Tv shows -- plots and themes --

It's prolly a "staple" for every sitcom because they must be using some "Generic Plot Ideas" Bible, sold wholesale to every TV producer. However, this was not what I was complaining about; though your point is very valid and frustrates me a bit too.

I kinda wonder what you're saying can be described as TV "culture". I mean, if one wants to watch a sitcom, they must expect a 'secret party' episode(s) in the series.

It becomes frustrating once you've come across a TV show that utilizes this. Sure the sequence does happen every time, episodes separated by one or two other ones, but then it goes back to every pair of episodes having the 'same theme, different perspective' rotation.

Isn’t that the Columbo episode with a Nancy Walker cameo?

Woah, I totally forgot about my OP and feel super lame that I didn't reply to any comments.


I get what you're saying, but you're generalizing what I'm saying too much. Just go one level down.

For an example of a "crime procedural":
Episode 1: Male rapes one or more people and receives stiff justice and severe penalties.
Episode 2: A female teacher has sex with one or more students, and receives justice, but also leaves the audience with moral ambiguity.

Both episodes are about rape, but the story is from a different perspective resulting in different outcomes... yada, yada, yada.

A real-world example>Star Trek TNG>
S3.E8 ∙ The Price
[PICARD HOST NEGOTIATIONS]
While the Enterprise hosts negotiations for control of a stable wormhole, Troi forms a personal relationship with an opposing negotiator, unaware of his true being.

S3.E9 ∙ The Vengeance Factor
[PICARD HAS TO CONDUCT NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN TWO PARTIES]
The Enterprise pursues a race of "gatherers" who continue to raid Federation outposts, unaware of the dangers lurking among them.

S3.E11 ∙ The Hunted
[THE CREW HAS TO DEAL WITH A CIVIL WAR BETWEEN TWO PARTIES]
Investigating a planet applying for membership into the Federation, the crew of the Enterprise finds a group of inhabitants who used to be soldiers, but now fight for their very existence.

S3.E12 ∙ The High Ground
[THE CREW HAS TO DEAL WITH A CIVIL WAR BETWEEN TWO PARTIES]
While visiting a planet under civil war, Dr. Crusher is taken hostage by an opposing faction of the planet's ruling government.


I hope I'm making sense and being clear enough. I have difficulties explaining my thoughts sometimes.

Very true, and I must agree with you; however, what you're explaining is totally different.

Yes, as some stated above, and as we viewers have witnessed many times, some episodes may be exactly the same or alike or from a different point of view, can be or are scattered along a given TV series, which is either a better form of writing, planning, or producing than what I'm presenting.

What I'm talking about is one level below which your POV is coming from. Instead of reusing old story plots, different pov's thereof, or whatnot throughout the series or given season, which can be masked by a few episodes or more between them that the 'audience will never know' -- dickhead studio producer thinking --- but it worked for the most part. I've found that kind of okay; however, I'm talking about "back-to-back" episodes, like every pair of episodes show the same theme/plot but from a different perspective.


I think it's really cool and necessary to show two sides, even a third or more sides to a given situation, if the plot needs it or if there are more potential stories to tell about said situation. But, I feel like there are many TV shows, prolly more in the late 90s to current, where there's an A/B rotation. It's as if it's easier to write another perspective of the episode the writers just wrote instead of writing a new one and planning to write a different perspective of said episode in the future.

[Not real storylines/episodes of MONK]
A hyperbolic illustration:
Episode 1: Someone steals Monk's bagel, which leads to B-C-D-E(nd of Episode)
Episode 2: Monk inadvertently takes someone else's order at Starbucks(TM), which causes B-C-D-E(nd of Episode)


Though I'm being literal, as I'm typing this out people may read this as "LOL": They come in two [ref. Star Wars -- altaiagffa]. It's a paired morality tale but from a different point of view.


Sorry. I'm rambling. Not making much sense prolly. I'm just going to go to sleep hopefully - should've happened hours ago:/

Oh man, the Incredible Hulk even did it's own version of Duel (1971), I think it even used some of Speilbergs footage.