str82u Posted August 9, 2005 Share Posted August 9, 2005 How do you like those story arcs that take a whole season? The people who are new to a show really miss out I think, but I like them if they are well done, two or three parters are better if they can't get on the silver screen and don't want to alienate anyone new to the shows. Season 3 of Enterprise was the one I liked most, how about you? Dr.Who does regular arcs doesn't it? BSG is just an ongoing saga... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vektram Posted August 9, 2005 Share Posted August 9, 2005 I like large story arcs that cover a whole season but with shorter story arcs inside them. You guessed it, the Expanse ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beawulf Posted August 9, 2005 Share Posted August 9, 2005 I definately like the long arcs, thanks mainly to the expanse hehe :) I agree with leet, if they can fit other arcs within in the season it is even better, certainly would set it appart. I really like BSG, but it is a shame that it is such a saga, for the reason that I want to get some friends into it, but because they havent seen it from the start they dont follow everything that is going on and havent been hooked :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkaren1954 Posted August 9, 2005 Share Posted August 9, 2005 I love the "to be continued" but then they better finish the story the next episode. But I hate when they leaving you hanging for the summer break. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theaveng Posted August 9, 2005 Share Posted August 9, 2005 How do you like those story arcs that take a whole season? It's the difference between a short story (one episode) and a novel (~20 episodes). I prefer novels, because they have more depth. BUT, they also need to have plenty of story. Babylon 5 did arcs well, because there was always something new happening. Enterprise Year 3 did poorly, since it was a 3-part story stretched to 22 parts. Boring. I actually like a mixture, similar to how DS9 did it. They had about 10 episodes per season about the "bigger story", and the rest were stand-alone short stories. troy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFMF Posted August 9, 2005 Share Posted August 9, 2005 Enterprise's season 3 wasn't boring as they managed to put somthing new in each episode that kept you interested and kept building up to the end. They also managed to through in stand alone epidoses like - Doctors Orders, Similitude, Choosen Realm, North Star and Extinction. Would have been nice too see more longer story arcs from Voyager but after the Kazon/Seska episodes there wasn't much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralLee Posted August 9, 2005 Share Posted August 9, 2005 I actually like a mix of all the choices, yet voted for the first option. To me tho, an example of a VERY bad season Arc, was the final season of Andromeda. It was just horrible in my opinion. Basically the same crap, different week... On the other hand, the latter part of season 2 and most if not all of season 3 of Enterprise, was some of the best Star Trek I have ever seen. The only thing I did not actually like about it, was the rather lame way seaon 3 ended ("after all that"), with Archer seemingly waking up in Earth's past during an alternate WW II, with very little explanaition how he arrived there, or how he survived the explosion while he defused the Xindi device/threat. But, it's TV, and it is entertaining, and I doubt I could do any better.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamp Posted August 9, 2005 Share Posted August 9, 2005 i like big long arcs that you come back to with other arcs mixied in and loads of little stories. SG-1 is great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyMan Posted August 9, 2005 Share Posted August 9, 2005 The long arcs are great as long as I dont miss a ep..... :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFMF Posted August 9, 2005 Share Posted August 9, 2005 I think Voyager should have made a longer story arc up to Endgame. - The last 5 episodes say and voyager gets home on the second last episode leaving some time to see how the crew get on at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
str82u Posted August 11, 2005 Author Share Posted August 11, 2005 So far I've seen mostly positives about arcs, I'm still plowing through Season 3 Of Enterprise. SG1 is a good example of being able to talk to fans and keep infrequent veiwers at the same time, it does get thick depending on the writers though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruk Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 Some of the best episodes give hints about the greater story arc, all while enjoying independent action, and even combines short, middle and long length storylines all in one episode. For example in Firefly's "War Stories", we have the short term action of the rescue and the tension between Mal and Wash. Then we have the middle length continuing problem started with "Train Job": that of Niska protecting his reputation and taking his revenge. And finally we have hints of the long term story arc when River shows unexpected military abilities using a gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dabrood Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 There is one thing I hate at season-long arcs: You know that there will be that happy ending and all the episodes in between are basically just delays. [x] not more than 3 rounds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFMF Posted August 11, 2005 Share Posted August 11, 2005 Yeah but what about at the end of the Xindi arc - that wasn't a nice ending - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detor Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 I like large story arcs that cover a whole season but with shorter story arcs inside them. You guessed it' date=' the Expanse ;)[/quote'] I like it that way too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theaveng Posted August 13, 2005 Share Posted August 13, 2005 Enterprise's season 3 wasn't boring as they managed to put somthing new in each episode that kept you interested and kept building up to the end. If you say so. I kept falling asleep in front of the TV. For example, there was an episode where Archer met with a Xindi delegate. They spent an entire HOUR talking. Why??? They could have easily done that in just 5-10 minutes..... but they were stretching the story. That was the whole flaw - stretching - trying to stretch a 3-part story to fill 22 episodes. Big Yawn. Boring. Probably the worst year Trek ever produced. (Thanks Brannan Braga...groan.) Enterprise improved dramatically when Manny Coto took over, and he switched to a 3-part-per-story format. Less stretching = more interesting. BTW, SG-1 was better when they followed DS9's example... mostly stand-alones with 5 or 6 "larger story" episodes per season. That way you had the benefits of both short stories & a long-length novel-for-tv mixed together. When SG1 started doing nothing but Ga'ould or Replicator War stories (like last year-season8), it became dull. Terrible. The only proper way to do solid arc (almost no stand-alones) is to follow Babylon 5's example - pre-write the entire 5 years. Know before you start, where you want to end. It provides more coherency & deeper plots. Andromeda & Earth Final Conflict started with a 5-year-plan, but the suits fired the creator, and burned the plan.... hence turning brilliance to trash. :-( troy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbbb Posted August 22, 2005 Share Posted August 22, 2005 ENT season 4 had really drawn out arcs. Season 3 had decent arcs but they weren't as good as TNG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GorunNova Posted August 22, 2005 Share Posted August 22, 2005 Just like any good aqueduct, a great series is made up of big and small arcs ^^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pella Posted August 28, 2005 Share Posted August 28, 2005 I love story arcs that tease and tantalise like 'Bad Wolf' in the last series of Doctor Who and all the references to the time War. That way you can miss epsiodes (Hey it happens somestimes - that's why dl the torrents) and still know whats going on. I was completely put of farscape when a friend recommeneded it because I tuned in half way through a season and didn't have clue what was going on!!! I could see the same happening to BSG. Babylon 5 did the best story Arc - 4 seasons worth, but I had to go out and buy every epsiode to appreciate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFMF Posted August 28, 2005 Share Posted August 28, 2005 I love story arcs that tease and tantalise like 'Bad Wolf' in the last series of Doctor Who and all the references to the time War. That way you can miss epsiodes (Hey it happens somestimes - that's why dl the torrents) and still know whats going on. I was completely put of farscape when a friend recommeneded it because I tuned in half way through a season and didn't have clue what was going on!!! I could see the same happening to BSG. Babylon 5 did the best story Arc - 4 seasons worth, but I had to go out and buy every epsiode to appreciate it. Although if u miss an ep of Dr Who in the Badwolf arc then u miss some of the mystery - like wen we see Badwolf appearing in all the episodes but done subtely so you don't know what's going on till the end. I also like this. I just love Mysteries (Not crime though :)) Also i agree about Farscape - you watch one episode and then the next episode seems in a different season alltogether. and some of it just didn't make sense Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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