On the balance of drama and shipping in a narrative

[cypsiman2]

This is something that will obviously vary from person to person, but for me the level of drama a ship can have and still be enjoyable is inversely proportionate to how much drama is going on on the outside plot. That is to say, if the show is having a lot of very big important drama about big important external things, then I don't need a ton of drama within the character dynamics going on. When the fate of the world is hanging in the balance and its up to our heroes to, I don't know, keep the human race from being enslaved by brain eating aliens, I don't need a lot of bickering between Peter and Paul over who gets to date Betty.

You feel me?