i really could write an essay on how shit is that we’ve completely abandoned the monster-of-the-week episode format even when rebooting shows that relied on it to replace them with grimdark edgy plotlines where nothing feels good or accomplished at the end of the day
I have ALWAYS said to people that the reasons shows like Supernatural, Once Upon a Time, and Grimm have deteriorated into being completely awful is because they adopted plots, because the monster of the week gives us new and interesting content to think about every week and it isn’t always one note. All these shows’ first seasons used to have such a good amalgamation of different creatures, different tones, and different perspectives and insights into the characters’ lives and pasts. And it still carried a basic plot, but it was loose enough to ignore for most of the episodes but important enough for us to stay hooked on it and anticipate the resolution. I rewatch like, the first 3 seasons of these shows like they’re visual popcorn. The SECOND that Supernatural got a real plot that took up most of the storytelling for the season I lost interest because the plot became the ONLY tone that we get. We got less and less of the fun and interesting creatures and stories and more of the singular “Oh which bad mythical person is going to cause havoc THIS season?!” Like shows need to be okay with telling one single coherent story that HAS A PLANNED ENDING instead of jumping off a cliff with a hang glider dependent on viewership that will keep going even until all the screws are rusted and the top is littered with holes and won’t stop until they inevitably hit the ground. Stories need to be more like flights taking us and the characters from one destination to another.
TLDR; Leverage is an example that you CAN have all these things: incredible story telling, monster-of-the-week, overarching plot, satifying season ending without cliffhangers.
I’m strong on my Leverage bullshit and I’d apologize but I’m not sorry because IT CAN BE DONE, DAMMIT. IT HAS BEEN DONE. AND IT IS WONDERFUL.
Unlike SPN, Grimm, etc., the “monster” was usually a corporate asshole target, which in 2020 I think we can all agree, counts as a fucking monster. Each episode is relatively self-contained. You don’t necessarily have to watch these episodes in order, though it’s helpful if you do.
The “monster” of the week never gets boring; it always involves the team and helps the team continue to work together and builds their individual character arcs through their interactions with each other as well as their mark.
But, Leverage also had the Big Bad ™ that colored the overarching season plot. There was a theme, a cohesiveness through the stories; this is more evident in Season 3 and 4 especially, but it’s still there.
Season 3, in particular, was a great example. Moreau was the Big Bad, but taking him down was an underpinning, rather than the actual mover for each episode. Each episode, mark-of-the-week, was its own villain, with a satisfying takedown that advanced the overall plot, as well as the individual character stories.
OH. Another thing that Leverage allowed itself to have was an actual ENDING to each season. You literally could watch Leverage through any season and be satisfied that the season ending was, well, satisfying.
This was PLANNED IN to each season of Leverage. The show runners felt strongly about giving fans a satisfying ending instead of dangling cliffhanger bullshittery.
TLDR #2: Get good writers that know what they’re doing, and are fans of their own genre, and it’s amazing what you can do.
