Dark Content in Television

We've all been in this position before, just sitting on the couch watching our favorite tv show, or just flicking channels and we have an "Oh what the (insert personal choice of profanity for this given phrase)!" moment. I'm well aware that media has to go dark at times, or somewhat just plain wrong (looking at you human centipede) to be entertaining. However, it seems as though they do this for the sole purpose of creating buzz or be edgy. Some may enjoy this, but I get tired of always having a rape, or torture scene for the sake of drama. Those types of scenes are not enjoyable when you are with your family or a significant other, because they may make them down right upset or scared. Now don't get me wrong the best villain in any movie is Hannibal Lector, and yes he is a psychopath, but he does it with style. His brand of violence isn't anything like the wanton rape and destruction of those in The Clockwork Orange. This is because the director spent most of his effort working to shape and mold Lector like a fine piece of art. He didn't say "Hey, be a psycho and try to be as violent and depraved as possible. Maybe laugh in a high pitched voice and throw feces at someone, that may turn some heads", yeah no Lector wasn't Multiple Mitch. All the previous information aside, I don't care as much when this happens with movies, since they have extensive and specific warnings about the content within. Television shows spring in on you in hopes of catching you off guard.

The story of how a show runs through the spiral into darkness runs a fairly rigid course. From season 1 to the end of the series, a show must evolve to thrive, this usually means that the violence must increase as well. This goes for both the main antagonists, protagonists, and all the side characters in between. It usually goes like this. A soon to be leading role character joins a band of misfits whom are accustomed to their way of life and have already gone through their rights of passage, while our budding hero is put through the ropes. He or she will then be put through many trials, each one requires to cut off another slice of humanity. This process leads up to many small moments in which the character questions what they have done and what they have become. Although this is offset by a conflict which ends up plunging said hero further down into the depths of evil. Then they'll go too far and try to bring down the empire they created. Our favorite hero has seen many terrible things and has committed many atrocities himself.

Many so called "red shirt" minor characters are the platform for which the worst atrocities occur. Television shows have many of the same tricks, pull in a likeable or dislikeable character in for a season in order to kill them so that the plot may move on. This is in almost every show. So much so that we the audience have developed a sixth sense for it. Which is a shame because that very sense detracts from the surprise that we were supposed to feel. This is especially true when a show fallows a repetitive plot line. An enemy is found, they shake the world of the lovable gang of misfits, then the misfit take them out, creating a hole for where there is no drama to be had. What fills this hole you may ask? You guessed it another group of bad guys slightly worse then the last, and in a more brutal way. Usually one group will kidnap a family member, one will get raped, one will order a hit, one will get them in trouble with the law leading up to a final glorious showdown. After a while these plot lines seem to mold into a single season.