How does your favorite Gang of Four map? (i.e., Star Trek, Seinfeld, The Beatles...)

[Little_Nemo]

The Mount Rushmore Gang of Four

1. Lincoln
2. Washington
3. Jefferson
4. Roosevelt

[Kat]

1. Father
2. Son
3. Holy Ghost
4. Satan

*size=1]Am I going to Hell for that?[/size]

[Peter_Morris]

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. Arthur
2. Ford
3. Marvin
4. Zaphod

[Annie-Xmas]

1. Little Ed
2. Unca Cecil
3. Admins & Mods
4. Dopers

[WordMan]

@Annie-Xmas

1. Little Ed
2. Unca Cecil
3. Admins & Mods
4. Dopers

beeeep!! We have a winner!!!

Little did I know this innocuous thread would take on a life of its own…

[BMax]

Larry
Moe
Shemp
Curly

[Larry_Borgia]

The Clash
The Ramones
The Dead Kennedys
The Sex Pistols

[WordMan]

@Larry Borgia

1.)Stephen Colbert
2.)Jon Stewart
3.)Lewis Black
4.)The 24-hour cable news shows

This is my favorite thread ever.

The Clash
The Ramones
The Dead Kennedys
The Sex Pistols

I think it’s your fave thread because you’re so damn good at it!

[Taber]

@Kat

1. Father
2. Son
3. Holy Ghost
4. Satan

*size=1]Am I going to Hell for that?[/size]

funny, I’d have put it:

1)Son
2)Father
3)Satan
4) Holy Ghost

[matt_mcl]

1. Sisko
2. Kira (well, actually they’re both pretty conflicted, but Kira’s devotion to Bajor seems more intense than Sisko’s devotion to this hole Starfleet has stuck him in - until about “Rapture”)
3. Odo
4. Quark (and maybe a little of O’Brien/Bashir)

It is a little more difficult with ensemble shows, isn’t it.

[matt_mcl]

1. Rick
2. Victor
3. Ilsa
4. Renault

[Kent_Clark]

1. Superman

2. Clark

3. Lois

4. Jimmy

5. Batman

6. 3. 4. Preparedness

[Green_Bean]

@Voyager

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.

FWIW, I had chosen the same lineup for the later seasons, but Potter definitely goes in #2.

For the early seasons, you’d have to switch Henry and Radar. Henry was anything but emotionally complex. Radar seemed like a buffoon, but he was always the one who had his hand in everything.
I tried to do Stranger in a Strange Land–

1. Hero, conflicted - Manny
2. Hero, not conflicted - Wyoh
3. Contrarian or emotionally more complex–Professor De La Paz
4. Comedy relief - Mike

I’m not sure I like Mike as “comedy relief,” but there ya go.
And while we’re on the subject, my theory on Sex and the City is that it is just a more sophisticated version of Herman’s Head. The 4 categories are a little different, but each of the main 4 characters is one part of the same woman. Samantha is the hedonistic part. Charlotte is the “good girl,” who tries to conform to societal expectations. Miranda is the selfish and bitchy part. They are all contained within Carrie, who is basically a nice person, but is constantly trying to find a balance between her conflicting urges and desires.

[Green_Bean]

Oh yeah–the Sex and the City women also fit well into the OP’s framework:

1. Hero, conflicted - Carrie
2. Hero, not conflicted - Charlotte
3. Contrarian or emotionally more complex - Miranda
4. Comedy relief - Samantha

[Green_Bean]

Okay, this is fun.

Law & Order, SVU

1. Hero, conflicted - Benson/Stabler
2. Hero, not conflicted - Cragen
3. Contrarian or emotionally more complex - Tutuola
4. Comedy relief - Munch

Rush

1. Hero, conflicted - Geddy Lee
2. Hero, not conflicted - Alex Lifeson
3. Contrarian or emotionally more complex - Neil Peart
4. Comedy relief - Their fans ::d&r::

[Pushkin]

I’ll try the Shield here;

1. Hero, conflicted - Lem
2. Hero, not conflicted - Vic
3. Contrarian or emotionally more complex - Shane
4. Comedy relief - Ronnie.

[Dr.Rieux]

@Interrobang!?

Let’s give the Fantastic Four a spin:

1. Hero conflicted: Ben Grimm
2. Hero unconflicted: Reed Richards
3. Emotionally more complex: Susan Storm Richards
4. Comedy relief: Johnny Storm

I see Reed as the conflicted one–he blames himself for the accident that gave them their powers/turned them into freaks. I would have gone like this:

1. Hero conflicted: Reed Richards
2. Hero unconflicted: Susan Storm Richards
3. Emotionally more complex: Ben Grimm
4. Comedy relief: Johnny Storm

[Kolak_of_Twilo]

How about:
[ol]
[li]Sam Vimes[/li][li]Carrot[/li][li]Angua[/li][li]Fred Colon and Nobby Nobbs[/li][/ol]

[Infovore]

Somebody already beat me to House, so here’s my take on CSI:

1. Hero conflicted: Grissom
2. Hero unconflicted: Nick
3. Emotionally more complex: Sara
4. Comedy relief: Greg

I’ve heard a similar version of this, but divided a little differently:

1. Father
2. Mother
3. Child/Craftsman
4. Child/Clown

(Father and Mother don’t have to be male and female, respectively).

[WordMan]

@winterhawk11

Somebody already beat me to House, so here’s my take on CSI:

1. Hero conflicted: Grissom
2. Hero unconflicted: Nick
3. Emotionally more complex: Sara
4. Comedy relief: Greg

I’ve heard a similar version of this, but divided a little differently:

1. Father
2. Mother
3. Child/Craftsman
4. Child/Clown

(Father and Mother don’t have to be male and female, respectively).

I like the CSI, but, as with some of the others (including offerings from me) am frustrated that other characters are prominent enough to not make it a perfect 4, a la the Beatles, Seinfeld, etc. I never know whether to be okay with that because the primary four are clearly prominent or not…

As for your “similar version” - yay - someone talking about the theory behind it (you and cactus waltz). Any links to anybody expounding on the theory??