Character Overload: The Big Problem with TV Series
An unfortunate trend that usually happens during the 2nd or 3rd season all the way to the series end.
Either it's a drama, a comedy, or a mix of both, modern TV series have been suffering from character overload. This means that apart from the main character, secondary characters become pseudo protagonists.
They are given story arcs that end up taking too much time during an episode. This happens to most TV series. Probably one of the first series to do this was Greys Anatomy; the medical drama named after the doctor whose story is centered around. Nowadays, we have a lot of characters, each with its own struggles and successes.
Don't get me wrong. Supporting characters are crucial to a compelling story; they can help the main character carry the story and convey the message intended by the writers. However, when secondary characters take up too much screen time, their stories end up feeling disconnected, like they are fillers.
Disconnected filler stories
If the story does not advance at a healthy pace, the viewer will end up feeling empty after having to wait a week to watch the next episode. Series like The Mandalorian, Ted Lasso, and even Barry, suffer from this kind of problem.
In Ted Lasso, for instance, the story should center around Ted Lasso, the soccer (football) coach. During season 2 we started to see hints of the character overload trend. Season 3 is where everything went south. The series is giving too much screen time to supporting characters like Keely Jones, or Sam Obisanya.
They have displaced Ted Lasso who has very little screen time. His story advances quite slowly. Secondary characters like Rebecca Welton, the owner of Richmond AFC has shifted towards a supportive role.
I understand that writers want to convey certain messages like diversity acceptance or tolerance. The way it is done in Ted Lasso feels forced and not organic at all. The series bashes you with their prerogatives like it is a matter of good versus bad. These complex issues cannot be addressed superficially.
In general, minority characters are too morally good and end up feeling shallow because of this. They will always do good and are extremely selfless. They are not perfect, however, when they have problems, they are usually the victim.
It feels like writers want to tell all these stories through an already successful series, but don't know how to fit them in naturally.
Evolving into something completely different.
Series like the Mandalorian have shifted into something completely different from what they were at the beginning. Writers from the show have even stated that 'Mandalorian' is now a concept that can mean anything. It no longer refers to The Mandalorian, Din Djarin.
The series will now focus on Bo-Katan and her calling to rule her people. The term Mandalorian will be used to describe the whole clan and the series might evolve into something completely different.
Another series I can think of is The Good Doctor. It started quite well to be honest. The American adaptation from the Korean 'Dorama' had a more serious twist to it than its counterpart. Dr. Shawn Murphy had to deal with a lot of discrimination and judgement because of his autism. However, his 'savant' syndrome helped think outside the box, and find creative solutions to otherwise impossible problems.
Seeing Dr. Murphy dealing with all of that is what made the first season great. Unfortunately, as the next seasons progressed, more and more characters were introduced, taking precious screen time away from the titular character.
Perhaps the term Good Doctor now refers to the collective working at the St. Bonaventure Hospital.
Long series also suffer from character overload
Long series like Game of Thrones are the perfect way to introduce a handful of characters, give them more screen time, and develop their stories further. Long series can still keep the main story revolve around the protagonist, but also focus on secondary and supporting characters more.
One problem with long series is that viewers might lose interest if their favorite character's story does not advance at a healthy pace. Most of the episode might feel like a filler in between what happens with them.
It is harder for the writers to tie up the different character's stories. Some of these characters can end up feeling completely expendable because they did not provide anything significant to the main story.
Keeping it tight
Succession is one of the best TV series at the moment. It has a handful of characters, each with their own struggles and triumphs. You can determine that there are 4 main characters in the story. Logan Roy, the father, and his 3 children. Each of them has their own circles, so each of them gets supporting characters.
Despite the series being a hit, the writers have kept everything tight. They have not given supporting characters more screen time, even if they have been great, like Greg, Tom, or Gerri.
These great supporting characters do not steal screentime off the main characters, and do not drag the story into filler territory. Succession has always advanced at a healthy pace and each episode feels like it significantly added to the story.
When you have strong leading characters like Ted Lasso, Chuck Rhoades in Billions, Din Djarin in the Mandalorian, or Jack Bauer in 24 you should not take away their necessary amount of screentime. Their stories should advance at a healthy pace without being drowned in disconnected fillers.
Viewers easily pick up when a series is suffering from character overload, especially when you have charismatic main characters, like the ones mentioned above. They detect every time these disconnected 'skits' occur while waiting for the episode to focus on the main character again.
Writers should be clever when introducing side stories to the series. They must be relevant to the main story or should at least be tied to it to the end. It is very common for series finales to try and tie all the loose ends in a rushed manner. A lot of key plot elements that took a few episodes to unveil, take a few minutes to resolve. This is because we have so many loose ends that writers rush through during the finale.
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