by these characters. Within this element of reliability exists the idea of struggling character. If one war to reminisce over the past TV shows and movies they have watched, they would be able to realize that more often than not the protagonist is going through some major challenges. Interestingly, these challenges and the way the protagonist is leading a not-so-perfect life and is trying to deal with these crises are what make the viewer relate to them.

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When viewers watch these characters fall back down and make numerous mistakes, they actually feel better. No matter how much we try to argue against it, that is the reality. The question is why?

Gives Us Hope

     Warner Bros. Pictures

One key reason why these characters make us feel better is that they tend to give us hope. A brilliant example of this would be the infamous rom-coms. These, more often than not, include some typical tropes. A protagonist who either does not believe in love or is desperately looking for life. Either way, the protagonist does not succeed in this department from the very beginning of the story. In Friends, we see Ross obsessing over Rachel from episode one. However, these feelings were not reciprocated in the beginning. Eventually, when they do start a seemingly-perfect relationship, they face so many challenges. With Ross’s unreasonable jealously and the big debate on whether they were on a break or not, the couple starts having a very complicated relationship until finally, at the very end, they start anew. For many viewers, this gives them the hope that eventually it will all work out.

Another brilliant example would be Charlie in Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. Charlie starts off as one super unlucky kid who is born into poverty. However, this character wins the audience’s hearts due to his humble nature. At the end of the story, Charlie ends up winning Wonka’s chocolate factory simply because he was able to win the golden ticket as well as Wonka’s heart. His story definitely gives the idea that everything will be ok!

As Told By Ginger: Why Is It Relatable Today?

Ability to Learn

     HBO

Charlie’s story also gives the viewer many notable lessons. One key moral is that one should always be humble and grateful for what they have; we see the film using Charlie as the foil of the other spoiled kids. Thus, the viewer might see this as a life tip that might come in handy.

With the rise in films that shed light on mental health issues, viewers seem to start liking such films and TV simply because of their struggling characters. Zendaya’s Rue became a popular character instantly. Rue is going through a lot, and this character seems to be learning many things. In fact, the latest season ended with Rue seemingly starting her road to recovery. There is so much to gain from this character. One is that the key reason why Rue was able to start recovering was due to her reaching out to her family and friends. This is a huge lesson that the viewer can take from this character. As Bergeson states,

TV shows like Euphoria give so many brilliant lessons on mental health. From the way in which these characters try to stay away from toxic positivity to the importance of talking to someone as part of the healing process, shows as such allow the viewer to learn and grow with these characters.

These shows move beyond just including the topic of mental health; instead, they further de-stigmatize what so many of viewers experience in real life.

Here’s How Euphoria Makes Mental Health Issues Relatable

We Feel Less Lonely

     Paramount Pictures

Loneliness is definitely a challenging emotion that almost every single person goes through. During such times, when one relies on film and TV shows, it can be quite comforting to see characters that one can relate to. Not only does that make the viewer feel as if they are not alone, but they are also able to understand that the hard times can pass.

Additionally, when people look at struggling characters, they tend to forget their own issues. In Nuwer’s article, he points out Howard Sklar’s theories as he states:

These experiences give way to empathetic and sympathetic feelings. Thus, the viewer is able to forget about their own challenges and instead, feel sad for the character. This, in turn, makes one feel better as they come to understand that even such characters have similar struggles.

“We’d have no way of processing a character cognitively if we didn’t have experiences with people outside of the fictional world,” he explains. “The experiences with fictional characters resonate with us because of the fact that we’ve had deep experiences with people throughout our lives.”