Aesthetics of the Narrative Climax in Contemporary TV Serials

Abstract

This article draws on concepts from cognitive psychology to explore the significance of the narrative climax, focusing on the final climax of the series The Americans as a case study. Two aspects of the aesthetic experience are considered: the special intensity that climaxes elicit, and the diversity of the cognitive content they generate, which can include both aesthetic and non-aesthetic properties. The climax is experienced in a state of absorption triggered by a set of strategies of temporal prolongation related to the main suspenseful moments and plotlines, to character engagement, and to the multiplot structure, involving the content of the narrative itself (narrative absorption) and the aesthetic qualities that define it (artifact absorption). The source of this absorption during the climax lies in the interplay between emotion and cognition in a temporal process that may last for a whole series. To demonstrate this idea, this study identifies key narrative comprehension processes, drawing on the explanatory potential of mental model theory to clarify the importance of memory and interrelated inferential processes. The aim of this research is to contribute to explanations of the role of the climax in serialized television and other artistic works.

Research on Narrative Aesthetics in Film Art Direction

“…At the foundation of narrative aesthetics is the structure of a narrative [1] , which involves the relationship between the plot (the sequence of events), the story (the broader context of these events including the unseen or untold), and the narration (the perspective and method by which the story is told). Classical narrative theories, such as Tzvetan Todorov's equilibrium-disequilibrium model, Vladimir Propp's function model, and Gustav Freytag's dramatic pyramid, are often employed to analyze narrative structures.…”