Two episodes in, and we meet our antagonist. Three sarcastic lines in, and he’s already the fan favorite.
Soon enough, the writers are in a quandary. The antagonist was supposed to add to the drama in the protagonist’s storyline. Now suddenly, the antagonist is more popular than the protagonist?
The writers are in a dilemma. The protagonist was supposed to carry the entire show, get support from the other characters, and, of course, bag the romance. But the antagonist has come sauntering in, all charisma and stylish clothes and hair. One interaction with the romantic lead, and clearly, they are smitten.
Meanwhile, the actual protagonist is whimpering and struggling for screen space.
The fans are already talking about the new character. Memes are generated and go viral. The snappy lines are making everyone say that “they are being real”.
Soon enough, the fandom is demanding that the antagonist, which was supposed to make an exit by the end of the season, is now having their contract renewed. Next season, they get more screen space.
The writers are struggling behind the scenes. They had the story all planned and written out, but now the fans are demanding more from a character that was supposed to die a horrific death.
The writers are scratching their heads, blaming themselves for writing an appealing antagonist. Or maybe it’s the actor’s fault for being so alluring? The blame game doesn’t continue for too long. There are scripts to rewrite, studio bosses demanding that the antagonist get a better wardrobe and more sarcastic lines. They want the show to go viral, and if the antagonist is doing it for them, then by all means, give that character the meaty role.
But the antagonist can no longer be a villain. The writers and, inevitably, the fandom won’t cheer for a character that has too many vices. The character cannot be too violent, too cruel. The fandom would suddenly back away if the antagonist they were cheering for was delivering blows instead of smirking.
The beauty of creating such a character is that there is more scope and flexibility to take the character in any direction.
They can do one nice thing, regress, get back on the wagon, get off the wagon, and eventually save the world. Or not.
The writer doesn’t have to think of plot twists anymore; they get more episodes out of showing the redemption arc of the antagonist. They did do a lot of bad things, but guess what, next season, they rectify all their misdeeds.
Midseason, though, they are going to accidentally do something terrible again. Just to keep the audience on their toes, of course. Fans will drop their jaws. They won’t be able to believe that their favorite character just did or said that. Cue the online discussions. At least the show is being discussed.
In the season finale, the antagonist, now the protagonist, manages to turn the tables on the actual villains of the show. Redemption points achieved. Ratings go up. Everyone is fawning over the new protagonist.
What happened to the original protagonist? They are there…somewhere in the background, reduced to applauding for the new hero. Not their fault, of course. The writers forgot to make them interesting, too.
So, what is the point of the redemption arc?
It’s a gimmick to show that the writers have a conscience. They don’t want fans to root for the villain. They don’t want to face political backlash for promoting crime.
It’s just a character, easily molded as per the demands of the fandom.
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