I've had a lot of misses with more recent shows. Writers can put out amazing things, but I frequently have the sensation of "waiting for the movie to start" 25

I've had a lot of misses with more recent shows. Writers can put out amazing things, but I frequently have the sensation of "waiting for the movie to start" 25-50 minutes into the movie, kind of like watching Napoleon Dynamite but with no dance scene. Every movie script doesn't have to follow Campbell's Hero's Journey, but studios and writers need to make sure that not only are we, the viewers, along for the ride but that we are invested in the characters. We don't invest in characters because they happen to match physical traits with us. We don't invest in characters because their living conditions are similar to our own. We don't invest in characters for anything visible on the movie screen. We invest in characters because they have a compelling narrative. I don't care if the overweight kid with a good sense of humor is accepted by his classmates and seamlessly integrated into his peer group. I care if he is a good person that does good things and that he overcomes adversity to get the girl despite others being against him. I don't care if the non-white girl shows how bad ass and fearless she is with impeccable style while she moves to her own beat. I care that she has a goal that makes sense and what steps she takes to achieve it. To make us care about the characters, make us care about what they are doing with the circumstances they find themselves in. You're the granddaughter of a dead ghostbuster. Great. Wonderful. Whatever. Why am I watching a movie about you?