Follow the Directions.
Choose and watch one pilot episode from the HBO free pilot site.
(A pilot is the FIRST episode of a series). — see note in Course Overview!
You may choose from any SCRIPTED SERIES (must be a narrative series, not a documentary or news series – be sure to double check!). There’s a lot to select from, so please watch something you haven’t watched before. From Mare of Easttown to Sopranos to Euphoria — there’s 20 years of narrative TV to choose from on the site! (I recommend The Last of Us, Sex & The City, Mare of Easttown, Sharp Objects, Perry Mason, and Insecure…but you do you!)
This assignment will help you address and think about TV from an analytical perspective and dig deeper into TV as a text. By focusing on a first or pilot episode and specific points of the show, you should avoid writing a review, using non-supported claims or opinions as fact, or using terms like “the director did a good job…” (as opposed to what, or in comparison to who?)
The goal here is to help you think about TV and representation, using concrete and descriptive language. You do not need a thesis statement or present an argument for this short assignment; simply analyze the text using the bullets/questions below.
Write a 2-3 page paper about your episode (2 page minimum/any less will be marked down). Your writing should be 12 pt font, double-spaced, 1 inch margins. Do not fill the header of the page with a ton of information about the course. All I need is your name at the top of the page, nothing else. You do not need to provide citations for this assignment as you will only be looking directly at the show you chose to watch. You do not need to engage in outside research, though using IMDB to help you with character names may be useful – but please cite IMDB if you use it. I do suggest watching the show once for pleasure, then again with the questions in front of you, taking notes as you view, as a way to begin writing your paper.
For each bullet point, address all the questions with as much detail as possible in your answers:
- What is the genre of the show? Is the show a subgenre or hybrid genre? What kinds of genre conventions do you find in the show concerning plot, characters, setting, props, etc?
- Who are the main characters? What are their demographics (gender, race, age, sexual orientation)? Do any of them have unique abilities or disabilities? How do the characteristics of the main characters affect plot and story?
- What are their major character traits and what are their interests and hobbies? Do they reinforce or challenge stereotypes about their gender, race, etc.?
- How much power do they have as individuals and within their intimate relationships, social group, workplace or organization? Who’s ‘in charge”? Who strives for more power? Is there a power struggle as a basis for conflict?
- Who is the intended audience? What assumptions does the content make about their interests?
- Which of the characters or plot lines embody tropes; do particular tropes show up repeatedly? According to tvtropes.org (Links to an external site.): “Tropes are devices and conventions that a writer can reasonably rely on as being present in the audience members’ minds and expectations.� Tropes are not necessarily bad, but several (e.g. the “Damsel in Distress�) are problematic, especially when used repeatedly.
- Go to TVTropes to identify one or two tropes that appear in your show. Are the representations positive, negative, neutral, or a mix? How and when do the tropes appear?
- DO NOT tell me that your show has “no tropes.” It does. What are a few them and how are they presented in your show?
- Describe at least one aspect of cultural representation and your chosen show. Is the show primarily cast with Black actors and focus on issues of race and class? Is the show a coming-of-age LGBTQ+ drama that tackles mental health and addiction? Does the show employ a multi-cultural writers room? (You can find out some of the production information about your show on IMDB, just be sure to cite any information you use from the website). Does the show address class, environment, education, or other social, cultural, political issues in its text and subtext?
- Conclude with one paragraph summarizing your overall opinion of the show — what does the show get right, or get wrong when it comes to representation, tropes, and unique ideas in terms of TV? Does it perpetuate or challenge stereotypes? Is it part of the “Vast Wasteland” or a “Cultural Vegetable”? Would you watch continue to watch the series, why or why not?