The original post: /r/television by /u/Cunari on 2026-01-21 19:35:37+00:00.
To me the perfect amount of serialization is episodic serialization where you got storylines that were resolved in that episode but also you got some plot points that are continued even if it’s just a 1-3 minute scene. This means that even if the episode is bad you thought well at least I got some plot development and/or characterization and you don’t get frustrated because at least some of the plot threads were resolved in that episode.
To me the sweet spot of serialization is Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Babylon 5. Where the status quo changed so radically every season that even a quote/unquote standalone episode was interesting because it involved characters you might not see again in later scenes or may have radically different personalities.
To me TV may have become too serialized where instead of different episodes it’s like you’re reading different chapters so you don’t get that feeling of resolution anymore. And if you don’t pay attention for 5 minutes than you get screwed over because you missed crucial plot points. An example of this would be like Severence or Stranger Things.
How much serialization do you think is optimal?