MovieChat Forums > TV General > shows need to become less predictable

shows need to become less predictable

posted 5 years ago by chrcoluk (64)
4 replies | jump to latest

I dont mean keep adding plot twists which is an obsession of modern producers but I mean been prepared to have the main character lose and especially die.

I have watched many shows which are half good but I can never consider them fully good because they hold a common flaw, we get season finales where the main guy (or girl) is in life and death situation, and I know the character will not die because the producers wont let it happen. This is a big big flaw of shows. So the only unknown is how they get out of whatever predicament they in and of course what happens to any support characters. This ultimately means the centre of the story the main character is actually the least interesting part as its predictable what the end game is.

I also feel there should be more shows (and films) where the bad guy wins. Again for unpredictability.

Am I alone on this? I remember a discussion I had with my sister and she said the same thing without me even bringing it up which was interesting in her own words "I know what will happen".

Thoughts?

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

I'd like to see less political agenda's they make storyline's and characters predictable. Sometimes it even sacrifices what could have been a good story for the sake of propaganda.

[–] Itsjustme (8) 3 years ago

Couldnt agree more. Less political and less predictable.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

The only problem with that is it makes reunions more difficult (even though those don't matter anymore). But we've definitely reached an age where every series finale is trying so hard to be some kind of memorable ending with a movie-like finish.

[–] Wint3rFir3 (6911) 5 years ago

I wish they would do this with characters in the main cast. Maybe not the main character, but definitely someone in the main cast. I think everyone who ever watched Smallville wished Lana had died early on and it felt like the show was building up to that in the beginning, but the people in charge never went through with it and that was a big mistake imo.

Knowing that the main character of a show won't die or will die and then just come back later isn't a huge problem to me because they're the main character. Without them, the show can't exist. I don't love it, but it's bearable. But knowing their parents or best friends or love interest will never die is a problem because then no one important will ever die and there are no stakes at all.

Also, I don't see the main character dying = the bad guy win. Sometimes, there are other ways for a bad guy to win that doesn't equal death. Like imprisonment, mind control, irreparable mental/physical damage, etc, which is more interesting to me.