Man I loved the X-Files. I've always preferred my TV content to be episodic in nature rather than the sprawling stories of modern TV. I like being able to put on a random episode of my show, out...
Man I loved the X-Files. I've always preferred my TV content to be episodic in nature rather than the sprawling stories of modern TV. I like being able to put on a random episode of my show, out of order in syndication and get value from it without having seen the immediately preceding episode or not getting the payoff of some cliffhanger setup.
Every week you knew there was going to be some interesting thing for Mulder and Scully to explore. Sure, it was a bit formulaic, but I think the episodes varied enough in their twists and main focus points to always keep it interesting. I am not sure why TV has drifted away from this format to be totally honest. The best we get these days are things like Black Mirror, but that has a higher barrier of entry in my opinion (they are just emotionally awful sometimes).
I have always felt that modern TV relies too heavily on cliffhangers to engage its users -- and therefore requires continuous ever evolving plots to support those cliffhangers. They drive me absolutely insane. If you resolve a cliffhanger in the first minute of the next episode, you did not need that cliffhanger. They should be reserved for big impactful moments that can't be given the time they deserve in what remains of an episode. I should want to come back and watch next week because its a great show, not because I just need to find out what happens next....
Just the other day someone disgustedly said to me, “Oh, you like sitcoms.” Sure, I love shows where I don’t have to be super invested in the multi-season arc. This Is Us was an unusual exception....
Just the other day someone disgustedly said to me, “Oh, you like sitcoms.”
Sure, I love shows where I don’t have to be super invested in the multi-season arc. This Is Us was an unusual exception. I like Seinfeld and Psych and Malcolm in the Middle.
I feel like streaming and binge culture have contributed to the “sprawling stories”.
I loved the episodic nature of Supernatural in the early seasons. Even when they started introducing more long story arcs, it tended to remain fairly episodic for quite a while. Alas...
I loved the episodic nature of Supernatural in the early seasons. Even when they started introducing more long story arcs, it tended to remain fairly episodic for quite a while. Alas...
I hate that as well - I mostly prefer movies for that reason. The first time I really noticed it was Lost - I tried watching the first few episodes and just immediately became annoyed at the "look...
I hate that as well - I mostly prefer movies for that reason. The first time I really noticed it was Lost - I tried watching the first few episodes and just immediately became annoyed at the "look at this mystery, tune in next week! /yay mystery solved, oh wait no, the mystery is actually a different mystery, tune in next week!" cycle. When when does started dropping entire seasons I really couldn't get excited to watch an indeterminate amount of hours without a firm end date (or even a guaranteed end!)
Firefly was excellent because although there was an overarching storyline it was mostly focused on episodic stories that focused on the different characters. It did also help I saw Serenity first, so the final episode ending didn't bother me...!
The Fargo series was absolutely perfect, at least for the first 3 seasons - haven't seen beyond that yet. But the storytelling overall - acting, visuals, scoring, plots - all add up to the best TV I've ever seen. The episodes sometimes had cliffhangers of a sort but fortunately I had access to the whole session at once so a weekend binge was a) possible and b) immensely satisfying.
The Good Place and Stranger Things both had excellent first seasons but failed to catch my interest in further seasons - it just felt like the stories had been told and done, and further episodes were just kind of throwing things out there without the tight storylines of the first. I was particularly disappointed at ST's second season because I saw speculation it might end up being a seasonal anthology format and I was excited to think of new and fresh stories from the same makers.
Other than that, I mostly stick to condos where the actual plot is either nonexistant or just doesn't actually matter. Red Dwarf until Rimmer left, Black Books, that kind of thing. Silly comedy.
I think X-Files has shifted away from that format for the later series itself, if I recall correctly. It drifted to everything being connected to the larger conspiracy that involved the chain...
I am not sure why TV has drifted away from this format to be totally honest.
I think X-Files has shifted away from that format for the later series itself, if I recall correctly. It drifted to everything being connected to the larger conspiracy that involved the chain smoker and the powers that went against Mulder and Scully, and turned into some chaotic giant story spanning multiple series without disclosure.
My memory might be a bit foggy and I might've lost the plot at some point, so it might just be an impression that's left that doesn't give the whole picture. So please correct me if I'm wrong.
Ah, this is the monster-of-the-week (MOTW) episodes vs. the mytharc episodes of X-Files. This has been around since the show first started and at some point during the original run it became a...
Ah, this is the monster-of-the-week (MOTW) episodes vs. the mytharc episodes of X-Files.
This has been around since the show first started and at some point during the original run it became a known thing that the mytharc episodes were the worst part of the show because it was clearly being done on the fly and were unsatisfying, while the MOTW episodes were always a good time and generally well received.
The movies and most of the latest two seasons went the mytharc route and that was definitely to their detriment since that was the least enjoyable, and already totally unsalvagable, parts of the show. The MOTW episodes of the latest two seasons are the best parts by virtue of being MOTW ones and retained some of the magic of the original show.
One thing I always appreciated about the X-Files compared to basically every procedural show that followed it is that Mulder and Scully were always consummate professionals. They showed up and...
One thing I always appreciated about the X-Files compared to basically every procedural show that followed it is that Mulder and Scully were always consummate professionals. They showed up and identified themselves as FBI, showing the badge, and approached the crime scene as one would expect agents to.
Something I notice about a lot of other shows is that this peters off at some point after the first few episodes or seasons, and it becomes much more familiar very quickly. Eventually the characters are showing up at crime scenes like the coolest kid in school, cracking jokes or making passes at each other or whatever else. Or they start hooking up and that starts taking over a lot of the show.
Even in the lesser later seasons and more questionable parts of the X-Files, that veneer of professionalism never really left the characters (even if they could never hold a gun or clear an area the way a real agent ever would). The constant seriousness and professionalism in what could have been a wacky or scary show created a specific baseline tone that I'm not sure any other show of its kind has ever really been able to match.
interesting read! Im sure im not alone in saying the X Files exists primarily because of the loss of trust in the US Government following Vietnam and Nixon which were only a decade beforehand....
interesting read! Im sure im not alone in saying the X Files exists primarily because of the loss of trust in the US Government following Vietnam and Nixon which were only a decade beforehand. This is the seed, and it built on Twin Peaks and Star Trek TNG successes in longer form, higher budget productions. Dallas also.
Man I loved the X-Files. I've always preferred my TV content to be episodic in nature rather than the sprawling stories of modern TV. I like being able to put on a random episode of my show, out of order in syndication and get value from it without having seen the immediately preceding episode or not getting the payoff of some cliffhanger setup.
Every week you knew there was going to be some interesting thing for Mulder and Scully to explore. Sure, it was a bit formulaic, but I think the episodes varied enough in their twists and main focus points to always keep it interesting. I am not sure why TV has drifted away from this format to be totally honest. The best we get these days are things like Black Mirror, but that has a higher barrier of entry in my opinion (they are just emotionally awful sometimes).
I have always felt that modern TV relies too heavily on cliffhangers to engage its users -- and therefore requires continuous ever evolving plots to support those cliffhangers. They drive me absolutely insane. If you resolve a cliffhanger in the first minute of the next episode, you did not need that cliffhanger. They should be reserved for big impactful moments that can't be given the time they deserve in what remains of an episode. I should want to come back and watch next week because its a great show, not because I just need to find out what happens next....
Just the other day someone disgustedly said to me, “Oh, you like sitcoms.”
Sure, I love shows where I don’t have to be super invested in the multi-season arc. This Is Us was an unusual exception. I like Seinfeld and Psych and Malcolm in the Middle.
I feel like streaming and binge culture have contributed to the “sprawling stories”.
I loved the episodic nature of Supernatural in the early seasons. Even when they started introducing more long story arcs, it tended to remain fairly episodic for quite a while. Alas...
I hate that as well - I mostly prefer movies for that reason. The first time I really noticed it was Lost - I tried watching the first few episodes and just immediately became annoyed at the "look at this mystery, tune in next week! /yay mystery solved, oh wait no, the mystery is actually a different mystery, tune in next week!" cycle. When when does started dropping entire seasons I really couldn't get excited to watch an indeterminate amount of hours without a firm end date (or even a guaranteed end!)
Firefly was excellent because although there was an overarching storyline it was mostly focused on episodic stories that focused on the different characters. It did also help I saw Serenity first, so the final episode ending didn't bother me...!
The Fargo series was absolutely perfect, at least for the first 3 seasons - haven't seen beyond that yet. But the storytelling overall - acting, visuals, scoring, plots - all add up to the best TV I've ever seen. The episodes sometimes had cliffhangers of a sort but fortunately I had access to the whole session at once so a weekend binge was a) possible and b) immensely satisfying.
The Good Place and Stranger Things both had excellent first seasons but failed to catch my interest in further seasons - it just felt like the stories had been told and done, and further episodes were just kind of throwing things out there without the tight storylines of the first. I was particularly disappointed at ST's second season because I saw speculation it might end up being a seasonal anthology format and I was excited to think of new and fresh stories from the same makers.
Other than that, I mostly stick to condos where the actual plot is either nonexistant or just doesn't actually matter. Red Dwarf until Rimmer left, Black Books, that kind of thing. Silly comedy.
I think X-Files has shifted away from that format for the later series itself, if I recall correctly. It drifted to everything being connected to the larger conspiracy that involved the chain smoker and the powers that went against Mulder and Scully, and turned into some chaotic giant story spanning multiple series without disclosure.
My memory might be a bit foggy and I might've lost the plot at some point, so it might just be an impression that's left that doesn't give the whole picture. So please correct me if I'm wrong.
Ah, this is the monster-of-the-week (MOTW) episodes vs. the mytharc episodes of X-Files.
This has been around since the show first started and at some point during the original run it became a known thing that the mytharc episodes were the worst part of the show because it was clearly being done on the fly and were unsatisfying, while the MOTW episodes were always a good time and generally well received.
The movies and most of the latest two seasons went the mytharc route and that was definitely to their detriment since that was the least enjoyable, and already totally unsalvagable, parts of the show. The MOTW episodes of the latest two seasons are the best parts by virtue of being MOTW ones and retained some of the magic of the original show.
No you are right, I just think those are the worst seasons heh
In my mind original X-Files ended after season 6. I did enjoy many episodes of the revival though, which I believe deserved more appreciation.
One thing I always appreciated about the X-Files compared to basically every procedural show that followed it is that Mulder and Scully were always consummate professionals. They showed up and identified themselves as FBI, showing the badge, and approached the crime scene as one would expect agents to.
Something I notice about a lot of other shows is that this peters off at some point after the first few episodes or seasons, and it becomes much more familiar very quickly. Eventually the characters are showing up at crime scenes like the coolest kid in school, cracking jokes or making passes at each other or whatever else. Or they start hooking up and that starts taking over a lot of the show.
Even in the lesser later seasons and more questionable parts of the X-Files, that veneer of professionalism never really left the characters (even if they could never hold a gun or clear an area the way a real agent ever would). The constant seriousness and professionalism in what could have been a wacky or scary show created a specific baseline tone that I'm not sure any other show of its kind has ever really been able to match.
interesting read! Im sure im not alone in saying the X Files exists primarily because of the loss of trust in the US Government following Vietnam and Nixon which were only a decade beforehand. This is the seed, and it built on Twin Peaks and Star Trek TNG successes in longer form, higher budget productions. Dallas also.
stuff to chew on