Economics of mystery shows

Just so you all know, this is a rant. I want to distinguish it from my usual postings, which are typically ramblings verging on tirades. I'm starting to hate the fact that you can always tell who the criminal/saboteur/evil mastermind is the second they walk on-screen by seeing that they are a recognizable B list actor. Almost any mystery series or show of any kind that tries to hide the identity of the antagonist has this problem, but I'll use Law and Order as an example, since they are one of the worst. If I recognize someone that just walked on screen from their appearances in other television dramas, there's about a 97% chance that they are the killer/rapist/fraudster for the episode.

One exception is when they bring in a A list actor, in which case you can depend on them being the villain only in the second or third part of a multi-part episode. Occasionally, an A lister will be the villain in only a single episode, but they will be really really evil. Like when Law & Order SVU brought in Martin Short as an evil psychic - Evil, evil, evil.

It pretty much ruins the show for me when you know whodunit 10 seconds after the bad guy walks on screen. I understand that these are the actors that are making their bread and butter on these shows, and for it to be worthwhile for them, it has to be a larger part, not just the grieving widow or estranged scion. I say give them a large part, and choose the killer from the extras list every once in a while.

What's the net effect? Well, since everyone I recognize on these shows are the bad guys, I'm only truly comfortable in the company of strangers these days. It's not that I can't separate reality from fiction (OK, but you have to admit it really LOOKED like a giant walking killer ham.) it's that I'm being conditioned to see the familiar as threatening by these shows. For those of you that know me, I've got my eye on you. For all of you total strangers, the key to my knife collection is in the adckuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn