Dark, alternative endings

[EmilyMiller]

Hollywood is truly incapable of producing anything good and clever these days

Try The Bear, or season 5 of Fargo.

Emily

 

[joy_of_cooking]

The Bear

What is it with recent shows and supporting characters far and away eclipsing the main character? I feel like I'm supposed to be into carny but every time I see him I just think... Can you bring the sous back? Or the pastry guy? Better yet, the sous and the pastry guy, because they're so much fun together. Or Meat Guy Who's Seen Some Stuff and No Zealot Like A Convert Line Cook Woman? I'll even take waiter guy. He had an awesome scene singing Taylor Swift in his car.

 

[EmilyMiller]

What is it with recent shows and supporting characters far and away eclipsing the main character? I feel like I'm supposed to be into carny but every time I see him I just think... Can you bring the sous back? Or the pastry guy? Better yet, the sous and the pastry guy, because they're so much fun together. Or Meat Guy Who's Seen Some Stuff and No Zealot Like A Convert Line Cook Woman? I'll even take waiter guy. He had an awesome scene singing Taylor Swift in his car.

It was an ensemble cast - I ended up caring deeply about all of them.

Emily

 

[joy_of_cooking]

Haven't gotten there with carmy but maybe season three will change my mind.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Haven't gotten there with carmy but maybe season three will change my mind.

I did - it was an arc for sure - the episode with him at the high-end restaurant did it for me

 

[MediocreAuthor]

I was intrigued by your post because I somehow missed that show so I decided to watch it. Boy, do I wish I didn't...
The show was interesting at the start but it soon devolved into a convoluted Woke mess, full of plot holes and pure nonsense, and with a ludicrous resolution on top of it. Hollywood is truly incapable of producing anything good and clever these days

I tried to warn you.




Out of the entire show, I only liked that one twist I mentioned

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Out of the entire show, I only liked that one twist I mentioned

Curiously enough, I found that very twist to be absolutely ridiculous. It's just bad writing. I mean, they sure delivered a twist no one expected, but the reason no one expected it is because it makes zero sense. The logic falls apart completely once you start analyzing it. As I said, it's like the IQ of Hollywood movie makers dropped sharply in the last several years... or they think the viewers are that much dumber. It's probably both

 

[MediocreAuthor]

Curiously enough, I found that very twist to be absolutely ridiculous. It's just bad writing. I mean, they sure delivered a twist no one expected, but the reason no one expected it is because it makes zero sense. The logic falls apart completely once you start analyzing it. As I said, it's like the IQ of Hollywood movie makers dropped sharply in the last several years... or they think the viewers are that much dumber. It's probably both

I don't care about the logistics of the twist... It's the fact that they make you look the actress who portrays the mother over and over as she plays both roles, and I never caught it.

Yes, the plot is kinda dumb, and I wouldn't have finished it if I hadn't been watching it with someone else... but that was an interesting twist... and it was well executed

 

[AwkwardlySet]

I don't care about the logistics of the twist... It's the fact that they make you look the actress who portrays the mother over and over as she plays both roles, and I never caught it.

Well, to be honest, they look nothing alike. There is clearly some heavy makeup, and when you go back to the mother's scenes, you can tell that her face looks unnatural somehow. I just thought that was how the actress looked, at the time. I mean, I wouldn't want to act like some looks-obsessed male, would I?

 

[gunhilltrain]

Just finished a relatively lengthy piece (for me). It has a number of twists and turns. It’s already dark in places. While writing the last two chapters, I had this even darker idea, basically that two of the “good guys” are actually “bad guys” including the FMC.

I ultimately rejected it as a) I hadn’t really telegraphed it at all and I didn't want to rework the story, b) it seemed a bit deus ex machina, c) it felt like a twist too far, and d) I kinda liked the FMC and wanted a nicer ending.

But have you had similar thoughts, and even followed through on them?

Emily

I have a story with a dark ending that is in the preliminary stage. It doesn't have a twist per se, but the two main characters are killed in an accident that was caused by one of them. I've only killed off one person before, a long time ago, and it was in the Non-erotic category. I'm wondering where this one should go. There is no category for "tragic romances."