Vengeance Unlimited



In a post-O.J. world, when people really wanted their vengeance served to them on a silver platter, ABC delivered: a 1998 series that starred Michael Madsen as Mr. Chapel, a vigilante who makes sure those bad guys who thought they got away don't really get away. Someone killed your father and blamed your husband? Someone cashing in on a book deal after getting away with offing someone you hold dear? One quick call to Chapel, and he'll make all your problems go away. Even better, he doesn't use guns, nor does he kill anyone.

There is, as with all sweet deals, one slight hitch. His fee is $1 million. Oh, don't worry, you don't actually have to give him any money. However, in lieu of the fee, you are on the hook for a favor to be called in at any time in the future. And believe you, he will call you for it.

He does have help: K.C. Griffin (Kathleen York), a former client who has long since paid off her favor, but feels what Chapel feels: A desire to set wrongs right...with torture if necessary. (Hey, torture's not killing, is it?)

The series was quite critically panned for its subject matter, as Chapel did some mighty bad things, and the timing of its release--as noted, right after the O.J. trial. ABC thought it good enough to go up against the juggernauts on Thursday nights. Unfortunately, the gambit failed, and the series was canceled after 16 episodes, the last of which was named "Friends", in deference to the show that vanquished it.

Tropes:

 * Anti Hero: Chapel is a Type IV.
 * Black and Gray Morality
 * Catch Phrase: "This Makes Us Even. I'm out of your life forever."
 * Phrase Catcher: "Thank God!"
 * Danger Takes a Backseat: A "heroic" example, as Chapel downs an accomplice with formaldehyde this way.
 * Dark and Troubled Past/Mysterious Past: Why has Chapel chosen this line of work? He refers to once having had "a really bad Monday", but never elaborates.
 * Doesn't Like Guns
 * Gaslighting: He does this to his mark in "Critical"...and apparently he had an entire restaurant full of former clients with favors to pay back.
 * Keep Circulating the Tapes
 * Naive Newcomer: K.C. cashes in her favor in the pilot, then sticks around.
 * Pay Evil Unto Evil
 * Recycled Set: Despite being a Walking the Earth series, the hotel rooms that Chapel stays in are all the same. Justified in that they're all part of the same hotel chain.
 * Screwed By the Network: If you want your scripted series to succeed, don't put it up against a rival network's best-rated show.
 * Take That: "Critical", to...well...the critics.
 * Technical Pacifist: Chapel doesn't use guns or kill. He lets other people take care of that.
 * Thou Shalt Not Kill: But Chapel is open to anything else.
 * Vigilante Man
 * We Help the Helpless
 * You Owe Me: A million dollars or a favor. Most go for the favor. Turned around on Chapel by the computer genius in "Critical", who could've turned him in...but didn't. The same ep had the only client in the series who paid the million rather than the favor.