Dailyprompt-2876
What’s the most annoying trope in books or movies?
First, I had to look up what trope meant.
Apparently, it’s a familiar storytelling pattern or idea that gets used repeatedly in books and movies.
Once I understood that, I didn’t even have to think about my answer.
Open endings.
I absolutely hate them.
If I’ve spent hours watching a movie—or several days reading a book—I want to know what happened.
I have invested my time.
I’ve become emotionally attached to these people.
I’ve worried about them, shouted at them, occasionally questioned their intelligence and probably told at least one character:
“DON’T GO IN THERE!”
So when we finally reach the ending, I expect an ENDING.
Not…
The door slowly opens.
She looks inside.
Her eyes widen.
BLACK SCREEN.
Credits roll.
Excuse me?!
GET BACK HERE!
Then somebody inevitably explains:
“The ending was deliberately left ambiguous so the audience can decide what happened.”
No.
I don’t want to decide what happened.
That’s the writer’s job.
Tell me who survived.
Tell me who the murderer was.
Tell me whether they ended up together.
Tell me whether the strange noise in the basement was a ghost, a serial killer, or a cat knocking something off a shelf.
I need closure.
And don’t even get me started on endings that exist purely to set up another sequel.
You finish the movie with seventeen unanswered questions, and apparently the solution is:
“Coming Summer 2029.”
Absolutely not.
Perhaps that’s also why I rarely leave a book unfinished. Once I’ve entered a story, I need to know how it ends.
Happy ending, sad ending, shocking ending—I can handle all of those.
Just don’t give me no ending at all.
I have enough unanswered questions in real life.
When I pick up a book or watch a movie, somebody had better finish the bloody story.
https://ditto.fm/silenced-but-not-broken
My new song “Silenced but not broken” Lyric video.
With love, coffee, poetry, and stardust,
— Maggie The Afterlove Voice 💫
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