--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think our goal and intention is to make…" description: "\"I think our goal and intention is to make sure that, when you watch each episode, you don't have to make that choice, but also that you can have stand-..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98d/alex-kurtzman-30346_beginning-middle-and_i-think-our-goal-and-intention-is-to-mak_1054033.jpg" --- # I think our goal and intention is to make sure that, when… ![“I think our goal and intention is to make sure that, when you watch each episode, you don't have to make that choice, but also that you can have stand-alone episodes, where a story can have a beginning, middle and end.” quote by Alex Kurtzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98d/alex-kurtzman-30346_beginning-middle-and_i-think-our-goal-and-intention-is-to-mak_1054033.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98d/alex-kurtzman-30346_beginning-middle-and_i-think-our-goal-and-intention-is-to-mak_1054033.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98d/alex-kurtzman-30346_beginning-middle-and_i-think-our-goal-and-intention-is-to-mak_1054033.jpg) > “I think our goal and intention is to make sure that, when you watch each episode, you don't have to make that choice, but also that you can have stand-alone episodes, where a story can have a beginning, middle and end.” [Alex Kurtzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kurtzman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Episodes should be self‑contained yet part of a larger narrative, allowing viewers to watch any episode without confusion. **In simple terms:** Make episodes both standalone and connected. Key Takeaway Design flexible story arcs. Themes storytelling structure television Mood analytical practical Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - binge‑watching - syndication - streaming platforms - creative writing Key Concepts Narrative design viewer autonomy Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance episodic closure with series continuity? - What benefits do standalone episodes offer viewers? A Different Perspective Too much flexibility may dilute overall plot cohesion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beginning middle and end](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning-middle-and-end/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Episode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/episode/) [Episodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/episodes/) [Episodes Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/episodes-story-2537240/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Intention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intention/) [Middle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle/) [Stand alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stand-alone/) [Stand Episodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stand-episodes-2537241/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story Beginning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-beginning-559941/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Watches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watches/) ## Related quotes > [Any story has a beginning, middle, and end, of course, but the question is, where do you start it exactly? It's about a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-c-boyle/any-story-has-a-beginning-middle-and-end-of-course-but-the-question/) [T.C. Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-c-boyle/) > [The network wants you to make a thing that's just a stand-alone episode, so you never get any character or continuity. This is one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-campbell/the-network-wants-you-to-make-a-thing-that-s-just-a-stand-alone/) [Billy Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-campbell/) > [You used to have to make a choice. Is it a serialized television show, or is it a stand-alone or procedural? We were wildly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kurtzman/you-used-to-have-to-make-a-choice-is-it-a-serialized-television-show/) [Alex Kurtzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kurtzman/) > [Every actor chooses their story at the beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shia-labeouf/every-actor-chooses-their-story-at-the-beginning/) [Shia LaBeouf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shia-labeouf/) > [The story, from beginning to end, I found again in a heart of a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/the-story-from-beginning-to-end-i-found-again-in-a-heart-of-a-friend/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) > [“Shall I tell you a story? A new and terrible one? A ghost story?" The voice, a faint echo in the cave, belongs to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/shall-i-tell-you-a-story-a-new-and-terrible-one-a-ghost-story-the/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [To just tell a story from beginning, middle and end doesn't motivate me that much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mann/to-just-tell-a-story-from-beginning-middle-and-end-doesn-t-motivate/) [Michael Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mann/) > [You can read a dozen different textbooks or how-to manuals that will tell you the basic rules of what makes a story - a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/len-wein/you-can-read-a-dozen-different-textbooks-or-how-to-manuals-that-will/) [Len Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/len-wein/) > [A story has no beginning or end: arbitrarily one chooses that moment of experience from which to look back or from which to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/a-story-has-no-beginning-or-end-arbitrarily-one-chooses-that-moment/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) > [“How are you going do your writings? How can the others understand you through words describing places, sensations, thoughts, feelings, hope, love, separations on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-vanderbuilt/how-are-you-going-do-your-writings-how-can-the-others-understand-you/) [Frederick Vanderbuilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-vanderbuilt/) > [It would seem that the Watergate story from beginning to end could be used as a primer on the American political system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/it-would-seem-that-the-watergate-story-from-beginning-to-end-could-be/) [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) > [“Almost everyone I’ve ever met likes to hear a story from the beginning. It’s a curious prejudice, when you think about it. In life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-tobolowsky/almost-everyone-i-ve-ever-met-likes-to-hear-a-story-from-the/) [Stephen Tobolowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-tobolowsky/) > [If I can tell you the story from beginning to end in five minutes, I'm ready to start writing. Then it's a constant spreading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-price/if-i-can-tell-you-the-story-from-beginning-to-end-in-five-minutes-i-m/) [Richard Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-price/) > [“The Hunter: “Your future refuses to behave.” Coo-yôn yanked off the jacket he’d sourced for me. Up was down. Then he stepped back. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kresley-cole/the-hunter-your-future-refuses-to-behave-coo-y-n-yanked-off-the/) [Kresley Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kresley-cole/) > [“Every story has a beginning and an end. What lies between those two points is the journey.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-richter/every-story-has-a-beginning-and-an-end-what-lies-between-those-two/) [R.C. Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-richter/) ## More by Alex Kurtzman > [When you're working on a scene, both in the script phase and also in the moment, you look around and you wait for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kurtzman/when-you-re-working-on-a-scene-both-in-the-script-phase-and-also-in/) [Alex Kurtzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kurtzman/) > [As a director you have to be at 30,000 ft objectively looking at everything, wondering if you're making the right objective, emotional, story, character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kurtzman/as-a-director-you-have-to-be-at-30-000-ft-objectively-looking-at/) [Alex Kurtzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kurtzman/) > [I think what all the Universal monster movies are defined by, and what makes them very special, is that it's really the only genre…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kurtzman/i-think-what-all-the-universal-monster-movies-are-defined-by-and-what/) [Alex Kurtzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kurtzman/) > [The thing for me, and I can only really judge this by what I respond to myself as an audience member, I really only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kurtzman/the-thing-for-me-and-i-can-only-really-judge-this-by-what-i-respond/) [Alex Kurtzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kurtzman/) > [I think what people watch television for is the emotional continuity, from episode to episode, and feeling that the experience that they had, four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kurtzman/i-think-what-people-watch-television-for-is-the-emotional-continuity/) [Alex Kurtzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kurtzman/) > [In fact, we actually listen to fans all the time. It's helpful because you want to get a sense of what people are looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kurtzman/in-fact-we-actually-listen-to-fans-all-the-time-it-s-helpful-because/) [Alex Kurtzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kurtzman/) > [You used to have to make a choice. Is it a serialized television show, or is it a stand-alone or procedural? We were wildly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kurtzman/you-used-to-have-to-make-a-choice-is-it-a-serialized-television-show/) [Alex Kurtzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kurtzman/) > [By actually taking Sleepy Hollow and the Rip Van Winkle story, and finding the spirit of what was great about both of them and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kurtzman/by-actually-taking-sleepy-hollow-and-the-rip-van-winkle-story-and/) [Alex Kurtzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kurtzman/) > [When you start a script you aim to hit a note you know you want to end in general.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kurtzman/when-you-start-a-script-you-aim-to-hit-a-note-you-know-you-want-to/) [Alex Kurtzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kurtzman/) > [I asked a director once what the secret of it all was, and he said you have to be so prepared that you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kurtzman/i-asked-a-director-once-what-the-secret-of-it-all-was-and-he-said-you/) [Alex Kurtzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kurtzman/) > [I love the opportunity to tell the story about the characters through the music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kurtzman/i-love-the-opportunity-to-tell-the-story-about-the-characters-through/) [Alex Kurtzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kurtzman/) > [An emotional story is an emotional story no matter how big or small it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kurtzman/an-emotional-story-is-an-emotional-story-no-matter-how-big-or-small/) [Alex Kurtzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kurtzman/) > [You always go by your gut. That's the best you can do. You go by what you feel, and you say yes or no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kurtzman/you-always-go-by-your-gut-that-s-the-best-you-can-do-you-go-by-what/) [Alex Kurtzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kurtzman/) > [We were such fans of Sleepy Hollow, in all of its iterations - growing up with the Disney show, and then Tim Burton's and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kurtzman/we-were-such-fans-of-sleepy-hollow-in-all-of-its-iterations-growing/) [Alex Kurtzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kurtzman/) > [I do believe that people go to the movies - for one reason or another - they go to the movies to have an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kurtzman/i-do-believe-that-people-go-to-the-movies-for-one-reason-or-another/) [Alex Kurtzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kurtzman/) [Explore all 17 Alex Kurtzman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kurtzman/) ## More Beginning middle and end quotes > [With no other privilege than that of sympathy and sincere good wishes, I would address an affectionate exhortation to the youthful literati, grounded on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/with-no-other-privilege-than-that-of-sympathy-and-sincere-good-wishes/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [The end of life is to be like unto God; and the soul following God, will be like unto Him; He being the beginning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/the-end-of-life-is-to-be-like-unto-god-and-the-soul-following-god/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [I love the finality of film. When you make a movie, you know the beginning, middle, and end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-banks/i-love-the-finality-of-film-when-you-make-a-movie-you-know-the/) [Elizabeth Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-banks/) > [Now there cannot be first principles for men, unless the Divinity has revealed them; all the rest--beginning, middle, and end--isnothing but dreams and smoke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/now-there-cannot-be-first-principles-for-men-unless-the-divinity-has/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [Everything is illusory. You cannot label something and feel that that is the beginning, middle, and end of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-lennox/everything-is-illusory-you-cannot-label-something-and-feel-that-that/) [Annie Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-lennox/) > [I feel confident that we will have a beginning, middle and end, in this season, and it was wise of NBC to then call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/remi-aubuchon/i-feel-confident-that-we-will-have-a-beginning-middle-and-end-in-this/) [Remi Aubuchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/remi-aubuchon/) > [The land is not old. It only changes, becoming one thing and the next. We are the ones who ascribe age, the brevity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-childs/the-land-is-not-old-it-only-changes-becoming-one-thing-and-the-next/) [Craig Childs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-childs/) > [The beginning, middle, and end of the birth, growth, and perfection of whatever we behold is from contraries, by contraries, and to contraries; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giordano-bruno/the-beginning-middle-and-end-of-the-birth-growth-and-perfection-of/) [Giordano Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giordano-bruno/) > [I think, often times, it's the audience that suffers when a show isn't given the opportunity to have a beginning, middle and end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khandi-alexander/i-think-often-times-it-s-the-audience-that-suffers-when-a-show-isn-t/) [Khandi Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khandi-alexander/) > [Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/great-is-the-art-of-beginning-but-greater-is-the-art-of-ending/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) > [Someone did us all a grave injustice by implying that mourning has a distinct beginning, middle, and end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-edelman/someone-did-us-all-a-grave-injustice-by-implying-that-mourning-has-a/) [Hope Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-edelman/) > [The wonderful thing about film is that you have something that has a beginning, middle, and end, and you have a concrete amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-liu/the-wonderful-thing-about-film-is-that-you-have-something-that-has-a/) [Lucy Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-liu/) > [I think as a filmmaker you try not to have any expectations other than that the film have a fairly substantial beginning, middle and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-boal/i-think-as-a-filmmaker-you-try-not-to-have-any-expectations-other/) [Mark Boal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-boal/) > [Film is cool because it's an hour and a half to two hours. It's a great ride. It's typically three acts - beginning, middle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pratt/film-is-cool-because-it-s-an-hour-and-a-half-to-two-hours-it-s-a/) [Chris Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pratt/) > [Songwriters are expanding time rather than compressing time. My short stories tend to be old fashioned, with a beginning, middle and end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-earle/songwriters-are-expanding-time-rather-than-compressing-time-my-short/) [Steve Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-earle/) [Browse all 39 Beginning middle and end quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning-middle-and-end/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think our goal and intention is to make sure that, when you watch each episode, you don't have to make that choice, but also that you can have stand-alone episodes, where a story can have a beginning, middle and end.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alex Kurtzman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kurtzman/i-think-our-goal-and-intention-is-to-make-sure-that-when-you-watch/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beginning middle and end" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kurtzman/i-think-our-goal-and-intention-is-to-make-sure-that-when-you-watch/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98d/alex-kurtzman-30346_beginning-middle-and_i-think-our-goal-and-intention-is-to-mak_1054033.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98d/alex-kurtzman-30346_beginning-middle-and_i-think-our-goal-and-intention-is-to-mak_1054033.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98d/alex-kurtzman-30346_beginning-middle-and_i-think-our-goal-and-intention-is-to-mak_1054033.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think our goal and intention is to make sure that, when you watch each episode, you don't have to make…” — Alex Kurtzman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alex Kurtzman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kurtzman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think our goal and intention...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kurtzman/i-think-our-goal-and-intention-is-to-make-sure-that-when-you-watch/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kurtzman/i-think-our-goal-and-intention-is-to-make-sure-that-when-you-watch/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```