Unmasking Monsters of Meaning in the ‘Narrative Complexity’ of Supernat

The subjects of this study, The X-Files (Carter, 1993-2002) and occult arts (Kripke, 2005-), can be seen as innovative pioneers of level Complexity and of the monster-of-the-week concept. The X-Files stars FBI agents, Mulder and Scully, as they take charge in investigating the X files (cases that occur through unknown phenomena). Mulder, the believer, and Scully, the sceptic, face corrupt government officials, monstrous mutants and phenomena that cannot be explained. The episodic and formulaic series allow Mulder and Scully to face phenomena after phenomena while being spliced with a greater mytharc concerning government corruption and of the alien colonisation of earth. Supernatural stars Dean and surface-to-air missile Winchester, brothers in arms, who also, within formulaic and self-contained episodes, hunt monsters and creatures of folklore, urban legend and myth. Supernatural features arcs every season that take Dean and Sam searching for their lost father, preventing a demon a pocalypse and do battle with Satan and Gods Angels.American television has, since its very first broadcast, reprobate and changed to cater towards its ever-growing and ever-changing audience (Mittel, 2007, p.162-163). Narratives, structure styles, special effects, characters and themes have developed and changed, been tested and tried. Mittel identifies the three notable structures of the television the anthology, the serial and the series (2007, p. 163). For this study, we are much interested in the serial and the series for its crossover in narrative complexity. Mittel states that narrative television offers ongoing storyworlds, presenting specific opportunities and limitations for creating compelling narratives (2007, p.163). The episodic series is bro... ...d chance(a) Life in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In M. Hammond and L, Mazdon, eds. 2005. The Contemporary Television Series. Edinburgh Edinburg University Press, pp.159-182.Hodges, L., 2008. Mainstreaming Marginality Genre, Hybridity, and Postmodernism in The X-Files. In J. P. Tellote, ed. 2008. The Essential Science Fiction Television Reader. Kentucky Kentucky University Press, pp.231-246.Mittel, J., 2007. Film and Television Narrative. In D. Herman, ed. 2007. The Cambridge Companion to Narrative. Cambridge Cambridge University Press, pp.156-171.Mittell, J., 2006. Narrative Complexity in Contemporary American Television. The Velvet Light Trap, 58(32), pp.29-40 Nixon, N., 1998. Making Monsters, or Serializing Killers. In R. Martin and E, Savoy, eds. 1998. American Gothic New Interventions in a National Narrative. Iowa Iowa University Press, pp.217-236.