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That friend who told me my show endings were all "too tidy" and it stung for weeks
I had this buddy from my old writing group, Jake, who watched my three favorite series finales back to back last month. After we finished the last episode of a big sci-fi show, he just looked at me and said "man, you really like it when everything wraps up with a bow, huh?" I was SO annoyed at first because I thought neat endings were satisfying, you know? But then I sat with it for a few days and realized he was right. Every finale I loved tied up every single loose thread, gave everyone a happy ending, and left no room for debate. So I went back and watched the ending of a drama that everyone HATES because it's so open and confusing. And honestly? That messy, ambiguous ending has stuck with me way longer than any neat wrap-up ever did. Has anyone else had someone totally change how they see endings with just a simple observation?
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diana15528d agoMost Upvoted
It's funny how one comment can totally recalibrate your brain like that. I had a similar thing happen when my roommate pointed out that every movie I loved had the same basic setup - character learns a lesson, gets the thing they wanted, credits roll. She called it "emotional microwave dinners" because they're satisfying in the moment but you forget them by the next day. Now I can't unsee it. The ones that really stick with me are the ones where the ending feels like it's still happening after the screen goes black.
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