Dreading the future: Narrative dread in BETTER CALL SAUL and contemporary television

Abstract

This article defines and conceptualises the emotion ‘narrative dread’. Most discussions of what we might call narrative emotions – such as suspense, curiosity, and surprise – have focused on film. By contrast, comparatively little has been said about the particularities of narrative and emotion in relation to long-form television series. The article proposes that narrative dread differs from other similar responses through its distinct temporality and level of knowledge. Through a discussion of the series Better Call Saul, the article argues that narrative dread is particularly effectively elicited by the long-form narration that is typical of contemporary dramatic television series.