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Context Main / SeasonFluidity

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1Most stories have a beginning, middle, and end. Even a [[Series/{{Seinfeld}} show about nothing]] has something zany and inane happen to our characters every episode, while getting some amount of resolution by the end. However, the same isn't necessarily true for a series as a whole. Some series are so [[StatusQuoIsGod homogeneous]] in plot you could air a season 1 and 5 episode side by side without telling the difference. Others have such [[MythArc intricate plots]], you can tell which quarter of which season you're watching just by looking at the subtle nuances of the [[WillTheyOrWontThey main couple's relationship]].
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3To quantify this, the ''Sliding Scale of Season Transition Fluidity'' ([[TitleDrop Season Fluidity]] for short) puts episodic series on one end, and series with self contained seasons on the other. For example, ''Series/GilligansIsland'' is [[StatusQuoIsGod unchanging]] from season to season. Toward the opposite extreme, seasons in ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'' and ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' are basically separate shows with an identical or slightly-shifting cast (and some shows don't even have ''that'' commonality between seasons -- see ''Series/{{Skins}}'', below). In the middle, a show like ''Series/StargateSG1'' has no distinct seasons, but is threaded together by multiple subplots while staying episodic.
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5Put another way, you can watch any episode of ''Series/GilligansIsland'' and be equally entertained, without worrying that you've missed important plot points (it's not like they'll [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption ever get off the island]] or [[JustEatGilligan something]]). While that's also mostly true with ''Series/StargateSG1'', seeing more episodes in order lets you see character development over time and several subplots rise and get resolved, letting you get more enjoyment over time. Also falling into the middle part of the scale are series like ''Series/GameOfThrones'' or ''Series/MadMen'' that ''need'' to be seen with all the seasons in order if one wants to fully "get" them. Moving toward the abrupt end, you can start with the beginning of any particular season of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', but you will be left scratching your head if you start in the middle of a season.
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7The far abrupt end would feature shows that do a complete series reboot with each season to the point where they really are completely different shows [[SeriesFranchise joined under the same name]] or [[ThematicSeries following a broader concept]]. An example of that would be ''Series/{{Skins}}'', which starts with a completely new group of characters (save an occasional AscendedExtra or two) and storylines every two seasons, as the old characters graduate from [[UsefulNotes/BritishEducationSystem Roundview College]] and leave Bristol. Other than the setting and the general focus on [[EverybodyHasLotsOfSex sex,]] [[EverybodyMustGetStoned drugs]] [[APartyAlsoKnownAsAnOrgy and parties]], each new "generation" (as these two-season sets are known) is completely distinct from the others, and many ''Skins'' fans see them as entirely separate works. Lots of fans of the show start with a later generation and then watch the older ones, and are no worse for the wear. Series on this end can sometimes function as an anthology series, but on a season rather than episode level: examples of this include ''Series/AmericanHorrorStory'' and ''Series/TrueDetective''.
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9The popularity of these formats have waxed and waned throughout television history, though with a general trend toward more abrupt forms. Before home video, when shows lived and died on their ability to be discovered via channel-surfing and potential for syndication, fluid series were necessary; you could not expect every viewer to follow the series straight through beginning to end. While series-long arcs were possible in the broadest sense (think ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries''' "five-year mission"), they could not be too complex; they needed to still be understandable for someone tuning in halfway through season 5. With the rise of home video and especially [=DVD=]s, it became more possible for shows to make back money from video sales, making series with longer arcs more possible -- though most viewers still discovered television casually, and shows had to remain accessible to them. (Series from this era that required more sustained viewer attention often received lower ratings for it, even if they're remembered fondly now; for instance, ''Series/TheWire'' risked cancellation several times, and only started to gain its reputation via [=DVD=] sales during its later seasons.) In the age of streaming, though, series that are both less episodic overall and have very distinctive seasons have become more possible, with more mainstream viewers (not just diehard fans buying the [=DVD=] box sets) favoring "binge-watching" them in large chunks. In the case of sites like Creator/{{Netflix}} that release full seasons at once, highly abrupt seasons are the norm rather than the exception -- and their popularity has led other networks to do the same even if they release in the traditional episode-by-episode fashion. This is while you'll find dramas from the 1950s-1980s closer to the fluid end, 1990s-2000s ones in the middle, and those from TheNewTens and onward further toward the abrupt end (though not always ''all'' the way; a ''purely'' serialized drama would be closer to the middle because [[MythArc its seasons all follow the same longer story]]). Comedies have remained more fluid, but even then there is a general trend down the scale; contrast ''Series/ILoveLucy'' with something like ''Series/{{Community}}'', for instance.
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11It is worth nothing that not all series fit neatly into these categories, including some of the ones categorized here. Most series have multiple plots going on at the same time, which can have different levels of fluidity. The question comes from which tends to take precedence in differentiating episodes and seasons, which often has to do with where the storytelling places its emphasis: do viewers remember it for its distinctive ''scenes'', ''episodes'' or ''seasons''? ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' has many distinctive episodes, and some broader arcs like character relationships and Buffy coming into her power, but its storytelling is organized around its season-long plot arcs, putting it more toward the abrupt end of the scale. ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' has plenty of episode-level stories and [[RotatingArcs smaller arcs]], but anchors them in the Dominion War MythArc in its later seasons. Yet all of this is subjective, because not every viewer watches for the same reasons. Some shows have been placed in-between categories to demonstrate the categories' (ahem) fluidity. For instance, ''Series/{{Glee}}'' is known for its individual "themed" episodes and tends to follow the HalfArcSeason, but it has enough dramatic shifts in cast and character dynamics between seasons (especially in later ones) to keep them more distinct.
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13Note: For simplicity's sake, this scale is excluding (episode-level) GenreAnthology shows, sketch shows, and other works where there is no status quo to either follow or violate, or semi-consistent set of characters/themes. If these works fit on the scale at all, they would mostly fall on the extreme Fluid end.
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15'''''Sliding Scale of Season Transition Fluidity'''''
16||align=center
17|| '''[[ResetButton Fluid]]''' || StatusQuoIsGod on the series level, even including NegativeContinuity || Most [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation Golden Age]] and [[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfAnimation Dark Age]] WesternAnimation plus later works that follow those formats (e.g. ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'', ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures''), most traditional {{SitCom}}s, [[PreschoolShow Preschool Shows]], ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' in its early seasons, ''Anime/SpaceDandy'' ||
18|| || All stand-alone episodes, no arcs, but with some degree of continuity (e.g. dead characters stay dead) || ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'', ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' (early seasons), and most other shows that follow the AdventureTowns or MonsterOfTheWeek format; most adult animated comedies including ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', and later seasons of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark''; most modern {{Sit Com}}s. ||
19|| || Usually stand-alone, but occasionally has arcs || ''Series/DoctorWho'' (classic series), ''Franchise/LawAndOrder'' and its various spin-offs, ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'', ''Series/TheVicarOfDibley'' and other standard {{Brit Com}}s, most [[UsefulNotes/TheMillenniumAgeOfAnimation Millennium Age]] [[WesternAnimation Western]] children's cartoons. Typical abruptness limit for WesternAnimation and [[SitCom SitComs]] before TheNewTens. ||
20|| '''[[StoryArc Dammed]]'''|| Series-long MythArc [[RotatingArcs or Arcs]] || ''Series/BabylonFive'', ''Series/DoctorWho'' (revival series), ''Series/GameOfThrones'', ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'', ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'', ''Series/OrphanBlack'', ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' (later seasons), most anime and NoughtiesDramaSeries. [[TheNewTens "Peak]] [[TheNewTwenties TV"]] prestige dramas start to show up here. ||
21|| || Multiple [[HalfArcSeason smaller arcs]] not directly tied to seasons || ''Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya'', ''Series/StargateSG1'' (except for [[PostScriptSeason seasons 8 & 9]]), ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' (later seasons), ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' (early seasons), ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess'', most [[SoapOpera Soap Operas]] ||
22|| || || ''Series/{{Community}}'', ''Series/{{Glee}}'' and other serialized comedies; ''Series/{{Succession}}'' ||
23|| || Self-contained season-[[StoryArc arcs]], with some overarching plots || ''Series/TwentyFour'', ''Series/{{Angel}}'', ''Series/{{Damages}}'', ''Series/MadMen'', ''Series/{{Skins}}'' (seasons with the same cast), most [[TeenDrama Teen Dramas]] and [[PrimeTimeSoap Prime Time Soaps]], most Creator/{{Netflix}} original series ||
24|| || || ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', ''Series/TheWire'' ||
25|| || Highly-distinct seasons with ArcWelding || ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' ([[Anime/DigimonAdventure first]] [[Anime/DigimonAdventure02 two seasons]]), ''Franchise/PowerRangers'', ''Anime/SailorMoon'', ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'' ||
26|| || || ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'' ||
27|| '''[[SeriesFranchise Abrupt]]''' || Highly-distinct seasons, self-contained, sometimes to the point of ThematicSeries || ''Series/AmericanHorrorStory'', ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'', ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' (third season onward), ''Series/{{Lexx}}'', ''Series/{{Skins}}'' (every two seasons), ''Franchise/SuperSentai'', ''Series/TrueDetective'' ||
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29Related to LayoutOfASeason, the kinda StrictlyFormula structuring of a show's seasons.

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