TV shows need to quit with the solemn musical sequences: "I’m here to watch a show, not listen to your Spotify favorites"

The Concourse

"I cannot watch any TV show anymore without having to sit through a music video no one asked for," says Drew Magary, pointing as his prime example the two solemn extended montages on The Americans series finale. "This is horsesh*t," he says. "I’m here to watch a show, not listen to your Spotify favorites. Television shows have been burning airtime for YEARS now by overstuffing episodes with endless, maudlin sequences set to the Coldplay imitator of your choice," like Snow Patrol. Magary adds: "I say this as someone who enjoys music. Why, sometimes I even enjoy music and television together. But when you allocate a significant portion of your show to a solemn dirge from some coffeehouse gremlin, it starts to feel like a very big crutch. Even worse, it’s wholly unnecessary for a drama like The Americans, which already does such a good job establishing suspense and unease on its own. The music, which is meant to raise the emotional stakes, often ends up taking me out of the story instead."