I’ve never been so happy to be wrong! Never have I seen a studio green light something so late. Especially now when things get cancelled so easily and not to mention if you don’t hear anything it’s because they just quietly let it fade away. Soooo exited! Maybe we’ll get a truly happy ending for these lovelies 🩷
The Artful Dodger has the vibes of an episodic 20+ ep show despite fitting the serialized 8 ep streaming model: an analysis
I think one of the things I love so much about The Artful Dodger is that it feels so much like the old 20+ ep format of shows. And I’ve been trying to place why, and I think I’ve pinned it down to a few things. Also this is going to be a long post so bear with me.
Each episode has a beginning middle and end and they connect to each other but also there isn’t really a super strong overarching conflict across all 8 episodes.
Instead, there’s multiple mini conflicts that connect to each other but are also each their own contained plot. Episode 1 and 2 deal with the issue of Jack’s gambling debt and that’s a conflict that we see the full resolution of. But that plot line introduces the issue of the stolen money and Darius which is the focus of episodes 3 and 4 and something we again see the full resolution of. The beginning of episode 5 is part of the aftermath of Jack and Belle’s argument in episode 4. Episode 6 connects through episode 5 a number of ways but especially through Jack and Belle’s romance. And episodes 7 and 8 focus both on a new plot line, Oliver Twist, as well as established ones, Gaines and Jack and Belle’s romance.
The main plot line is made up of multiple plot points that each have a conclusion while still connecting to each other and the overarching story. But also, there isn’t a super strong overarching conflict and I don’t mean that there isn’t a main plot, but rather than centering the main plot line on a single conflict like Jack’s gambling debt, they instead keep it centered around a single character, Captain Gaines and the many different issues that he causes for our main characters. It’s genius because allows for there to be different central conflicts to be dealt with in different episodes while still feeling cohesive.
There’s also multiple subplots that occur and cross over into other episodes which provide variety so we’re not even stuck on the same conflict within a single episode and instead get to cut between different things. But since these subplots carry over, they still weave seamlessly into the main plot points and overarching story. Obviously a big one is the romance which is a subplot turned main plot. But also each episode generally has a surgery subplot happening as well. And we have the continued conflict of Belle’s condition that’s given to the audience in bits and pieces but isn’t explicitly revealed until we find out with Jack. Rather than relying on a single main conflict to connect the episodes they allow for the main conflict of some episodes to be resolved then and there and instead use the sub plots to solidify a stronger connection. It’s satisfying and so incredibly genius.
Another big reason I think the show feels episodic is that there’s a distinct feeling of the passage of time between some episodes. Part of this is through things that come back up like Charlie making a reappearance, Rotty having a scar, but also just things in the dialogue and way the characters act. The whole show in general has great control over the passage of time in the sense that it’s very clear when time is supposed to have passed and when it hasn’t. Episode 8 clearly happens right after episode 7, but then between episodes 4 and 5 with Jack and Belle fighting and then Jack deciding to do a heist you get the sense there’s been a couple days between the two events.
I also feel like the repeated sets aid in this feeling but am not quite sure how to articulate why.
Anyways TL;DR one of the things I love about The Artful Dodger is that despite fitting the standard 8 episodes an hour long each streaming format, it actually has a more episodic feel reminiscent of the days of 20+ ep seasons that’s very satisfying and genius for a variety of reasons.
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