This is an interesting topic of conversation. Before on-demand television, I think it was more important to have a stand-alone story that first-time viewers could access. I think Star Trek Deep Space Nine did that really well, especially in Season 5. Each episode stood on its own but also contributed to the overall story arc. Today, programs like Game of Thrones are so dense with information that it's difficult to even miss an episode, never mind trying to jump in at the middle. Fortunately on demand fills that need to see every episode.