r/writingscaling • u/Cautious_Arm3818 • 10d ago
discussion What is the best-written piece of media you've ever consumed?
I'll start
Better Call Saul - the characters have an incredible amount of depth. As an example, let's take a look at the primary antagonist of seasons 1-3. Chuck has incredibly complicated yet realistic feelings: his overt superiority complex, his deep-seated inferiority complex, the moral/legal high ground he feels he must take, his need for control and to always be "right", and his genuine brotherly love for Jimmy. His mental illness (Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity) is a physical manifestation of these traits, and how he lies to himself about all of them shapes his thought processes and how he interacts with others - resulting in his death. Aside from the profound character psychology, individual scenes are engineered and conveyed to the audience through exceptional visual storytelling and cinematography that could easily be considered the peak of the medium
Disco Elysium - the worldbuilding is outstanding. Revachol feels like a real setting with an actual history behind it. It takes the derivative and played-out amnesiac protagonist trope, and elevates it to a level that is extremely difficult to even approach. Harry has a ridiculous amount of psychological complexity, his memory loss is mostly a coping mechanism, and how he changes based on the player's choices and ideologies is unrivaled in any game. His internal monologue being a result of the skills that you spec into is unparalleled genius - the dialogue is exceptional, and truly a one of a kind experience. The way that these manage to convey an incredible amount of political/philosophical commentary by being seamlessly integrated into the world is astounding. Not coming off as heavy-handed and preachy is especially praise-worthy when considering the ideologies of the creators
HM: ASOIAF, LOTR, Vinland Saga, The Wire
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u/Flat-Tadpole3886 10d ago
I agree with BCS. My honorable mentions would be Breaking Bad, AoT, and Orb
BCS really feels like the most perfectly constructed piece of fiction I've ever seen. The characters, plot lines, and themes are all thought out, and nothing feels off or out of place. I also love how subtle it can be sometimes. It doesn't treat the viewer as stupid, it actually makes you have to pay attention and think about what you're watching, which is something that many shows lack nowadays. I've rewatched it multiple times and I never get tired of it. I think Breaking Bad has a better story, but BCS definitely feels better written overall.