Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano revolves around a single mother and writer, the eponymous Finlay Donovan, who finds herself mistaken for a contract killer. A series of (un)fortunate events draws Finlay deeper into this world, even as she comes into more money that she could have ever imagined. The way the story unfolds leaves Finlay’s character highly reminiscent of the antihero archetype.

The antihero is the protagonist of a story, but they distinctly lack qualities typical of a heroic character. The antihero archetype is not a new one; it can be traced as far back as the Greek dramatists, and the archetype exists in literatures across other nations and cultures as well. One of the most famous antiheroes in historic literature is Satan in Paradise Lost. The antihero is typically seen either indulging in morally suspect actions toward a justifiable cause or exhibiting similar behavior in line with an inherent moral flaw or vice.

The antihero has found popularity in different kinds of media at different points in time. For instance, the early 2010s saw the rise of the antihero across television, several articles noting this phenomenon as well as theorizing its cause.