That one comment about character motivation changed how I watch everything

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2 Comments

omg that thing about character motivation really hits different once you notice it. i used to just watch stuff for the plot twists and cool action scenes, never really thought about why characters did what they did. but after someone pointed out how even small choices tie back to their backstory, it totally clicked for me. now i can't unsee it and it makes everything way more interesting honestly.

faithbarnes5d ago

hmm I actually see it kinda differently though. like yeah knowing why a character does things can be interesting but sometimes it feels like writers use backstory as a crutch to explain away lazy writing. you know those shows where a character does something stupid and then later you find out it's because their dad left when they were 10? and suddenly that somehow makes it okay? I dunno, to me that can feel cheap. like with Breaking Bad, Walt's motivation is clear from the start but it's his actual choices in the moment that make it compelling, not just "oh he had cancer so he's justified." sometimes over-explaining motivation takes away the mystery and makes characters feel less real honestly.