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Questions tagged [plot-device]

An element introduced into a story, film, play etc. to advance the plot.

21 votes
2 answers
7k views

What did Han Solo experience while frozen in Carbonite?

Inspired by this other question about what Captain America experienced after being frozen for 67 years at the bottom of the ocean, is there any in-universe explanation for what Han Solo experienced ...
Giacomo1968's user avatar
  • 17.1k
19 votes
9 answers
155k views

What did the Howler to Aunt Petunia mean in Order of the Phoenix?

What does "Remember my last, Petunia" mean in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix? From what I gather, most people seem to think it refers to the letter Dumbledore left for Aunt Petunia when ...
user13267's user avatar
  • 23.4k
13 votes
1 answer
10k views

What was Filch doing during the battle of Hogwarts?

I can't remember whether Filch was even mentioned during the last book. Given the Ministry's strong rules against Muggle-borns, it could be assumed they might have somehow tried to dispose of squibs ...
user13267's user avatar
  • 23.4k
12 votes
2 answers
25k views

How did Neo end up in the train station?

At the end of the second movie Neo feels the sentinels and stops them just by his mind, then collapses. At the beginning of the third movie he suddenly wakes up in the trainman's station How did he ...
user13267's user avatar
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12 votes
4 answers
2k views

Why did Poe leave his jacket?

After they crash on Jakku, somehow Poe and Finn get separated while both surviving and then the TIE Fighter gets swallowed by the Sinking Sands and explodes. (Related) There's a lot that lacks ...
ThePopMachine's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
5k views

Why didn't Newt Scamander just release the Thunderbird the moment he arrived in New York City?

We only learn of Newt Scamander's purpose in going to New York City when he and Jacob enter the suitcase. His entire purpose is to bring a Thunderbird named Frank to Arizona. Newt says in a bit of ...
RichS's user avatar
  • 38.7k
6 votes
1 answer
329 views

Short story on a blog which makes fun of plot armour

I once read a short SF/F story on the blog of a Stack Exchange member, which I'd like to find again. (If you are the person with that blog, please do answer this question!) It was basically a big ...
Rand al'Thor's user avatar
  • 135k
6 votes
2 answers
15k views

Did the Obliviate-in-the-rain spell with the Thunderbird at the end of Fantastic Beasts affect those who were indoors?

Did the Thunderbird and rain and Obliviate spell at the end of Fantastic Beasts affect everyone in New York City? Or just those who were standing in the rain? This video seems to imply anybody who ...
RichS's user avatar
  • 38.7k
3 votes
0 answers
234 views

Why did the Meks in Vance's 'Last Castle' not revolt from the inside?

In the novella The Last Castle by Vance, the Meks leave the human castles and proceed to revolt against their former masters from the outside and siege the castles. The revolt proved difficult to win ...
Cerberus's user avatar
  • 363
0 votes
1 answer
191 views

Why did the Armageddon (1998) plot require a "rogue comet that jarred loose a Texas-sized asteroid"? [closed]

Wikipedia's Armageddon (1998 film); Plot begins: A massive meteor shower destroys the orbiting Space Shuttle Atlantis, before entering the atmosphere and bombarding New York City. NASA discovers that ...
uhoh's user avatar
  • 8,658

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