# How does your favorite Gang of Four map? (i.e., Star Trek, Seinfeld, The Beatles...) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 19, 2006, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-favorite-gang-of-four-map-i-e-star-trek-seinfeld-the-beatles/365162 "2006-07-19T12:48:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2006, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-favorite-gang-of-four-map-i-e-star-trek-seinfeld-the-beatles/365162/41 "2006-07-20T22:36:58Z")
Aliens: 1. Ripley 2. Hicks 3. Newt 4. Hudson ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2006, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-favorite-gang-of-four-map-i-e-star-trek-seinfeld-the-beatles/365162/42 "2006-07-20T22:43:40Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > Slight nitpick. The Star Trek TOS gang was mostly the Holy Three of Kirk, Spock, and Bones. They regularly alternated (via the writers, of course) among the four positions you give. So, the TOS gang isn’t really four. > > (Just thought you enjoy a very obsesed Trekker chiming in.) :dubious: I agree it is the gang of three, but it makes more sense viewed through old Freudian psychology: Id: McCoy Superego - Spock Ego: Kirk where the ego is the part that integrates the warring id and superego. Star Wars characters are examples of the Heros Journey plot, which many of us write automatically. Besides the one listed, there is the Mentor figure, here Obi-wan. As for the OP, how about MASH? First few seasons 1. Hawkeye 2. Trapper John 3. Henry 4. Radar In the latter series 1. Hawkeye 2. Charles or Potter 3. BJ 4. Klinger In the earlier seasons Frank and Hot Lips were (feeble) villains, and don’t get included. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2006, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-favorite-gang-of-four-map-i-e-star-trek-seinfeld-the-beatles/365162/43 "2006-07-20T23:00:27Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > 1. Louis Wu > 2. Speaker to Animals / Teela Brown > 3. The Ringworld itself / Teela Brown / Nessus / Speaker to Animals > 4. Nessus / various minor characters I would tend to nail it down, for the fab four of ‘Ringworld’ as: 1. Louis 2. Teela 3. Speaker 4. Nessus. It’s not perfect, but I think that’s closer than anything else, including swapping speaker and teela as you leave open in your schema. Putting ‘the ringworld itself’ and ‘minor characters’ in is superfluous. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2006, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-favorite-gang-of-four-map-i-e-star-trek-seinfeld-the-beatles/365162/44 "2006-07-20T23:17:09Z")
> [@chrisk](#): > > Putting ‘the ringworld itself’ and ‘minor characters’ in is superfluous. > > 😃 Oh, I don’t know. It seemed to me that Ringworld itself was almost meant to take on a roll bigger and more in depth than simply being a location. ymmv ianapp (Pak Protector) ;j \<---------------- Speaker to Animalstein ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2006, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-favorite-gang-of-four-map-i-e-star-trek-seinfeld-the-beatles/365162/45 "2006-07-20T23:43:26Z")
> [@Seven](#): > > The Gang of Four, Gang of Four Jiang Qing Zhang Chunqiao Yao Wenyuan Wang Hongwen ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2006, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-favorite-gang-of-four-map-i-e-star-trek-seinfeld-the-beatles/365162/46 "2006-07-21T00:18:38Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > I would offer: > > 1. Eric & Donna (more complex) > 2. Kelso & Jackie (less complex, more “ideal”) > 3. Hyde/Red > 4. Fez Actually I think this is more correct as I got a couple of categories confused – I agree with your assessment. ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2006, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-favorite-gang-of-four-map-i-e-star-trek-seinfeld-the-beatles/365162/47 "2006-07-21T00:30:48Z")
1. Hero, conflicted - typically the true protagonist of the situation/story 2. Hero, not conflicted - typically more of a pure “hero ideal” 3. Contrarian or emotionally more complex 4. Comedy relief Murphy Brown: 1. Murphy 2. Jim 3. Corky 4. Frank Designing Women 1. Julia 2. Charlene 3. Mary Jo 4. Suzanne/Anthony Dick Van Dyke 1. Dick 2. Laura 3. Sally 4. Buddy/Mel Andy Griffith Show 1. Andy 2. Opie 3. Barney 4. Goober/Gomer As Time Goes By 1. Jean 2. Lionel 3. The Girls (Judy/Sandy) 4. Allistair Gunsmoke 1. Matt 2. Kitty (later Newly took on this role – but never looked as good in the dress) 3. Doc 4. Chester/Festus Bonanza 1. Ben 2. Adam 3. Little Joe 4. Hoss That’s all for now ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2006, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-favorite-gang-of-four-map-i-e-star-trek-seinfeld-the-beatles/365162/48 "2006-07-21T04:18:11Z")
1. Batman 2. Superman 3. Green Arrow 4. Plastic Man ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2006, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-favorite-gang-of-four-map-i-e-star-trek-seinfeld-the-beatles/365162/49 "2006-07-21T04:20:04Z")
1. Lou 2. Mary 3. Murray 4. Ted ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2006, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-favorite-gang-of-four-map-i-e-star-trek-seinfeld-the-beatles/365162/50 "2006-07-21T04:22:01Z")
1. Dorothy 2. Scarecrow 3. Tin Man 4. Cowardly Lion ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2006, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-favorite-gang-of-four-map-i-e-star-trek-seinfeld-the-beatles/365162/51 "2006-07-21T04:24:23Z")
1. Michael 2. Sonny 3. Tom 4. Fredo ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2006, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-favorite-gang-of-four-map-i-e-star-trek-seinfeld-the-beatles/365162/52 "2006-07-21T04:38:42Z")
Scrubs: The “main four” seem to be J.D., Turk, Elliot, and Carla. But I’m not sure they fill out all the categories alone. Need to use some other characters, and the first two vary depending on who the storyline focuses on: 1. Hero, conflicted: J.D., Elliot 2. Hero, unconflicted: Turk, Carla 3. Contrarian: Dr. Cox 4. Comedy relief: The janitor If I had to use just the “main four”, and consider how it seems to fall out most often, I’d say: 1. J.D. 2. Turk 3. Carla 4. Elliot ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2006, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-favorite-gang-of-four-map-i-e-star-trek-seinfeld-the-beatles/365162/53 "2006-07-21T05:08:58Z")
This doesn’t really work for _Hyperion_, but… 1.) Sol Weintraub, Brawne Lamia 2.) Het Masteen, Colonel Kassad 3.) Lenar Hoyt, The Consul. 4.) Martin Silenus. ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2006, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-favorite-gang-of-four-map-i-e-star-trek-seinfeld-the-beatles/365162/54 "2006-07-21T05:11:03Z")
**Lost** : 1. Jack (conflicted) 2. John Locke (not so conflicted. At least not until late season 2) 3. Kate (complex) 4. Hurley (comedy relief) **24** Okay, I know there aren’t really a set of just four central characters throughout, but still… thought I’d see who seemed to fit. By season. Season 1: 1. Jack Bauer (Duh!) 2. David Palmer / Nina Myers (yes, for most of the way through) 3. Sherry Palmer / George Mason 4. Not sure there was a comedy relief in this season. Season 2: 1. Jack 2. David Palmer 3. Sherry Palmer / George Mason 4. Kim (there are cougars out there!) Season 3: 1. Jack 2. Tony / (maybe Chase, too) 3. Chloe / Ryan Chapelle (both contrarian, different styles) 4. CLOW-DIA ? Season 4: 1. Jack 2. Sec. Def. Heller / Curtis 3. Erin Driscoll 4. Chloe / Edgar Season 5: 1. Jack 2. Aaron Pierce / Bill Buchanan 3. Lynn McGill / President Logan 4. Chloe Since there are so many “main” characters coming in and out of plot threads, one could probably focus on different realms to pull them out – like in season 5, the “CTU” gang of characters, vs. the “presidential retreat” characters. Each one could easily have it’s own set. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2006, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-favorite-gang-of-four-map-i-e-star-trek-seinfeld-the-beatles/365162/55 "2006-07-21T05:13:33Z")
1.) Yog Sothoth 2.) Cthulu 3.) Shub-Niggaurath 4.) Nyarlathotep ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2006, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-favorite-gang-of-four-map-i-e-star-trek-seinfeld-the-beatles/365162/56 "2006-07-21T05:19:01Z")
_Battle of the Planets_ 1. Jason 2. Princess 3. Mark 4. Tiny/Keyop 5. Davey Jones 6. Mike Nesmith 7. Mickey Dolenz (hell, even his name says ‘sadness’) 8. Peter Tork ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2006, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-favorite-gang-of-four-map-i-e-star-trek-seinfeld-the-beatles/365162/57 "2006-07-21T07:46:22Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > 1. Hero, conflicted - typically the true protagonist of the situation/story > 2. Hero, not conflicted - typically more of a pure “hero ideal” > 3. Contrarian or emotionally more complex > 4. Comedy relief 1. Horatio Hornblower 2. William Bush 3. Archie Kennedy 4. Matthews/Styles (Throughout the movies, these two are a unified pair, with Styles tending to be Matthews’s foil) ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2006, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-favorite-gang-of-four-map-i-e-star-trek-seinfeld-the-beatles/365162/58 "2006-07-21T12:11:45Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > 1. Michael > 2. Sonny > 3. Tom > 4. Fredo A few points: - the breakout above is freaking brilliant. - I have no idea what to do about situations where there are lots of characters, but perhaps four seem to be prominent, i.e., Lost - I like a bunch of the attempts I’ve seen, though. - **cactus waltz** - I hear you about the gender thing. I guess my point is that some other divisions/groupings - such as the reference to the Freudian grouping for Star Trek’s big 3 - also apply, and I was wondering if your grouping was an alternate grouping more than a re-interpretation of the grouping I offered in the OP. No right answer - I was just thinking out loud… Darn - I wish I could find something on this…I coulda sworn my English prof used this construct to take apart some Shakespeare and implied that it was a standard way to see how a playwright put different aspects of themselves into main characters, but try Googling Shakespeare! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-favorite-gang-of-four-map-i-e-star-trek-seinfeld-the-beatles/365162/59 "2006-07-22T02:52:50Z")
> [@](#): > > 1. Hero, conflicted - typically the true protagonist of the situation/story > 2. Hero, not conflicted - typically more of a pure “hero ideal” > 3. Contrarian or emotionally more complex > 4. Comedy relief 1. Jo 2. Meg 3. Beth 4. Amy Or how about: 1. Taltos 2. Morrolan 3. Aliera 4. Loiosh Or to go even more obscure: 1. Gene 2. Linda 3. Snowclaw 4. the castle (or perhaps Osmirik) I’m pretty sure there’s at least one other person who knows these: 1. Val Con 2. Miri 3. Edger 4. the Juntavas? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-favorite-gang-of-four-map-i-e-star-trek-seinfeld-the-beatles/365162/60 "2006-07-22T03:23:24Z")
1.)Stephen Colbert 2.)Jon Stewart 3.)Lewis Black 4.)The 24-hour cable news shows This is my favorite thread ever. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-favorite-gang-of-four-map-i-e-star-trek-seinfeld-the-beatles/365162.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-favorite-gang-of-four-map-i-e-star-trek-seinfeld-the-beatles/365162.md?page=4)