History Main / VictimOfTheWeek

[[folder: Western Animation]]
* ''Superjail!'': In nearly every episode, some inmates do wind up dead partly at the hands of the Warden. Hell, Lord Stingray's wife Mistress Kilda is murdered in "Lord Stingray Crash Party" by Alice.

* In ''Literature/TheConditionsOfGreatDetectives'' every episode involves at least one death.

Even if you are not going to [[BodyOfTheWeek kill the victim]], you still need one. Bad guys need to be bad to a person, and when a villain [[KickTheDog Kicks the Dog]], ''somebody'' needs to be the poor dog in question. Your hero is not going to look very heroic if he just runs around arresting people for stuff like abuse-of-lawnchair. It is important to establish that the lawnchair was being kept by a saintly old widow as a fond reminder of her beloved, deceased husband. The bereaved widow is now bereft of her lawnchair and is inconsolable. Justice must be done. This lawnchair abuser is going ''down!''

* And, of course... ''Series/{{CSI}}''.

** Also, ''Series/{{Monk}}''.
** ''Series/{{Columbo}}''

* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'': In every episode, BigBad Hawk Moth uses one of his akumas to [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwash normal civilians and turn them into supervillains that obey his orders]], in order for his power to work, the victim must be feeling negative emotions like sadness or anger, meaning the person usually was already the victim of another incident, and he usually offers a deal for those people to get what they wanted or get revenge on whoever wronged them in exchange for stealing the heroes' [[TransformationTrinket Transformation Trinkets]], however, the episodes usually end with the person free from the possession, and getting what they wanted anyway, or making whoever made them upset getting punished.

* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'': In every episode, BigBad Hawk Moth uses one of his akumas to [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwash normal civilians and turn them into supervillains that obey his orders]], in order for his power to work, the victim must be feeling negative emotions like sadness or anger, meaning the person was already the victim of another incident, and he usually offers a deal for those people to get what they wanted or get revenge on whoever wronged them in exchange for stealing the heroes' [[TransformationTrinket Transformation Trinkets]], however, the episodes usually end with the person free from the possession, and getting what they wanted anyway, or making whoever made them upset getting punished.

* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'': In every episode, BigBad Hawk Moth uses one of his akumas to [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwash normal civilians and turn them into supervillains that obey his orders]], in order for his power to work, the victim must be feeling negative emotions like sadness or anger, and he usually offers a deal for those people to get what they wanted or get revenge on whoever wronged them in exchange for stealing the heroes' [[TransformationTrinket Transformation Trinkets]], however, the episodes usually end with the person free from the possession, and getting what they wanted anyway, or making whoever made them upset getting punished.

Common in series that use MonsterOfTheWeek or MysteryOfTheWeek. In more supernatural series, having a victim of the week is also a very good way to showcase the special powers or other abilities of this week's monster or villain that the hero must overcome in order to save the day.

If it always seems to be the same person that fills this role (in a non-fatal way, obviously[[note]]well, [[TheyKilledKenny usually]][[/note]]), then it's a DesignatedVictim.

** ''Anime/HugttoPrettyCure'', victims are targeted when their anger fills them with negative energy, creating an [[MonsterOfTheWeek Oshimaida]].

* About half the time on ''Series/PersonOfInterest'', the titular person is someone who is ''going'' to be the victim of a violent crime and the protagonists have to intervene before that happens (the rest of the time, the person is someone who's going to ''commit'' a crime and they need to figure out who the victim is).

* Most ''LawAndOrder'' spinoffs, particularly ''Criminal Intent'', which starts off with the crime.

* Enma Ai, the ''Anime/HellGirl'', frequently deals with victims of this type, who have often suffered horribly at the hands of the tormentors that they want sent to Hell.

* ''Harper's Island's'' entire premise is that there is at least one victim every week.

* Being a deconstruction of the FightingSeries PlayedForLaughs, ''Manga/MutekiKanbanMusume'' subverts this trope because the various non-fatal victims of the week that we met at the series are regulars in her DebutQueue (they will not solve their problems) or people who will solve their problems themselves, [[StopHelpingMe despite the help the protagonist gives]].

Common in series that use MonsterOfTheWeek or MysteryOfTheWeek. In more supernatural shows, having a victim of the week is also a very good way to showcase the special powers or other abilities of this week's monster or villain that the hero must overcome in order to save the day.

Common in series that use MonsterOfTheWeek or MysteryOfTheWeek. In more supernatural shows, having a victim of the week also serves to showcase the special powers or other abilities of this week's monster or villain that the hero must overcome in order to save the day.

Common in series that use MonsterOfTheWeek or MysteryOfTheWeek. In more supernatural shows, having a victim of the week also serves to showcase the special powers of this week's monster or villain that the hero must overcome in order to save the day.

Common in series that use MonsterOfTheWeek or MysteryOfTheWeek.

* If you're in the ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'' universe and Kenshiro isn't dealing with ArcVillain or being next to you, pray for your luck and stay away from anyone with [[TheQuincyPunk Mohawk]], because you're likely to be bullied, mugged and killed by [[AllBikersAreHellsAngels them]].

It should be noted that often in MysteryOfTheWeek shows, the VictimOfTheWeek is [[AssholeVictim not sympathetic at all]]. This is due to the fact that there need to be enough suspects wanting the person dead.

* "If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire... ''Series/TheATeam''."

* If you're in the ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'' universe and Kenshiro isn't dealing with ArcVillain or being next to you, pray for your luck and stay away from anyone with [[TheQuincyPunk Mohawk]], because you're likely to be bullied, mugged and killed by [[AllBikersAreHellAngels them]].

* If you're in the ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'' universe and Kenshiro isn't dealing with ArcVillain or being next to you, pray for your luck and stay away from anyone with [[TheQuincyPunk Mohawk]], because you're likely to be bullied, mugged and killed by [[BikerGang them]].

* If you're in the ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'' universe and Kenshiro isn't dealing with ArcVillain or being next to you, pray for your luck and stay away from anyone with Mohawk, because you're likely to be bullied, mugged and killed by [[TheQuincyPunk mooks with Mohawk]].