MovieChat Forums > Wings (1990) Discussion > Alex the helicopter pilot

Alex the helicopter pilot

posted 9 years ago by charlotte98
11 replies | jump to latest

I have watched Wings through several times. I am struck by how much I hate Alex's character. She's this supposed feminist, but it's obvious she relishes the attention the hackett brothers are giving her. She kind of eggs them on.

When she starts to date Brian, I like her a little more, but she still gets on my nerves.
Honestly, I don't get why the boys chase her around so much. Sure, she appears to have a nice body, but I don't really find her all that attractive overall. I think it is just her whole "hard to get" persona that drives them wild, and I see it as a ploy on her part. When she settled down with Brian it was almost as if she were a completely new character overnight. It really didn't make any sense how much she changed so quickly. It proved that her initial appearances were an act.

I read an article someone wrote about her and I'll link it here. It sums up how I feel about the character.

http://thehathorlegacy.com/alex-wings-biggest-miss/comment-page-1/#comment-115126

Does anyone else find Alex's character annoying? Not annoying? Thoughts, anyone?

[–] PKLarkins 9 years ago

I agree. And the worst thing about her was that after she dumped Brian, she dragged him onto that talk show to accuse him of not being able to commit.

Earth without art is just "eh."

[–] charlotte98 8 years ago

I forgot about the talk show thing!!! How could I forget that? it was ridiculous. She couldn't just talk to him like a normal human being? She had to trick him into coming onto a talk show and air their dirty laundry for the whole world to see??!

[–] PKLarkins 8 years ago

That was definitely not the show's finest hour.

Earth without art is just "eh."

[–] Artiscin 8 years ago

Wings always introduced new characters and Alex did her part whether you like her or not.

[–] jdlexus 8 years ago

It seems like TV shows like to introduce opposites of current characters. Take MASH for instance: bumbling, greedy Frank Burns is replaced by an affluent, exceptional surgeon, Charles Winchester. Poor leader Henry Blake is replaced by career army surgeon Sherman Potter. These changes bring new challenges to the central characters of the show.

In Wings, the brothers originally competed for sweet Helen. Helen ran a diner, dealt with weight issues, and couldn't seem to get her music career established.

Introduce tough Alex, a pilot like the brothers, ex-military, a woman who keeps fit at the gym, and owns her own aviation company like the boys. She's the opposite of Helen.

The brothers can't help but compete for her attention and made Helen jealous in the process, so Alex was a big change for everyone.

[–] muchmeow 8 years ago

Funny that you write of M.A.S.H. and WINGS in the same topic... They are tied as my all time favorite TV show. : )

[–] IcingOnTheCake 8 years ago

Carlton was the funniest.

[–] RvaBread22 8 years ago

I hate to say it, but I was wondering at first if she is supposed to be transgender. She is a very attractive woman, but there is something "off" about her. I haven't seen Farrah Forke in other roles much, and if I only went by this, I would question her acting skills. But it could be a good actress in a role with a lousy character.

I find Helen 10x more attractive and that is who my pick would be. Isn't it funny that they can't see how cute Helen is? She is more my type of gal. I don't find Alex attractive that way. She is very off putting.

"Life is like a box of Krispy Kreme donuts".

[–] charlotte98 8 years ago

Agree 100%. I think they were trying to make Alex the opposite of Helen, as someone else commented earlier. Alex was tough, buff, confident, feminist, ex-military... but she really comes off as rather manly and I agree, extremely off putting.

When Brian and Alex started dating, I remember them having several fights about how Alex was too manly. I think he said something like "why can't you be more of a girl?"

[–] lockon_stratos 8 years ago

Alex was a good addition to the show. As mentioned she was different from Helen and had some fun sparring with Brian when they dated. She did mention she liked the attention from the boys at first. She played a hard ass at first but warmed up later to everyone. Not just to Brian. Who knows where her character would have gone if she'd stayed on the show. Maybe a double date with Joe and Hellen but she left before. I did like Casey character more for the laughs. But that's apples and oranges

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[–] trotsky (210) 5 years ago

I found Alex so annoying that I hated her. I hated her so bad I wish that the other woman, the one who worked the counter, would have kicked her squishy ass and literally run her out of the area in a sack wedgie. Alex would be yelling "OW! OW! OW!
STOP! STOP! STOP!" As she is dragged out never to be seen again.