The Big Picture In our streaming age, it's easy to take a look at "filler" episodes and criticize them as a product of their time. Many now consider these very same standalone episodes to be nothing more than an unwanted break in the narrative, a break that doesn't actually add any real value to the story or characters. Nothing could be further from the truth.
How many X-Files episodes had the chance to explore what Dana Scully does apart from Fox Mulder because of its 20+ episode format ? The show was always at its best when it leaned more into the "monsters-of-the-week" rather than focusing too hard on the mythology. The alien angle might've pulled audiences in, but we all stayed for Mulder and Scully.
Supporting or side characters can often fall into the trap of being characterized by their place alongside the main hero. When a show becomes all about the main character and their ambitions/goals/destiny, other important players can fall through the cracks. "Filler" episodes allow these characters to be explored in greater detail, and give us a deeper appreciation for their part in the story.
We mentioned CBS's latest drama Tracker before, and it's true that the Justin Hartley-led series feels like something of an anomaly these days. It's popular despite the fact that nearly every episode features a new location and a new set of side characters, with only Colter Shaw and his team recurring. But because of Tracker's initial premise—a rewardist who travels the United States in search of people or things deemed missing—it works.