Girl of the Week: Difference between revisions
Guy of the Week redirects here, so at least briefly mention him
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'''Elliot:''' Dating your laptop. Thank you.|''[[Scrubs]]'', "My Half-Acre"}}
Like the [[Temporary Love Interest]], this is a way to give the hero some romance for the episode while still allowing the focus of the show to be on the plot or the arc, but the '''Girl of the Week''' (or '''Guy of the Week''') does not have to [[Cartwright Curse|die at the end]]. The girl will be [[One-Shot Character|gone by the next episode]], possibly because of a wacky misunderstanding a la the [[Three Is Company]] plotline, or a [[Minor Flaw, Major Breakup|very minor flaw]], but sometimes just not showing up again, with [[Snap Back|no explanation offered]]. This relationship will generally be rockier or less passionate than that with the [[Temporary Love Interest]], allowing its end to be less dramatic. If someone is ''noted'' for getting extremely passionate about every Girl of the Week, sincerely believing each one in turn to be the love of their life but then forgetting all about them a week later, they're a [[Serial Romeo]]. Sometimes, particularly in a [[Walking the Earth]] series, there's ''no'' relationship, but the girl is shown having an obvious interest in the hero (which may be mutual) before he inevitably moves on.
If she survives longer than her initial appearance, [[Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome]] is likely.
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== Film ==
* The [[James Bond (film)|James Bond]] film franchise is famous for its Bond Girls, the [[Disposable Woman|disposable]] companions that Bond acquires in each of his various adventures. Bond Girls have a very high mortality rate, and, with some exceptions, never appear in more than one movie. The only exception is "Trench, Sylvia Trench" from the first two movies, who perhaps was spared for giving Bond his catchphrase (though she never "made it" with Bond, either). Unless of course we count Ms. Moneypenny (and Judi Dench's M, since the actress considers herself a "
** Vesper Lynd, in the 2006 version of ''[[Casino Royale]]'', is the only character to have a direct effect on the plot of a second film (''[[Quantum of Solace]]'', in which she casts a long shadow but appears onscreen for all of two seconds).
** Bond's murdered wife [[The Gwen Stacy|Teresa di Vicenzo]] also gets brought up every now and then, but always indirectly (possibly to hide the [[Continuity Snarl]] of Pierce Brosnan being called upon to mourn a woman George Lazenby married almost thirty years earlier), though this was the unspoken reason Bond was so pissed at Blofeld in the immediate sequel, ''[[Diamonds Are Forever]]''.
*** Teresa would have appeared in the film after ''[[On Her Majesty's Secret Service]]'' and be killed early in the film. Before filming of Lazenby's first film ended he had already decided not to do another, so she was killed at the end of the film.
** Maud Adams, meanwhile, has appeared as two different Bond girls: Andrea Anders in ''[[The Man with the Golden Gun]]'', and the title character in ''[[Octopussy]]''. The former doesn't make it.
** In ''Happy and Glorious'' (which was made especially for the 2012 London Olympics), Her Royal Majesty, Queen [[Elizabeth II]] appeared [[As Herself]] opposite James Bond (played by Daniel Craig). If Judi Dench's M is a Bond Girl, then so is the Sovereign by the same reasoning.
* ''[[Austin Powers]]''. As a Bond spoof, it, too, has its own Bond Girls.
** In the first film, Vanessa Kensington was a [[Love Interest]] with a full back story that made her complex and sympathetic. Because Mike Myers only intended the film to do modestly, Austin learned [[An Aesop]] about how life as a [[Casanova]] was far less satisfying in [[The Nineties]], and underwent significant [[Character Development]] to be with her. After the character became a phenomenon and sequels were planned, the franchise underwent [[Flanderization]] from a quirky, sentimental comedy into [[Denser and Wackier]] [[Farce]]. Vanessa was [[Retcon]]ed out of the picture, and this trope was played straight with Felicity Shagwell, [[Punny Name|Ivana Humpalot, Dixie Normus]] and Foxy Cleopatra.
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*** Although, both Vicki and Catwoman are given an explanation as to where they went. Bruce told Selina that Vicki couldn't handle his double life, and {{spoiler|as far as Batman knows Catwoman is dead}}.
**** A earlier draft of the script for ''Batman and Robin'' had {{spoiler|Poison Ivy killing Julie Madison}}
== Literature ==
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** Sometimes this would flirt with "[[Very Special Episode]]" territory, since most of the girls Brandon hooked up with had some kind of "issue" connected to them, eg., the girl with the baby, the [[Unfortunate Implications|black girl]], the racist girl—never let it be said Brandon wasn't an equal opportunity dater.
* ''[[The Six Million Dollar Man]]'' - Steve Austin made out with a lot more women than just Jamie Sommers and Farrah Fawcett....
* The repeated use of Girls of the Week in later seasons of ''[[Sliders]]'' was criticized by fans, although they were usually [[Temporary Love Interest|temporary love interests]] since most of the time they [[Cartwright Curse|died tragically at the end of the episode]].
* ''[[The Adventures of Brisco County Jr]].'' featured several Girls of the Week. Brisco got kissed by many beautiful women, but his heart always belonged to Dixie Cousins.
* Most early seasons of ''[[Frasier]]'' rarely had Frasier Crane with a girlfriend who stayed around longer than an episode; sometimes they didn't even break up, she simply wasn't there any more an episode later. In later seasons, the girlfriend might stay for a mini-arc but would likely be gone after. Often a focus of [[Lampshade Hanging]] as Frasier obsessed about his inability to commit. In one memorable episode, most of the former love interests made a cameo in a [[Dream Sequence]] on the subject.
* All of the main male characters of the ''[[Star Trek]]'' spinoffs (even including
** Lies! Chekov once got a girl. She didn't even die.
** Scotty once got a girl too. Really, the only regular male character on TOS who ''never'' got a Girl of the Week was Sulu.
*** [[Ascended Meme|Oh]] [[Invisible to Gaydar|my!]]
** This was such a common event that characters who keep getting the Girl of the Week in a TV series are sometimes referred to as 'Kirk' or 'a Kirk', either as criticism or compliment, often by [[Hollywood Nerd|geeky]] characters. See various episodes of ''Stargate Atlantis'' as an example, with Rodney McKay calling John Shepherd 'Kirk' after he has met and conquered the Girl of the Week - but then he's jealous! The epitome of this was when Shephard tried to hit on Rodney's married sister in the episode 'McKay and Mrs Miller' (S3 E08).
** This specific example was hilariously lampshaded in the [[In Living Color]] skit ''The Wrath of Farrakhan''. The line that had me crying with laughter? ''
* ''[[The Saint]]'', especially during Ian Ogilvy's time as the hero.
* ''Bergerac'' (the detective from the island of Jersey, not Cyrano) was a more constant type of chap. He went through a girlfriend per season.
* ''[[Quantum Leap]]'' loved this trope - justifying it in that Sam's scrambled brain would pick up on the feelings of the person he replaced and that his pursuit would set the GOTW and the person Sam leapt into "on the right path".
** Besides which, unless it was a two-parter Sam would be forcibly "leaped" out of the situation, therefore he ''couldn't'' have an ongoing relationship with any of them. {{spoiler|(He had a wife in his "present" but didn't remember her. She decided that was for the best: because if he knew, she knew he'd feel obliged not to pursue any GOTW no matter how right it would be for the person he leaped in to.)}}
* A common trope on ''[[The Wild Wild West (TV series)|The Wild Wild West]]''. In the first season, the female characters had important roles in the episodes' plots; by the fourth season, they usually had walk-on roles at the end of the episodes solely to be Girls of the Week.
* ''[[The Monkees (band)|The Monkees]]'' often had a token female love interest for one of the guys (but mostly for the cute heartthrob and [[Chick Magnet]], Davy Jones.)
** Sometimes, it was one of the Monkees themselves who acted as the Girl of the Week, whenever they so hilariously [[Disguised in Drag]].
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* In the early seasons of ''[[Monk]]'', the title character's assistant, Sharona, would often have a Guy of the Week. He was usually revealed to be either the murderer or some other criminal.
* ''[[Stargate Atlantis]]'' is filled with this. Ascended Ancients, non-ascended Ancients, Princesses, Female Starship Captains, etc etc.
* Likewise, ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' had its fair share, including one episode where O'Neill
* ''[[How I Met Your Mother]]''. How many candidates have we had for the mother, now? A few dozen? And let's not even get into Barney's numerous conquests.
* ''[[30
* Fans of ''[[Forever Knight]]'' referred to this phenomenon as "Neck of the Week."
* In ''[[The Adventures of Pete and Pete]]'', Big Pete had several Girls Of The Week, especially in the last season.
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* ''[[Supernatural]]'' being a [[Walking the Earth]] series has quite a lot of this
* The cast of ''[[Buffy]]'' has a handful of these for both genders: Buffy's one date with Owen, who she has to dump because living in her world would get him killed; Cordelia has several of these in seasons 1 and 2. Not to mention Xander's tendency to have possible love interests turn out to be demons trying to kill him - one of the few instances where Girl of the Week and [[Monster of the Week]] are actually one and the same.
* ''[[The A-Team]]'' had tons of these, and they almost always ended up with [[Handsome Lech|Face]], except for a handful of times when they ended up with [[
* In the last couple of series of the original run of ''[[Doctor Who]]'', Ace seemed to find a new young female best friend to hang out with almost everywhere (and everywhen) they went. The level of [[Ho Yay|subtext]] varied, but was [[Word of Gay|later confirmed]] to be deliberate with at least some of them.
* Really? ''[[Two and A Half Men]]'' anyone? Girl of the week is probably an understatement, seeing how Charlie has even had more than 1 per day.
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* For the first few seasons, Shawn from ''Boy Meets World'' had this. Even in episodes where they tried to establish a back story of a serious relationship, you only saw the girl for one episode. Eventually they lampshaded it in the episode where he finally takes a permanent girlfriend who sticks around for most of the rest of the series.
* Averted ''hard'' with ''[[Peter Gunn]]''. Pete had a steady girlfriend in Edie, the [[Glamorous Wartime Singer|local nightclub singer]].
== Radio ==
* At least the radio show of ''[[Have Gun — Will Travel]]'' has the main character Paladin returning from his adventures to a new Girl of the Week. Subverted in that he wasn't always successful in the attempt.
* Harry Lime almost always had one of these (generally some girl he was attempting to scam) in ''The Many Lives Of Harry Lime''.
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[[Category:Love Interests]]
[[Category:Double Standard]]
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[[Category:One-Shot Character]]
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