Random Forest
Registered User
- May 12, 2010
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You're misunderstanding. It's that, by definition, the come down has to be more action-based than the build up where exposition and character introduction/development can afford to be more artful. For example in the build up, Littlefinger and Varys can have their extended banter, we can have intriguing tension between Arya and Tywin, relationship building between Arya and the Hound, etc. Those aren't story elements you will find at this point where it stops being expositional and starts becoming more substantive. That's not poor execution; it's just plot structure.I think having five seasons of build up and two or three seasons of predominantly resolution sounds like a terrible way to structure a series, though. Artful buildup/storytelling can't only apply to early seasons of a show but not later seasons. If a show digs itself in a corner leaving itself no choice but to spend too much of the last few seasons cleaning things up and tying up loose ends, I think that's the fault of the way the show is planned rather an excuse, personally. The fact that the show is running out of time and has no choice but to compromise execution in order to cram as much plot development as possible out of necessity similarly sounds like that would be the fault of poor planning on the show's part (if that is in fact the case).
If that's the case and that's what the intention of this season is, that sounds more like perhaps they may have bit off more than they can chew.
I don't think the show needs to be held to a different standard simply because the circumstances of the show has changed to one where they're now running out of options.
Like I said, they could keep it more "artful" and construct classic scenes of witty dialogue... but it would come at the expense of critical plot movement. I genuinely don't think you can have both unless you plan for the series to last for 10+ seasons which really isn't feasible. Not to mention that the action we're getting is quite artful with yesterday being among the most artfully constructed dramatic sequences in the entire series.
I'm genuinely curious of an example of a show with comparable dramatic depth that didn't contain substantially more action in the last couple seasons.