i really could write an essay on how shit is that we’ve completely abandoned the monster-of-the-week episode format even when rebooting shows that relied on it to replace them with grimdark edgy plotlines where nothing feels good or accomplished at the end of the day
I think you can expand Monster of the Week format, more generally, to Guy Of The Week. Because this format also works for detective stories, medical dramas, lawyer procedurals, what have you. The point is that every week there is a new Guy and the new Guy brings a new Situation