The natural trajectory of characters and situations

[mtbc]

In television shows it annoys me when a thorny problem is set up for the characters then some magical solution appears wholly unpresaged. I find it to be much more satisfying, but rare, for the solution to be surprisingly yet naturally arising from what one has already seen, perhaps cleverly fitting things together in ways one hadn't thought to: a difference perhaps between thoughtful preparation of a rich tapestry and lazy writers just forcing events and characters to meet the needs of the plot.

It is somewhat frustrating to realize that, while I know that I have occasionally been impressed by shows that managed to resolve difficult plot issues in a satisfying manner without calling upon any dei ex machina, no examples jump easily to my mind.