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I’m trying to think of a popular media allegory for the fourth panel. Like when the main characters are ROYALLY screwed, but they need more seasons; so even though the writers haven’t thought of a way out, they get deus ex machina’d in their figurative fifth panel.
How about Sherlock? Moffat (not sure of his title but he was in charge of a lot of the writing) built up a big mystery cliffhanger on Watson seeing Sherlock die but it was really Sherlock somehow faking his death.
In the next season (or series depending on where you live) Moffat needed to explain to the audience how Sherlock did it. He needed to show the breadcrumb trail of clues he had set up ahead of time that the audience simply didn’t notice or hadn’t put together. You know … the whole point of Sherlock Holmes stories and detective stories in general.
In his infinite genius Moffat had left his loyal and growing audience hanging for ages and didn’t do a lick of setup or apparently even have a plan. After building up all that tension he never produced a concrete payoff to the scenario.
It sure did SuBVeRT ExPecTAtioNs! The world expected a professional, renowned writer to have a competent payoff to their big setup and Moffat subverted that by copping out.
ha! i thought i was just too dumb to notice the explanation.
Nope, Moffat just gave a few possible solutions, alluded to there being more, and hoped that smoke and mirrors would make people feel foolish for pointing out that the emperor had no robes.
Fans who were not cowed into silence took to the internet to assure each other that surely episode two would have a concrete explanation. It was only when Moffat still hadn’t committed in the second episode that people lost hope, rationalized, or concluded that Sherlock had jumped the shark.
I really did enjoy that show’s first 3 seasons, though obviously not the lack of explanation for the fake death. A video essay I watched recently (it’s about 2 hours long, click at your own risk) basically explained how the show is and has always been bad. I have to say, it makes some good points, but I don’t agree with everything and I did still really enjoy the show when I watched it so that’s not going anywhere.
But man, that 4th season and especially the final episode… That was, ugh, something.
That’s Hbomb video isn’t it?
yup
LOST.
Holy shit, yes. J. J. Abrams and his fucking mystery boxes.
Why is it so hard to come up with a payoff before writing the setup? You wouldn’t start telling a joke unless you had a punchline.
Actually there is a reason for it. The studio wanted 10 seasons!!! Here’s an awesome podcast about how LOST was made and what went wrong while making it. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-went-wrong/id1512847066?i=1000645837053
Overcast link for those who enjoy: https://overcast.fm/+BCJ1PhD3Rs
Hbomberguy’s video on Sherlock might be relevant, especially about season 4.
Pam waking up to Bobby getting out of the shower anyone? It brought Patrick Duffy back and erased the entire previous season of Dallas
And then you stand up and yell “This isn’t what happened last time! Have you all got amnesia? He didn’t get out of the cockadoodee car!”
Honestly, I’m less worried about them falling, and more that they’re gonna snap that chair’s legs.
She’s got incredible core strength in that last panel
Unless she hot-glued herself to that table, I don’t think that’s physically possible…
