It's Murray Time!

[meddow]

I wanted to contribute to halfamoon and decided I would celebrate Nicola Murray, lead character and Secretary of State for the Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship in the third series of The Thick of It. I'm not sure how well known it is, but The Thick of It changed last year from a show with a male lead, to a show with a female lead, and really, how often does that happen? That in itself is pretty awesome and that way, she is actually quite ground breaking.

But, really, what I love most about her in terms of being an awesome female character is that she is not the singular and not-so-funny female island of competency in a world of screwed up and hilarious males. No, Nicola is just a screwed up, hilarious and incompetent as all the men in The Thick of It. That sounds contradictory, but the above trope seems to be the norm in comedy these days and I think it's fantastic when women get to be funny.

Comments

[runawaynun.livejournal.com]

I love this so much. I fell in love with her when her first answer to Malcolm was the crack about her daughter and heroin. :D

Anyway, I'm really happy that someone did something for Nicola for halfamoon. The Nicola love MUST spread.

And it's always hard to explain WHY I love her so much -- 'cause so many of the other women I'm fannish about are amazingly competent and down-right scary. And then there's Nicola Murray -- the bumbling cabinet minister. But I love that she gets in a male dominated arena and keeps fighting and swearing with the big boys. And while so many of the characters seem to be so focused on their OWN careers that she in 3x04 during her breakdown in Malcolm's office is worried that she's not helping OTHER PEOPLE. <3

[meddow.livejournal.com]

That was the moment I fell in love with her too :)

I actually struggled with picking Nicola for halfamoon, because like you, all the other women I tend to love are just amazing, such as Laura Roslin and CJ Cregg. Nicola in terms of achievements and general ability to do her job just pales in comparison.

But as you say, you've got to love her drive and that even though she has to fight to do anything and regularly is humiliated and taunted in the media, she keeps going. And within the context of the show, she shines as being rather selfless.

[arathesane.livejournal.com]

I think one thing I really love about Nicola, is that while she is flawed, she never really puts herself down. Others might(Ollie, the unseen James, Terri, etc) but she does not. There is a tradition in female comedy of being self-deprecating which is fine but it often taken beyond that. It can get into self-loathing and that I sometimes have a problem with.

I mean, I adore Tina Fey and Liz Lemon but sometimes I hate how often Liz rags on herself. Jack builds her up more than she does herself. And while I love their relationship(and the show overall) that can be problematic. I wish that so much of the humor wasn't about laughing at Liz.

[meddow.livejournal.com]

That's true, and a really great point. And Nicola's belief in herself really is one of her great strengths since otherwise she would never get her forth sector policy off the floor what with not even Ollie and Glenn bothering to even pretend they think it's a good idea.

[arathesane.livejournal.com]

Yes, and she believes in herself in a really realistic way. She is by no means arrogant about it or self-involved. I just adore her character so!