This is simply broadcast audio processing that was poorly setup. I may have missed it, but it wasn't clear what the source was you were watching. Cable? Streaming?

For broadcast or cable there is a requirement to comply with the CALM act. This requires that audio be normalized so that commercials run at the same level as the show. Lazy broadcasters weren't careful with audio levels so congress passed the CALM act.

Content is now passed through various audio processors to ensure compliance. These processors are often poorly setup. Worse, sometimes there are multiple processors in the chain that interact. Often the source content files are processed, sometimes several times and show up on streaming sites.

This is just pure laziness and you are hearing layered audio processing that sounds terrible, but is CALM compliant.

You correctly diagnosed what was happening.