Hi! My biggest pieces of advice for writing Sylvie Brett accurately:
-Yes, she wears her heart on her sleeve but it takes a lot to make her truly angry and she doesnât cry in front of anyone ever. These are observations based on obsessively watching her seasons over and over again but theyâre the two biggest aspects of her personality that people often get wrong.
-Also sheâs a peacemaker with people pleasing tendencies, but sheâs not a doormat. Itâs a delicate balance. She will go above and beyond for people she cares about and she offers trust and forgiveness very liberally but sheâs protective of her people and her peace. If you hurt either, she will stand up to you and let you know exactly how your actions make her feel. Also, thanks in part to Matt Casey, Sylvie has learned to set boundaries however she does still seem hesitant to ask for what she wants or needs, emotionally speaking. She has proven herself capable of asking, but still hesitant.
-Sylvie knows sheâs a catch. She knows sheâs sexy. She believes people when they call her cute or beautiful. Her insecurities are not external. Theyâre internal. Her formative years were spent side by side with gaslighters like Harrison and Hope so you can imagine how that might have impacted her emotionally. She constantly thinks her emotions and reactions are âcrazyâ or donât âmake sense.â Sheâs neither totally insecure nor totally confident. Again, itâs a balance.
-And last but not least, even though Sylvie was adopted by a loving family, being adopted still influences her relationships â romantic or platonic. Sylvie, subconsciously probably, feels she must be of use or value to keep people around or to have good things in her life. There are deep abandonment issues within her, which werenât helped by the revolving door of partners or the sudden death of her birth mother. That being said, she is not mopey or weepy or self pitying about any of it. If anything, sheâs learned not to take people for granted. Though, it may prevent her from asking for things she may need from a friendship or romantic relationship. (Sheâs gotten much better about this since she and Matt started becoming closer. Now, sheâll more than likely ask though she seems hesitant and self conscious when she does.)
And then one final observation about Brettsey based on actor interviews and insights:
-Sylvie is the humor to Mattâs solemnity. Sheâs goofy and silly and earnest yet determined and resilient. Matt is serious and occasionally brooding and typically reserved/controlled with his emotions. (Jealousy seems to be a weak point for him and, like Captain America, reigning in his anger in the face of a bully is a challenge, but for the most part he plays things close to the vest.) Heâll give you the shirt off his back anytime you need it, take on the weight of the world for you, and comfort you through any number of difficult things, but he has to be extremely comfortable with you to pour out his heart or ask for anything in return. He shoulders a lot of other peopleâs burdens and that creates a weary, somber exterior. Sylvie draws him out, makes him laugh, and eases his burdens as best she can. He can relax and not be a leader among men around her. He can just be Matt. A man who loves and laughs and has the freedom to be a little goofy/silly too.
One last general piece of advice when writing canon characterizations is in line with @sylviedonnas advice:
-Watch the show. Watch it over and over again and pay attention to the details. The little habits the character have (Sylvie twists her watch band or tucks her hair behind her ears, Matt makes fists and clenches and unclenches them or tucks and untucks his arms like he doesnât know what to do with them). When writing dialogue, play an episode or two in the background to remind yourself of their voices. How do they talk? Rambly and nervous? Short and succinct? How much of themselves and their emotions do they give away in conversations? Does the conversation being public or private make a difference? Ask yourself those sort of questions and observe the show carefully.
That was probably a lot more advice than you asked for @sunshine-reign but hopefully some of it or any of it is helpful. đŠˇ
I have been obsessed with these two like it was my full time job (even though I worked for free lol) for years. Hopefully, some of my knowledge is useful to someone. đ
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