History Main / FanonDiscontinuity

[[caption-width-right:300:That's ''Film/TheMatrix'' they're talking about, in case you were wondering.[[note]]Now there's a ''fourth'' one.[[/note]]]]

Compare FanWank for when fans come up with rationales to make the disliked stuff better fits their likes. Contrast FanDisillusionment for when it causes them to stop being fans of the work altogether as opposed to just pretending the disliked stuff didn't happen. See also TheyChangedItNowItSucks and LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain.

Fanon ("Fan Canon") Discontinuity is the act of fans mentally writing out certain events in a show's continuity that don't sit well, be it a single episode, a season-spanning arc, an entire season, or even an entire ''series''. If a plot or [[SnicketWarningLabel ending]] rubs one the wrong way severely enough, fandom can just decide that the offending events never happened. On the series level, events may fall under Discontinuity because the show is perceived to [[AudienceAlienatingEra suck at that point]] or [[JumpTheShark decline too far in quality]]. Events also get "discontinued" for particularly screwing up the characters or setting, and a show that starts to suck will end up screwing things up eventually anyway.

* In the Website/CollegeHumor video [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNlAZLCGLuU Luigi Finally Snaps]], Luigi mentions the ''Film/SuperMarioBros'' movie, upon which Mario gets angry and slaps him in the face.

* FanonDiscontinuity/{{Meta}}

* FanonDiscontinuity/ProWrestling

** In the episode ''Film/SoulTaker'', Crow and Servo refuse to accept the HappilyEverAfter and claim what ''really'' happened was a DownerEnding where the protagonists' relationship failed and the hero ended up in jail, making bootleg vodka in the toilet. Mike asks if they aren't being a little doom-and-gloom, and they [[SarcasmMode sarcastically]] suggest an ending where everything is [[TastesLikeDiabetes puppies and sunshine and rainbows]]. Mike asks if it ''has'' to be unrealistically depressing or unrealistically happy with no middle ground, and they say yep, it's either toilet vodka or unicorn giggles.

* Discontinuity/AnimeAndManga
* Discontinuity/ComicBooks
** ''Discontinuity/TheDCU''
** ''Discontinuity/MarvelUniverse''
* Discontinuity/ComicStrips
* [[Discontinuity/AnimatedFilms Films — Animation]]
* [[Discontinuity/LiveActionFilms Films — Live-Action]]
** ''Discontinuity/{{Halloween}}''
** ''Discontinuity/StarWars''
* Discontinuity/{{Literature}}
** ''Discontinuity/HarryPotter''
* Discontinuity/LiveActionTV
** ''Discontinuity/DoctorWho''
** ''Discontinuity/{{Supernatural}}''
* Discontinuity/{{Meta}}
* Discontinuity/{{Music}}
* Discontinuity/ProWrestling
* Discontinuity/TabletopGames
* Discontinuity/{{Theatre}}
* Discontinuity/VideoGames
** ''Discontinuity/TheLegendOfZelda''
** ''Discontinuity/SonicTheHedgehog''
* Discontinuity/{{Webcomics}}
* Discontinuity/WebOriginal
* Discontinuity/WesternAnimation
** ''Discontinuity/AvatarTheLastAirbender''
** ''Discontinuity/Ben10''
** ''Discontinuity/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''
** ''Discontinuity/TheSimpsons''

Fanon ("Fan Canon") Discontinuity is the act of fans mentally writing out certain events in a show's continuity that don't sit well, be it a single episode, [[DorkAge a season-spanning arc]], an entire season, or even an entire ''series''. If a plot or [[SnicketWarningLabel ending]] rubs one the wrong way severely enough, fandom can just decide that the offending events never happened. On the series level, events may fall under Discontinuity because the show is perceived to [[DorkAge suck at that point]] or [[JumpTheShark decline too far in quality]]. Events also get "discontinued" for particularly screwing up the characters or setting, and a show that starts to suck will end up screwing things up eventually anyway.

[[caption-width-right:300:That's ''Film/TheMatrix'' they're talking about, in case you were wondering.[[note]]Now there's a ''fourth'' one[[/note]]]]

[[caption-width-right:300:That's ''Film/TheMatrix'' they're talking about, in case you were wondering.]]

--> '''Interlocutor figure:''' [[VideoGame/{{Bioshock 2}} Don't you mean second sequel, Yahtzee?]]

Please note that this trope is highly subjective, more based on the fandom rather than the event itself. The visceral response to fanon discontinuity can baffle other fans who don't see the event as seriously, or even like the event. Just because an event or work has an example on here doesn't mean it's bad or that you're wrong for liking it. And just because a work is heavily disliked by the fanbase, it doesn't mean it should be listed here, because fans can dislike some work but still accept it as canon. This is a neutral catalog of a phenomenon in fandom, not a list of things we think are bad. That also means that you should only post examples where a significant portion of the fandom disregards an event, not just your own personal bugbears. Also, using this as a {{Pothole}} is generally rather rude, so please don't do it unless you want to use CanonDiscontinuity instead.

* ''WebVideo/OutsideXbox:'' In the episode "7 Games Too Ambitious For Their Own Good", Jane says that she liked all three ''VideoGame/{{Fable}}'' games. And that there were only three games.

** In the ''VideoGame/DarkSeed II'' longplay, Mike Dawson losing at ring toss became a RunningGag, to the point that they even posted a video of just the losing animation. When Mike finally gets the item to cheat at the ring toss carnival game, he steps up to play... and then loses again because slowbeef spliced over the footage of him winning. They then tell the viewer that Retsupurae-canonicity is that Mike Dawson never won the ring toss game and never will.

Fanon ("Fan Canon") Discontinuity is the act of fans mentally writing out certain events in a show's continuity which don't sit well, be it a single episode, [[DorkAge a season-spanning arc]], an entire season or even an entire ''series''. If a plot or [[SnicketWarningLabel ending]] rubs one the wrong way severely enough, fandom can just decide that the offending events never happened. On the series level, events may fall under Discontinuity because the show is perceived to [[DorkAge suck at that point]] or [[JumpTheShark decline too far in quality]]. Events also get "discontinued" for particularly screwing up the characters or setting, and a show that starts to suck will end up screwing things up eventually anyway.

In moviedom, {{Sequelitis}} is the most common cause of Fanon Discontinuity. It's very common to hear fans of a popular movie series disavow all sequels beyond a certain point, typically the first or second movie. For example, the unofficial slogan of the ''Franchise/{{Highlander}}'' fandom is, "There Should Have Been Only One".[[note]]a play on the franchise's famous quote of "ThereCanBeOnlyOne," in case you're wondering.[[/note]] It is often supported and justified by the fact that [[GodDoesNotOwnThisWorld the creators of the original had nothing to do with the sequels]], so it is essentially not their work.

Fanon discontinuity can easily occur if the hated storylines are the last ever made and it's easy to pretend that the real ending was in the good ones. If more episodes/installments are made and these are loved and canon-worthy, hated storylines can still become Fanon discontinuity if the hated ones can easily be written out without any loss to the good stories. Discontinuity becomes less likely and more difficult to achieve when the loved storylines keep making references to the previous hated storylines and solidifying them as canonical, even when they do admit that they really sucked.

Sometimes discontinuity comes from not liking a very specific element while still enjoying everything else. When this happens, you've applied BroadStrokes to the {{canon}}. Not to be confused with NegativeContinuity.

Even works liked by fans can be subject to fanon discontinuity if fans prefer to think of it as a standalone work as opposed to part of the continuity, often do to pulling a HappyEndingOverride and/or [[ContinuitySnarl clashing with continuity]]. Conversely disliked works can avoid fanon discontinuity if fans think it adds something to canon WorthIt or it isn't worth the hassle of pretending didn't happen.

If the questionable elements are written out of canonicity by the [[WordOfGod creators themselves]], then said elements entered in CanonDiscontinuity territory, or, in less severe cases, are given a DiscontinuityNod. It gets ironic when a semi-inversion of this happens when the work is officially removed from continuity, but fans still like it, or hate (even more) the "real" story meant to replace the old one and still treat it as canonical. If the creator just bashes it, then it's CreatorBacklash. If the disliked elements later becomes more wieldy accepted as canon, be it getting a payoff or fix or other factors causing it to be seen better in retrospect, it's VindicatedByHistory.

''Note: This is highly subjective, more based on the fandom rather than the event itself. The visceral response to fanon discontinuity can baffle other fans who don't take the event as seriously, or even like the event. Just because an event or work has an example on here doesn't mean it's bad or that you're wrong for liking it. And just because a work is heavily disliked by the fanbase, it doesn't mean it should be listed here, because '''fans can dislike a work but still accept it as canon'''. This is a neutral catalogue of a phenomenon in fandom, not a list of things we think are bad. That also means that you should only post examples where a significant portion of the fandom disregards an event, not just your own personal bugbears. Also, using this as a {{pothole}} is generally rather rude, so please don't do it unless you want to use CanonDiscontinuity instead.''

[[noreallife]]

-->earlier, i tweeted that - in the fictions we enjoy - canon only has to be canon if we want it to. we are free to dislike and ignore any part of the story for any reason: it ain't the freakin' rule of law, it's corporate-sponsored heroic fantasy.... if they can make fiction by the pound, i can choose how much i need to buy.

* At the end of ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'''s treatment of ''Film/TheGirlInLoversLane'', the bots are profoundly depressed by the movie's DownerEnding, specifically the sudden death of lovable waitress Carrie. Joel offers the bots a refreshing epiphany that more or less ''defines'' Fanon Discontinuity: you don't have to ''accept'' what the movie hands you. The cast promptly begin imagining less depressing endings for the film. This was mentioned in the official episode guide as being based on the universal negative reactions of the writing team upon first viewing the film, and the skit seemed almost psychologically necessary.

* ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'': In "Topsy" Louise's substitute science teacher is an avid Thomas Edison fan, and vehemently denies that Edison ever performed any unsavory experiments involving AC electricity and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topsy_%28elephant%29 a circus elephant.]]

--> '''Yahtzee:''' Don't take this the wrong way though. [=BioShock=] Infinite is a retread, but it's the good kind of retread that uses a formula that works to explore new ideas, and it's a worthy sequel to the original.

Compare FanWank for when fans come up with rationals to make the disliked stuff better fits their likes. Contrast FanDisillusionment for when it causes them to stop being fans of the work altogether as opposed to just pretending the disliked stuff didn't happen. See also TheyChangedItNowItSucks and LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain.

* At the end of ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'''s treatment of ''Film/TheGirlInLoversLane'', the bots are profoundly depressed by the movie's DownerEnding, specifically the ShockingSwerve death of lovable waitress Carrie. Joel offers the bots a refreshing epiphany that more or less ''defines'' Fanon Discontinuity: you don't have to ''accept'' what the movie hands you. The cast promptly begin imagining less depressing endings for the film. This was mentioned in the official episode guide as being based on the universal negative reactions of the writing team upon first viewing the film, and the skit seemed almost psychologically necessary.

If the questionable elements are written out of canonicity by the [[WordOfGod creators themselves]], then said elements entered in CanonDiscontinuity territory, or, in less severe cases, are given a DiscontinuityNod. It gets ironic when a semi-inversion of this happens when the work is officially removed from continuity, but fans still like it, or hate (even more) the "real" story meant to replace the old one and still treat it as canonical. If the creator just bashes it, then it's CreatorBacklash. If the disliked elements later becomes more wieldy accepted as canon, be it getting a payoff or fix or other factors causing it to be seen better in retrospect, it's VindcatedByHistory.

If the questionable elements are written out of canonicity by the [[WordOfGod creators themselves]], then said elements entered in CanonDiscontinuity territory, or, in less severe cases, are given a DiscontinuityNod. It gets ironic when a semi-inversion of this happens when the work is officially removed from continuity, but fans still like it, or hate (even more) the "real" story meant to replace the old one and still treat it as canonical. If the creator just bashes it, then it's CreatorBacklash. If, on the other hand, the controversial element is somehow reworked into being tolerable or even popular, it's been RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap. See also TheyChangedItNowItSucks and LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain.

Compare FanWank for when fans come up with rationals to make the disliked stuff better fits their likes. Contrast FanDisillusionment for when it causes them to stop being fans of the work altogether as opposed to just pretending the disliked stuff didn't happen.

* On ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' when Brian and Stewie go to UsefulNotes/{{Germany}} they discover that the pamphlet lists nothing happening between 1939 and 1945 and the tour guide furiously denies it[[note]]which is incredibly [[{{Irony}} ironic]]; [[CriticalResearchFailure denying that the Holocaust actually happened along with other German WWII atrocities in Germany is in fact a]] '''''very serious crime''''' [[CriticalResearchFailure that will land you in prison. They really do take what happened back then very seriously, and for good reason]][[/note]].
--> '''Tour Guide:''' [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial Nothing happened! Everyone was on vacation!]]

It should be noted that this can be justified in cases of RunningTheAsylum, as it's clear the people in charge are largely trying to impose their own {{fanon}}.

One of the meta-causes of AlternateUniverse. When fans engage in fanon discontinuity by claiming certain events secretly take place in the main character's head, see DelusionConclusion.