Bear with me on this long post, please.
It seems as though there has been quite a bit of frustration and concern being felt this season, rather as a result of the focus, the story, the writing or the character's screen time. And we're seeing that reflected in the reviews both here and on the News Page. I will be the first to admit that I am not always as positive as I could/should be when I sit down to write a review. But, I have found that sometimes, I do better when I sit and let the episode digest a bit before I start to pull it apart and analyze it. However, after talking with a few people on here, I have realized that the level of negative traffic that is making its way across the reviews and in other places, has become wearisome for some - to the point that they're thinking that maybe they need to take a step away from the site. This concerns me.
I am a believer in the concept that negativity breeds negativity. That, if people surround themselves with only negative people or ideas, then it becomes very difficult to find the positives. This idea can be applied to many different areas of life. This year, in the school district that I work at, we have been trying to combat this issue with our students. We have made it a district policy that each class start off with a 5-10 minute period in which the students list one thing positive that happened to them in the last week. I'll admit that, at first, it seemed a little corny but, after four months of this habit, it is the one thing that kids are repeatedly talking about that they enjoy about school. We see a change in the atmosphere of the buildings and the students feel better about being there.
I think that we sometimes get so wrapped up in the bad things that are going on, that we forget to notice those good things, too.
So, what I am proposing is that when we watch an episode that wasn't particularly up to what we wanted or expected, before we write our reviews or comments, take a few minutes to see if we can find that one positive thing that we enjoyed about the episode and make sure to include it in our review. Maybe even expand on it, if possible. (Of course, if there are more positives than the one, please include those, too!)
To be clear though, I am not asking people to only talk about the positives and not include any negative reflections. I'm not only a realist but, I also believe that dialogue needs to be honest in order for it to be believable. Constructive criticism and written hopes and wishes that maybe contrary to what is being shown are part of that honesty.
Also, anyone who may be lurking on the forums (yes, we know you're out there
) but, not posting, please feel free to join in. The more diversity in opinions, the better it is for the longevity of the site and the show. 
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