When Drama Is The Premise

Wanting substance on the marketplace planet

Watching Picard was amazing for nostalgic reasons, but for the most part, that was all.

I had to sit down with myself and ask what it is exactly is that I liked about Star Trek.

It’s the wonder and the discovery. The exploration of moral dilemmas and principles which parallels and works in tandem with the venture into the final frontier.

Here, I take a back seat, and someone shows me what could be possible.

Often a dynamic journey ensues in which the story arc isn’t necessarily a copy/paste formula of most storytelling. Not all episodes are the same and not all seasons are the same either. There’s something to gain through the process of witnessing a story, not just the story itself in which the plot is consumed and nothing else.

I can’t help but feel like most of contemporary television and media in general isn’t like the aforementioned. It’s likely this is all just my subjective reaction to wanting a different kind of story, but more and more I keep thinking that in most representations of media, drama is the premise. I’ve seen a lot of stories embody wash, rinse, repeat replicas of situations that have been curated to exploit emotions, not to mention the vast market of re-selling old stories via remakes rather than taking a chance on new creative ventures. It’s lazy, and it works.

After completing the second season of Picard, I couldn’t help but see the same story of an elongated plot meant to pull at emotions for as long as possible, all while getting you high off of seeing the characters that you know and love once again. To me, they felt so distant from the vision of the story that put those beloved characters in those roles to begin with.

More and more often I find myself tired and unfulfilled after watching a movie or show. As a result, the more time passes, the more picky I am of the music, movies, books and TV series I consume. I want to like what everyone else likes, but it’s rare that I encounter something I enjoy every part of.

Besides this, media consumption is not something that should be taken lightly. Just like how we eat food, our minds are constantly digesting information, shaping how we feel, perceive and experience life. Excuse me for a moment, but is this not… everything? We must acknowledge the immense responsibility of storytelling.

So, what is missing?

Certainly a story without any drama, tension, conflict, character development, etc. is not a good story. However, these are meant to be the elements of a story. They are the backdrop in which characters move through, layers that make the story three dimensional, immersive. What makes a premise to begin with? Obviously every story has one, but it’s hard to get to the heart of each piece of media (assuming there is one) when there is so much noise and unrealistic circumstances that were born out of the need to entertain the masses.

Contrary to popular belief: Sex and romance is not the focal point of our existence, the reason we are alive. Violence isn't the only way to make an audience feel something. Action isn’t always the most exciting part of a story. I’m impressed when media can illustrate love, engagement, and exhilaration regardless of these devices. I’m searching for substance. Where is the wonder?

I’ve tried mitigating this by creating what I wish I could read: Metanoia. There are highs and lows in each chapter, however, there are other experiences to be had in between.

Metanoia isn’t straight forward. That’s life. It’s not simple. There are times when it feels like it’s together, but most of the time it is coming apart. Just when you think there’s firm ground, the wheel of fortune turns again and it’s not necessarily what you’d expect. The premise of Metanoia takes you very far away (if you let it) as if to be an omniscient giant looking down upon the garden of a universe that decides to observe a pattern within it.

I want a story to reflect that, but most importantly, I want media to take me to a place I couldn’t get to on my own. I want to be different afterwards in some way, even if it’s small. Like reminding me of something that I forgot, or giving me a key to a different perspective. The written word can be a portal in this way. And, it is very, very important.