TV General : Do TV shows have too many unnecessary subplots compared to movies?

Do TV shows have too many unnecessary subplots compared to movies?

My friends try to get me into TV shows more, but I find that they just aren't as focused as movies plot wise, and just have unnecessary subplots, that do not pay of well, or built into the main plot in any way.

For example, I tried watching How to Get Away with Murder, the first two seasons, and when it starts off, so far the murder plot is really promising. *But they have these subplots which don't seem to have anything to do with the murder plot. *One of the co-conspirators in the murder, for example, has a subplot where she is worried that her fiance might be gay. * How is this going to build into the murder plot and have a pay off. *I was betting that it was not going to, and be completely forgotten about by the next season… *And it was.

Or in the show The Shield for example, the show is about corrupt cops and the honest cops trying to bust them.* Pretty good start it was off to.* But then when you get more into the subplots, one of them for example, is the police Captain, if I remember his rank correct, has a new gf and they are exploring rape fantasies together.* What does this have to do with the main plot of catching the main crooked cop characters?* Nothing.

Or in the show Dexter, one of the crime lab characters, has a long lost daughter he finds out about and wants to build a relationship with her.* But what does this have to with the main plot about a crime scene specialist who is a serial killer?* Absolutely nothing.

Where as movies do not waste time with these kinds of subplots.* But maybe there are better shows out there that do not have these types of subplots?* Or do they all have them pretty much?

Re: Do TV shows have too many unnecessary subplots compared to movies?

Not the good ones, no.



😺 Schrodinger's Cat walks into a bar, and doesn't. 🤨 Let's go, Brandon! 🤨 Try that in a small town.

Re: Do TV shows have too many unnecessary subplots compared to movies?

I would have to say that usually, yes. Shows tend to have many fillers and unnecessary subplots. There are exceptions. I think Breaking Bad did a great show in keeping it all relevant (well, at least most of it).

But yeah, just watch a show like Sons of Anarchy and you have a prime example of this. So many filler episodes, so much unnecessary subplots with all the boring drama, things dragging on for no valid reason, characters making stupid decisions which slow everything down, etc.

Movies, on another hand, are shorter and say everything in a shorter time. Hence, they have less time for fillers (not saying they don't have thrm).

"You're a disease, and I'm the cure!" - Marion "Cobra" Cobretti

Re: Do TV shows have too many unnecessary subplots compared to movies?

It depends on the show. The shows in your example are why I never watched more than one episode of them.

https://youtu.be/iPUwtyZglQI

https://youtu.be/QRTNm6GLJYI
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