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| {{About|antagonists in episodic fiction|the 1998 song "Freak of the Week"|Marvelous 3}} | {{About|antagonists in episodic fiction|the 1998 song "Freak of the Week"|Marvelous 3}} | ||
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| ⚫ | "'''Villain of the week'''" (or, depending on genre, "'''monster of the week'''", "'''freak of the week'''" or "'''alien of the week'''") is an ] that only appears on one episode of a work of fiction. A villain of the week is commonly seen in American and Japanese genre-based ]. As many shows of this type air episodes weekly at a rate of ten to twenty new episodes per year, there is often a new antagonist in the plot of each week's episode. The main characters usually confront and vanquish these characters, often leaving them never to be seen again (as in '']'', '']''<ref name=leane>{{cite web|last=Leane|first=Rob|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/superhero-tv/245124/does-superhero-tv-need-the-villain-of-the-week-format|title=Does Superhero TV need the Villain of the Week Format?|date=April 1, 2015|website=Den of Geek|access-date=July 11, 2019}}</ref> and '']''). Some series alternate between using such antagonists and furthering the series' ongoing plotlines (as in '']'', '']'',<ref name=leane /> '']'' and '']'', where ] is often divided over preference for one type of episode versus the other), while others use these one-time foes as pawns of the recurring adversaries (as in '']'', '']'', '']'' and their American equivalent, '']'').{{sfn|Clements|McCarthy|2015|p=}}{{refn|name=Clements|group=N|Page number is identified as "2659" in the ] URL, although the book in question only has 1,160 pages.}} On other occasions, these villains return reformed, becoming invaluable allies or gaining a larger role in the story. The American action drama '']'' focuses on short-lived antagonists, but the final portion of every episode is committed to developing a larger ]. The British sci-fi programme '']'' used this format in its first two series, before switching to a continuous story format. | ||
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| ⚫ | "'''Villain of the week'''" (or, depending on genre, "'''monster of the week'''", "'''freak of the week'''" or "'''alien of the week'''") is an ] that only appears on one episode of a work of fiction. A villain of the week is commonly seen in American and Japanese genre-based ]. As many shows of this type air episodes weekly at a rate of ten to twenty new episodes per year, there is often a new antagonist in the plot of each week's episode. The main characters usually confront and vanquish these characters, often leaving them never to be seen again (as in '']'', '']'' and '']''). Some series alternate between using such antagonists and furthering the series' ongoing plotlines (as in '']'', '']'', '']'' and '']'', where ] is often divided over preference for one type of episode versus the other), while others use these one-time foes as pawns of the recurring adversaries (as in '']'', '']'', '']'' and their American equivalent, '']''). On other occasions, these villains return reformed, becoming invaluable allies or gaining a larger role in the story. The American action drama '']'' focuses on short-lived antagonists, but the final portion of every episode is committed to developing a larger ]. The British sci-fi programme '']'' used this format in its first two series, before switching to a continuous story format. | ||
| "Villain of the week" plotlines are attractive to ], as it means that episodes can be ] in any order and do not need to be aired in sequence as ] with continuing storylines do. | "Villain of the week" plotlines are attractive to ], as it means that episodes can be ] in any order and do not need to be aired in sequence as ] with continuing storylines do. | ||
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| == |
==Notes== | ||
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| * | |||
| ==References== | |||
| {{Reflist}} | |||
| ===Sources=== | |||
| * {{cite book|last1=Clements|first1=Jonathan|last2=McCarthy|first2=Helen|year=2015|title=The Anime Encyclopedia, 3rd Revised Edition: A Century of Japanese Animation|publisher=Stone Bridge Press|isbn=9781611720181|ref=harv}} | |||
| ] | ] | ||
Revision as of 13:20, 11 July 2019
This article is about antagonists in episodic fiction. For the 1998 song "Freak of the Week", see Marvelous 3. | This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Villain of the week" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
"Villain of the week" (or, depending on genre, "monster of the week", "freak of the week" or "alien of the week") is an antagonist that only appears on one episode of a work of fiction. A villain of the week is commonly seen in American and Japanese genre-based television series. As many shows of this type air episodes weekly at a rate of ten to twenty new episodes per year, there is often a new antagonist in the plot of each week's episode. The main characters usually confront and vanquish these characters, often leaving them never to be seen again (as in Charmed, Smallville and Scooby-Doo). Some series alternate between using such antagonists and furthering the series' ongoing plotlines (as in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, Fringe and The X-Files, where fandom is often divided over preference for one type of episode versus the other), while others use these one-time foes as pawns of the recurring adversaries (as in Kamen Rider, Sailor Moon, Super Sentai and their American equivalent, Power Rangers). On other occasions, these villains return reformed, becoming invaluable allies or gaining a larger role in the story. The American action drama Burn Notice focuses on short-lived antagonists, but the final portion of every episode is committed to developing a larger story arc. The British sci-fi programme Torchwood used this format in its first two series, before switching to a continuous story format.
"Villain of the week" plotlines are attractive to syndicators, as it means that episodes can be rerun in any order and do not need to be aired in sequence as serials with continuing storylines do.
See also
Notes
- Page number is identified as "2659" in the Google Books URL, although the book in question only has 1,160 pages.
References
- ^ Leane, Rob (April 1, 2015). "Does Superhero TV need the Villain of the Week Format?". Den of Geek. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
- Clements & McCarthy 2015.
Sources
- Clements, Jonathan; McCarthy, Helen (2015). The Anime Encyclopedia, 3rd Revised Edition: A Century of Japanese Animation. Stone Bridge Press. ISBN 9781611720181.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help)