This video essay was about several different TV shows, all of which I hadn’t seen, which showcased different versions of excess. In particular, these were shows that didn’t emphasize narrative plot but rather an experience. By critiquing the dominance of plot-centered recaps, the essay highlights how visual experimentation in shows often rooted in art cinema challenges traditional modes of TV criticism. The project not only documents the prominence of stylistic exhibitionism but also provokes discussion about the need for critical approaches that address the complex formal elements shaping contemporary television.

I didn’t love this essay really. It’s way too long for the visual experimentation argument it makes, and the argument itself I found pretty weak and unconvincing. I suppose that the essay was also challenging the traditional mode of the videographic essay form, but I needed a traditional form to explain all these unconventional television elements, particularly in David Lynch’s work. I felt like it would have been better to focus on a single television show rather than four, or instead focus on dozens, and cut between them quickly. It made it difficult to care about any one section because of its structure. Ultimately, I did enjoy how it showed media in parallel, with four screens to look at sometimes. The slow-moving text was boring.