#1 ·
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about why we are so obsessed with the "vigilante" archetype in modern television. It feels like every few years, a new series drops that focuses on someone stepping outside the law to settle scores that the justice system just can't touch. There's something deeply unsettling about watching a character do something objectively horrific, yet finding yourself nodding along because the people they are targeting are so fundamentally detestable.
It’s a weird psychological tightrope for a writer to walk. If the protagonist is too "good," the show feels predictable and boring. But if they go too far, you lose that connection where you actually care about their struggle. I remember watching a show a few years back where I caught myself actually rooting for a killer, and I felt genuinely grossed out by my own reaction. It makes you wonder if we’re all just looking for a sense of catharsis that real life refuses to give us.
Do you think these shows are actually a reflection of our frustration with the legal system, or are we just suckers for a well-written anti-hero?
It’s a weird psychological tightrope for a writer to walk. If the protagonist is too "good," the show feels predictable and boring. But if they go too far, you lose that connection where you actually care about their struggle. I remember watching a show a few years back where I caught myself actually rooting for a killer, and I felt genuinely grossed out by my own reaction. It makes you wonder if we’re all just looking for a sense of catharsis that real life refuses to give us.
Do you think these shows are actually a reflection of our frustration with the legal system, or are we just suckers for a well-written anti-hero?