Below are some segment of debug logs from an action method called by a VF page.

It looks like the vast majority of time is taking place after  VF_SERIALIZE_VIEWSTATE_END and before Generate Metadata.  Then there's a bit more time used in Generate Metadata.  I'm wondering what's going on during this time?

I could reduce view state a lot and then requery some information.  I'm thinking that might improve performance but I'd like to know that view states effects that time that's being used.

08:58:39.219 (219185000)|VF_SERIALIZE_VIEWSTATE_BEGIN|066i00000003ASR
08:58:39.365 (365728000)|VF_SERIALIZE_VIEWSTATE_END
08:58:52.766 (13766220000)|CODE_UNIT_STARTED|[EXTERNAL]|Generate Metadata
08:58:56.069 (17069399000)|CODE_UNIT_FINISHED|Generate Metadata
08:58:56.632 (17330865000)|CUMULATIVE_LIMIT_USAGE
08:58:56.632|LIMIT_USAGE_FOR_NS|(default)|

08:58:18.487 (487066000)|VF_SERIALIZE_VIEWSTATE_BEGIN|066i00000003ASR
08:58:18.629 (629588000)|VF_SERIALIZE_VIEWSTATE_END
08:58:26.961 (8961670000)|CODE_UNIT_STARTED|[EXTERNAL]|Generate Metadata
08:58:30.310 (12310775000)|CODE_UNIT_FINISHED|Generate Metadata
08:58:30.676 (12573652000)|CUMULATIVE_LIMIT_USAGE
08:58:30.676|LIMIT_USAGE_FOR_NS|(default)|

09:04:13.208 (208228000)|VF_SERIALIZE_VIEWSTATE_BEGIN|066i00000003ASR
09:04:13.355 (355362000)|VF_SERIALIZE_VIEWSTATE_END
09:04:26.507 (13507293000)|CODE_UNIT_STARTED|[EXTERNAL]|Generate Metadata
09:04:29.665 (16665073000)|CODE_UNIT_FINISHED|Generate Metadata
09:04:30.564 (16933020000)|CUMULATIVE_LIMIT_US