Why TV series should end sooner

Valentin Oberholzer

11-11-2024

Translation: Katherine Martin

Prison Break could’ve been finished in one season. Instead, the series was dragged out for a further four. But it’s not the only show to sacrifice suspense for success and money. It’s time to stop milking these TV cash cows dry.

A quick heads-up: this article contains spoilers for Prison Break, The Office US, The Queen’s Gambit, Peaky Blinders and Suits. Read on at your own risk.

Cows are for milking. At least from a business point of view. So it stands to reason that if a TV series resonates with audiences, it’s foolish not to film further seasons – or to milk the cow.

This is what transpired in 2005 with one of my favourite series, Prison Break. You see, the «prison break» that gives the series its name happens at the end of season one. Essentially, the story’s over. And yet, in the years running up to 2017, four additional series and a feature film came out on its heels. Why? Because they hadn’t milked the cow dry yet.

As the saying goes: I’m not angry, just disappointed.

Quit while you’re ahead

Prison Break missed its moment to bow out of the game gracefully. The first season was a masterpiece, the second was very good, the third so-so. After that, Prison Break began to exhibit the classic symptoms of an overly drawn-out thriller. In a bid to trump previous seasons in the drama stakes, the plot ramped up and the characters became increasingly powerful. One antagonist even had to be prevented from taking over the world.

Protagonist Michael Scofield’s original mission – to free his wrongfully convicted brother from prison before his execution – was relegated to subplot status long before that. The authors dug deep into their bag of tricks to keep the story going. Gunshot wounds healed within hours, and if a dead character turned out to be necessary again, they were simply brought back to life.

At least Prison Break held onto the main actor who carried the series until the very end. The US version of The Office wasn’t so lucky. Its main character Michael Scott, played by Steve Carell for seven seasons, left The Office in a touching farewell after 148 episodes. It would’ve been a perfect, well-deserved send-off.

Miniseries are the future

I’m casting my mind back to the real gems of pop culture: the films, series, bands and games that seemed to temporarily take over my entire life, then vanish. The Linkin Park CD that kept me company on countless road trips. The Happy Tree Friends videos that used to make us laugh our heads off. The browser game Travianer, which I’d sprint home from school to play. Good things are good because they eventually come to an end.

But at what cost?

At least until someone decides that even a miniseries could be ripe for milking for the right price. But hey, that’s a debate for another day.

It’s up to us to pull the plug

If a series misses the opportune moment to finish, I give it a helping hand by refusing to continue watching. And that’s exactly what I’d advise any frustrated TV buffs reading this to do. If you notice that the plot’s starting to drag on, just stop watching.

The last time I did this was with courtroom drama Suits. At the end of season five, all seemed right with the world. But then, protagonist Mike (Michael Ross) had to go to prison so that there’d be new drama and, as a result, more material for subsequent seasons. Before it could get that far, however, I simply tuned out. Because of that decision, Suits has retained its place in my head as a well-rounded, self-contained story with a perfect length and a happy ending.

We series junkies often rave about the first two or three seasons of a show, only to wistfully say, «After that, it gets kinda boring and over the top». Well, except for my colleague Domagoj Belancic. He even loved the last season of Lost.

All joking aside, why don’t we just limit our attention to the good stuff? Given that the pool of watchable series is famously bottomless, you can go ahead and pick out the best episodes per series and still have enough to binge.

At least that’s what I do now, deciding for myself when the cow’s been milked dry.

Valentin Oberholzer

Freelance Editor

v4lentin.oberholzer@gmail.com

My retreats have names like Middle Earth, Skyrim and Azeroth. If I have to part from them due to IRL commitments, their epic soundtracks accompany me through everyday life, to a LAN party or to my D&D session.

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