History Main / TheUntwist

An outcome considered to be too obvious turns out to be what happened.
Suppose there has been a murder. There are only two other people in the house at the time. One acts mean and surly to the detective, doesn't treat the other house dweller well, doesn’t seem too concerned about the death, and reveals he had both a motive and opportunity to kill the victim. The other housemate, by contrast, is very polite and helpful to both the detective and her roommate, is visibly upset by the death, and seems to have a rock-solid alibi and no real motive.

Contrast the ShockingSwerve, which pulls a twist out of ''[[AssPull nowhere]]''. Compare MetaTwist, where an author who relied on a specific twist surprises the audience by [[AvertedTrope averting]] it. Not to be confused with TheUnreveal, unless you expected The Unreveal to be subverted. TruthInTelevision: in RealLife most homicide victims are killed by someone they knew, and, following OccamsRazor, the most obvious suspect is usually the culprit. Compare HiddenInPlainSight.

Suppose there has been a murder. There are only two other people in the house at the time. One acts mean and surly to the detective, doesn't treat the other house dweller well, doesn’t seem too concerned about the death, and reveals he had both a motive and opportunity to kill the victim. The other housemate, by contrast, is very polite and helpful to both the detective and her roommate, is visibly upset by the death, and seeks to have a rock-solid alibi and no real motive.

Suppose there has been a murder. There are only two other people in the house at the time. One acts mean and surly to the detective, doesn't treat the other house dweller well, and reveals he had both a motive and opportunity to kill the victim. The other housemate, by contrast, is very polite and helpful, and is visibly upset by the death.

SisterTrope to CaptainObviousReveal, where the twist is also completely obvious to the audience but the creator seems to think it won't be. May overlap with ObviousJudas, where the most ObviouslyEvil character turns out to be the villain.

test

TEST

SisterTrope to CaptainObviousReveal, where the twist is also completely obvious to the audience but the creator seems to think it won't be. May overlap with ObviousJudas, where the most ObviouslyEvil character turns out to be the villain.

[[AC:No examples, please. Any plot development can become The Untwist to a [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife sufficiently paranoid reader]].]]
%% And if you can see this, you're a sufficiently paranoid reader. We know where you live.
----

Thus is illustrated the essence of The Untwist. The author drops a large number of hints at the start of the story which a reader assumes to be obvious {{red herring}}s, and thus is surprised when, later on, it turns out that [[OccamsRazor the simplest, most obvious explanation was the correct one.]] Somehow, the author has managed to [[LogicBomb subvert the reader's expectations by not subverting their expectations]].

In many cases, the above description is exactly how it happens (see most episodes of ''Series/{{CSI}}''). However, sometimes the author pulls a fast one--it turns out [[DevilInPlainSight Mr. Surly is guilty after all]]! All that evidence against him, which the reader dismissed on the grounds of being too obvious, is actually correct and valid.

Thus is illustrated the essence of The Untwist. The author drops a large number of hints at the start of the story which a reader assumes to be obvious {{red herring}}s, and thus is surprised when, later on, it turns out that the simplest, most obvious explanation was the correct one. Somehow, the author has managed to [[LogicBomb subvert the reader's expectations by not subverting their expectations]].

A viewer might quickly conclude that the nice housemate is the murderer and the surly one is innocent. Why? Because the evidence against Mr. Surly is ''too obvious'', and the reader suspects a RedHerring.

A viewer would quickly conclude that the nice housemate is the murderer and the surly one is innocent. Why? Because the evidence against Mr. Surly is ''too obvious'', and the reader suspects a RedHerring.

This technique obviously carries with it the risk that if it is not very well done, or the audience doesn't think there's a RedHerring in play, they will not anticipate that there will be a twist. In other circumstances the writer seems to assume [[ViewersAreMorons the audience must possess the intellect of a lobotomised turnip]], leaving them feeling treated as if they're just too ''dumb'' to handle a twist.

This technique is occasionally played with. In one fairly famous mystery book, the obvious person is guilty--but the obvious ''evidence'' and ''way he committed the crime'' is false: It was all part of an EvilPlan based around "double jeopardy" laws which prevent people from being tried for the same crime twice. Basically, he planned to trick the police into using the false evidence at trial, which he would then easily dismiss.

In many cases, the above description is exactly how it happens (see most episodes of ''Series/{{CSI}}''). However, sometimes the author pulls a fast one - it turns out [[DevilInPlainSight Mr. Surly is guilty after all]]! All that evidence against him, which the reader dismissed on the grounds of being too obvious, is actually correct and valid.

This technique is occasionally played with. In one fairly famous mystery book, the obvious person is guilty - but the obvious ''evidence'' and ''way he committed the crime'' is false: It was all part of an EvilPlan based around "double jeopardy" laws which prevent people from being tried for the same crime twice. Basically, he planned to trick the police into using the false evidence at trial, which he would then easily dismiss.

Suppose there has been a murder. There are only other two people in the house at the time. One acts mean and surly to the detective, doesn't treat the other house dweller well, and reveals he had both a motive and opportunity to kill the victim. The other housemate, by contrast, is very polite and helpful, and is visibly upset by the death.

This technique obviously carries with it the risk that if it is not very well done, or the audience doesn't think there's a RedHerring in play, they will not anticipate that there will be a twist. In other circumstances the writer seems to assume the audience must possess the intellect of a lobotomised turnip, leaving them feeling treated as if they're just too dumb to handle a twist.

A GenreSavvy viewer would quickly conclude that the nice housemate is the murderer and the surly one is innocent. Why? Because the evidence against Mr. Surly is ''too obvious'', and the reader suspects a RedHerring.

In many cases, the above description is exactly how it happens (see most episodes of ''Series/{{CSI}}''). However, sometimes the author pulls a fast one - it turns out [[{{DevilInPlainSight}} Mr. Surly is guilty after all]]! All that evidence against him, which the reader dismissed on the grounds of being too obvious, is actually correct and valid.

Thus is illustrated the essence of The Untwist. The author drops a large number of hints at the start of the story which a GenreSavvy reader assumes to be obvious {{red herring}}s, and thus is surprised when, later on, it turns out that the simplest, most obvious explanation was the correct one. Somehow, the author has managed to [[LogicBomb subvert the reader's expectations by not subverting their expectations]].

This technique obviously carries with it the risk that if it is not very well done, or the audience isn't GenreSavvy enough to think there's a RedHerring in play, they will not anticipate that there will be a twist. In other circumstances the writer seems to assume the audience must possess the intellect of a lobotomised turnip, leaving them feeling treated as if they're just too dumb to handle a twist.

This technique obviously carries with it the risk that if it is not very well done, or the audience isn't GenreSavvy enough to think there's a RedHerring in play, they will not anticipate that there will be a twist. The Untwist can also fail if the audience is ''too'' GenreSavvy, and will [[IKnowYouKnowIKnow expect you to pull an untwist in advance]], although this is considerably more rare.

[[caption-width-right:250:Dude made [[ZombieApocalypse zombies]], ok?]]

-->-- '''LordPeterWimsey''', ''The Five Red Herrings''

->''"If you got a dead body and you think his brother did it, you're gonna find out you're right."''
-->-- '''Verbal Kint''', ''Film/TheUsualSuspects''

In many cases, the above description is exactly how it happens (see most episodes of ''{{CSI}}''). However, sometimes the author pulls a fast one - it turns out [[{{DevilInPlainSight}} Mr. Surly is guilty after all]]! All that evidence against him, which the reader dismissed on the grounds of being too obvious, is actually correct and valid.

Contrast the ShockingSwerve, which pulls a twist out of ''[[AssPull nowhere]]''. Compare MetaTwist, where an author who relied on a specific twist surprises the audience by [[AvertedTrope averting]] it. Not to be confused with TheUnreveal, unless you expected The Unreveal to be subverted. TruthInTelevision: in RealLife most homicide victims are killed by someone they knew, and, following OccamsRazor, the most obvious suspect is usually the culprit.

Suppose there has been a murder. There are only other two people in the house at the time. One acts mean and surly to the detective, doesn't treat other the house dweller well, and reveals he had both a motive and opportunity to kill the victim. The other housemate, by contrast, is very polite and helpful, and is visibly upset by the death.

->''"If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck."''
-->-- '''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duck_test Duck Test]]'''

Suppose there has been a murder. The only other two people in the house at the time. One acts mean and surly to the detective, doesn't treat other house dweller well, and reveals he had both a motive and opportunity to kill the victim. The live housemate, by contrast, is very polite and helpful, and is visibly upset by the death.

Contrast the ShockingSwerve, which pulls a twist out of ''[[AssPull nowhere]]''. Compare MetaTwist, where an author who relied on a specific twist surprises the audience by [[AvertedTrope averting]] it. Not to be confused with TheUnreveal, unless you expected The Unreveal to be subverted.

Occasionally played with, e.g. in one fairly famous mystery book, the obvious person is guilty - but the obvious ''evidence'' and ''way he committed the crime'' is false: It was all part of an EvilPlan based around "double jeopardy" laws which prevent people from being tried for the same crime twice. Basically, he planned to trick the police into using the false evidence at trial, which he would then easily dismiss.

TruthInTelevision, as in RealLife, most homicide victims are killed by someone they knew, and, following OccamsRazor, the most obvious suspect is usually the culprit.

An untwist is what happens when ChekhovsGun looks like a RedHerring.

For example, suppose Alice has been murdered. The only other two people in the house at the time are Bob and Carol. Bob acts mean and surly to the detective, doesn't treat Carol well, and reveals he had both a motive and opportunity to kill Alice. Carol, by contrast, is very polite and helpful, and is visibly upset at Alice's death.

A GenreSavvy viewer would quickly conclude that Carol is the murderer and Bob is innocent. Why? Because the evidence against Bob is ''too obvious'', and the reader suspects the author is merely trying to mislead the audience so they'll be surprised at the revelation that prim and proper Carol is the one who staged the whole thing.

In many cases, the above description is exactly how it happens (see most episodes of ''{{CSI}}''). However, sometimes the author pulls a fast one - it turns out [[{{DevilInPlainSight}} Bob is guilty after all]]! All that evidence against him, which the reader dismissed on the grounds of being too obvious, is actually correct and valid. Furthermore, Carol cooperated with the detective because she's that sort of person, and she was genuinely sad that Alice died.

And thus is illustrated the essence of The Untwist. The author drops a large number of hints at the start of the story which a GenreSavvy reader assumes to be obvious {{red herring}}s, and thus is surprised when, later on, it turns out that the simplest, most obvious explanation was the correct one. Somehow, the author has managed to [[LogicBomb subvert the reader's expectations by not subverting their expectations]], or [[MindScrew something like that]]. (That is, instead of a DoubleSubversion, it's a Null Subversion.)

This technique obviously carries with it the risk that if it is not very well done, or the audience isn't GenreSavvy enough to think there's a RedHerring in play, they will not anticipate that there will be a twist; for instance, in the example used above they would merely assume that it was Bob who committed the murder due to the initial evidence presented against him, and without any expectation that Carol should have been the culprit instead, the ultimate confirmation of Bob's guilt fails to be a surprise at all. Furthermore, The Untwist can also fail if the audience is ''too'' GenreSavvy, and will [[IKnowYouKnowIKnow expect you to pull an untwist in advance]], although this is considerably more rare.

In most cases, The Untwist is the unintentional result of a writer being heavy-handed with {{foreshadowing}}, such that the reader assumes simple hints are red herrings. (This is also known as the CaptainObviousReveal.) It ''can'' be done deliberately, but doing it deliberately and ''well'' requires a great deal of skill. A common way of doing it deliberately is by playing a DiscreditedTrope completely straight, (since being discredited means the audience will doubt it's being played straight). Other times, the writer didn't intend the plot point to be a surprise at all - the fans produced an Untwist by expecting a twist where there was none.

Sometimes, though, the heavy foreshadowing leading to a TwistEnding was ''intentional'', but due to circumstances (usually ExecutiveMeddling), the Twist is turned into an Untwist (see the 2007 version of ''Film/IAmLegend'' for a good example).

Not to be confused with the German indie/electronic band [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Notwist The Notwist]].

[[AC:No examples, please. Any plot development [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unexpected_hanging_paradox can become]] The Untwist to a [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife sufficiently paranoid reader]].]]

TruthInTelevision, as in RealLife, most homicide victims are killed by someone they knew, and, following OccamsRazor, the most obvious suspect is usually right.

Contrast the ShockingSwerve, which pulls a twist out of ''[[AssPull nowhere]]''. Compare MetaTwist, where an author who relied on a specific twist surprises the audience by [[AvertedTrope averting]] it.

And thus is illustrated the essence of TheUntwist. The author drops a large number of hints at the start of the story which a GenreSavvy reader assumes to be obvious {{red herring}}s, and thus is surprised when, later on, it turns out that the simplest, most obvious explanation was the correct one. Somehow, the author has managed to [[LogicBomb subvert the reader's expectations by not subverting their expectations]], or [[MindScrew something like that]]. (That is, instead of a DoubleSubversion, it's a Null Subversion.)

This technique obviously carries with it the risk that if it is not very well done, or the audience isn't GenreSavvy enough to think there's a RedHerring in play, they will not anticipate that there will be a twist; for instance, in the example used above they would merely assume that it was Bob who committed the murder due to the initial evidence presented against him, and without any expectation that Carol should have been the culprit instead, the ultimate confirmation of Bob's guilt fails to be a surprise at all. Furthermore, TheUntwist can also fail if the audience is ''too'' GenreSavvy, and will [[IKnowYouKnowIKnow expect you to pull an untwist in advance]], although this is considerably more rare.

In most cases, TheUntwist is the unintentional result of a writer being heavy-handed with {{foreshadowing}}, such that the reader assumes simple hints are red herrings. (This is also known as the CaptainObviousReveal.) It ''can'' be done deliberately, but doing it deliberately and ''well'' requires a great deal of skill. A common way of doing it deliberately is by playing a DiscreditedTrope completely straight, (since being discredited means the audience will doubt it's being played straight). Other times, the writer didn't intend the plot point to be a surprise at all - the fans produced an Untwist by expecting a twist where there was none.

[[AC:No examples, please. Any plot development [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unexpected_hanging_paradox can become]] TheUntwist to a [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife sufficiently paranoid reader]].]]