• bob_lemon@feddit.de
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    1 year ago

    A lot of newer shows cannot be watched randomly though because the episodes actually build upon each other.

    If you take older shows like TNG or X files: you could easily jump back in after missing half a season. The episodes were written to be mostly self-contained, because missing an episode or two because of life was very very common. Season finales were often a major exception, and were therefore also majority advertised so people knew to plan around them.

    If you write a show for streaming, however, there is no concept of “missing an episode”. So the writers are freed from that constraint, and subsequently write shows that are only meant to be watched in their entirety, in order.

    • Blackmist@feddit.uk
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      1 year ago

      Yeah, you can definitely see a trend towards more HBO style shows as streaming took off.

      I remember watching an episode of The Wire, and somebody else watched it with me and didn’t like it because they didn’t know what was going on and the story wasn’t resolved in an hour. I’m like 10 episodes in, and this ain’t Columbo.