History PlayingWith / MonsterOfTheweek

** Sub-arc villains: The villains usually appear in small arcs that last between 3 and 5 episodes, and almost never appear again, although a minority return, to be recurring characters.

** Sub-arc villains: The villains usually appear in small arcs that last between 3 and 5 episodes, and almost never appear again, although a minority return to be recurring characters.

** Bob and his crew of misfits fight against a new monster every week. This week, it's the Condor, a bird-themed villain.

* '''Exaggerated''': Monster of the Day: A new monster is faced every single day. Today, Bob alone has to fight Charlie, The Spaceship Bomber.

** The heroes only fight a new villain every once in a while, the monsters don't necessarily show up every week.
** The villains and their threats only show up per month, or even longer. This month's threat is a CorruptCop who turned against Bob and his team.

** The Hero is defeated by a new villain every week.

* '''Subverted''': The monster shows up and is defeated in the course of one episode, but he returns in the very next episode, even stronger than before.
* '''Double Subverted''': It was a two-parter. After he's defeated again, he never shows up in another episode.

* '''Defied''': The BigBad sends his monsters out all at once.

* '''Deconstructed''': The cycle of having to face a dangerous monster on a regular basis takes a psychological toll on the heroes as they realize that their individual victories are doing nothing to stop the continued reappearance of a new monster.

%% * '''Reconstructed''':

* '''Deconstructed''':
** The monsters of the week were in fact part of a BigBad 's EvilPlan to wipe out the heroes. [[XanatosGambit Even if they are defeated, they still accomplish something that furthers the big bad's goal]]. And if they do defeat the heroes? Then the BigBad benefits because a thorn in their side is removed.
** Alternatively, the BigBad ''thrives'' off of the destruction of monsters-of-the-week and gets ''stronger'' whenever one is defeated.
* '''Reconstructed''':
** The heroes are wise to the BigBad and his plan and find solutions to beat the monsters of the week without furthering the villain's agenda.
** The heroes keep on beating the monsters until the BigBad becomes so powerful he explodes.
** The villain sheds a fragment of their soul to animate each monster. When they become a soulless monstrosity with immense power, they also become susceptible to the hero's most powerful magic and can finally be taken down.

** Alternatively, this week, the villain Bob usially fights takes control of a new object. This week, he's possessing a lost doll.

* '''Straight''': Bob and his crew of misfits fight against a new monster every week. This week, it's the Condor, a bird-themed villain.
** alternatively,this week,the monster he faces is possessing a lost doll.

* '''Lampshaded''': "There's another themed-monster. It must be Tuesday again".

* '''Discussed''': "Do we do anything ''except'' fight small monsters?"
* '''Conversed''': "It's the same plot ''every'' week. [[OnceAnEpisode A monster shows up]] and the heroes beat them".

Back to MonsterOfTheWeek

* '''Exaggerated''': Monster of the Day: A new monster is faced every single day. Today, Bob alone has to fight Charlie, a spaceship bomber.

%%* '''Plotted A Good Waste''': ???

* '''Exaggerated''': A new monster is faced every single day.
* '''Downplayed''': The heroes only fight a new villain every once in a while, the monsters don't necessarily show up every week.

** Every week, a VillainProtagonist has to face a new HeroAntagonist bent on stopping him.

* '''Justified''': It's a literal monster of the week in that it shows up once a week.
** They are all disorganized minions by the BigBad.

* '''Inverted''': The Week Of Monsters, all the monsters attack at once during the duration of one week.

* '''Parodied''': Every monster is a BigLippedAlligatorMoment.
** Alternately, every monster is treated as if they will return, even though they only ever appear once.
* '''Deconstructed''': The monsters of the week were in fact part of a BigBad 's EvilPlan to wipe out the heroes. [[XanatosGambit Even if they are defeated, they still accomplish something that furthers the big bad's goal]]. And if they do defeat the heroes? Then the BigBad benefits because a thorn in their side is removed.
** Alternatively, the BigBad ''thrives'' off of the destruction of monsters-of-the-week and gets ''stronger'' whenever one is defeated.
* '''Reconstructed''': The heroes are wise to the BigBad and his plan and find solutions to beat the monsters of the week without furthering the villain's agenda.
** The heroes keep on beating the monsters until the BigBad becomes so powerful he explodes.

* '''Lampshaded''': "There's another themed-monster. It must be Tuesday again."
* '''Invoked''': The BigBad believes in fighting fair, and because it rarely is just one hero who takes down the monsters themselves, sends only one monster at a time.

* '''Conversed''': "It's the same plot ''every'' week. [[OnceAnEpisode A monster shows up]] and the heroes beat them."

----

* '''Conversed''': "It's the same plot every week. A monster shows up and the heroes beat them."

* '''Deconstructed''': The monsters of the week were in fact part of a BigBad 's XanatosGambit to wipe out the heroes. Even if they are defeated, they still accomplish something that furthers the big bad's goal. And if they do defeat the heroes? Then the BigBad benefits because a thorn in their side is removed.

* '''Parodied''': Every monster is a BigLippedAlligatorMoment.

* '''Exploited''': The monsters of the week are being used to keep the heroes distracted and unable to fully interfere with the schemes of the BigBad.
* '''Defied''': The Big Bad sends his monsters out all at once.

* '''Exaggerated''': ???
* '''Downplayed''': ???

* '''Reconstructed''': ???
* '''Zig Zagged''': ???

* '''Exploited''': ???

* '''Averted''': ???

'''Straight''': A villain (or monster) shows up and is defeated, resolving the plot in one episode, often never mentioned again.

** The BigBad uses the monster-of-the-week to test the heroes' strengths.

** Alternatively, the BigBad ''thrives'' off of the destruction of monsters-of-the-week and gets ''stronger'' whenever one is defeated.
* '''Lampshaded''': "Do we do anything ''except'' fight small monsters?"
* '''Enforced''': The BigBad believes in fighting fair, and because it rarely is just one hero who takes down the monsters themselves, sends only one monster at a time.
* '''Parodied''': Every monster is a BigLippedAlligatorMoment.
* '''Subverted''': The monster of the week survives and returns, or the characters reference the past monsters of the week, establishing some semblence of continuity.