Since Babylon 5, SFTV shows have become increasingly arc-driven, satisfying many fans but limiting their accessibility to mainstream audiences (and ratings and advertising dollars).

I think the serialized plots of The X-Files, Buffy, Battlestar Galactica, and Lost are fine, but many of my favorite episodes (such as "The Zeppo") were stand-alone ones. We don't need to go back to Star Trek: the Next Generation's early insistence on episodes without context, but I do think producers could be more balanced in their approaches to shows.

There is a theory in comic books that the book you write may be someone's very first comic book, but at the same time, you're not required to write a story that explains each and every detail. As you say, the best stories stand alone, and if they're part of a larger story arc, add depth. If the original writer is not adult enough to understand this, then we need to deal with him directly, and as you say, pray that TPTB don't listen to him.