2018 saw the emergence of a new Peak TV problem: The neverending show

Vulture

Joining the problem of there being too many shows and too many streaming services is another major flaw in our Peak TV world that emerged this year: "TV just can’t let a good thing end," says Kathryn VanArendonk. "Between shows that unrolled disappointing follow-up seasons in 2018 (American Vandal, The Handmaid’s Tale), shows that premiered this year and have more to come next (Barry, Homecoming), and limited series that suddenly leapt into second seasons that haven’t even aired yet (Big Little Lies, The Young Pope), there is a common thread: Each had a perfectly complete debut season, the sort that could exist as its own satisfying story, and then they all kept going. From the standpoint of sheer bulk, unnecessary second seasons are obviously contributors to the current TV glut. They don’t need to be here, but here they are, and so we’re getting that many more hours of TV to watch. But these unnecessary second seasons are not just a problem of greed, or of a more-must-be-better ideology. They’re the result of a swinging pendulum, and a contradiction buried deep in the foundation of TV storytelling: TV shows can’t end anymore because TV shows have gotten really, really good at endings."

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