The Bad Guys: Episode 1

Mr. Wolf is the story’s protagonist who occasionally addresses the reader directly. He is the leader in a group of four predator friends who are classically labelled as “bad guys.” Mr. Wolf is known to prey on grandmothers and their relatives, as well as vulnerable animals like pigs; he is also known to dress up in disguises. Mr. Wolf is trying to change the reputation built for him in stories like Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs. His experience is thus defined by his past villainy, developing the theme of Being Misunderstood and Fighting Stereotypes. Mr. Wolf initially appears as a dark, brooding shadow, and when his full form is shown, his large, pointed teeth are evident. Although Mr. Wolf insists he can be trusted, Blabey’s portrayal leaves that in some doubt.

Mr. Wolf insists that he and his friends wear black suits and white cowboy hats to portray a more positive and respectable image, but Mr. Wolf’s friends often don’t take him seriously. Because of Mr. Wolf’s past tendencies to dress in disguises and fool others, the suit and hat are warning signs. Mr. Wolf is a flawed protagonist who wants to be a hero, but the way he occasionally yells at his friends or uses them in ways that hurt them (like hurling them against the prison walls) show that he still hasn’t really figured out what “good” means: “What am I talking about? Well, sit down and I’ll explain” (40).