Favorite Characters: Felix Dawkins (Orphan Black)

By now, my appreciation for Felix is no secret.  He’s already been featured in two Relationship Spotlights, and honestly, I could probably fill enough material for separate posts on his relationships with all the major characters in the show.  He has an interesting dynamic with each of the sestras – even his single scene with Krystal is so rich – great familial relationships with Kira and Mrs. S., and fun interactions with pretty much every tertiary character he encounters.  How does someone get to be such infinitely pairable?  By being a fantastic character in his own right.  (Just basic premise spoilers.)

So, where to start with Felix?  Any snarky supporting character is usually bound to pop, and his sassy one-liners and gif-worthy reaction shots are definitely a large part of his appeal.  That humor is especially important in a show like this, where the problems are so crazy and sci-fi.  We need a Felix to observe, comment on, and sometimes whine about his coerced inclusion in all the insanity springing up around Sarah.  His frantic protests about the impossibility of hiding behind minimalist furniture, or his sulky pout about going on the run, ground the larger-than-life drama and remind us of the outrageous things that would probably be going through our heads if we were anywhere near Felix’s situation.

Felix is much more than comic relief, though.  I mentioned it in his relationship posts with both Sarah and Alison, but his loyalty might be unmatched by any other character in the show.  He may gripe or throw shade, and he’ll certainly voice any concerns he has, but if he’s in your corner, he’ll basically do anything for you.  From the illegal to the inconvenient to the suburbia-entrenched, he comes through for Sarah and the clones time and time again.  Whether he’s risking his life or just begrudgingly canceling his weekend plans for them, Felix can be depended on absolutely, and for someone without experience in much of what he’s tasked to do, he has an impressive success rate.  And more than just his physical contributions, Felix is so emotionally invested in everyone he cares about.  The attitude and sarcasm sometimes hide it, but he’s actually a very loving character who keeps finding additional stores of affection for his ever-increasing Clone Club family.

When it comes to Felix, Orphan Black is sometimes charged with stereotyping gay men.  I understand where those frustrations come from – Felix can be bitchy and shallow, some would call his healthy sexual appetite promiscuity, and his manner could be termed sissy, swishy, or various other depressing terms.  However, for me, I like pretty much all sides of Felix.  Many would call his mannerisms and style feminine, and you know what?  He rocks it.  I love his flair for dramatic entrances and his ostentatious wardrobe, I love his snark and his flirting, and I love that he’s feminine and heroic.  If he was only what you see in promos, gifs, and clip montages, I might find his characterization lazy, but there’s so much to Felix, and that’s not what you usually see from his archetype.  After all, gay men with feminine-coded interests and demeanors do in fact exist; what makes such portrayals stereotypical and problematic is boiling these traits down to a one-note joke, reducing the characters to sassy, sparkly, glorified fashion accessories.  Rather than blame the offense on how the character acts, dresses, or speaks, why not show that these qualities aren’t mutually exclusive with empathy, courage, or intelligence?  Why not show a flamboyant man pushing his fears to the side to help his friends and family, or holding his own amidst a big, crazy sci-fi mystery?  To me, that’s a much better, more effective response.