Freak of the Week

Synonyms:	MOTW
See also:	BOTW, standalone
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

In Smallville fandom, "Freak of the Week" was the term used to describe an antagonist or other source of conflict in a TV show that is present in one (and usually only one) of the weekly episodes. The plot is usually that of the main character(s) finding, confronting, and overcoming their weekly antagonist, only to repeat the process the following week with a different antagonist.

Virtually all shows seem to follow this template, albeit modified (curing a disease, apprehending a criminal, etc.), in order to make their show accessible to viewers who only watch one or two episodes of the series.