Death to the Penultimate Flashback Episode
- This article excerpt criticizes a recent trend in television where shows, particularly thrillers and dramas, rely on extensive flashback episodes in the penultimate episodes of a season to...
- * It suggests a lack of faith in initial character development: Characters can be complex and nuanced from the beginning, rather than needing a late-reveal backstory.
- Ultimately, the author believes these late-stage flashbacks disrupt momentum and create a sense of repetition, hindering the potential of the shows.
Summary of the Vulture Article Excerpt:
This article excerpt criticizes a recent trend in television where shows, particularly thrillers and dramas, rely on extensive flashback episodes in the penultimate episodes of a season to explain character motivations and backstory. The author argues this practice is detrimental to storytelling for several reasons:
* It suggests a lack of faith in initial character development: Characters can be complex and nuanced from the beginning, rather than needing a late-reveal backstory.
* It elevates trauma unnecessarily: Trauma can be a meaningful backstory element without being the sole explanation for a character’s actions.
* It feels structurally flawed: If a backstory is compelling enough to be shown, it should be integrated into the main narrative, not relegated to a late-season flashback.
* It leads to formulaic storytelling: The author points to All Her Fault and The Beast in Me as examples of shows that feel similar and unoriginal due to this reliance on the same flashback structure, even sharing a similar inciting incident (a child’s death).
Ultimately, the author believes these late-stage flashbacks disrupt momentum and create a sense of repetition, hindering the potential of the shows.