Do you prefer stand-alone episodes, or parts of long-running storylines?
I want stand alone main plots, with ongoing character arcs.
I should be able to watch episode 23 or 123 and
1) Appreciate the story on its own
2) Be able to tell the difference between the two
This relies on "filler" episodes that so many people hold in disdain, but in character growth.
DS9 had a plenty of character growth, it had long term plots, but it was not a serialised story (aside from the last 10 episodes, and 10 out of 173 episodes does not define a series)
Enterprise Season 3 was more single-story, but still not to the extent that Picard and Discovery.
I should be able to watch episode 23 or 123 and
1) Appreciate the story on its own
2) Be able to tell the difference between the two
This relies on "filler" episodes that so many people hold in disdain, but in character growth.
DS9 had a plenty of character growth, it had long term plots, but it was not a serialised story (aside from the last 10 episodes, and 10 out of 173 episodes does not define a series)
Enterprise Season 3 was more single-story, but still not to the extent that Picard and Discovery.
I agree.
I like when shows are episodic, and you don't have to take notes to know what's going on. You could watch a random episode and enjoy it without feeling like you have to watch the whole season/series to relive the story.
I'm not really of fan of the current season long story arcs mainly because they rarely land very well, episodics are fine, but I'll enjoy a mix of episodic with longer background arcs/continuity ala TNG or DS9. The fourth season of ENT with the various two or three parters was pretty good too.
I think Babylon 5 hit the sweet spot for me. The entire show was one big story line, but each individual episode had its own story that was distinguishable from the overall arc. TOS and TNG were too episodic, to the point that you can (mostly) play them in any order. DSC went too far in the other direction IMO, in that I can remember each season's overall story, but not what happened in individual episodes.
A mixture of both? I think TNG or DS9 did a good job. I TNG it was mostly episodic but occasionally something happened that was revisited a season or 2 later. That's kinda how life works - someone comes into your life for a while, fades out, comes back later for a guest appearance once in a while, fades back out.
DS9 was good up to a point. This is how life works when there is a huge event. You go along with your episodic life when suddenly there is a 4 year war and every day life is continuously affected by said war or by 3 ish years of global pandemic and that's what is dominating every moment. In either case you might settle into a routine where the war or plague gets pushed to the background and you have the occasional episode or 2 that is centered on something else or you have a B plot like finding love, birth of a child, moving cross country. Some of the episodic non-Dominion war stories felt a little out of place now and then. Fine if you live in 1942 North America but a bit odd for 1943 France or Germany. But I could be wrong.
I really like how ER (and NYPD Blue or LA Law, to an extent) did it. The series moved from storyline to storyline without much of a discernable break. The stories overlapped and wove in and out. This character has a stretch of continuous story while that character has a one shot episodic story for now.
I the case of modern Trek with 10 episodes... First I wish we had 17 or 24 episodes like the old days. This would allow the more classic episodic format with the occasional multi part story that has consequences. Since we are stuck with thesr 10 episode seasons I would rather a tight 10 episode mini series each season like we have with For All Mankind or The Pitt
DS9 was good up to a point. This is how life works when there is a huge event. You go along with your episodic life when suddenly there is a 4 year war and every day life is continuously affected by said war or by 3 ish years of global pandemic and that's what is dominating every moment. In either case you might settle into a routine where the war or plague gets pushed to the background and you have the occasional episode or 2 that is centered on something else or you have a B plot like finding love, birth of a child, moving cross country. Some of the episodic non-Dominion war stories felt a little out of place now and then. Fine if you live in 1942 North America but a bit odd for 1943 France or Germany. But I could be wrong.
I really like how ER (and NYPD Blue or LA Law, to an extent) did it. The series moved from storyline to storyline without much of a discernable break. The stories overlapped and wove in and out. This character has a stretch of continuous story while that character has a one shot episodic story for now.
I the case of modern Trek with 10 episodes... First I wish we had 17 or 24 episodes like the old days. This would allow the more classic episodic format with the occasional multi part story that has consequences. Since we are stuck with thesr 10 episode seasons I would rather a tight 10 episode mini series each season like we have with For All Mankind or The Pitt
The issue of episodic vs serialized is not a clear cut one or the other situation. It ultimately depends on which method serves the story you're trying to tell better. Star Trek has had the problems of going to extremes on both concepts. The Berman era, particularly TNG and Voyager were far too episodic for their own good while in the modern era we had had serialized storylines on Disco and Picard from writers who clearly are not suited to writing a season long arc.
If it's an ongoing story, the story has to be good. This is a problem if the story isn't good. I say the latest Doctor Who spin-off suffers from this. It isn't all that good. It's not terrible, but it's not great. On the other hand, the Lincoln Lawyer has pretty good stories every season, but each season is based on a single book. Some stuff continues from season to season, but it's a fresh story each season. A show that has one continuous storyline that works well is the original 4400, but because of when it aired, some episodes still have an episodic quality. The same can be said for White Collar, where we do get a new story each season, but there is an ongoing story that continues.
If you have an episodic show, then if one episode is bad, you could potentially have better episodes in the future. This really saves TNG.
I do like anthology series too.
But all depends on a good story. If you're going to have the story continue beyond one episode, it really needs to be a good one that has legs. I'd say BSG ran out of steam before it finished.
If you have an episodic show, then if one episode is bad, you could potentially have better episodes in the future. This really saves TNG.
I do like anthology series too.
But all depends on a good story. If you're going to have the story continue beyond one episode, it really needs to be a good one that has legs. I'd say BSG ran out of steam before it finished.
It depends. I thought Voyager could've used more serialisation and Discovery could've used less. Enterprise found a format that worked with its three-part arcs, while Next Gen was great with standalone stories.
What I don't like is when episodes feel like they're just there to pad out the season, and that can happen in both episodic and serialised series.
What I don't like is when episodes feel like they're just there to pad out the season, and that can happen in both episodic and serialised series.
Both Stand-Alone eps & Long-Running StoryLines are important.
Same with Multi-Part episodes being mixed in with single Stand-Alone eps.
All of it is important.
I don't mind Season long or Series long plot archs.
But having a mix of independent Stand-Alone eps along with long running story-lines are all important to keeping things fresh & flowing.
Same with Multi-Part episodes being mixed in with single Stand-Alone eps.
All of it is important.
I don't mind Season long or Series long plot archs.
But having a mix of independent Stand-Alone eps along with long running story-lines are all important to keeping things fresh & flowing.
Yes, agreed. And good does not mean it must be a galactic wide life or death struggle with a universe threatening antagonist.
Kurtzman Trek seems to think each season must have galactic level consequences. DISCO had a war that threatened the entire Federation followed by a rogue AI that threatened all intelligent life, the aftermath of a galactic disaster, an alien species that threatened the lives of everyone in the galaxy, and the defeat of an antagonist seeking the power of creation of all sentient life in the universe. PIC was similar with aliens threatening to kill the entire Alpha/Beta quadrants, the Borg and Q altering the history of the Federation into an dystopia hell, and the Borg and Dominion teaming up to end the Federation.
Geez. It can be a good gripping story and not involve extinction level events. Give me a 10 episode first contact story. Or take the VOY premise and have the hero ship get lost and the 10 episode story of them getting back home or if you want a threat then make it just 1 planet facing destruction instead of the entire Federation/galaxy each season.
UPN specifically prohibited this. Network interference.
Last edited:
Both have their strengths and weaknesses.
Sometimes it's nice to dive into the odd episode for just 40 minutes of entertainment with no commitment but then with only 10 episodes a season you can end up short changing a lot of character's development and feeling like you've missed pivotal chunks of their journeys.
Equally the excitement of each episode ending with a hook building into the next until a big climactic finale can be very satisfying but you've got to lock yourself into a lot more in order to get all the benefits.
Sometimes it's nice to dive into the odd episode for just 40 minutes of entertainment with no commitment but then with only 10 episodes a season you can end up short changing a lot of character's development and feeling like you've missed pivotal chunks of their journeys.
Equally the excitement of each episode ending with a hook building into the next until a big climactic finale can be very satisfying but you've got to lock yourself into a lot more in order to get all the benefits.
I like both. SNW did one, Disco the other. I really liked how Prodigy told standalone stories that more subtly built on a bigger picture.
I feel like Trek and Doctor Who both went down the same path. The criticisms for both are pretty much the same. And, I think, both are losing their audiences for the same reasons.
I do prefer smaller stories that don't involve the universe getting destroyed. I can watch my Father Brown episodes and have a nice cozy mystery that's enjoyable enough to watch, won't win any awards, but makes for a pleasant viewing experience.
to me in my opinion it all depends
Similar threads
