Board Thread:Episode Discussion/@comment-112155-20160503211042/@comment-27144679-20160507222524

Remember that meme that was going around  a while back? "George R.R. Martin, Joss Whedon, and Stephen Moffat all walk into a bar, and everyone you've ever loved dies."

It's true that some shows can't survive killing off a major character. But still, there have to be stakes. There have to consequenes to actions, even if those consequences are heart wrenching. If you know darn well that everyone is going to be okay at the end no matter what, it's not very exciting.

I just thought of one instance in which that was not the case: Ron Howard's film Apollo 13. I knew the story of Apollo 13 practically by heart, and yet I was on the edge of my seat. Can't figure out how that happened...