The Streaming Chronicles I - Dan, Dave & The Death of Plato

I was in a Game of Thrones class last semester, well, it was a Germanic and Slavic Literature and Language class but it was based on the alleged source material for the hit show, but you get the idea. The class had me doing a lot of research on Game of Thrones and led me to a pretty satisfying answer on why my favorite show was transformed to what seemed to be a fresh plate of garbage. I write this entry because I was very passionate about the show, I thought it was revolutionary storytelling, but was just as disappointed by season 8 as everyone else.

The Build

I would like to start off by saying that I was a huge fan of the show. I think in total I watched it 5 times, 3 of which, if I'm being honest, could probably be classified as binges.

Then came Season 8. As each episode released each week, I convinced myself, "that was acceptable, next week we are really going to kick into gear." Next week never came, and as my bottle of Special Edition Johnny Walker - White Walker ran dry by episode 6, the most iconic show on television ended with a disappointingly unremarkable episode setting a new record for the its lowest rated episode on iMDb.

At the time I blamed everything, the rushed nature of the season, the lackluster writing, the abandoned story arcs, the unfulfilled prophecies and the countless logical errors. Excusing the coffee cup because accidents happen, how can Dany not see an entire fleet approaching while flying at that altitude above water?

While all of those critiques might be warranted, and in my opinion, they are, recently I was watching YouTube video by a channel called Wisecrack, self-described as a group of academics who tackle big ideas through the lens of TV and movies. I originally found out about Wisecrack when I would watch their Thug Notes analysis videos of books I had failed to read during high school. Watching the video led me down a path reflection and research which then led to this conclusion.

Game of Thrones isn't the only show that is considered to have ended poorly. Consider Lost, The Sopranos, Dexter, aside from Breaking Bad, most other serialized television shows have had poorly-received endings. But if we consider episodic shows like Parks and Rec., The Office, and The Big Bang Theory, fans loved the endings.

Popular Shows' iMDb scores graphed throughout the seasons by reddit user BoMcCready

The Question

So why? Why is it that serialized shows that build a plot through multiple seasons end up disappointing audiences while shows that focus more on episodic plots and less seasonal development have more well-received endings?

The Flash-Back

Let's rewind, our traditional story structure comes from Plato. He structured a story to have a beginning, middle, and end, and deliver catharsis when we see the characters accomplish their goals and transform into a better version of themselves. This structure held true from the time when people consumed stories in sweaty togas at hot, loud amphitheaters, to the time when people put on their best Sunday clothes and went to the movies, to the time people had reminders set for shows that aired once at a specific time on television.

The viewing experience was contained and audiences expected that catharsis at the end of the story.

The Answer

Streaming. Streaming changed the game by changing the nature of the viewing experience. Instead of contained events, our lives are now continuous viewing experiences with brief pauses when we are away from our devices. Instead of our stories being built on a beginning, middle and end, we now value the extended middle.

We didn't fall in love with Game of Thrones because we sought the catharsis at the end of the show, we fell in love with it because we got lost in a world with endless plots, endless character, endless political intrigue and endless plot twists. With every passing episode we learned more about the world and how it works and we learned more about our characters and who they are.

One of the quotes I came upon was by Jay David Bolter, a media professor at GIT. He said that getting lost in the flow of a tv show or video game,

"offers the viewer, player or participant not only pleasure in the moment, but the seductive possibility that the moment might last indefinitely."

The Finale

So, because of the viewing experience evolving to favor the extended middle, and the incompetence of two arrogant show runners who thought they could write an ending to one of the most complicated stories every contrived, Game of Thrones failed. But can it be done?

Can a show ever deliver the vast world, the character development, the subversions, and end in a satisfactory way?

I think it can. I think the extended middle is a reason for an episode in the middle of the show/season to be more intriguing than an episode at the end of the show/season, but not necessarily for the show to completely tank its finale.

But easier said than done...

Until next time.