A show’s confidence

I often find that later seasons of TV shows are better than their predecessors.

I think what happens is the first few episodes represent the ‘dipping of the toe’ phase.

The writers, creators, actors and all involved start to timidly venture in a new direction.

There are brief signs of brilliance, but they are just that, brief.

Then I think somewhere along the way the TV show makers were told they were doing a good job.

Either by the studio or the ratings or the audience.

A significant amount of someone’s somewhere said they liked the new direction and wanted more of it.

So then the makers start to push the show to the edges , double down on what’s working, stride confidently in that new direction, and that’s when the magic happens.

That’s when audiences fall in love with a show.

That’s when it goes from brief flashes to whole episodes of ‘genius’.

And I think you can sense when this happens.

I think you can feel when the creators are pushing the boundaries of a certain space.

I think an easy way to chart the evolution of a show is to watch the pilot again and compare season 1 Winston with season 4 Winston.