Ask The Damn Question!

Nothing frustrates me in fiction more than when a character neglects to ask an important question at a crucial moment. I don't know if it's more commonly just a case of bad writing - the author didn't think to have his character ask it - or bad writing - the author realizes that, were that question answered at this point, some much-needed suspense or future shock would be destroyed - but I suspect it may come down to bad writing.

The most recent example of this came in the last episode of Heroes, where Matt Parkman had tracked down his long-lost father, who apparently was tied into the big mystery of Season Two (Who were the previous generation of 'heroes' and who's killing them now?) Matt handcuffed his old man - smart - and then berated him for deserting him all those years ago - annoying - before taking the handcuffs off again - stupid! Parkman the senior claimed that he wanted to tell all, and he even dropped a clue or two, but rather than taking advantage of actually having the upper hand on someone who may know what's going on, Parkman the junior blew his chance by removing the cuffs and ultimately letting his father get away, sans answers. Would a rational person, when faced with a mystery like the one going on this season, really not insist upon finding out what's going on?

A movie that didn't fall into this trap was The Matrix. I had the good fortune to see it on DVD with no idea of what the story was about, and so during the scene were Neo sits down with Morpheus, and certain coloured pills are discussed, I was cheering even before I knew where it was going. Yes, I thought, a script where the obvious questions are asked, and the person in possession of the answers doesn't even dodge them!

Like most people, part of how I enjoy a work of fiction involves immersing myself in it. I think that's the willing suspension of disbelief that people speak of: you'll invest yourself in the story, no matter how unreal its circumstances may be, as long as that trust isn't violated. I don't, for instance, think that the disbelief in question refers to turning your mind off and accepting complete improbabilities. In that light, then, I expect each story to make sense, and its characters to act like real people. And that extends to asking "what the Hell?" whenever a flesh and blood person would.

Comic writers have gotten particularly lazy in this regard of late, it seems to me. Things like characters returning from the dead are the most extreme cases - after all, are you going to tell me that someone who actually came back to life wouldn't be besieged by questions about the afterlife from, like, everybody? - but even more mundane issues like supervillains who never seem to stay in jail seem to get no attention whatsoever. If I were a hero who put my life on the line to capture a homicidal killer like the Joker, or Venom, I'd damn sure want to know why the place they got sent to has a bloody revolving door on it! And yeah, sure, that indelicate question might get in every comic scribe's way of being able to use that villain whenever he or she wants, but that's part of the job. Or at least, it should be!

As Vicki will tell you, I see this sort of thing all the time, and I'm never shy about pointing it out to anyone who'll listen (usually: her and the cats!) I'll suspend my disbelief alright, but only as long as you keep it real!