Do you hate predictable endings?
- Thread starter Miss Chicken
- Start date
Popeye was created by E.C. Segar and first appeared in the daily newspaper comic strip Thimble Theatre in 1929. The character was adapted for a series of animated cartoons by Max Fleischer beginning in 1933.
Just giving credit where credit is due.
It depends. If I'm watching a romcom I'm hardly surprised when the characters get together at the end, but if it's a mystery or Twilight Zone/M. Night type story, the effectiveness obviously hangs largely on the ability to surprise the viewer with the twist.
Try watching Murder by Death (1976). Five famous literary detectives are invited to a dinner party and murder. Cast- Peter Falk, Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, Eileen Brennan, Truman Capote, James Coco, Elsa Lanchester, David Niven, Maggie Smith, Nancy Walker, and James Cromwell. Written by Neil Simon.
There's unpredictable endings, and then there's endings that shit all over everything for no good reason, completely contradicting all logic and sense.
HIMYM's ending falls under the latter.
I love Murder by Death. And Clue. My grandma raised me on mystery tv shows, so knowing the detective is going to solve the case is fine with me. Hell, I loved Columbo and you know who the killer is from the beginning of the episode! 
That being said, lazy writing drives me nuts. We loved Bones in the first several seasons, but at some point it became "the 2nd person they talk to did it" and that ruined it. There's a fine line between "predictable" - where actions have logical consequences - and "boring".
It's also fun being surprised and being on the edge of your seat wondering what's going to happen next. Killing Eve hooked us that way.
BTW, my husband, a mix of Sheldon and Leonard
, HATED the ending of Easy Rider.
That being said, lazy writing drives me nuts. We loved Bones in the first several seasons, but at some point it became "the 2nd person they talk to did it" and that ruined it. There's a fine line between "predictable" - where actions have logical consequences - and "boring".
It's also fun being surprised and being on the edge of your seat wondering what's going to happen next. Killing Eve hooked us that way.
BTW, my husband, a mix of Sheldon and Leonard
, HATED the ending of Easy Rider.
I loved Columbo and you know who the killer is from the beginning of the episode!
The man with the dirty mac who discovered America?
And you want to talk predictable endings, look no further than Perry Mason. Not only could you count on Hamilton Burger to lose every single case, but the guilty party would always jump up in court and confess to the murder!
Great point, for me as well it all depends on how I valued the characters and sharing the experience they had during the journey. The story is what it is and unfortunately it will conclude the way it was designed to be but there's nothing more satisfying of seeing how these character got there.
I'm a huge HIMYM fan, but I missed the finale, but from what I've read online, it sounds really aggravating.
There are two types of mystery shows. One where you already know the killer within the first few minutes like Columbo, and the other where it's a mystery to both the viewer and detective. In the first one, half the fun is in watching the detective lower the main suspect's guard down. In such cases, he might even know who the suspect is within the first 10 minutes.
"One more thing..."
Depends on the book or movie.
Lots of times it's hero wins, while the villian completes the plan or just about to. Etc.
You know it's going to happen but as said, it's the fun in the ride.
But lots of current movies are lazy
Lots of times it's hero wins, while the villian completes the plan or just about to. Etc.
You know it's going to happen but as said, it's the fun in the ride.
But lots of current movies are lazy
Yeah, make them feel confident and that you're a great pal, then go in for the pounce
The show is as much about the psychology of the suspects as it is about the crimes they commit, which is what makes it so brilliant.
What aggravates me more than predictable endings is telegraphing plot points, sloppy foreshadowing and having the protagonist say things like "If I had only known the whole thing was going to..." Don't tell me, show me.
Not a very good example, but it's late and I'm tired.
Not a very good example, but it's late and I'm tired.
To me, with Birds it just felt like there was no resolution...which was likely the point, but it still didn't sit right with me.
I've only seen Frenzy once and it was awhile ago, so I really can't speak to that one. Maybe I'll rewatch it as a Halloween flick.
I've seen other Hitchcock films that didn't do much for me (Topaz), but I'm not readily recalling which others may have had endings that bothered me.
I've only seen Frenzy once and it was awhile ago, so I really can't speak to that one. Maybe I'll rewatch it as a Halloween flick.
I've seen other Hitchcock films that didn't do much for me (Topaz), but I'm not readily recalling which others may have had endings that bothered me.
My current solutions I would like to employ in my stories in a mixed model:
Story 1: Having various endings for various characters, some more predictable, some less so.
Story 2: Since there might be far-reaching consequences serving as a result of a grandiose adventure and character development, people might forget the question if those results are forgettable or not.
Story 1: Having various endings for various characters, some more predictable, some less so.
Story 2: Since there might be far-reaching consequences serving as a result of a grandiose adventure and character development, people might forget the question if those results are forgettable or not.
Similar threads
