Hi Reader
Dad Joke: What do you call a light covering of snow in Hawkins? A Dustin.
Song of the Week: Running up that Hill - Kate Bush
Do you have a plan?
Do you start with the end in mind?
I saw a documentary recently on the making of the latest season of Stranger Things where the writers said that when they started filming they had not yet decided how the season would end…and to be honest it showed.
Millions of people were let down by the storytelling because it just went in circles, there were loose ends all over the place and plot holes galore! To the point that many even believed / hoped that there was a secret episode coming that would make it make sense…but of course…it was not to be, they didn’t start with the end in mind.
So…
New viewer sits down with their brand-new season of a show…what are they expecting?
A structed beginning where we find out where we are, who the main characters are, what has gone wrong. Generally, with high quality shows, after the first episode there is a trailer for what to expect through the upcoming season, a little snippet of where we are going what we can expect and how long the season will air for.
Episode 2 starts with…you guessed it…a recap of what went on in episode 1 and then the viewer either goes yes this is for me or nope this is not what I was expecting at all…fair enough, that’s why there are many different shows on television.
The next few episodes build the story, some things get resolved and other underlying problems are unearthed…we have to get to the bottom of all of it to finish the season in a satisfying way. By the way…are these episodes all exactly the same? No way…each one adds a little something, pulls back the curtain a little more as more we get deeper into the storyline.
Midway through the season there is generally a breakthrough, something big that happens. A main character returns, someone gets married, whatever. But it’s a point where we take stock of story. Where have we come from and then where are we going.
Then we barrel on through the season with all the highs and lows (it’s not all highs…that’s not how life works) and eventually we reach that resolution point! It was the old lady all along!! I knew it! Season comes to an end and we realize that we have actually enjoyed growing through the process and that we like the fact that we know and are invested in these characters.
The trailer for the rest of the series comes out. Oh my goodness - I didn’t even realize there were seasons 2 – 5, that’s great! I am getting so much out of this program that I want to carry on watching or…Nah I’m good, enjoyed it while it lasted but I’m done. Both fine responses. Some folks have watched 2 episodes and some all 11 seasons, it depends on what they find value in.
But what is important here and the thing that Stranger Things has taught us is that for the truly exceptional shows…the writers knew where we were going the whole time. They had the course plotted and the final episode all mapped out before we even stepped into the room.
Do you have your patient journey mapped out before they step into the room? Do you know what sessions 2, 5 and 10 should look like. When your reassessments are, when do you add isometrics? When do they change visit frequency? Of course each patient will need the plan tailored to them ,but do you have a full service back to front and front to back well-oiled plan to tailor for them?
TV execs spend billions to keep you engaged and give you a good product.
Don’t be Stranger Things season 5…
(The secret episode isn’t coming)
(maybe…)
Chat soon
Mike
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