History Main / CommitmentAnxiety

* This is a complaint frequently brought against [[MarvelUniverse mainstream]] {{superhero}} [[TheDCU comics]], especially the [[ComicBook/XMen X-Titles]]. How bad is it? Let's put it this way: It's perfectly reasonable for a comic book fan to say to somebody trying to understand the latest issue of ''Uncanny X-Men,'' "Okay, so you've read every issue that's ever been published, and you remember them all perfectly. It's not like that means you'll understand what's going on." The tendency towards {{Continuity Snarl}}s does not help. Marvel produces special "Point One" (the number of the previous issue, with .1 added to the number) issues to address this problem. However, feelings are mixed. While some do a good job of introducing readers to a series, most fare far worse. Most of them occur right in the middle of a story arc, completely contradicting the point of the issue, are completely irrelevent, or just plain bad.

* This is regarded as one of the reasons why {{LEGO}} canceled ''Franchise/{{Bionicle}}''. Little kids that got into the toys just couldn't be expected to read up on the preceding 8-9 years worth of continuous backstory and [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters characters]]. Especially since it was told through several different media, [[NoExportForYou most of which weren't even made available everywhere]].

** Especially ''Manga/OnePiece''. Seriously, you'll likely end up debating with yourself whether the sheer amount of time you'll have to wait for the end of the story (which is less than two thirds of the way done) and the time it takes to tie up loose ends is worth the emotional investment.

* ''Series/BreakingBad'', given its five seasons long and deals with really dark themes.

* ''Series/BabylonFive'', less because of length than because of [[ContinuityLockout very tight continuity]] that makes it inadvisable to skip the [[ItGetsBetter weak first season]].

* ''Series/TwinPeaks'', as it's the usual DavidLynch insanity [[PutneySwopePanic spread across various episodes to improve the anxiety]].

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* This is a complaint frequently brought against [[MarvelUniverse mainstream]] {{superhero}} [[TheDCU comics]], especially the [[ComicBook/{{X-Men}} X-Titles]]. How bad is it? Let's put it this way: It's perfectly reasonable for a comic book fan to say to somebody trying to understand the latest issue of ''Uncanny X-Men,'' "Okay, so you've read every issue that's ever been published, and you remember them all perfectly. It's not like that means you'll understand what's going on." The tendency towards {{Continuity Snarl}}s does not help. Marvel produces special "Point One" (the number of the previous issue, with .1 added to the number) issues to address this problem. However, feelings are mixed. While some do a good job of introducing readers to a series, most fare far worse. Most of them occur right in the middle of a story arc, completely contradicting the point of the issue, are completely irrelevent, or just plain bad.

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[[AC:{{Live-Action TV}}]]

[[AC:Toys]]

Fear of [[LostInMediasRes being dropped into the middle of a plotline they'll never understand without information that's already been given]], or fear of investing their time in a series they'll [[EndingFatigue have to get through hundreds of episodes to get a satisfying ending from]] ([[TheChrisCarterEffect assuming it'll actually have one]]), can keep even the most interested hanger-on from tuning in, a risk that can keep a series with borderline {{ratings}} from reaching its full potential. Less common now in the days of DVD and Internet file sharing (and [[ComicBooks trade paperbacks]]), where back episodes are available to anyone with the time, money and/or bandwidth. Many networks are also making back episodes of their more popular shows available for viewing online. CommitmentAnxiety can occur as a result of ContinuityLockout and {{Continuity Snarl}}s within the work; even with the ease of availability of this material, if the writers make the continuity too impenetrable or convoluted, it can cause people to give up in frustration.

* ''Series/FlashForward'', which avoided this by inserting a special episode just before it came back from its mid-season hiatus. That's ''one whole hour'' for just thirteen episodes.

* ''Series/BreakingBad'', given its six seasons long and deals with really dark themes.

* Ron Moore has cited fear of this syndrome as being behind the {{Breather Episode}}s on the new ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|Reimagined}}''.

* ''Series/TheSarahConnorChronicles'' was doomed after two seasons by its interesting but "narratively inhospitable" (to new viewers) tight story arc.

Fear of [[LostInMediasRes being dropped into the middle of a plotline they'll never understand without information that's already been given]], or fear of investing their time in a series they'll [[EndingFatigue have to get through hundreds of episodes to get a satisfying ending from]] ([[TheChrisCarterEffect assuming it'll actually have one]]), can keep even the most interested hanger-on from tuning in, a risk that can keep a series with borderline {{ratings}} from reaching its full potential. Less common now in the days of DVD and Internet file sharing (and [[ComicBooks trade paperbacks]]), where back episodes are available to anyone with the time and money and/or bandwidth. Many networks are also making back episodes of their more popular shows available for viewing online. CommitmentAnxiety can occur as a result of ContinuityLockout and {{Continuity Snarl}}s within the work; even with the ease of availability of this material, if the writers make the continuity too impenetrable or convoluted, it can cause people to give up in frustration.

** ''{{Naruto}}'' is a funny instance. Sure, the series pre-timeskip is about 200 episodes long... but barely over half of them are actually canon. This is an example where it's faster to just read the manga to get caught up on the main plot. And there's a good reason many fans referred to the second half of the first series as the {{Filler}} Hell.

%% * ''Series/TwinPeaks''
%% * ''Series/{{Lost}}''
%% * ''Series/TheXFiles''

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': A complex plot and LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters means that you've at least got to read some summaries of the earlier seasons if you start watching the show at a later date. It's based on ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', so reading the books also works - though each book ranges from 800-1000 pages long.
%% * ''Series/{{Heroes}}''

%% * ''Series/BreakingBad''

* The prospect of watching ''{{Series/Doctor Who}}'' in its entirety is terrifying if you're a completist. (This is mostly an irrational phobia, though. The pre-1989 show very rarely did long-term plot arcs, and they lasted a season at most. Even the post-2005 show tends to wrap up all its arcs and start completely new ones whenever there's a change of showrunner.)

* ''Series/BreakingBad''

* ''Series/TwinPeaks''
* ''Series/{{Lost}}''
* ''Series/TheXFiles''
* ''Series/BabylonFive''

* ''Series/{{Heroes}}''

** But especially ''Manga/{{One Piece}}''. Seriously, you'll likely end up debating with yourself whether the sheer amount of time you'll have to wait for the end of the story (which is less than two thirds of the way done) and the time it takes to tie up loose ends is worth the emotional investment.

** But especially ''Manga/{{One Piece}}''. Seriously, you'll likely end up debating with yourself whether the sheer amount of time you'll have to wait for the end of the story (which is only about two thirds of the way done) and the time it takes to tie up loose ends is worth the emotional investment.

* The prospect of watching ''{{Series/Doctor Who}}'' in its entirety is terrifying if you're a completist.

See also EndingAversion and ArchivePanic.

Not to be confused with CommitmentIssues which is about a character's fear of committing to a significant other.

* ''TwinPeaks''

* ''TheXFiles''

* ''TheWire'' HBO series, notorious for being nigh-impossible to follow if you didn't start from the beginning.
* ''GameOfThrones'': A complex plot and LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters means that you've at least got to read some summaries of the earlier seasons if you start watching the show at a later date. It's based on ''ASongOfIceAndFire'', so reading the books also works - though each book ranges from 800-1000 pages long.
* ''{{Series/Heroes}}''

* ''TheSarahConnorChronicles'' was doomed after two seasons by its interesting but "narratively inhospitable" (to new viewers) tight story arc.
* ''VeronicaMars'', which abandoned the season-long mystery arc in season three, but never made it to season four.

* This is regarded as one of the reasons why {{LEGO}} canceled ''Franchise/{{Bionicle}}''. Little kids that got into the toys just couldn't be expected to read up on the preceding 8-9 years worth of continuous backstory and the [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters characters]]. Especially that it was told through several different media, [[NoExportForYou most of which weren't even made available everywhere]].
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* ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' was a rare SitCom example for the time. The lengthy continuity may have contributed to [[{{TooGoodToLast}} its untimely demise]].

* The prospect of wacthing ''Series/Doctor Who'' in its entirety is terrifying if you're a completist.

* The prospect of wacthing "Doctor Who" in its entirety is terrifying if you're a completist.