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XFllo
Since: Aug, 2012
4th Feb, 2019 10:49:35 AM
Could you repost this in Trope Talk (forum): Is this an example? thread?
Personally, I feel Wham Line and Wham Episode get misused a lot.
For the It Lives anthology, I found several examples of Wham Episode. I'm not entirely sure what qualifies, but I know that the "status quo" shouldn't change that often. A little help here, please?
It Lives in the Woods:
- At the end of Chapter 7, Cody is impaled on the tree outside of Devon’s house!
This is the first death in the series, and it suggests that the monster is actually on the hero's side in a twisted way.- Chapter 14 reveals a big one. Jane is Redfield and Noah knew!
Knowing that your dead childhood friend is the monster adds a lot of information. For example, it explains why misfortune came upon those who wronged the protagonists in any way. I'm not sure if it counts because it changes what you knew in the past, not what's going to happen for the rest of the story.- Chapter 15. The fate of all of your friends is determined and either Devon or Noah take Jane's spot as Redfield.
The previous chapter was already leading up to this. It's climactic, but I wouldn't say it's a wham episode. It Lives Beneath:- Chapter 7 of It Lives Beneath reveals the members of the cult: Astrid and Vincent Wescott, Richard Sutcliffe, Chief Kelly, but the biggest one is Arthur!
Several of the protagonists' parental figures turn out to be part of the cult that seems to be linked to the numerous deaths. The idea that the main character's grandfather could be a villain was widely unanticipated. The following chapter reveals that the cult is actually "good", so now they're all working together to fight the "evil" lake monster.- Chapter 11 is another one. The Society's plan of sealing the Lake Ghost is to use Harper as a sacrifice, which means draining all of their blood. It also reveals that the Westcott's bodyguard, Craig, is a golem like the kind Mr. Red could summon, and is a shapeshifter by turning into Ned! All hell breaks loose as Parker and Danni are tossed overboard during the melee.
Surprise, surprise. The society turns out to be evil. There were plenty of chances to insist you didn't trust them between the revelation that they were good and the revelation that they weren't.- Chapter 12 drops a bombshell revelation. Arthur has broken out of prison and he was not the one who killed Harper and Elliot's parents, with Vincent having mind-controlled him into falsely confessing. The Lake Ghost's identity is also revealed to be Josephine Vance, Arthur's dead wife and Harper and Elliot's grandmother.
Now Grandpa is good and the lake monster is good and the cult is evil. The only thing new is the revelation that you have a tie to the monster.- Chapter 14 has a couple. Chief Kelley is killed by Parker or a bear monster and Vincent is killed by Josephine. It is revealed that Josephine feels Arthur betrayed her and vows revenge on him and the rest of the Society.
Deaths are already common enough in this story. As for the revelation of Grandpa betraying his wife, it adds some moral ambiguity, but our perspective of him has already changed enough times to not be considered a change in status quo every time.- Chapter 15 is also one: Josephine floods the town and lets the monsters loose, which can may kill civilians. Astrid is murdered by Josephine, and depending on nerve, the monsters may kill one of your friends. Josephine decides to go after Arthur and Harper follows her.
Once again, the previous chapter was already leading to this, and deaths are nothing new. Edited by k5972