Starter Villain

The exposition of Starter Villain lays the groundwork for Charlie Fitzer’s character development and his profound sense of displacement. As the narrative unfolds, Charlie embarks on a journey of self-discovery, grappling with themes of identity and belonging while clumsily immersing himself in his uncle Jake's nefarious enterprises to reconcile the dissonance between his Expectations, Perceptions, and Reality.

Charlie's prolonged self-isolation follows a series of traumatic events: losing his job as a business writer in Chicago, undergoing a divorce from his wife of three-and-a-half years, and learning of his father's illness in quick succession. Consequently, he retreated to his childhood home to care for his ailing father, where he remained for the next four years. The exact timing of his father's passing remains ambiguous, described only as a "few years" prior. During this period, Charlie became estranged from his friends, attributing it partly to his ex-wife's social reorganization and partly to his own neglect. As a result, he finds himself emotionally adrift at the story's outset, maintaining only two significant relationships: a contentious yet familial bond with Andy Baxter, his father's attorney, and a cherished companionship with Hera, his cat.

Despite years of isolation, Charlie harbors a yearning for change as he contemplates purchasing a local pub, McDougal's, to preserve his connection to his late father and foster a sense of community. Instead of languishing in solitude, Charlie actively seeks to integrate himself into the fabric of his hometown, evidenced by his engaging conversation with Belinda Darroll, a loan officer at the bank. He articulates his desire to preserve McDougal's as a cherished Barrington institution, reflecting a desire to contribute positively to his community. However, Charlie's aspirations often collide with harsh realities, exemplified by his futile attempts to secure a loan from the bank. This disjunction between perception and reality recurs throughout the narrative, such as when Charlie invites his estranged uncle, Jake, to his wedding, only to receive a disappointing gift and a bluntly worded note estimating the length of Charlie and Jeanine's marriage. 

Expectations, Perceptions, and Reality collide once more during Jake's funeral. The first ominous sign manifests in the form of the funeral flowers, each bearing sentiments ranging from "See you in hell" to "Suck it, motherfucker” to "Dead? LOL okay" (34-35). As mourners arrive, they all share a striking resemblance: entirely male, with a vaguely militaristic demeanor, cloaked in overcoats. None of these individuals has any personal connection to Jake; instead, they converge to confirm his demise. This peculiar gathering solidifies Tobias as "The Stabber" in Charlie's psyche for much of the narrative. Forced to reassess his perception of his uncle and the ruthless realm of parking garages, Charlie's skepticism remains tempered by his unwavering trust in his investigative journalism skills. Despite confronting the harsh reality before him, Charlie grapples with the challenge of reshaping his perception of Jake.

Throughout the narrative, Scalzi employs humor to underscore Charlie's struggle to come to terms with reality. Charlie often uses humor as a defense mechanism to mask his emotions and navigate through them. For instance, when a particularly inept reporter, a former colleague who was laid off when Charlie was, covers Jake's death, Charlie reflects, "[He] was still somehow in journalism while I was substitute teaching […] while I ate my toast in a house I grew up in but didn't technically own, with a cat as my only friend" (3). Charlie's sarcasm serves as a coping mechanism to manage the disappointment and frustration stemming from his current living situation.

Similarly, when Charlie encounters the lost kitten, he questions the rationale behind taking on another responsibility when he struggles to care for himself. He muses, "[W]hen a kitten walks up to you and makes demands, what are you going to do? Say no? I repeat: I am not a monster" (17). In addition to breaking the fourth wall, Charlie utilizes humor to rationalize what might seem like an imprudent decision. His affection for cats is apparent, and he employs humor to obscure this vulnerability. Likewise, this humor foreshadows later events where Charlie questions his morality. As he navigates the dissonance between perception and reality, humor emerges as both a coping mechanism and a lens through which he views the world.