![]() ![]() Where stories can be rigidly structured and are expected to be ordered and sensical, that’s not how reality functions. Eventually things will stop changing and everything will be perfect.īut that’s not how life works. Narrative structure informs us that through the ups and downs of an arc, we will eventually come to a conclusion. Because change is ultimately a form of conflict for the characters, the audience desires resolution for stories that feature dynamic plot arcs. That’s often the expectation that’s built. Things change, the good guys come out on top, they’ve done it before, and they’ll do it again. Where we’re made to feel uncomfortable with neutral endings are stories where the status quo hasn’t been maintained throughout. That’s where we expect neutral endings, because the entire presentation of the series has just been neutral ending after neutral ending. It’s almost expected in shows where episodes could have shorter run times or where episodes tend to end with the status quo. Throw out all the stops, and then end with the characters picking up the pieces and heading off to the next adventure. Because of the simplicity of the stories that are often being told, it’s an easy way to end a series. The idea that main characters are left to keep on keeping on is nothing new to serial animations. How’s that for the conclusion of a kids’ superhero show? Is she really Terra, but somehow lost her memories? Is it just some girl that looks like her? Or is she intentionally playing ignorant because she wants to move on and forget everything that happened back in Season 2? Regardless of what the truth is, in the end she convinces Beast Boy to move on, go help his team, and the episode ends with him running off to help. She doesn’t seem to know him however and that’s where the episode is really able to play with our perception of reality. A new monster, possibly the most powerful the Titans have yet faced is rampaging through the city, but through it all Beast Boy thinks he sees Terra. ![]() Where’s our neutral ending?įast forward to Season 5, the final season, final episode: “Things Change.” Instead of ending the show with the resounding victory over the Brotherhood of Evil in the previous episode, audiences got this curious conclusion. In brief, that sounds like a pretty complete arc. Unlike the comic, the show set up Terra’s character as one who was incredibly flawed but ultimately redeemable. She betrayed them, nearly destroyed them, but ultimately sacrificed herself to save them. The second season of the show was devoted to the Terra arc which spun the tale of this girl who joined the Titans, was maybe falling in love with Beast Boy, but then turned out to be working for Slade the whole time. No, not the comic, and yes I’m aware there are further explorations of this plotline and emotional arc to be found there. The neutral ending that struck me as most profound in my youth was the last episode of the Teen Titans cartoon. It’s a short game so you could play through it in a sitting or two, or hunt down a let’s play and experience it that way. In short, without spoiling too much, the game ends without any sort of real resolution to the problems hounding the main characters. It was often criticized as a game who’s conclusion fell short of its aspirations. Recently, a game by the name of Firewatch had been making the rounds among the let’s play community on YouTube. They can leave audiences feeling hollow, wanting more, or perhaps worst of all from the storyteller’s perspective, disappointed. That a conclusion is out there waiting beyond yon horizon. It implies that life, adventures, and everything witnessed in the story will continue in some way. And unlike tragedies where the audience can sit back and think that a character at least tried to do everything in their power before meeting defeat, a neutral ending leaves all parties alive and ticking. There aren’t very many good examples to point to, and probably for good reason. To put it in harsher terms, it’s when a story just ends. ![]() A neutral ending is best defined as a story that ends leaving major character goals and/or plot points unresolved. How does one best define a neutral ending when a google search on the subject inevitably turns up fifty wikis and guides to Undertale? Well, I’m going to give it a shot. I’m here to talk about stories that have one explicit, neutral ending. No, this isn’t about Undertale… or any other multiple endings game/choose your own adventure. Samwhitesell on Big Hero 6 and Tackling Big… ![]() Plotting the Spirited Away Arc-Plot Part X: Kubo and the Two StringsĪtthematinee on Big Hero 6 and Tackling Big….“A Passing Summer Musing” Part 2 (of a lot).Is Up a Better Short Film than Feature Film?. ![]()
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