Cable is So Much Soap Opera

Castle loves the Mars simulation and tries to space-

walk. The simulation is on Earth. Beckett walks

up to him naturally.

In some  shows, the genre gives rise to scenarios.

In some shows, scenarios give rise to endless soap opera. 

On Castle, for instance, the initial seasons are mostly comprised of solid mystery episodes with quality narrative arcs and humorous dialog. By the time the show hits Seasons 6-7 (not Season 8, which I treat as non-canon), the episodes have become scenarios more than mysteries. A dead body gives Castle and Beckett a chance to explore:

• The world of private investigators
• Elementary school
• The Old West
• B-Movie action heroes
• The mob
• Life on Mars

Bones was not dissimilar. If one ignored (as I did) the Pelant arc, most of the later season episodes provide opportunities for Bones and Booth to discuss...

• What is average timing for a child's development
• What makes a good and/or electable politician
• What makes a good toy
• What makes a good relationship
• How people should prepare for death

And the truth is, both Castle and Bones do fairly well with these scenarios, especially since they allow for some humor. 

In comparison, an awful lot of cable (pay television) uses scenarios to create soap opera. 

I recently tried The Americans, mostly because I greatly respect Matthew Rhys. And in all honesty, I could even get into the show if I kept watching. But it was obvious from the pilot that 1980's/Cold War/Russians/spies was a scenario for the following:

• Husband/wife tension
• Husband/wife arguments
• Father/mother/child issues
• Neighbor issues

Dead Like Me is the best of this approach--the scenario of Georgia's death (which is worked out rules-wise) gives her an opportunity to reflect on people at work and at play as well as on her own parents' disintegrating marriage. It also gives her a chance to come into her own. The plots and the sardonic humor are strong enough that the life experiences are less depressing soap opera and more insights-into-life. And many of the episode conflicts are, in fact, addressed/paid-off (they have internal arcs).

But so much pay television seems to be a way to have ongoing Family Problems. Like a sitcom, only I'm supposed to take it all very, very seriously. 

Fans and little old ladies watching General Hospital were more honest. 

The real question is, Why is this type of story so attractive to people? It's way older than television. How much is art just a reflection of our own concerns/lives of disconnected events? And how much do human beings really crave story over plot as defined by E.M. Forster? More and more stuff happens as opposed to a particular conflict gets solved? What happens next? as opposed to How was that conflict paid-off--what was discovered?