I haven't seen Endgame.

[bladespark]

Hell, I still haven't seen Infinity War! :3 Given what a to-do it is for me to get movie-length time off, I'd honestly rather spend that time doing any number of other things. Movies are like... 30th on my priority list or something? Below "staying home with a good cider and writing". So... Uh... I think the last thing I saw in the theater was The Last Jedi and I have no idea what was before that. Star Trek: Into Darkness maybe?

But you can spoil me all you like, I don't mind.

I appreciate the thoughtfulness of individuals attempting to avoid spoilers and I fully agree with the generally accepted spoilertext/cuts/blank spaces and warnings systems implemented by people on various platforms. The kindness towards others' choices in what to see or not see is great!

But a "spoiler" doesn't really spoil anything, most of the time.

Really, it doesn't.

I mean, by now we *all* know that Darth Vader is Luke's father, and does that take one milligram of enjoyment away from watching the original Star Wars movies? It does not!

A good story can be watched and re-watched endlessly, because it's not relying on the "gasp, OMG, who could have guessed?" to be good. If shock and surprise are all your story has going for it, then it sucks as a story.

Of course there is a certain joy in seeing something unfold for the first time, and I won't deny that. On the other hand, uh... About 90% of what I've already been spoiled on regarding what happens in Endgame I had guessed would probably happen based entirely on internet-meme spoilers of Infinity War which, to remind you all, I also have never seen. Seriously, guys, this stuff is super predictable, and half the time I have guessed the shape of the plot of a movie just from seeing the trailers, so "spoilers" about that stuff are hardly changing my viewing experience. I still haven't finished Dr. Strange, for example, but I've watched about 15 minutes of it, and I can see that they're setting up his hubris so that he can take a fall and learn a lesson (probably in humility) which will then enable him to beat the person/forces that caused the fall. People who've seen it, am I wrong? I'd be shocked if I was.

Snape kills Dumbledore!!!!! Well yes. I mean come on, the elderly mentor figure always dies before the young hero comes into his own, and who else was going to do it with any real impact? It was either Snape in just the way he did, or Voldemort personally. Them's your options in the kind of story that's going on here, and I could have told you that half way through Sorceror's Stone. It's not much of a spoiler.

Most of them aren't.

You'll still enjoy the movie anyway, and if you don't, is that because of the spoiler, or because you walked into the theater primed to have an awful experience because you'd been spoiled so it was bound to be shit?

That's my rant on the topic of the day. Enjoy. :3 Civil disagreement in the comments is welcome, should you have a differing opinion.

Comments

[alwaysbeenasmiler]

It's just consideration-- I like spoilers and generally will spoil myself (though I didn't with End Game) however I try to be respectful because there are some people who like to be surprised and I cannot blame them. Also there is a Statue of Limitation with spoilers. The Star Wars spoiler with Luke's Father being vader is something that by now is a staple of pop culture-- Aerith's death and Snape killing Dumbledore too-- End Game though is so early out and not everyone can get out to the theater opening weekend.

It's all about mutual respect when it comes down to it.

There are many people who have been invested in the characters and the storyline for a long while and I'm going to practice consideration because if I didn't want to be spoiled, I would really want no one to say anything about it until I'd seen it-- and I know that when I'm skimming posts on DW, words and phrases will just pop out without me having to read too much into it.

[bladespark]

This isn't really aimed at the people giving that consideration so much as the people kind of...creating their own suffering by making it into a huge deal with they do end up accidentally spoilered.

[alwaysbeenasmiler]

Yeah, that is why I prefacecd my post with spoilers and a "if you click here and don't want to be spoilered, then well I guess you are kinda an idiot'. Lol-- I like reading theories on what 'may' happen, but I know that when I click on any links-- it's all about being mindful of what you do and don't want to read/hear. But also, people who will shout random spoilers in the movie theater lobby just to be THAT person, yeah-- they are kinda the worst as well.

[adafrog]

I hear you about the time movies take. Often I think 'I could take a nap, or I could see a movie...' lol

[kara_mckay]

I agree. The sort of things that are at more at issue, I think, are the little things and not the major plot points. Retrospectively, I wish I hadn't known about Goose the Cat walking into Captain Marvel. I can't say it ruined my experience, but it would have been more fun if it had been a surprise.

But, yeah, I warn for spoilers because I know there are people who get very upset about it, not because I particularly understand why they're upset.