ABSTRACT
Theme is a central idea expressed through action. It can add dimension and resonance. In episodic television, theme is the glue that holds multiple, and sometimes divergent, storylines together. Theme is what the story is really about, more than a series of events, but some kind of underlying universal truth about life. Themes are always related to power – and sometimes that’s the power of the human spirit. Don lays out the episode’s main theme as he pitches for the Jaguar account: is thing, gentlemen. A subtheme could be the price that women pay in the workplace. Don is supportive of Megan’s career aspirations only on his own terms. Don values Peggy as long as she’s compliant. In The Crown, “The Balmoral Test,” the themes of fitting in and belonging test the mettle of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Lady Diana Spencer.
