Comments on: I have something important to tell you

By: Bird

Bird — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 01:11:48 +0000

By: Rathgar

Rathgar — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:34:51 +0000

@6 Neat site, thanks.

By: NoRAd

NoRAd — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 06:30:59 +0000

I just reread , and I have to say that it seems more like something Morrolan was mentioning as an aside, not something he thought was important. I don’t think it quite fits that trope.

And the second is a lampshade. It wasn’t important, yet Vlad wishes he had listened.

By: Jepenepherine

Jepenepherine — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:02:47 +0000

I don’t think either of the counter examples provided do what Steve is complaining about. Correct me if I’m wrong, but usually when someone uses that trope, there is a very important piece of information that is being left out, and in most sit-coms we know what that piece of information is. In mystery/crime shows, that’s a completely different story, but I’m not sure that matters right now.

I guess the point I’m trying to make here is that a writer isn’t invoking this particular trope every time an interruption occurs. I can’t speak for the first example, but the second example seems to use the missing information as an opportunity to develop Vlad’s character, rather than just leave out information for interruption’s sake.

That’s when interruptions are annoying, when they seem to do nothing but delay inevitable plot points, as far as we know, neither of those examples did that.

By: ingrid44

ingrid44 — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 06:34:35 +0000

Please include every TV writer of police/crime shows. So tired of every criminalogist overlooking one basic question: Where were you at (such and such) time? Makes the cops look more stupid than ever. Does anyone wonder why the public has no trust in the police forces.

By: Majikjon

Majikjon — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:54:23 +0000

Perhaps this is the counter-example?

“Loiosh, do you remember that peasant who helped us bury the Merss family?”
“Sure, Boss”
“He started to say something about them. About how some winter they did something or other.”
“I remember.”
The wind was very cold.
“I wish I’d let him finish the story,” I said.

By: skzb

skzb — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:08:28 +0000

Yes, Larry. And did you pick on it being a key piece of information that you were denied?

By: Jepenepherine

Jepenepherine — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:56:37 +0000

Might I direct you to a list of discredited tropes for further amusement?

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DiscreditedTrope

Be warned, the site has some addictive qualities.

By: Larry Lennhoff

Larry Lennhoff — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:47:55 +0000

“… stupid Athyra.”
“She’s not ….”
[interruption]

By: Jess Mills

Jess Mills — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:35:14 +0000

How about the security guard/cop who tells the person outside the crime scene every bit of important information, despite being complete strangers to one another?

I love that.