A time jump is a plot device that can be used by shows to fast-forward the story years into the future. A risky move as it can be a jump-the-shark moment and send the show downhill; however, it can also be beneficial for the show and improve the characters and the plot.

The most recent example of this happening is on the Australian soap Neighbours, which returned in late 2023 after one year off screens. In Universe, two years have passed since the last episode in July 2022. Because of this, the child actors had to be recast as older actors, but this is where it is odd. The young actors are portrayed and look older than they should be if only 2 years had passed. Granted, they don’t say how old the characters are, but Nell Rebecchi was played by then 10-year-old Scarlett Anderson in 2022. When the show returned, she was played by 13-year-old Ayisha Salem-Towner and is portrayed in such a way that you would say she is older than 12, which would be her age if two years passed.

The tone of the show was also off, and it took months to get used to the new vibe of the show. It also left out a lot of drama that happened in those two years. That’s one of the big reasons why it took so long to get into it; the audience didn’t know what went down, and the show spoon-fed us slowly, which made it hard to enjoy. The time jump was unnecessary, and it didn’t do anything to get the audience’s attention. It was a wasted opportunity.

An example of a good time jump, in my opinion, was at the end of Season 4 of Desperate Housewives. Season 5 takes place 5 years after the end of Season 4, and the street has been rebuilt after the hurricane. Everyone’s life has changed. Gabby is a mother now, Orson is out of jail, Bree’s career is taken off, Lynette’s kids are older, and her devil twins are now equally misbehaving teenagers. The show didn’t feel different; in fact, it felt like nothing had changed despite what had actually happened. The show now involved more drama involving Lynette’s kids; Gabby and Carlos had changed big time, with Gabby needing to mature to take care of her family and Carlos needing to get used to being blind after the hurricane. Everything was more intense.
It felt like the jump helped give the show a chance to expand on its storylines, and they used it well, and overall it paid off. It made the audience more invested in the characters and allowed the writers to do more with the younger characters, who before were not involved as much but now were in almost every episode.

I would say the time jump should be used carefully and with lots of planning involved. It’s an easy way to lose and alienate your audience and make the show decline in quality. You might jump ahead and not know what to do with the characters now they are older or are in a different position in life. It’s a mixed bag, honestly.