One of my favorite group dynamics–whether it’s a movie, TV show or a book–is the Found Family dynamic. When a group of friends, and sometimes strangers, come together and form something stronger. It’s one of the few tropes that I actively strive for when I create a group of protagonists because there’s something very comforting about making and finding your own family. I think it stems from a few of my favorites.
- Firefly- This is one of the first encounters where I started to get a sense of what a Found Family entailed. Despite the (very) short run of the TV series, it was clear that this was a group of strangers who came together with a common goal. Anytime the crew was together, whether it was a one-on-one interaction or all of the crew gathered in the cargo hold, there was a lot of subtext to their interactions. It was a family, from annoying little sisters to overbearing father figures.
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer- Another great TV show with a found family. You had Giles metaphorically adopting about half a dozen young adults by the end of the show. And there were really strong family dynamics within the show. Despite the constant forming and breaking of love triangles and relationships, there was always a familial love underlining everything. The heart of the show was a group of strangers who were working toward a common goal and finding love in that goal.
- Lord of the Rings- Both the books and the movies give an example of an odd, estranged found family. From the moment the Fellowship was formed, they treat each other like brothers, willing to lay down their lives for the others in the Fellowship. Despite overwhelming odds, dangerous adventures, and leagues between them, the Fellowship all work together for each other and the fate of the world.
- Critical Role- I’m a long time fan of this D&D show and I’ve seen the players form a family from strangers twice. The beautiful thing about the show is that we can see so much of the love the cast has for each other come about in their character interactions (even if they’re only joking around half the time). The cast does a wonderful job of blending story with character development and the core of that is in their interactions with one another. And over time that develops into a family unit, whether they want to or not.
- The Muppets- OK, hear me out on this one. The Muppets are this strange collection of birds, mammals, amphibians and felt humanoids that seem to have no real connection (aside from their dream of stardom and some apparent relationship in college). I feel like this was my first exposure to what a found family was, even if I didn’t realize it. They certainly weren’t related, but there was more love there than expected!
I’ve always loved the idea of finding a family in friends. You fight and argue, but only because you know you love each other at the end of the day. What are some of your favorite Found Family dynamics?