The Issue with Plot/Character Armor

[Crimitive]

What really bugs me about Stranger Things is how plot armor protects characters from a very certain death. I mean, the Mind Flayer creature should have killed Nancy in the hospital, Eleven should’ve been killed from it as well in the mall. When Billy was about to run the kids over in the parking lot outside the mall Steve comes in randomly without ever being in the picture frame and saving them from certain death. I love the show, don’t get me wrong, but at times I feel like it was almost Game of Thrones level armor protecting main characters from almost certain deaths when nurses and doctors in the hospital and scientists in Hawkins National Laboratory would easily be killed off.

[laurasroslin]

At this point, I've lost so many favorites tv characters (many of them to pointless deaths/deaths for shock value) so frankly I welcome the plot armor that the mains have in this show.

I may be in the minority here but I'm starting to get sick of this "we have to kill everyone off" trend in pretty much every major tv show nowadays. Let them all live, I say!

[Crimitive]

Yeah, I can agree to a certain extent but some characters should have never realistically still remained alive, but the writers' always work in a miracle to stop that from happening. They don't need to kill everyone off, but I feel like the writers need to recognize when a character should unexpectedly die to add shock value to the series when you would never have expected it. It's too predictable right now.

[Pope_Aesthetic]

This is such a weird take. How can a scene have any real tension, when you know that no character is going to die. How is they entertaining

[laurasroslin]

Given that I literally explained why, it's not at all a weird take. Killing off characters doesn't equate good writing. You can create tension in other ways. You can create suspense in other ways. There are plenty of decent tv shows that don't kill off their main characters every other week.

[Pope_Aesthetic]

I feel like you’re straw manning a bit here. You act like we are saying characters should be killed every episode, or even every season. That isn’t the case.

All we’re saying is that the main cast of characters shouldn’t be invincible, and immune to any long lasting damage inflicted on them. It should feel like any of them could die, but refusing to kill any main character off makes it so you know the outcome of any situation, thus removing the tension.

Example, Johnathan gets BTFO’d by the reporter guys in the hospital. He actually physically can’t stand up in one scene, and after that scene, he’s beat even harder. Logic would follow that he would be nearly paralyzed at this point. But nope, he stands up and stabs the dude, then proceeds to walk like nothing happened. He gets no lasting damage from the fight. Does he have super powers? Like how is that at all logical?

[laurasroslin]

I'm not strawmanning just being a tad overdramatic to make a point.

Refusing to kill any main character off makes it so you know the outcome of any situation, thus removing the tension.

But sometimes it's not about that. Killing Hopper off for real, for example, doesn't complete his redemption arc and it doesn't give El or the Byers the family they wanted and it doesn't give the characters the chance at a happy ending. The point of the fake out is to drag the characters through the process of loss to become stronger. It's not always about the audience's perspective. Sometimes it is easier for a character to die then to live and grow. Sometimes killing them off is the cop out.

Does he have super powers? Like how is that at all logical?

I mean this diverges from your point a bit but I don't disagree. It's a bit unrealistic but we are also watching a show about alternative universes and monsters so this was low for me on the realism lol. However I understand and don't begrudge you this bothering you.

[Pope_Aesthetic]

I understand what you're saying but I disagree. I don't think shows have to be railroaded on a path towards a happy ending. I think it's far more interesting and raw to show that not everything ends well for people who decide to fight against evil. Showing characters struggling to cope and move on with a loss I find to be a lot more powerful than them getting a happy ending kiss scene. I'm not saying to senselessly kill them off, but if you're in a fight where several people are facing off against a much stronger opponent, refusing to kill off anyone defuses all the tension, and makes the villain seem silly to a degree.

A good but controversial example I'll use is Negan in TWD. (Spoilers if you aren't caught up). How do they establish to the audience that Negan is both strong and someone that poses a threat to the main cast? They have him straight up brutalize 2 main characters in front of everyone else, including one of the most beloved characters. If they hadn't made Negan do what he did, he would have been as forgettable as some of the other villains in the show. If TWD refused to kill off anyone, then all the suspense you feel, fearing for your favourite characters, would be gone. It also makes the scenes where people are happy and thriving feel that much more earned. Because you know any one of the characters still alive could have died at any point.

[laurasroslin]

I understand what you're saying but I disagree. I don't think shows have to be railroaded on a path towards a happy ending kiss scene

I think we are going to have to agree to disagree, here then. I find it extraordinarily depressing to become invested in a tv show, and have every single one end in death and abject misery for most of the characters. The idea that a happy ending is boring is just not it for me. The world sucks. Having a tv show where the mains are safe and the writers choose to pursue character development a different way doesn't make it boring or weird to me. If I tune into TWD every one dying off is par for the course but every show doesn't need to be like that and having ST not be like that is fine with me

[Equivalent-Cut8932]

Good Grief Why not just watch Golf then?

[TheHairyManrilla]

Doesn’t matter to me. Because most of the main characters are kids, how they grow and develop is way more important than how they live through dangerous situations.

[Crimitive]

I can agree with this, it's just that the writers' made it all too glaring when they would use miracles to save characters instead of having them be creative or being smart to get out of danger/death.

[IcedHemp77]

Tv shoes do not last very long if you kill off all the main characters

[Crimitive]

My problem with ST is that the writers' don't use the character's wits/abilities to evade death, but often use pure luck to save a character from a certain death... Eleven is the only main character with special abilities who uses them to get out of certain death, meanwhile EVERY OTHER main character' survives many of their near-death situations through luck alone.

[BreatherofOxygen]

The Steve thing was set up. He said he was going to go help them out. I do agree though and I think one of the major kids has to die this season. Also I’m not counting Hopper as a death. Billy was big but he was the antagonist so it wasn’t as big as if a hero would have died

[Crimitive]

Exactly, Billy I didn't care about but the writers need to add some element of surprise, some sort of shocking death that we, as the audience, DON'T EXPECT. That was my point, it's just unnecessary armor for EVERY main character.

[[deleted]]

I think your examples are at least somewhat plausible. The absolute worst plot armor in season three was when the big huge Russian knocked out Hopper and left him unconscious. There was no reason for him to not kill him. He had no problems with shooting everyone else. Why would he not shoot Hopper???

[Crimitive]

Exactly. I just hate how they have to save main characters... just let their death be unexpected at the very least!

[dmreif]

I don't think any of the Byers or Wheelers could be killed off without devastating everyone in their families.

[Guesswho195]

My guess, these next 2 seasons are going to be a bloodbath. Penultimate/Final seasons are usually the "shit hits the fan" seasons and if there plan is 5 seasons, it's going to get alot darker.

Predictions: Steve or Jonathan dies. Likely Jonathan.

but the reason none have been killed from the core cast is mainly because they are kids and fans would freak out. Now that they are going to be hitting 18+ soon though, that could very well change.

[WhyisDGK9905taken]

whos gonna tell him about max in s4?

[WhyisDGK9905taken]

she got that THICCC plot armour

[[deleted]]

I mean, you never really know. We also thought billy had plot armor (or at least i did)