In modern tv, many characters are very flawed, though sometimes redeemable. Rogers Spotlight decided to compare two different characters; Bill Compton from True Blood and Don Draper from Mad Men. The question is, who has screwed up their life more?
Vampire Bill, as he is fondly known, has a long and dark past. He was a simple soldier during the Civil War who fought for the South. However, on his journey home from war, he was waylaid and turned into a vampire by a woman named Lorena. That led to Bill and Lorena joining up for a century or so and leaving a trail of mayhem in their tracks.
The reason for all of this? Lorena was lonely and wanted a companion. Before she released Bill, Lorena definitely got what she wanted. However, the outcome on Bill‘s side shows that even vampires can have some humanity. After escaping from Lorena, Bill eventually made his way to Bon Temps and fell for telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse.
That relationship hasn’t been the easiest for Bill either. He loves Sookie, but he’s a vampire, and he definitely has vampire tendencies. Bill loves, but he also lusts, rages, and needs to consume blood to continue his existence. That can be dangerous for a vampire with a human girlfriend. At least Bill is trying to be more than just a vampire.
What about Don Draper? Well, Don Draper started out as Dick Whitman. However, his change came from switching his dogtags with those of a fallen soldier while he was fighting in Korea. Prior to that, Dick Whitman was the child of a drunk and a prostitute who died giving birth to him.
Once he got through the war, Don Draper came back to America and became a successful businessman. However, that too has come with some problems. Don had to deal with the loss of his younger brother, Adam, who committed suicide. Don also lost his wife once she discovered the truth about him.
Life hasn’t gotten much better for Don. He’s now dealing with a growing addiction to alcohol and women, as well as being vain, self-absorbed, and uncaring of anyone’s suffering but his own.
The final outcome of Rogers Spotlight‘s question about who the bigger screw-up is between Bill Compton and Don Draper is that Don Draper is the bigger screw-up. The reason? Bill Compton is striving to be more than just a vampire. He’s trying to be a better guy, even though he doesn’t always succeed. Don Draper, however, is not. He’s still in denial over being Dick Whitman and fitting that persona into the “container” that is the Don Draper identity.
SOURCE: Rogers Spotlight
(Image Credit: HBO Inc, screenshot by Isis Nocturne)
Karen Jennings
I haven’t watched much of the Mad Men series,But from what I have seen,Don Draper has a good caricature, and plays him well. But if I have to pick, There is no contest Steven Moyer has taken Bill Compton and made him his own In the True Blood series.