There are 1,001 different reasons this could be the case...
1: Writers are often told what to write and, as a result, aren't as invested in the material as if it were their own original work. There's an outline for a show, which is usually created by the showrunners, and dictates that certain things happen at certain times. However, it is extremely difficult to write every episode of the show you're working on, especially if you oversee multiple series, as do the people who currently head up Supergirl, Arrow, Flash, and LoT. They have to hire a writing staff to complete episodes for them. Sometimes, these writers will be full time and assigned a handful of episodes. Sometimes, it could be a one-off. They are told what needs to be in the episode, and asked to craft the rest on their own in a certain period of time. These writers aren't necessarily invested in the material and might just be writers for hire needing the money. This will often lead to a degradation in quality.
2: There are only so many writers to go around, and not all of them are as qualified as they probably think they are. Think of how many different scripted shows, films, books, and plays there are out there right this very moment. Not all of those writers are going to be good. The good writers also cost more, and for CW shows, where budget constraints are tighter than on the more major networks, they aren't going to spend a lot on the best writers available. They'll get what they can.
3: Network mandates often force shows to do specific things that don't work. Big wigs will often force shows to change they way that they tell stories. The CW, for example, very much has a specifically targeted demographic. They want their shows to have young, beautiful, people in the lead. They want their shows to have angsty drama. They want their shows to have a wee bit of T&A. If someone has an awesome Flash story to tell, but it doesn't include these things, it might not get to the script stage. They absolutely will compromise to give the network what they want. In the case of the crossover episodes, one of the things the network wants is big huge marketable team-ups that benefit both shows. Well, that might become tough to do when you're talking about casts from THREE different series set to run concurrently, all with their own unique storylines and themes. It's not easy to put those together. But if the network wants you to push LoT, you do it. If the network wants you to push toys, you do it.
4: TV shows are built on repeatable formulas. It's difficult to write the same story 22 times a year and keep it interesting every time.
5: Not everything every writer writes is going to be their best work. It's impossible.
6: In the case of these superhero shows, they tend to have one big arc for the entire season. That arc might not fill 22 episodes worth of stories, and you end up with filler episodes. Or, it might be overbloated and you end up with episodes that are rushed.
7: Sometimes the actors and directors can't "pull off" what the writer puts to page. You might end up with a story that's simply better on the page than it is on the screen.
8: Some writers have their jobs because they were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time and know the right people, not because they're legitimate talent.
9: Some novels are written over the course of years and years, because deadlines aren't necessarily a huge issue, unless you're contracted by a publishing company. This gives people the opportunity to have their work critiqued, to edit, and to try again. When you're running a television series, you don't have the luxury of not having a script ready. Studio time, actors, crews are all booked well in advance. If the script isn't quite ready, you can't just grind everything to a halt for revisions. You have to shoot it.
There are MANY more reasons, but these examples represent a few of the big ones...
1: Writers are often told what to write and, as a result, aren't as invested in the material as if it were their own original work. There's an outline for a show, which is usually created by the showrunners, and dictates that certain things happen at certain times. However, it is extremely difficult to write every episode of the show you're working on, especially if you oversee multiple series, as do the people who currently head up Supergirl, Arrow, Flash, and LoT. They have to hire a writing staff to complete episodes for them. Sometimes, these writers will be full time and assigned a handful of episodes. Sometimes, it could be a one-off. They are told what needs to be in the episode, and asked to craft the rest on their own in a certain period of time. These writers aren't necessarily invested in the material and might just be writers for hire needing the money. This will often lead to a degradation in quality.
2: There are only so many writers to go around, and not all of them are as qualified as they probably think they are. Think of how many different scripted shows, films, books, and plays there are out there right this very moment. Not all of those writers are going to be good. The good writers also cost more, and for CW shows, where budget constraints are tighter than on the more major networks, they aren't going to spend a lot on the best writers available. They'll get what they can.
3: Network mandates often force shows to do specific things that don't work. Big wigs will often force shows to change they way that they tell stories. The CW, for example, very much has a specifically targeted demographic. They want their shows to have young, beautiful, people in the lead. They want their shows to have angsty drama. They want their shows to have a wee bit of T&A. If someone has an awesome Flash story to tell, but it doesn't include these things, it might not get to the script stage. They absolutely will compromise to give the network what they want. In the case of the crossover episodes, one of the things the network wants is big huge marketable team-ups that benefit both shows. Well, that might become tough to do when you're talking about casts from THREE different series set to run concurrently, all with their own unique storylines and themes. It's not easy to put those together. But if the network wants you to push LoT, you do it. If the network wants you to push toys, you do it.
4: TV shows are built on repeatable formulas. It's difficult to write the same story 22 times a year and keep it interesting every time.
5: Not everything every writer writes is going to be their best work. It's impossible.
6: In the case of these superhero shows, they tend to have one big arc for the entire season. That arc might not fill 22 episodes worth of stories, and you end up with filler episodes. Or, it might be overbloated and you end up with episodes that are rushed.
7: Sometimes the actors and directors can't "pull off" what the writer puts to page. You might end up with a story that's simply better on the page than it is on the screen.
8: Some writers have their jobs because they were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time and know the right people, not because they're legitimate talent.
9: Some novels are written over the course of years and years, because deadlines aren't necessarily a huge issue, unless you're contracted by a publishing company. This gives people the opportunity to have their work critiqued, to edit, and to try again. When you're running a television series, you don't have the luxury of not having a script ready. Studio time, actors, crews are all booked well in advance. If the script isn't quite ready, you can't just grind everything to a halt for revisions. You have to shoot it.
There are MANY more reasons, but these examples represent a few of the big ones...
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