I think most series are constrained to their respective runtimes and while those constraints do shape the nature of the themes they have the capacity to explore, it isn't always a problem even for series with fewer than 10 episodes. I haven't watched either of those recently enough to speak on them, but I think 10-episode series have become a de facto standard that is problematic for many shows and seasons. Severance S2 and The Bear S3 come to mind as recent examples. Both tend to experiment with the form of episodic storytelling in a way which, while interesting and worthwhile in my opinion, ultimately serves to make their respective season arcs less cohesive as a direct result of that constraint.

[–] Skavau@lemm.ee 1 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

I find it strange because when you look at the highest rated TV series of all time, almost all of them are about 10-13 episodes long a season. Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad, Mr. Robot, Dark. The long-form 22-24 episode a season TV series are not as highly critically acclaimed, on average, in comparison.

I don't mean to appeal to popularity here, but the most 'prestigious' of content has mostly been serialised.