Season Fluidity: Difference between revisions

To quantify this, the ''Sliding Scale of Season Transition Fluidity'' ([[Season Fluidity]] for short) puts episodic series on one end, and series with self contained seasons on the other. For example, ''[[GilligansGilligan's Island]]'' is [[Status Quo Is God|unchanging]] from season to season. Toward the opposite extreme, seasons in ''[[Sailor Moon]]'' and ''[[Black AdderBlackadder]]'' are basically separate shows with an identical cast (and some shows don't even have that commonality between seasons - see ''[[Skins]]'', below). In the middle, a show like ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' has no distinct seasons, but is threaded together by multiple subplots while staying episodic.

Put another way, you can watch any episode of ''[[GilligansGilligan's Island]]'' and be equally entertained, without worrying that you've missed important plot points (it's not like they'll [[Failure Is the Only Option|ever get off the island]] or [[Just Eat Gilligan|something]]). While that's also mostly true with ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'', 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. A slightly-less fluid series, like ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' or ''[[Mad Men]]'', needs to be seen with all the seasons in order if one wants to fully "get" it. Further toward the abrupt end, you can start with the beginning of any particular season of ''[[Sailor Moon]]'', but you will be left scratching your head if you start in the middle of a season.

The far Abrupt end would feature shows that do a complete series reboot with each season, in both plot ''and'' cast, to the point where they really are completely different shows joined under the same name. An example of that would be ''[[Skins]]'', which starts with a completely new group of characters (save an occasional [[Ascended Extra]] or two) and storylines every two seasons, as the old characters graduate from [[British Education System|Roundview College]] and leave Bristol. Other than the setting and the general focus on [[Everybody Has Lots of Sex|sex,]] [[Everybody Must Get Stoned|drugs]] [[A Party - Also Known Asas an Orgy|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.

| '''[[Reset Button|Fluid]]''' ||[[Status Quo Is God]] on the series level, even possibly including [[Negative Continuity]] || Most [[Golden Age of Animation|Golden Age]] and [[Dark Age of Animation|Dark Age]] [[Western Animation]] plus more recent works that follow those formats (e.g. ''[[Animaniacs (Animation)|Animaniacs]]'', ''[[Tiny Toon Adventures]]''), most traditional [[Sit ComSitcom|SitComs]], ''[[South Park]]'' in its early seasons

| ||All stand-alone episodes, no arcs, but with some degree of continuity (e.g. dead characters stay dead)|| ''[[Star Trek TOS]]'', early seasons of ''[[Star Trek: theThe Next Generation]]'', and most other shows that follow the [[Adventure Towns]] or [[Monster of the Week]] format. Most adult animated comedies, including ''[[Family Guy]]'', ''[[The Simpsons]]'', and ''[[South Park]]'' in its later seasons. Most modern [[Sit ComSitcom|Sit Coms]].

| ||Usually stand-alone, but occasionally has arcs || ''[[Law and Order]]'' and its various spin-offs, ''[[The Vicar of Dibley]]'' and other standard [[Britcom|Brit Coms]], ''[[SpongebobSpongeBob SquarePants]]'', ''[[Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog]]'', ''[[Transformers Generation One1]]'', ''[[Futurama]]''. Typical abruptness limit for [[Western Animation]] and [[Sit ComSitcom|SitComs]].

| '''[[Rotating Arcs|Dammed]]''' ||Multiple [[Half Arc Season|smaller arcs]] not directly tied to seasons || ''[[Star Trek: theThe Next Generation]]'' (later seasons), ''[[Glee]]'', ''[[Xena: Warrior Princess]]'', ''[[Suzumiya Haruhi]]'', ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' (except for [[Post Script Season|seasons 8 & 9]]), most [[Soap Opera|Soap Operas]]

| ||Self-contained season-[[Story Arc|arcs]], with some overarching plots || ''[[Twenty Four24]]'', ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'', ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer|Buffy]]'' and ''[[Angel]]'', ''[[Mad Men]]'', ''[[Skins]]'' (seasons with the same cast), most [[Teen Drama|Teen Dramas]] and [[Prime Time Soap|Prime Time Soaps]]

| ||Highly-distinct seasons with [[Arc Welding]] || ''[[Sailor Moon]]'', ''[[Pokémon (Animeanime)|Pokémon]]'', ''[[Power Rangers]]'', ''[[Digimon]]'' (first two seasons)

| ||Highly-distinct seasons, purely self-contained || ''[[Lexx]]'', ''[[Black AdderBlackadder]]''