CHARACTER

Melanie Rachel Marcus is a fictional character from Showtime's Queer as Folk television series. Melanie, or commonly referred to as "Mel", is one of the main characters and the domestic partner of Lindsay Peterson. Melanie is also the natural mother of JR, a daughter by way of artificial insemination from mutual friend Michael Novotny, and the adoptive mother of Gus, Lindsay's natural son by way of artificial insemination from Lindsay's longtime friend Brian Kinney.

​

APPEARANCE AND PERSONALITY

She is an attractive, tomboyish and only main full lesbian of the series. She is neither "lipstick" or "Butch", however, she is Chapstick Lesbian and embodies more masculine traits mainly being more of a "provider" of her family. While she can be blunt, sarcastic, argumentative, snarky, and harsh when it comes to others at times, deep down, she is compassionate, passionate, and very caring. She is a very ambitious and career-driven, strong-willed especially when it comes to LGBT rights.

​

BACKGROUND

Melanie is an attorney with a successful law firm, and from her numerous references to "the other partners" she is taken to be a partner as well. She was raised Jewish and insists that Jewish traditions be observed in her family life, but does not seem to have an active spiritual life and may consider herself Jewish in a strictly cultural sense. At the beginning of the series, she and Lindsey have been together for five years. Throughout the relationship Brian Kinney has been a source of stress and discord for the couple, but Melanie allows him to remain an active presence in their lives because of his longtime friendship with Lindsay. Melanie's negative feelings about Brian are only exacerbated as he repeatedly injects himself into decisions about Gus' upbringing and reneges on his promise to sign his parental rights over to Melanie.

​

STORY

SEASON ONE

She gets Lindsay to the Hospital after a few attempts to reach Brian on his phone. She is aggravated at the sight of Brian coming after the ordeal was over and Gus was born.

 

Lindsay and Melanie discuss and have Brian come over to sign insurance papers for Gus in case something should happen to him. They have a bris, unbeknown to Brian, which is a Jewish tradition for sons of Jewish households. Brian and some of the gang prevent this from happening to which Melanie gets angry, howvever, he signs the insurance forms for Gus.

Despite being angry about the bris and Lindsay seemingly not supporting her on account of Brian, Melanie crunches her finances and permits Lindsay take the year following Gus' birth on leave so that she can stay home, raise Gus, and take care of their home. The strain of being the family's sole breadwinner causes her to feel some resentment towards Lindsay.

Gus gets sick in the 9th episode of the first season, and Lindsey and Melanie take him to the hospital. At the hospital, they are told only the biological mother can tend to Gus. Seeing as Lindsey forgot his blanket, Melanie attempts to let the nurse know which the nurse gave her a rude, abrupt answer greatly offending Melanie. Melanie snaps back and calls her a cunt as Brian walks in to defend her. Melanie, emotional herself, calms Brian long enough to give Brian Gus's blanket and tells him to go back and give it to them since he is the biological father.

After the disaster at the hospital, Melanie and Lindsay talk and decide that the have to talk to Brian to avoid an incident like that again.

Lindsay and Melanie ask Brian if he can sign his right over. He initially agrees, but on the day he is about to sign, Gus is crying for no apparent reason and this sways Brian mind to not sign over his rights greatly disappointing Melanie and Lindsay. Lindsey and Melanie fall out again after 6 years of marriage; mostly due to Brian not signing over his parental rights.

Lindsey finally has enough and she finally speaks out instead of being the WASP and smiling lesbian in the middle saying Melanie expects too much leaving Melanie surprised and emotional that she came off so strong and unexpected.

During this period of instability in the relationship, Melanie has a one-night stand with a woman she meets at a friend's baby shower. After disclosing the affair to Lindsay, she moves in with her cousin Rita for several months. Lindsey moves Guillaume, an acquaintance gay man from France, into the house seeing the she needs help financially and he needs his green card to be permanent in the United States. All her friends confront her of their disapproval of him, especially Melanie and Brian.

The couple reconciles when, on the condition that they get back together and be loving parents to his son, Brian agrees to sign his parental rights over to Melanie.

​

SEASON TWO

In the Season two season premiere, Lindsay proposes marriage. Knowing that the union will not be legal and insisting that they do not need a piece of paper to validate their relationship, Melanie initially declines. However, she later relents and the two are engaged.

 

Lindsay and Melanie were charmed by George on their first meeting and through him and Emmett, they had a blissful wedding day with all their friends. After many obstacles, including Melanie's old love interest, coming into town, they got married within George's event room with all their friend's contributions.

Melanie is also close friends with Ted Schmidt, whom manages Lindsay and Melanie's financial portfolio. This relationship is solid until the revelation that Ted stole money from Gus' college fund. Eventually Ted admits his wrongdoings and is grudgingly forgiven by Melanie and Lindsay.

​

SEASON THREE

In Season three, Melanie admits that she is unable to have children due to her endometriosis. After having an operation to reverse her condition, she asks Michael to be the donor father. Michael impressed Melanie and Lindsay on handling Brian's nephew, John Kinney, and later Gus at their place, and they come to him with surprising news that they want him to father their next child. Michael is hurt when Melanie, remembering her struggles with Brian, creates a contract absolving Michael of his parental rights. Melanie eventually relents and lets Michael share parental rights.

After a few attempts, Michael arrives and gives his semen sample to Lindsay at their front door, Lindsay inseminates her within their bedroom, and Mel becomes pregnant with approximately two weeks on the first try.

Michael follows Melanie around knowing she is pregnant, and she find it annoying. he complains wondering why she didn't have the bagger take the groceries to the car for her. Melanie insist that he stop following her around, and Lindsay, seeing how adamant she was insists that he agrees. Michael makes a false agreement just to clear the air, and continues to follow her until she actually needs his help and he takes her to the hospital. After this, Michael and Lindsay struggle to keep her from working so hard while she is pregnant. She eventually starts to show.

 

She has issues of superstition when Lindsay buys her a gift before her first trimester is over. Melanie tells her story of a younger brother or sister she might've had if her parents didn't buy the gifts prior to the baby's birth. She goes on to explain it might have been a slight on God as to why her mother miscarried. Despite Melanie feeling this way, she holds the gift tightly. Melanie finishes her first trimester and they dance in the street in victory of Jim Stockwell being defeated in the votes.

​

SEASON FOUR

In Season four, Melanie becomes pregnant when Lindsey injects a syringe with Michael semen. While Melanie is pregnant with Jenny Rebecca, she discovers that Lindsay has had an affair with a male artist, Sam Auerbach, whose work is being featured at her gallery. Melanie is furious, especially since Lindsay cheated with a man, and terminates their relationship.

​

SEASON FIVE

After a bomb explosion targeting a gay and lesbian convention takes the life of a fellow lesbian friend, Lindsay and Melanie decide to reconcile for good. The couple's last appearance on the show reveals that they have decided to move to Toronto, Canada to avoid further government and personal persecution for being a homosexual couple.

​

MELANIE'S CASE LOAD

Melanie's case load has included nearly all of her friends while some needing her assistance as an attorney more than once.

• Ted's Attorney - During Season One, she informed Brian at his office that he was to pull the plug for Ted in case something should happen in regards to his health.

• Defense for Brian - During Season One, she came to Brian's defense when Kip wanted to sue Brian for sexual harassment. Due to Justin's interference, the case was dropped which was a default win for Melanie as his defense.

• Defense for Vic - She aided Vic when he was wrongfully accuse of indecent exposure in the bathroom. She presented evidence of false reports from police officer accusing him of the crime, and ultimately won the case.

• Emmett's Inheritance - Melanie helps Emmett in his case against George's family for his inheritance. Melanie settled the case, but refused to accept the money if he had to deny loving George.

• Ted's Pornsite Case - Melanie was Ted's attorney once more for his Pornsite during season two.

• Defense for Hunter's Custody - She aided Michael and Ben against Hunter's mother for custody. She came in a sister's outfit and was hired by Hunter for one dollar. She presented a good case, but initially lost, but due to how his mother presented herself at court, she ultimately won the case granting custody to Michael and Ben.

• ​

HOBBIES/LIKES

• Reading

• Motorcycle Riding

• ​

CAREERS

• High School Graduate (Pre Story)

• Model (Pre Story)

• College Graduate (Pre Story)

• Law School Graduate (Pre Story)

• Attorney

• ​

QUOTES

• "I didn't want Brian to be the baby's father in the first place, but no, you had to have it your way. It had to be Brian or no one. So now, he's part of our lives whether we like it or not!" -to Lindsey

• "He's a selfish shithead!" -to Lindsey

• "It might be good to get out and meet some nice YOUNG men for a change." -to Justin (in spite of Brian)

• "Lindsey says: He'll do anything, say anything, fuck anything. No excuses, no apologies, no regrets." -to David Cameron

• ​

RELATIONSHIPS

​

LINDSAY PETERSON

Lindsay and Melanie act through most of the series as the stable lesbian couple. They are longtime friends, lovers and domestic partners.

​

TED SCHMIDT

They share a close friendship. They are so close that often times people mistake them for a clean-cut heterosexual couple. They barter between each other's professions often as he does her (and Lindsay's) financial porfolio while he relies on her legal counsel and defense. In the first season, she helps Ted employ Blake as a legal assistant despite him ending up getting fired.

​

MICHAEL NOVOTNY

They are good friends as well as the biological parents for Jenny Rebecca Novotny-Marcus. They grow a closer bond when they become parents together.

Melanie and Michael have great fall out about their daughter, but when both parties realize its about their daughter and not them, they reconcile their differences. Melanie lets her guard down mostly due to exhaustion and need the help to take care of their daughter as she is seen at Michael's housewarming. Michael eventually agrees to Melanie caring primarily for her until she get older towards the last episodes.

​

BRIAN KINNEY

At first, Melanie loathes Brian, but tolerates him around solely because of his connections of Lindsey.

During the second season, after he tells her not to beat herself up when she cheat on Lindsey, gives up parental rights for her, and gets them married, they become more "frienemies". When Brian has helped them, Melanie can be seen surprised and where she wants to hug him, knowing the tensions, she will grasp his hands with both of hers. In the middle seasons, she will even inquire about his trips at times.

Towards the end of the season, they've realize how much they share in common and have a standard friendship. Their natural tension prior and having so much in common keeps them a rivals and "frienemies".

​

LEDA

Melanie's Ex girlfriend.

​

DEBBIE NOVOTNY

She bonds with Melanie on several occasions. Melanie helps her when Vic is in trouble with the Law. Debbie encourages her in her aspirations to become a mother, helps her when she becomes pregnant and also has her say in regards to her not only being a mother, but grandmother of her child. It is very likely Debbie considers Melanie as somewhat of an illegitimate daughter in law as she is mother of her son's child.

​

JUSTIN TAYLOR

They are at odds at first because of him liking the name "Gus" and disagreeing that Brian should give his parental rights away to her, however, besides these facts, she adores Justin and with Lindsey takes care of him from time to time. She is very quick to defend him in spite of Brian.

​

EMMETT HONEYCUTT

Despite being so different, they have a fun loving friendship. They playfully tease each other, and have great laughs. Melanie also defends him in his lawsuit when George's family tries to take his inheritance.

The biggest fall out they've had was when Emmett supported Ted in telling the truth about Melanie and Lindsay's finances which an angry Melanie lashed out on Emmett calling him a "silly faggot" which he was greatly offended and retaliated in calling her a "cunt" unforgivingly. They later make up when Ted kicks him out and has nowhere to go. Melanie then apologizes, tells him she admires how he stood up for his partner, and lets him stay with them. They keep a great friendship as the series progressed.

​

TRIVIA

• She is portrayed by Michelle Clunie.

• She is Jewish.

• She is the main full lesbian of the series. She is neither "lipstick" or "butch", but she is a Chapstick Lesbian predominately, but she is a varied combination of lesbian types. She even resembles a bit of a Butch lesbian in later series.

• She embodies more masculine traits mainly being more of a "provider" and being more ambitious and career motivated.