Inside Out

One of the more questionable developments in cultural entertainment over the last ten years or so is the evolution of the spoiler-obsessed culture. For those of you that of been living in a digital cave somewhere, the word “spoilers” refers to the purposeful or accidental revelation of plot points in a story to someone who has not viewed the story yet. Perhaps the most famous example of this is when trolls drove by Harry Potter fans camped out at a bookstore for a midnight release. The trolls shouted, “Snape kills Dumbledore!” leading to every camped-out bookworm screaming in retaliatory rage. This was not a made up bluff, but the simple factual truth rooted in leaks from early readers. 

Our society has never been the same, at least in the entertainment sector. Thanks to social websites, international time zones, and outright content leaks it has never been easier for spoilers to be unleashed. Essentially, audiences of fiction have divided into two camps: those that want to spoil themselves immediately and those who try to avoid spoilers at all cost. The former somehow think that hidden plot points are the end-all-be-all to a story, while the latter thinks that surprising emotional jolts are the real basis of any fiction. While there might be a moderate middle ground, the fact of the matter is that it is very hard to find such murky territory. It’s difficult to be oblivious to things you might be interested in.

Likewise, much of entertainment has moved beyond two-hour-long singular standalone movies. The Marvel Cinematic Universe virtually requires the audience to see every one of their movies as soon as possible, or risk being spoiled as the next movie (that is not even a sequel) comes out. One can’t watch Spiderman: Far From Home without accidentally spoiling Avengers Endgame. This is no better in the television space, as long-running shows like Attack on Titan and Game of Thrones go on for years and can span a decade. Video games can easily last 30 hours, making it very difficult for someone to play them without being spoiled by a friend who’s already beaten the game! 

To make matters worse, pre-release reviewers have also been hampered by spoiler restrictions. While this might seem sensible on the surface, it can prove to be disastrous if the review itself is seriously compromised by the withholding of relevant information. The videogame The Last of Us Part 2 was a great example of this, featuring reviewers across the board giving it near-perfect scores, yet withholding massive amounts of plot and gameplay information that was highly deceptive to the existing fan base. Such a game was far from the first, as games like Metal Gear Solid 2 and Halo 2 both pulled the same second sequel trick, blindsiding players who were fans of the previous game and expecting a certain familiar product.

The fundamental question still remains, however: how essential is NOT knowing the surprising plot points in a story? Do spoilers actually ruin a story, or at least the viewers’ initial expectations and ultimate impressions of that story? Does the story live and die on its potential spoilers? Upon reflection, I would argue that it all comes down to correlation. If the story has a positive correlation between knowledge and enjoyment, then it is truly a great work of art. To put it another way, if the more you know about a story means you enjoy it all the more then you are experiencing something truly special. Conversely, a negative correlation means that the story relies too heavily on shock and awe. Repeated viewings or playthroughs will be far less impactful, condemning the basic plot itself.

‘I’ve been here too long for my own good. Three years of this madness, surrounded by idiots. We were kids! What did we know about anything? Why did there have to be people like this? Why?’

Attack on Titan

The previously mentioned Attack on Titan is an excellent example of the positive correlation. While essentially a mystery with a plot twist in every other episode, Attack on Titan does not depend on its mysterious nature in the least. Even more surprising is the fact that the show doesn’t even rely on shock value for any of its narrative! While many a work might undermine its basic plot for a cheap thrill, Titan never cheapens itself, instead choosing to extend its plot-driven nature in a logical fashion that always leads to shocking (yet utterly foreseeable) character development. Attack on Titan is a 1000 piece puzzle that looks much better once all the pieces are assembled, unlike a jumbled and incoherent JJ Abram movie that gets worse every time with repeated viewings.

Naturally, everyone has a distinct opinion about this matter, but I feel that the entire spoiler culture is overblown. Good writing is good writing, regardless of how someone experiences it. If one truly wants to experience surprising and unforeseeable moments, then I recommend becoming invested in a dramatic sports team like the Dallas Cowboys and watching all of their games live. So what do you think about spoilers? Let me know in the comments!