As applied to TV specifically, flashback is not the right word. Clip shows is more precise. Although clip shows are almost always presented in flashback form. You have the central characters sitting on a couch, fondly remembering the antics of previous episodes, etc., five minutes of new footage used to weave it all together.
Am I alone in this?
I have to imagine everyone reacts to such laziness with equal scorn.
So what, then, is the point? Why are we treated like mindless cattle? I used to think it was a way to meet a deadline in a crunch, but after completing this comic, I came to realize it is more of a celebration. The creators are granted a holiday in recognition of reaching a certain number of episodes, or finishing the season, etc., a stopping point.
Not that it makes it OK.