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I'll make this short:

  • Pointing out obvious plot inconsistencies just to be clever is not something we want here: Yes, that was a plot hole, and?
  • Asking about things that do not make sense to me are fine, as long as I am actually looking for an answer that gives a consistent/in-universe/whatever explanation or adds to the why.

So when I am asking such a question, I cannot know if something actually is a plot-hole. If I am sure that it is, what am I asking about? If not, why would I tag it ?

If we don't want questions about plot-inconsistencies here, we don't need the tag. Let's nuke it!

If someone cannot make sense of a certain part in a movie (= an alleged plot hole) but is looking for a real explanation, is perfectly covering this.

Thoughts?

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    +1. Good point!
    – Gert Arnold
    Commented Jun 16, 2012 at 17:12
  • Very good idea. plot-inconsistency is indeed just a non-constructive version of plot-explanation.
    – Napoleon Wilson
    Commented May 13, 2013 at 10:55
  • Judging from the 14 upvotes, there seems to be a majority seeing the case like I do. I went ahead and made a synonym proposal for plot-explanation. Feel free to vote on it.
    – magnattic
    Commented May 20, 2014 at 14:21

3 Answers 3

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I think the subtle difference between the two classifications is "plot explanation" is "why did X happen?" while "plot inconsistency" is "how could X have happened?"

As a reader, I tend to enjoy "plot inconsistency" issues, even in movies I haven't seen -- whereas I usually am not interested in "plot explanation" issues unless I have seen the movie. So count me as one who appreciates the separate tags (provided they are used correctly).

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    "how could X have happened" is still covered under plot-explanation
    – user1887
    Commented May 13, 2013 at 10:46
  • 1
    I don't think there is that hard a line between "how did this happen" and "how could this have happened". Nevertheless I still think "plot-inconsistency" has too negative and too non-constructive a by-taste to be used for "plot-extrapolation"-questions.
    – Napoleon Wilson
    Commented May 13, 2013 at 10:57
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It is definitely an interesting thing to consider.

While I had never considered it,it is a valid synonym for I'll let this linger and see how everyone else reacts. Enough reaction and we may have a synonym on our hands.

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  • even if we went ahead and killed off the tag, people would probably still try and use it, so a synonym for the short term would probably be the better way of handling it - if it goes ahead that is!
    – user1887
    Commented May 13, 2013 at 14:18
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For the most part I agree, but I think the Werewolf question doesn't belong in a plot tag. I'm not sure what tag it would be, but it's not related to the plot. There are probably other questions that shouldn't have a plot tag, and some that probably should.

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    I don't really see why plot-explanation shouldn't fit there. Or maybe analysis. Either way I dont think it needs the plot-inconsistency tag, because the asker clearly wants an explanation of the mist instead of answers like: "Yeah you are right, they screwed that part up."
    – magnattic
    Commented Jun 14, 2012 at 15:20
  • @atticae it has to do with the explanation of plot. 'Plot is a literary term defined as the events that make up a story, particularly as they relate to one another in a pattern, in a sequence, through cause and effect, how the reader views the story, or simply by coincidence'. The green mist has nothing to do with the plot (aka, the story), it's just an effect that confused the viewer.
    – DForck42 Mod
    Commented Jun 14, 2012 at 15:29
  • Well, I haven't seen the show. But after reading the question several times I am fairly sure that the asker actually wants to know if there is a connection to the plot. "did it have something to do with fighting Tully?"
    – magnattic
    Commented Jun 14, 2012 at 16:04
  • And if you are right and there is no connection whatsoever between question and plot, wouldn't that also mean that plot-inconsistency is not the right tag for this question? :)
    – magnattic
    Commented Jun 14, 2012 at 16:05
  • @atticae i think we're talking past eachother. I am saying that plot-inconsistency is not an appropriate tag for the werewolf question.
    – DForck42 Mod
    Commented Jun 14, 2012 at 16:21
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    I see. You are right, I misread that. I still don't understand how your answer is relevant to the topic then. As I see it, the werewolf question is simply tagged wrong.
    – magnattic
    Commented Jun 14, 2012 at 16:27
  • @atticae i guess i'm alluding that we need to clean up these tags
    – DForck42 Mod
    Commented Jun 14, 2012 at 16:44

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