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Why does every thriller show end with the villain getting a redemption arc?
I just finished a 3 season series on HBO where the bad guy murdered like 5 people, but they wrapped it up with him crying and the hero forgiving him. It ruined the whole binge for me. Every other show I start seems to do this now, especially on streaming. Is it lazy writing or are they just scared to have a straight evil ending? Has anyone else noticed this pattern or am I just picking the wrong shows?
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rodriguez.felix2mo ago
Actually, what you're describing isn't a redemption arc. That's just a pity moment. A real redemption arc takes seasons, shows the villain earning forgiveness through actions, not just crying once. What you saw was the writers trying to make the bad guy feel human, not fully forgiven. It's a cheap trick that lazy showrunners use to avoid a straight downer ending, because network execs think audiences can't handle true villains anymore. You're not picking wrong shows, you're just noticing how streaming services push for emotional closure on every character, even the ones who don't deserve it. The pattern is real, but the fix is to look for shows where the villain stays a villain and the hero walks away angry. That's the ending that actually sticks with you.
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