TMC
03-01-2023, 04:03 AM
https://popculturereferences.com/who-is-your-favorite-reformed-tv-villain/
https://popculturereferences.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/spike-buffy-header-1024x576.jpg
Today, I want to know who is your favorite reformed TV villain.
Pop Culture Theme Time (https://popculturereferences.com/category/pop-culture-theme-time/) is a feature where I put a question to you to see what you think about a particular theme. I might later revisit the theme for a future Drawing Crazy Patterns or Top Five.
A standard thing in pretty much ALL serialized fiction is the pull of a good villain being SO good that the writers of the series feel compelled to redeem them and make them a hero because, well, TV shows are mainly about the heroes, so if you’re a hero, you get to be in more scenes.
For the sake of this question, I’ll allow instances where a villain doesn’t necessarily become a hero, though, just that they’re clearly no longer a villain. For instance, I would consider Ian McShane’s Al Swearengen on Deadwood as a “reformed” TV villain despite him still technically being a bit of a bastard by the end of the series, just clearly no longer treated as a villain like he was early in the series.
Swearengen would be an excellent pick, but I can’t help but go with James Marsters’ Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Introduced as an over-the-top villain in Season 2, he was ultimately forced to help the good guys due to a microchip placed into his body. Once he began doing heroic things, though, he slowly became more and more heroic (while still being without a soul since he was a vampire, so it was very difficult staying good, as seen when he tried to rape Buffy at one point). He eventually earned a soul so he could be fully good (Angel doesn’t count, by the way, since he debuted AS a hero. I’ll leave it up to you whether you think Cordelia was a villain or not when she debuted).
Okay, that’s my pick. How about you?
https://popculturereferences.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/spike-buffy-header-1024x576.jpg
Today, I want to know who is your favorite reformed TV villain.
Pop Culture Theme Time (https://popculturereferences.com/category/pop-culture-theme-time/) is a feature where I put a question to you to see what you think about a particular theme. I might later revisit the theme for a future Drawing Crazy Patterns or Top Five.
A standard thing in pretty much ALL serialized fiction is the pull of a good villain being SO good that the writers of the series feel compelled to redeem them and make them a hero because, well, TV shows are mainly about the heroes, so if you’re a hero, you get to be in more scenes.
For the sake of this question, I’ll allow instances where a villain doesn’t necessarily become a hero, though, just that they’re clearly no longer a villain. For instance, I would consider Ian McShane’s Al Swearengen on Deadwood as a “reformed” TV villain despite him still technically being a bit of a bastard by the end of the series, just clearly no longer treated as a villain like he was early in the series.
Swearengen would be an excellent pick, but I can’t help but go with James Marsters’ Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Introduced as an over-the-top villain in Season 2, he was ultimately forced to help the good guys due to a microchip placed into his body. Once he began doing heroic things, though, he slowly became more and more heroic (while still being without a soul since he was a vampire, so it was very difficult staying good, as seen when he tried to rape Buffy at one point). He eventually earned a soul so he could be fully good (Angel doesn’t count, by the way, since he debuted AS a hero. I’ll leave it up to you whether you think Cordelia was a villain or not when she debuted).
Okay, that’s my pick. How about you?