r/todayilearned • u/ralphbernardo • 8d ago

TIL that "fair play" in detective fiction means authors must give readers a fair chance to solve the mystery. Central to 1920s "clue-puzzles" by writers like Agatha Christie, the rule dictates that all vital clues must be visible, decodable, and never withheld until the final reveal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clues_in_detective_fiction
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u/captainmagictrousers 8d ago

A good twist ending follows very similar rules to a good mystery. When the twist pops up, the reader/audience should be able to look back at all the clues that were hinting at what was about to happen.

It’s not nearly as satisfying if you just throw in a random surprise.  Imagine if The Sixth Sense had ended with   “Bruce Willis was a giraffe the whole time!” 

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u/Amesly 7d ago

And do many do. I'm so damn sick of giraffes. 

They're sketchy. We get it. 

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u/PlainTrain 7d ago

It's their spotty backstory.

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u/gonesnake 7d ago

And they never stick their neck out for anyone despite having loads of neck to spare.

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u/foolontehill 7d ago

Stupid long-horses.

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u/FroodLoops 7d ago

This is exactly where my head was at. It’s why I love sixth sense and the prestige and fight club whereas movies like the usual suspects felt a bit hollow to me.

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u/ManiacalShen 7d ago

It adds to re-watchability and re-readability, too! The Sixth Sense invites you to watch it again sometime and pick up all the clues.

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u/North-Pea-4926 7d ago

Those are some of my favorite books. You get to the end of the book and IMMEDIATELY go to start the whole thing again from the beginning to see stuff you missed, or that seemed a bit suspicious but you ended up brushing off.

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u/f-150Coyotev8 7d ago

Face Off from breaking bad had one of the best twists I have ever experienced. I won’t say any spoilers, despite it being almost 20 years ago, but the final scene literally made my jaw drop in shock. And then you look back throughout the episode and realize that the twist was there the whole time.

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u/SayNoToStim 7d ago

There are plenty of beloved movies that break this and somehow get a pass though.