They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot Cleanup

Cut

Okay, axe applied.

From YMMV.The Beautiful Skies Of Houou High:

• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot: A story about a homophobic mom who sends her Butch Lesbian daughter to an all-boys school to become straight could have been interesting if it hadn't taken the "make her straight" part dead seriously and wasn't written by someone with a rather warped view on homosexuality.

The manga came to be hated as it became clear that it was on the side of "girls should outgrow lesbianism", but the plot was resolved, only in a way that readers didn't like. So I think this is misuse.

It is a gross plot, but nothing shows it was wasted. It is misuse, so it should be deleted.

Sounds more like an Audience-Alienating Premise (and is listed as such).

Edited by mightymewtron on Oct 25th 2023 at 4:24:09 AM

~Psyga315: How's this for a rewrite?

• Fan-Disliked Explanation: After Jaune's actions at the end of Volume 8, some fans were anticipating a showdown in Volume 9 when Ruby learns what he did. However, Weiss' explanation fades off-screen as Ruby faints, leaving these fans confused as to how much detail Ruby was given and dissatisfied when her later confrontation with Jaune doesn't address it. The writers confirmed that they thought there was enough on-screen information to make it clear that Ruby knew the details and just wasn't the kind of person who would blame Jaune. While they were surprised this wasn't clear to fans, fans felt the Weiss' update was off-screened and were angry that Ruby wouldn't want to confront Jaune.

Edited by Wyldchyld on Oct 26th 2023 at 12:48:06 PM

That works

Thanks, added.

I found this on YMMV.The Flash 2023:

• While an adaptation of Flashpoint on a surface level, the film never actually utilizes any of the elements from that story that people were most likely to find interesting, including different people in the same roles (barring Supergirl) or a world war threatening to annihilate the planet. Instead, it is used as set dressing for a different take on the same conflict that was already used in Man of Steel.

Does this really count as "plot the work sets up but doesn't explore"?

So i found this on Enter the Gungeon

• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot: Some fans are baffled as to why the R&G Depot was added to the game, as it contributes very little (if anything at all) to the lore, and doesn't offer any rewards or important items for going through it. It only seems to exist for the sake of a Metal Gear Solid reference and giving use to some otherwise scrapped enemies.

I genuinely can't see where the "wasted plot" bit is, all i'm seeing is complaining about an optional joke area. Cut?

I don't think it counts if it's a joke area.

(x3) Since it doesn't seem to be setting up any plotlines and not using them, I feel it doesn't count and that it can be removed.

Since it's not a plotline, I feel it's misuse and thus can be cut.

EDIT: I trimmed this down.

Edited by RandomTroper123 on Dec 28th 2023 at 10:54:39 AM

I know nothing about Dysventure Camp, but it sounds like the problem is just the ending rather than that it brought up an interesting plot thread which went nowhere.

There's a few entries I have questions over:

Thomas The Tank Engine S 20 E 5 Bradford The Brake Van:

• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot: One problem fans have is with the moral that being safe is more important than being on time, which doesn't explain the Fat Controller scolding the engines for being late with their trains which was caused by Bradford who firmly believes in aforementioned moral. They also feel that Bradford should get told off by the Fat Controller for causing the engines to be late for their trains because of his by-the-book mindset.

This doesn't sound like a wasted plot, this just sounds like people complaining about the episode's moral.

Teen Titans Go S 5 E 45 The Viewers Decide

• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot: Given the "call-in" nature of the gags, there's not even one reference to A Death in the Family or the rigging of the call-in poll that sealed Robin's fate in that comic.

Unsure as this just sounds like fans were unhappy a refrence wasn't made, no plot was ever wasted here.

Thomas And Friends S 22 E 9 An Engine Of Many Colours

• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot: James' yellow and black livery from "The Green Controller" could've gotten a reference.

Same as above

What We Do In The Shadows S 1 E 9 The Orgy

• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot: Downplayed: While the episode was generally well-received by the fandom, these same fans have also expressed that there could have been a lot more to it (for example, more Nandor in sex gear).

I don't think the fans wanting more fanservice counts as a wasted plot.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers S 2 EP 2 The Mutiny Part 2

• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot: At NO POINT in this episode or any after it is it ever explained what the "Power of Thunder" is. The most we get is the showcasing of the Thunderzords and that really doesn't even scratch the surface.

This is just complaining there is no plot here

I cut this from TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot.Total Drama because it was "fanfic idea" misuse:

• Some fans have suggested giving an Anti-Hero/Villain/Neutral Team. Since not only would it be able to get more people into this season's cast, but it also would allow characters that don't fit the hero (See: Designated Hero) or villain (See: Designated Villain) category. Top contenders are: Sierra (is a Stalker with a Crush but can be really nice), Courtney (due to her Heel–Face Revolving Door nature), and Gwen (even ignoring the whole Gwuncan debacle, Gwen spent most of Island being quite rude to people).

My edit reason: "That's not a plot point that was presented in the show and then not explored, so it's not really the trope. Maybe an entry could instead elaborate upon the neutral characters' heroism/villainism? idk."

But it was re-added (by the same troper, Galaxy Sagi 777) and I'm unsure if it's different enough to count. I don't think it really does (in fact it has even less detail).

• A few rewrites include having a neutral team. This is so the Designated Hero, Designated Villain, and Heel–Face Revolving Door characters (Gwen, Heather, Duncan, Courtney, Sierra for example) can have a proper team that reflects all their actions as well as add more genuine hero/villian characters in the season.

Yeah, that seems like misuse, in addition to being an edit war on their part.

(x4) I agree and I'll remove it.

and(x3) Those read as misuse to me.

Yeah, the Total Drama example really reads as "Look at this cool fanfic idea I had!"

Bocchi's analysis looks good.

New example on Mortal Kombat 1. For context, the game is a Soft Reboot where the timeline has been reset with a god character reshaping some of the fundamentals of the series for a familiar but different status quo.

• There's a bit of the fanbase who feels the overall premise of a new era wasn't lived up to, because all that really changes is the backgrounds and good/evil alignments of some characters. That's aside from the reveal that the mastermind behind events was Titan Shang Tsung from the last game, so the final boss is recycled too. Overall, there are not many drastic changes.

My issue with this entry is that there's no context as to what exactly they're expecting in terms of "drastic changes", doesn't at all specify the plot that's being wasted here. Should this be cut?

Some more entries with concerns:

Lite Sprites:

• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot: It's 11 minutes of the Lite Sprites reminiscing about how they got their wands. Bleak's the only one who wasn't there, and they never quite explain why they need the wands. Also, if shadows were to rule if they didn't do their jobs, then what the hell is Bleak doing with a wand?
  I have no idea what the wasted plot is here, this just sounds a fan upset at the short.

The Casagrandes S 3 E 7 The Golden Curse:

• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot: Given that this episode is both a Wedding Episode and a half-hour special, many fans of the series felt that this episode should have had the Casagrande family attend a wedding ceremony for their actual human relatives outside the city, using this opportunity to explore other branches of the Casagrande family tree and/or go in more depth with Mexican culture and family life. Instead, this episode has the Casagrande family spend their time on their relative's parrot's wedding, while making Sergio, the series' most disliked character, as the main focus.
  I think this sounds like fanfiction, this is them just wanting a completely different episode.

Danny Phantom S 3 E 3 Girls Night Out:

• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot: Ember's final appearance, and she doesn't even interact with Danny once. Additionally, other prominent female characters like Danielle, Valerie, and Desiree do not appear nor are even mentioned. The latter could even have been a viable In-Universe explanation for Kitty's new kiss power (i.e. she wished for it).
  Unsure since this sound likes people unhappy a character doesn't show up. Also there is a plot reason why she doesn't interact with Danny: he's away on a trip, the entire point is to make the female characters (both heroes and villains) the leads for this episode.

I found this as YMMV.Wish 2023

• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot: One of the biggest criticisms people have with King Magnifico as a villain is how little his Dark and Troubled Past factors into the story. Despite the intention of the backstory being to make the audience sympathize with what he went through, it's only really brought up twice and the rest of the movie puts more focus on how unapologetically evil King Magnifico is. Some argue that this backstory should have been given more focus in order to make Magnifico a more complex villain like Judge Frollo.

This sounds more like "fans wanted" then this. Especially since it is explored even if not how fans wanted. That said I could be wrong. Also, like Frollo doesn't have a tragic back story so I don't what he has to do with this film much. Any opinions?

I'd say cut since it says nothing about why his backstory itself would have been interesting to see, only that the fans wanted to see more of his character.

I mean, it's just one of those "fans didn't like how the work did this thing" entries; total misuse

Okay I removed it with a link here.

A lot of Epic Rap Battles of History examples seem like complaining that a fan-desired battle didn't happen. Some might be valid (i.e. "this character didn't get enough time in their battle to shine") but that feels more like Character than Plot, and the "this character should've battled someone else" thing feels very different altogether. Plus most battles don't have a real "plot" (though some do).