The Problem Driven Storyline in Silicon Valley

[ConceptMedia]

Hey!! I'm a filmmaker and I made this video discussing the Problem Driven storyline in Silicon Valley and how it effects the overall show and its message. (I also added in a little bit of humor in the editing for those with a keen eye ;-P) I Thought some of you here may be interested in seeing it and would love to hear what you think about my opinion on the show or the video I made itself. I hope you enjoy it and I can't wait to hear from you about it. I love this show so much and I'm already on the edge of my seat for season 4!!!!

 

[hincandenza]

Thanks for sharing!  I think I disagree with a part of what you say in this video, though; or maybe, I think there's a dangerous trap to problem-driven story lines.  

First, a large part of me agrees that problem-driven narratives are a near requirement for telling a story.  The traditional sitcom of the 80's and 90's, and earlier- even including great ones like "Seinfeld"- were generally dismissed as a meaningful type of TV show, because of course there would be problems, but they'd last one episode, get completely resolved, and everything would end up back exactly as it was before: no characters or their circumstances ever really grow or change, no matter what happens to these people in each episode.  Which is fine, of course.  They're meant as entertaining, funny, and pleasant distractions, to be watched in random order when they go into syndication and air weekday afternoons on a local broadcast channel.  

I think in the last 15-20 years, TV audiences have become more demanding of shows that reward our investment of time: we have to watch each episode, in order, and pay attention, because stories will build on each other.  That's not to say that there aren't those kind of old-school sitcoms still around, but anything with pretensions to be more than just a forgettable show has to strive for more.  HBO and its shows like "Veep" and "Silicon Valley" are among those trying to be more than just TV.

Anyway, getting back to your video: I recently saw in the Aaron Sorkin AMA on Reddit where he mentioned that the key to writing is plot-driven problems.  To him, your characters have to have an obstacle to overcome, etc, because it's in those times you can explore who they are, what makes them tick, etc.  I don't think it's always true- or rather, that sometimes a show can thrive because the characters are so fascinating, you don't really care about the problems or season-long story arcs nearly as much.  But still, those shows have to have some set of larger problems to sustain a season/series, beyond single episode quick resolutions.  The problem or transition doesn't have to be something huge and epic- maybe just a person figuring out their problems with the opposite sex, or learning to be happier in their small town/weird circumstance (like say, "Northern Exposure"), or whatever.  I think in your video, you're highlighting with problem-driven storytelling the key difference between a sitcom or crime drama that is just there to get watched and forgotten (like yet another cop/doctor/lawyer drama, or sitcom about a wacky family), and a real show where a larger story is told- whether "The Wire" or "Silicon Valley".

 

On the flip side- and this is my problem with SV at this point- even in a sitcom, those problems have to be organic, they have to be earned.  When a problem comes about that feels to the audience as realistic, as fitting with the character's motivations, or something that no one could have reasonably foreseen and no one did anything wrong (but still needs to be dealt with)... then problem-driven stories work great.  That crowning moment of the season 1 finale jerk-off coding session works because it was first of all hilarious, of course, but also because the characters behaved exactly as the ones we'd gotten to know, in a situation (Hooli catching up on their algorithm, with all the resources at its disposal) that would very likely happen.  The show was funny in the individual jokes and scenes, but also made sense, and had a larger story/purpose in critiquing the social and economic weirdness of the real "Silicon Valley".  When a comedy tries and succeeds at this, it can be hilariously funny and memorable, as season 1 was.

The danger is that if you miff it, if you don't respect your audience when you create these problems, you could fail harder than if you just tried to be a cheesy little sitcom/drama.  First, you can't leave the audience unsatisfied indefinitely, where every episode and season they're always in the same diner/school/court/TV set/hospital/whatever.  Characters have to progress/change their circumstances in some way.  Three seasons through, and SV still has everyone living at the same house, in nearly the same spot as before, and honestly not really any different as people than when they started.  Second, if the problems feel shoe-horned in, like the writers imagined a desired outcome scenario at the end of the season, and then just made up random things to force that result, it can result in an audience saying "The characters I know would never do that" or asking "Surely they all know there is a far, far better way to handle this?".  Much harder to laugh, or care about the story, when you keep being distracted by the nitpicks and inconsistencies.

Now, no one is going to complain about plot inconsistencies on "King of Queens" or "Two and a Half Men", but that's because they aren't even trying to be something more.  "Silicon Valley", by being not just a bunch of setups and punchlines but seeming to want to tell a story about a small patch of land in central/southern California that is having an enormous impact on all of our lives, is striving to be more.  And I think they're missing the jump and falling hard at this point, because these problem-driven stories feel (to me) so forced and unrealistic.  Having the characters face problems is great; having them face problems they either caused by acting out of character, or could have easily handled differently, becomes an act of frustration.

Just my two cents, anyway. :) Again, thanks for making and sharing your video!