In the late 90s and early 2000s, tv and movie writers everywhere seemed to discover a perfectly “new” and interesting dynamic. Usually, the twin stars would be played by the same actor, switch places, and cause mayhem. The only exception to this was the classic variant of nightmare twins, who also held hands and spoke at the same time and not in an endearing way. The two twin variations, The “Liv and Maddie” and “The Shining,” seemed to exist purely to annoy identical twins everywhere, with my friends’ parents asking my sister and I to say “redrum” and friends asking who was Liv and who was Maddie.
Watching the “Parent Trap” as a kid, I remember being surprised that twins were a real thing. Yes I was one, but why is it on TV? When my parents played the movie for me I opted to leave the room and go play somewhere else. It was interesting to see the long lost twins reunite at summer camp, but it took them so long to put the pieces together. How do you meet someone that looks exactly like you and think nothing of it? Then, they decide that they simply must swap places and live the other’s life. One of the top stranger encounters for a twin is for an old woman in the grocery store to ask if you swap places at school. Despite it being the most notable “switching” movie, it never stood out to me because of the anxiety that just the idea of switching caused me. I would always point out that realistically, I wouldn’t know the seating, the room number, students names, or what to do. The concept never appealed to me.
Admittedly, I never watched Liv and Maddie. They were my sworn enemies. However, I just watched my first few episodes and it doesn’t seem like twin content at all, aside from how often they make it into puns and are insistent on switching. The show was intended to be about a blended family and sibling dynamics. In my expertise, twin dynamics are not quite as dramatic. I liked that the girls had their own interests and styles but showed such a closeness between them. Still, they also seem quick to argue. I only watched the first and the highest rated episodes, and they were both switching places. There has to be more twins can do than switch. I would have loved to see some of my own issues represented.
Over both of these instances, interestingly neither twins are played by twins or separate actors at all. It makes zero sense to me that a production company would decide it was easier to hire doubles and edit an actor in twice. It’s so much more work for the actor and the editor that it almost seems like it might be easier to hire twins. Spoiler alert- it is! Identical twins are coveted in live theater and acting, and even if the perfect set of twins couldn’t be found, nepotism gifts us with an endless number of sibling actors.
Despite my negativity, I can think of one ultimate twin representation. “Gravity Falls” has the best twin characters I’ve seen, despite not being completely identical as boy-girl twins. I still find I have more in common with them than Liv and Maddie. “Gravity Falls” is a show that I find relatable as it includes things that twins or siblings might experience. Each has their own aspirations, but their bond keeps them together helping one another with varying goals. A personal favorite plot of mine is how the twins struggle over prioritizing themself or their best friend, as seen in the episode “The Time Traveler’s Pig.” It shows the obligation that each feels to the other and shows how each will sacrifice their own wants for the others happiness. Aside from relations between them, they also struggle in presenting themselves to the world. While the trouble of labeling yourself in a dynamic may feel niche, presenting yourself as a twin is a significant struggle. One of the most popular questions my twin and I have been asked is “who’s the smart one?” The twins each have well rounded personalities that aren’t as black and white as Liv and Maddie.
Being a twin is a unique experience, often misunderstood by writers. Most often twin characters are portrayed as having the normal sibling dynamic, switching places, or irrelevant. While Andy and Ollie from “Bob’s Burgers and hilarious and the twins in “The World’s End” are perfectly creepy, I hardly feel represented. It’s rare to find twins that aren’t meant for standing on either side of the main character for symmetry, but unfortunately when you do, they are most usually really one person.
