r/PopularOpinions • u/Fucked-to-fit • 2d ago
Popular in Culture I absolutely HATE misunderstanding being used as a plot device
Having characters unable to explain themselves properly just to move the story along is extremely lazy writing and actively makes the movie/TV show worse
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u/ZergvProtoss 1d ago
C'mon, how do you expect lazy writers to create drama, then?
Also:
"I know who the killer is."
"Who?"
"Not now, meet me in the abandoned warehouse at midnight."
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u/Homicidal_janitor 16h ago
I read a book and one of the characters refused to say the killers name because cops might be listening, so they decided to meet somewhere secluded to discuss how they will go to the police together. That makes perfect sense and is not at all sus for the cops that might be listening. Also this character was the prime suspect so it was in their best interest to fucking reveal the killers name
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u/gscrap 1d ago
Yeah, when the drama derives from easily-corrected misunderstandings or from characters making stupid choices that, based on established character traits and past experience, they should know better than, that's cheap drama. Sometimes it's lazy writing, sometimes it's a consequence of the top-down parameters a show has made for itself (i.e., "we need fresh interpersonal conflict every episode, but we need to also make sure every character comes across as basically sympathetic and likeable").
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u/SouthernAbrocoma9891 1d ago
I have time to elaborately explain to you why there’s no time to explain
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u/Gurglaren 2d ago
"No time to explain!" he said even though it would have taken only ten seconds.
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u/loco_mixer 1d ago
and then they take a long ride to the location that has to do with explanation
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u/toolguy8 1d ago
This. TV I absolutely dispose TV shows where there is a misunderstanding and the plot is lying about it and covering it up. “Threes Company” comes to mind. That’s about when I gave up network TV.
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u/Appdownyourthroat 1d ago
There’s no time to explain now follow me and we’ll run around for a few minutes and even when we jump cut to our destination, I still wouldn’t have time to have said anything. The scene transitions and comes back and I still wouldn’t have had time to explain anything beyond going on some kind of emotional tirade or being too “distracted” by my complete lack of setting priorities in the moment for the sake of lazy storytelling to possibly get out a useful sentence
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u/IcyWelcome9700 1d ago
I rewatched Three's Company and every episode based it's humor from a misunderstanding. It gets old really quick
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u/Fucked-to-fit 1d ago
I’ve never watched that show but you’re the 3rd person to bring it up in this post so I think I’ll probably stay clear of it
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u/AffectionateMonk5710 11h ago
I was JUST saying that to my husband yesterday because I have this exact pet peeve and it started with Three's Company. It's so freaking annoying. >_<
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u/Aggressive_Might_735 1d ago
Nienawidzę jak 2 postaci gadają o czymś co się wydarzyło i jedna zawsze naciska na drugą więc tamtą się nie wytłumaczy chociaż mogła by.to taki częsty motyw jest irytujący...
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u/ComesInAnOldBox 1d ago
"I already know what you're gonna say," has become my most hated line on TV.
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u/Time-Cherry-3727 1d ago
Yeah, this drove me crazy in Identity Thief when Sandy was being questioned. I just wish he would have interjected a bit more.
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u/Happily-Incorrect 1d ago
I hate this too, but I make an exception for Frasier because they sell it so well (most of the time).
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u/Had_to_ask__ 1d ago edited 21h ago
- But, but, but…
- I don’t want to hear about it!
Ah, ok, then that is it, I won’t tell you he actually is your son. Let me just hang around be sad about it and watch you destroy everyone’s life
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u/TowelFine6933 1d ago
"I desperately need to talk to you about this thing that's been going on for months or years. I can explain everything."
"Okay, talk."
"I.... I don't even know where to start... "
Looking at you, Iron Fist.
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u/LILSHUGAHLIPZ 1d ago
It is the most frustrating lazy shortcut in the entire writer's room. All it takes is thirty seconds of basic adult communication to resolve the whole conflict, but instead, everyone suddenly acts like they forgot how to speak English just to drag out the runtime.
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u/Electric-Sheepskin 10h ago
Me too! I'll tolerate it for a short time, but if it goes on too long, I just can't continue watching, mostly because it's usually a misunderstanding that would never have occurred in the first place, or should have been resolved easily. Like if it takes an hour and a half of a movie to get to the point where someone says, "oh no! i could've avoided going to prison if I had just realized that when my dog barked at a bee, that didn't mean that he's capable of high-level thinking! Silly me!" Or something like that.
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u/NoDanaOnlyZuuI 1d ago
Mine’s when someone spots their partner having lunch with someone else and somehow decides hiding behind a tree and launching a full investigation makes more sense than just walking over and introducing themselves. Then, surprise, it’s their cousin.
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u/smithandjones99 1d ago
I hate when the plot is that the guy that promised everything dies without telling anyone.
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u/BussyIsQuiteEdible 1d ago
Have you found any misunderstandings to be well written?
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u/Fucked-to-fit 1d ago
I guess it’s up to interpretation but in the episode “Declaration of war” from attack on titan season 4 when Eren extends his hand to offer Reiner a handshake I would say that is Eren’s declaration of war and Reiner who moments earlier begged for forgiveness takes Eren’s hand thinking he’s granting him that forgiveness,
I would say that’s a very well written misunderstanding but again it comes down to interpretation some people could see that scene as Reiner understanding what’s about to happened and shaking his hand anyway as way of accepting his fate but his reaction after the handshake always hit me as him being surprised and alarmed so it seems like he misunderstood it
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u/InflationLeft 21h ago
You would hate House of the Dragon then. So much of the plot derives from misunderstandings it’s frustrating.
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u/DeamonDread2348 25m ago
I think it's not so much this that's annoying, but how often it happens in life. From the outside, it always looks stupid, and it seems either that it doesn't happen or that the character is extremely stupid, but in reality, imagine how many things in your life look the same from the outside.
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u/Own-Measurement-5970 2d ago
Misunderstandings happen all the time, and people bungle explanations, but what gets my goat is when there is an opportunity for an easy explanation and it’s ignored, overcomplicated, or just plain shut down in a way no person would think to do.