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Chekovs Gun vs. Brick Joke

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neoYTPism Since: May, 2010
#1: Apr 10th 2011 at 11:21:52 AM

Chekhov's Gun

Brick Joke

These tropes seem very similar in their concepts; what exactly is the distinction between them?

edited 10th Apr '11 11:22:09 AM by neoYTPism

Ironeye Cutmaster-san from SoCal Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Falling within your bell curve
Cutmaster-san
#2: Apr 10th 2011 at 11:40:03 AM

In a Brick Joke situation, a plot element is left unresolved as the story moves on to something else that makes the original plot element seem unimportant. The plot element then returns much later after it's likely been forgotten.

A Chekhov's Gun, on the other hand, is introduced entirely so that when it's important later, it doesn't seem like it came out of nowhere. For this to work, the element is introduced much closer to when it's needed, since you want it to still be in the audience's mind (not that they have to realize how significant it is) when it matters.

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neoYTPism Since: May, 2010
#3: Apr 11th 2011 at 12:49:37 PM

So, at how fresh in the audience's mind and/or how soon after being introduced does it go from being a Brick Joke to being a Chekhov's Gun?

edited 11th Apr '11 12:51:01 PM by neoYTPism

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#4: Apr 11th 2011 at 12:54:06 PM

We recently had a TRS topic to fix this problem — did it ever get resolved? The idea is that Brick Joke is just that, a joke, while Chekhov's Gun has plot relevance.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
suedenim Teutonic Tomboy T-Girl from Jet Dream HQ Since: Oct, 2009
Teutonic Tomboy T-Girl
#5: Apr 11th 2011 at 7:39:04 PM

That sounds better than Ironeye's description, which seems to me a distinction so fine as to be nearly meaningless (at least in practical terms) as "closer to when it's needed" is inherently subjective.

When two tropes have (or easily could have) nearly-identical example lists, that's a problem.

Jet-a-Reeno!
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