When there's a plothole, do you ignore it?

[JesterFace]

There are some occasions when the writers haven't really thought things though and there's a plothole in some episode, maybe a tiny one one or big enough to drive a truck through it. Do you let it bug you or try to ignore it with some own headcanon?

Even if the episode is great in every other way, a plothole can ruin it for me... I can try to make some sense out of it but... that episode might not get much attention from me later.

 

[Greg Cox]

Depends on how good the story or the acting or the pacing or whatever is. I think people tend to notice plot holes more if they're already bored and disengaged with the story, but will overlook the same or equivalent flaws if the rest of the ep is clicking on all cylinders.

Ditto if the story works on an emotional level.

 

[Spot261]

@Greg Cox has hit the nail on the head for me. Trek is ridiculously riddled with plot holes, so much so you'd be hard put to find an episode of any given series without several. Where they stand out is most often where you are already feeling critical of the episode and starting to suspend disbelief anyway.

Having said that some of the most famous plot holes and inconsistencies are to be found in fan favourites, Balance of Terror, Wrath of Khan....

 

[tharpdevenport]

Depends on how big and noticeable the plot hole is. And just because there are ones, doesn't mean we even notice them until many years after-the-fact, usually because somebody on TrekBBS pointed them out.

So, in other words, blame TrekBBS. ;-)

 

[Greg Cox]

The original PLANET OF THE APES falls apart if you ask why Charlton Heston doesn't notice that the apes are speaking English. Doesn't matter. Still possibly my all-time favorite SF movie.

 

[Spot261]

The original PLANET OF THE APES falls apart if you ask why Charlton Heston doesn't notice that the apes are speaking English. Doesn't matter. Still possibly my all-time favorite SF movie.

Don't be silly, he had a universal translator

 

[JirinPanthosa]

A plot hole is a mark against an episode, but a rather small mark in comparison to other factors.

 

[Greg Cox]

Don't be silly, he had a universal translator

In the novel, he had to learn the apes' alien language before he could communicate with them, but that would have slowed down the pacing of the movie.

 

[johnar]

There are some occasions when the writers haven't really thought things though and there's a plothole in some episode, maybe a tiny one one or big enough to drive a truck through it. Do you let it bug you or try to ignore it with some own headcanon?

Even if the episode is great in every other way, a plothole can ruin it for me... I can try to make some sense out of it but... that episode might not get much attention from me later.

I appreciate your POV. But I love Trek so much I afford its creators wiggle room and do not force a canon on anyone.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I think about it for a second and move on.

 

[The Wormhole]

The original PLANET OF THE APES falls apart if you ask why Charlton Heston doesn't notice that the apes are speaking English.

To be fair, considering he's being chased, hunted, whipped and beaten throughout the movie, it's forgivable he never stopped to question the fact that sentient armed apes who have formed a civilization and society are speaking his own language

 

[Nyotarules]

Star Trek is full of plotholes, most of them I ignore, the ones that make me roll my eyes with amusement I still enjoy (I confess Cadet Kirk makes Captain still bugs me).

 

[The Wormhole]

(I confess Cadet Kirk makes Captain still bugs me).

As well it should because that makes absolutely no sense at all.

 

[urbandefault]

If I'm bored enough to start looking for plot holes, I've already turned it off.

 

[Ovation]

As well it should because that makes absolutely no sense at all.

Star Trek is full of plotholes, most of them I ignore, the ones that make me roll my eyes with amusement I still enjoy (I confess Cadet Kirk makes Captain still bugs me).

It may be implausible, but it's not a "plot hole".

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Also it depends the nature of the plot hole.

Plot holes where two major story in the same episode or same arc contradict each other = Big deal
Plot holes where something contradicts some other small thing established in a different season or different series = Small deal
Plot holes where they just ignore that some capability was established that should have shortcut the story = Small deal

Having no plot holes is preferable to having plot holes, but as long as it's not two major points in the same storyline and it's not overly blatant, it's much smaller in importance compared to quality writing.

 

[The Wormhole]

It may be implausible, but it's not a "plot hole".

Meh, it's still wrong regardless how you slice it.

 

[JesterFace]

I appreciate your POV. But I love Trek so much I afford its creators wiggle room and do not force a canon on anyone.

Fortunately, there aren't plotholes in every episode.

 

[Greg Cox]

I think we're using slightly different definitions of "plot holes." To my mind, a continuity error is different from a plot hole, which is some sort of glitch in the plot of an individual story. Like: "Wait a second, if her car was stolen was in Act One, how did she manage to drive herself home?" Or: "Wait a second, if he already knows who the double agent is, why is he meeting him alone with no backup?"

 

[Mudd]

Yes.