This assignment is akin to a TV Recap, which is another name for the short pieces that appear on TV-related websites that provide an informed summary and assessment of a single episode of television. The point of this kind of piece is not just to give the reader a sense of what happened in the episode but also why what happened matters both in the context of the show and in the larger context of television as a discursive medium (i.e. a medium that circulates meanings around specific topic areas, such as family).
This assignment is meant to be an opportunity for you to apply one or more of the critical approaches to television that we have learned this semester to an historical TV episode and to make an argument about why the episode matters.
How to complete the assignment –
Select and watch one of the episode choices I provide. Its a good idea to watch it more than once and to take notes while watching.
Write a short, thesis based essay that assesses the episode from three different perspectives: the series, the wider TV landscape, and TV critical theory that we have studied in class.
Some questions to consider while watching and writing about your chosen episode:
When and where does this program appear in the TV landscape?
Where and how does this episode fit into the larger series? (What season? What story arc?)
What genre is this show? (What kind of story does it tell?)
What is its mode of production and style? (Multi or single camera? How would you describe its look and sound?)
What issues does the episode raise in terms of representation? (Race, class, gender, sexuality?)
Which class readings and/or discussions might help you unpack its underlying themes and approach?
In your opinion, what are its strengths and/or weaknesses?
The episode I have chosen to is the pilot episode of bridgerton which I will link below. I will also provide an article from my class readings for reference.
https://www.bilibili.tv/en/video/2046716273
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