The Institute: Mary-Louise Parker's Sigsby is self-righteous to a fault, and here's why it makes her even more dangerous

Mary-Louise Parker debuted as the enigmatic and dangerous Ms. Sigsby in MGM+'s The Institute, which is based on Stephen King's 2019 science fiction horror novel of the same name.

Mary-Louise Parker is certainly not new to playing complicated and powerful women, from her Emmy Award-winning role in Angels in America to Nancy Botwin in Weeds, each of her roles has been a milestone in her career. However, Ms. Sigsby is certainly the most dangerous antagonist in the King-verse, and the absolute conviction with which Parker plays her on-screen makes her even more deadly.

Sigsby is the director of The Institute, which conducts sick experiments on several teenage children with psychokinetic abilities. While the experiments are daunting enough, the woman feels no remorse over her actions and feels that they are dedicated to a greater good. Her dedication and self-righteous behaviour towards her job and position make Parker's character one of the deadliest villains in the show.

More on The Institute's Sigsby in our story.

The Institute: How is Mary-Louise Parker's Sigsby the most dangerous villain in the King-verse

Hardcore Stephen King fans will attest that the author is not only a master of horror but also creates some of the best and most terrifying villains. A part of the thrill in King's stories lies in the villains he creates, and Mary-Louise Parker's Sigsby is certainly one of the most dangerous.

Contrary to supernatural horror, The Institute follows horror committed by humans, and Sigsby is certainly the world's best manipulator. As the titular facility's mastermind, she is the overseer of the sick experiments that are performed on young and innocent minds like Luke. These experiments not only subject the children to immense pain and humiliation but also take them away from their humanity, forcing them to channel their inner rage.

The Institute partly runs because of Sigsby's ironclad control, who even pretends to act nice in front of the children, but hates them in reality. Mary-Louise Parker's villain is probably the worst kind of antagonist because she is devoid of every human emotion and feels fully righteous in what the titular facility does.

As Parker breaks down the core of Sigsby in an interview with Gayety:

“She feels it’s for the greater good. That’s the most dangerous kind of villain, because they’ll stop at nothing.”

While a few of the facility's staff are hesitant and even feel guilty over their actions (but are bound by Sigsby's rule), the head of these sick experiments is too self-righteous and does not consider the implications of her actions.

In another interview with ScreenRant, Mary-Louise Parker discussed the ruthless attitude of her character in The Institute:

"I just think that she's so completely undaunted, and guileless, and would do anything for the job, and for the cause. I think she has some kind of chip missing. I think, also, it's a product of having justified this level of bad behavior for such a long period of time. I think that you have to continually convince yourself to the point where you're a little bit numb. I think it would probably eat away at your psyche."

Like her fellow employees, Sigsby is convinced that these children's psychic powers should be harvested for the 'greater good'. Her conviction and self-righteous actions make her the most dangerous villain in the King-verse, who does not even realise their antagonistic origins.

The Institute will premiere its next episode (Episode 7) on MGM+ on August 17, 2025.

Trending

For the latest scoops on your favorite TV shows and movies, follow SoapCentral.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback