Schizoid TV/Movie Characters?

Does anyone remember that old cult tv show made in the 70's - 80's called "Monkey Magic" ?

If so, the character Sandy to me seemed emotionally reserved, calm, and at times, quite bland.

Without a doubt, Rotor Walrus from Sonic the Hedgehog SatAM and Archie Comics. Seriously, he fits a lot of my own diagnoses; autistic and schizoid, being a shy brainiac with a niche that he focuses too much on, is very neutral in his emotional state and verbal inflections, and on a fan site dedicated to him, one of the quotes used to describe him is, and I quote, "If I spend my time working on this, I don't have to face other people". If that doesn't mark him as schizoid, then I dunno what does.

Estragon

Molloy

(the plays were shown on TV here a few yrs back)

Walter on Fringe especially when it comes to Peter. He clearly loves him, but has a hard time expressing it.

Dexter seemed to be a show all about SPD to me. But not overtly. A realistic show about SPD would be extremely boring and TV exists to make money. So they had to make it exciting. And what is more exciting to Americans than serial killers?

Dexter being AsPD was a real stretch, which is something I did not like about it the first three seasons. He was completely filled with conscience. They only touched on the grey areas once in a while, and then something would always come along which would save him from having to demonstrate sociopathic traits. The sitution with Doakes (season 2) was the perfect example of this. Saved by a true villian from having to make a real decision there and demonstrate AsPD traits. I didn't like the way they danced around this. Season 3 was even worse in this regard, and, the most boring season overall.

Although in the first three seasons you can see that danger he is putting those around him into, it is not really a theme that is dwelled on. He also never seems to slip up. Season four changed all that, and was the best of the four seasons that I have seen. Really glad they took the series in that direction. (I won't go into much detail so I don't spoil it for those who haven't seen it. For those haven't, two word: watch it!) Much more to think about, although I am not sure how being even more complex affected its ratings. Still waiting to buy season five on DVD...

So at first Dexter was a series about SPD, secretly posing as a series about AsPD. In the fourth season it retains the SPD themes, but is just starting to play more on AsPD themes.

As for Lilith Crane. She just seemed like a super tight-assed borderline lesbo type. No PDs really. Just needed to be boned good and hard by a real man (which Frasier came up a bit short on) a few times so she could loosen up and live a real life. Think they did play that theme towards the end of the Cheers series.

Achlys wrote:Walter on Fringe especially when it comes to Peter. He clearly loves him, but has a hard time expressing it.

This is not schizoid, but avoidant. He exudes caring for all of the people around him. He may not use the words but he is wearing his emotions on his sleeve. He seems constantly on the verge of an emotional breakdown.

Dexter seemed to be a show all about SPD to me. But not overtly. A realistic show about SPD would be extremely boring and TV exists to make money. So they had to make it exciting. And what is more exciting to Americans than serial killers?
Dexter being AsPD was a real stretch, which is something I did not like about it the first three seasons.

Dexter is NOT a schizoid. What is it about this thing returning over and over again? He has a bloodlust. He has a need for murder; it is only his foster father's childhood lessons that have bent his bloodlust into a force for "good".
He doesn't mind being around people at all and is way too comfortable accepting a bunch of annoying kids as part of the package of Rita. He is actually interested in people.
You state that him being AsPD is a stretch. That makes it seem you believe having a bloodlust and being a serial killer is actually a schizoid symptom. He is a sociopath, plain and simple. In so far as he is "improving" on the show, it is simply a plot device. Just because he has a hard time understanding the emotions other people have does not immediately make him a schizoid. As a matter of fact, aside from wanting to be able to kill without interference, he seems to have no specific need for being alone whatsoever.

As for Lilith Crane. She just seemed like a super tight-assed borderline lesbo type. No PDs really. Just needed to be boned good and hard by a real man.

Excellent psychoanalysis.

I don't know how many people know the 1980 movie "Ordinary People", but Beth, the character played by Mary Tyler Moore, could be a case study for a secret schizoid.

***warning. If anyone has an intention of seeing the movie, it may be best not to read spoilers below.***
It should also be noted that the movie isn't really about her, but she plays an important part in the main character's home-life.
...

She is superficially chirpy and engaging to her friends, but all of her interests are outside of messy emotional spheres and totally concerned with appearances.

She lacks a complete empathy for, and interest in her own psychologically damaged son who just previously had made an attempt on his own life. It becomes known later in the movie that she had never once even visited him in the hospital. Every situation in which she is expected to show more than feigned, superficial "love" for him makes her extremely uncomfortable, including having a happy picture taken of just her and her son. She does not want to be bothered by anything that concerns him which would require an emotional investment from her, and despite his traumas and problems she gets mad at him whenever anything that concerns him makes her friends take notice of her family's issues.
At one point she didn't want to be bothered at all by her son anymore, preferring to go on holidays with just her husband who wasn't as "messy" as her son.

Although at first they (husband and son) believe that she only really loved the eldest son who had died in a boating accident, at some point the husband even starts doubting that she really loved the eldest son as much as he always thought, as she didn't cry at his funeral.

In the latter part of the movie the father starts figuring things out about the wife he always thought he knew. At one point he asks her point blank if she loves him. She can only respond: "I feel the same way about you as i always have."
He then proceeds to tell her how he feels about what he now knows she really is, including that he doesn't think he loves her anymore.
The expression on her face never really changes during this and she goes upstairs to pack her bags.

A list of characters i think potentially could be regarded as either schizoid or having schizoid traits:

Beth in "Ordinary People" (secret schizoid)
Stephane in "Un Coeur en Hiver" (high functioning schizoid; ending as schizoid with avoidant traits)
Count Almasy in "The English Patient" (schizoid with borderline traits toward a woman; especially in the book)
Dr. Manhattan in "Watchmen" (although because of his demi-god status he doesn't really count)
James Stevens in "Remains of the Day" (schizoid)
Harry Caul in "The Conversation" (schizoid with traits of PPD; or vice versa, Paranoid with traits of SPD)

Lilith Crane from "Cheers" and "Frasier" could have been schizoid, if it weren't for the fact that television sitcoms are almost always sappy, so they had Lilith still care too much on occasion to be a convincing schizoid.

I'm unconvinced that Graham (James Spader) in "Sex, Lies and Videotape" is schizoid. Especially in the end he admits to having had issues that don't seem to indicate anything schizoid. He is also deeply interested in women on an intimate level, but has a sexual dysfunction, so videotaped interviews has taken the place of sex.

I don't recall any others i've seen that i could convincingly call schizoid. I've never seen "Big Bang Theory" and some of the others mentioned so i can't comment on those.

I only know Count Almasy in that list. I related to that character in some ways. Great movie too.

I'd be interested to know what you make of Onegin in the film by the same name if you ever get a chance to watch it. I haven't read Pushkin's novel. Ralph Fiennes also plays Onegin (he seems to do a lot of emotionally-repressed or brooding characters!) Apart from the final scene between Onegin and Tatyana, I see a lot of Onegin’s characteristics in myself.